Effect of PhET-Assisted Discovery Learning on Junior High School Students’ Mathematical Conceptual Understanding
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Janna Aprilia Azhara
Muhammad Zaki
Guntur Maulana Muhammad
This study examined whether discovery learning supported by PhET Simulation was associated with higher conceptual understanding of statistical measures of central tendency among junior secondary school students. A quantitative quasi-experimental method with a posttest-only control group design was employed. The participants were 50 Grade VIII students from SMP Negeri 2 Langsa, comprising 25 students in the experimental group and 25 students in the control group. The experimental group received discovery learning supported by PhET Simulation, whereas the control group received discovery learning without PhET Simulation. Data were collected using an essay-based test that assessed four indicators of conceptual understanding: classification, representation, example identification, and algorithmic application. Descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t-test were used after the normality and homogeneity assumptions had been examined. The experimental group achieved a higher mean posttest score (M = 78.76, SD = 17.06) than the control group (M = 62.88, SD = 21.50). The difference was statistically significant, t(48) = 2.89, p = .006, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.82). These findings indicate that students who participated in PhET-assisted discovery learning demonstrated higher conceptual understanding than those who participated in discovery learning without simulation support. The results suggest that integrating interactive simulations into discovery learning may support the teaching of statistical concepts
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