REMOTE LEARNING IN VIRTUAL BIOLOGY EDUCATION: SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS ACQUISITION IN MICROSCOPY

Teaching and learning in the 21st century have increasingly been transformed to accommodate remote learners who are not limited by time and geographic location.In biology education, one of the challenges of remote learning is the acquisition of science process skills that are related to the subject.This research reports on the use of virtual laboratories in complementing students' microscopy skills through an inquiry-based learning approach.98 first-year students were conveniently sampled to participate in the research following an embedded mixed-method approach.For the quantitative aspect of the study, a quasi-experimental design in which no control groups were used was employed.A pre-and post-test of students' science process skills acquisition in microscopy was conducted, followed by a desktop analysis of students' perceptions of their virtual microscopy learning experiences captured on discussion boards.The results from the analysis of test scores showed no significant differences in students' content knowledge of the subject.However, the paired sample T-test revealed a significant positive shift in the mean science process skill scores obtained post-intervention.Content analysis of recorded experiences on Blackboard discussion boards indicated three main themes, which showed that virtual laboratories played a significant role in extending remote science learning.Based on these findings, it was concluded that while virtual laboratories may not significantly affect biology content knowledge acquisition in the short term, they clearly enhance the development of certain basic and integrated science process skills among remote students.These findings underscore the potential of virtual tools to bridge the practical skill gap often associated with online science education.A key challenge that students highlighted was the difficulty in replicating the hands-on experience of traditional microscopy, prompting the need for innovative virtual designs that are closer to real experiences.Based on the findings, virtual laboratory learning is recommended for remote learning settings where a level of skill mastery is required.Future studies could employ control groups in order to establish stronger causal relationships.The implications of the study are linked to the value that virtual laboratories can add to remote biology education by potentially increasing students' access to learning opportunities regardless of their physical location and time.