Physics instruction necessitates innovative strategies that can support students' achievement. Virtual simulations are digital tools that can offer students with meaningful learning experiences, albeit in an online distance learning setup. This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of virtual simulations in improving students' Physics achievement at the secondary level. A meta-analysis guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was used. Fifteen (15) studies that met the inclusion criteria were included and analyzed. Effect size (Hedges g) was mainly used to determine the magnitude of the effectiveness of virtual simulations. The overall weighted effect size of g = 0.941 suggests that virtual simulations have a significantly large and positive effect on students' achievement in Physics. Moderator analyses revealed that the effectiveness of virtual simulations did not significantly differ based on the region, students' grade level, and duration of the implementation. However, a significant difference was found among the effect sizes of the individual studies when grouped according to the specific field of Physics. The majority of the virtual simulation tools used were PhET simulations and Crocodile Physics, which were found to be integrated with constructivist instructional strategies that facilitated substantial improvements in students' achievement. Hence, professional development programs are recommended to further strengthen Physics teachers' technological and pedagogical knowledge on the effective utilization of virtual simulations to enhance students' Physics learning.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.