Impact of online interactive simulations integration into classroom teaching on grade 8 students’ engagement in IGCSE physics learning

Abstract

<p>In bilingual education, comprehension and engagement can be limited by language obstacles and students' inadequate understanding of subject-specific terms and concepts. Studies found that scientific educators face the challenge of effectively engaging students in their learning, particularly in physics. Interactive computer simulations have the potential to address this challenge by offering an open learning environment, visualizing abstract physical concepts, and igniting students' curiosity. Nonetheless, research on the influence of integrating online interactive simulations into classroom teaching is lacking, especially those systematically investigating that issue by measuring students' classroom engagement through four dimensions: agency, behavior, emotional, and cognitive engagement. A quantitative methods strategy was employed in this study through an experimental approach with pretests and posttests. 60 grade 8 students were chosen using the simple random sampling method. The experimental group (N = 30) was taught with interactive simulations while the conventional teaching approach was used to teach the control group (N = 30), weekly 2-hour activities for 5 weeks. Data collection via student engagement tests was conducted shortly before and after the intervention. The descriptive analysis and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized to analyze the pretests and posttests results. The result found that online interactive simulations significantly enhanced grade 8 students' International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) physics learning engagement, particularly in behavior and emotional aspects. However, further research should focus on optimizing teaching strategies, improving cognitive and agentic engagement, and promoting bilingual learning outcomes.</p>