IMPACT OF VIRTUAL LABORATORY INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY ON SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN MODERN PHYSICS IN NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

This research examined the efficacy of virtual laboratory on senior school students’ performance in modern physics in North Central, Nigeria. The target population is all senior secondary school students. Employing a multi-stage sampling technique, two out of the six states in the North Central Region were randomly selected, and then two co-educational senior schools were selected from the capital cities of the selected state by purposive sampling technique, with a total of 158 students from two intact classes participating. Participants underwent the Modern Physics Performance Pre-test (MPPT I), comprising 40 multiple-choice questions. Subsequently, for four weeks, the experimental group received instruction utilizing virtual laboratory instructional strategy (VLIS), while the control group received instruction through traditional teaching methods (TTM). Modern Physics Performance Post-test (MPPT II) was conducted a week later. The instruments had a reliability coefficient of 0.87. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, and t-tests and ANCOVA assessed the null hypotheses. Results showed a significant difference in mean scores favoring the experimental group. Academic motivation and gender did not significantly influence performance. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educational authorities organize workshops and seminars for educators to promote VLIS, thereby enhancing students' physics performance.