Effect of computer-simulated teaching tools on Rwandan senior four students’ understanding of graphs of projectile motion

Abstract

This study intended to assess the extent to which computer-simulated teaching tools influence Rwandan senior four students’ understanding of graphs of projectile motion. Two schools were purposively selected, and 54 students were grouped in the control and experimental groups. Students’ scores on a multiple-choice test were collected and analyzed using frequencies and inferential statistics. Results showed that students in the experimental group got the average normalized gain in the medium range, t(36)=3.944, p<0.01 whereas in the control group it was in the low range, t(16)=1.788, p>0.05. It was found that students in the experimental group improved their understanding of graphs of projectile motion better than students who were taught using traditional methods, t(52)=-2.194, p=0.033. The study shows that using computer-simulated teaching tools influences positively students’ understanding of graphs of projectile motion. The use computer-simulated teaching tools in teaching projectile motion is recommended for physics teachers and further studies.

Implementación de Hojas de Actividades y Clases Interactivas Demostrativas con Simulaciones PhET en Física Conceptual

“…En cuanto al movimiento de proyectiles, en [31] se encontró que el uso de simulaciones computacionales, donde PhET fue una de las usadas, mejora la comprensión de las gráficas de movimiento de proyectiles, permitiendo una mejor conexión entre el dominio del concepto con su representación gráfica. El uso de simuladores, software, teléfonos inteligentes y enfoques alternativos es discutido en [32]- [35] .…”

“…Aunque la lista de referencias no es exhaustiva, solo en [6], [7], [8], [10], [12], [14], [15], [20], [21], [25], [26], [29], [31], [32], [34], [36], [37], [38], [39], [41], [42], [43] se incorpora el uso de simulaciones PhET como estrategia didáctica, pero enfocado a algún tema de la física en particular. El presente estudio analiza los resultados de la implementación de simulaciones PhET en varios temas de la asignatura de Física Conceptual y es similar a [39] en cuanto a la elección de criterios y sus limitantes para analizar respuestas de estudiantes.…”