The effects of teaching with real, virtual, and real-virtual experimentation modes on conceptual knowledge and science process skills among sixth-grade primary school students: a case study on concepts of electricity

The use of modes of experimentation in science classrooms positively affected students’ conceptual understanding. However, we found limited evidence of whether or not these modes affect science process skills (SPS). To expand the research dealing with modes of experimentation, we aim to compare three modes: real experiment (RE), virtual experiment (VE), and real-virtual experiment (RVE) in the context of guided inquiry instruction to enhance the aspects of science process skills and conceptual knowledge. We employed an experimental research design to investigate the effectiveness of RE, VE, and RVE modes in enhancing science process skills and conceptual knowledge. To elicit data, we developed two instrument tests in multiple-choice format, utilised with participants: 75 sixth-grade students in one public primary school in Indonesia. The participants were divided into three experimental groups: RE, VE, and RVE. The research findings revealed no significant effects among the three experimental groups after science learning that implemented RE, VE, and RVE. Further analysis indicated that each mode of experimentation contributed to improving different aspects of conceptual knowledge, but contributed to improving the same aspect of science process skills. We ultimately discuss the implications arising from this study.