Effectiveness of Virtual Lab on Year 5 Students’ Achievement and Motivation in the Topic of Electricity

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), particularly through tools such as virtual labs, offers an innovative approach to enhance science education and overcome common learning challenges. Virtual labs can assist students in understanding abstract concepts, such as electricity, by providing an interactive and tangible learning experience. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual labs in improving Year 5 students’ achievement and motivation in learning the topic of electricity. A quasi-experimental design with a quantitative approach was employed, involving pre- and post-tests and a motivation questionnaire. The study sample consisted of 40 Year 5 students from a school in Penang (Malaysia), divided equally into a control group (n = 20) and a treatment group (n = 20). Data were analysed using independent samples t-test. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in post-test scores between the treatment and control groups, indicating that the use of virtual labs had a positive impact on students’ achievement. Furthermore, the findings from the motivation questionnaire showed that students in the treatment group had higher levels of motivation compared to those in the control group. These findings support the effectiveness of virtual labs in enhancing both students’ academic performance and motivation in learning electricity.