Impact of virtual simulators on the teaching and learning process of physics

Abstract

Virtual simulators are digital tools that recreate complex physics experiments using mathematical models and interactive graphical environments. Their impact lies in transforming abstract concepts into hands-on experiences, enhancing students' intuitive understanding and critical thinking. This democratizes access to practical learning by offering safe, repeatable laboratories free from budgetary or physical infrastructure limitations. The objective was to analyze the impact of virtual simulators on the teaching and learning process of parabolic motion in first-year high school students. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach and a quasi-experimental design, with a population of 120 high school students and a sample of 30 students, divided into a control group and an experimental group of 15 students each. A pre-test and a post-test were administered to collect data, aiming to identify initial knowledge and determine changes in learning after the pedagogical intervention. The pretest results showed averages of 3.20 for the control group and 3.30 for the experimental group, indicating comparable initial conditions between both groups. Subsequently, the experimental group participated in a pedagogical intervention based on the systematic use of PhET virtual simulators to represent, explore, and analyze variables related to parabolic motion. In the posttest, the control group achieved an average of 5.06, while the experimental group obtained an average of 6.01, a difference of 0.95 points in favor of the latter.