Effectiveness of Animated Learning Materials in Enhancing Grade 8 Students' Academic Performance in Physics

This paper explored the use of animated learning resources to enhance academic performance of Grade 8 students in Physics especially in force, motion and energy concepts. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest research design was employed involving 56 Grade 8 students from Pintuyan National Vocational High School, Philippines because based on the data from the previous school year. The participants were exposed to animated instructional materials over a three-week period. Data were collected using a 40-item multiple-choice test and a validated perception survey. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, as well as inferential analysis using a paired t-test, were utilized to determine significant differences in performance. Results revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ performance across all competencies (p < .001), with large effect sizes (d > 1.0). The mean score increased from 39.10% in the pretest to 72.60% in the posttest, indicating substantial learning gains. Furthermore, students reported high levels of engagement, motivation, and conceptual understanding, with overall perception ratings categorized as “Strongly Agree” (M = 3.26–3.27). Positive feedback highlighted improved comprehension and increased interest in learning Physics through animation, while minimal concerns were noted regarding usability and clarity of instruction. The findings suggest that animated learning materials significantly enhance both conceptual understanding and learner engagement in Physics. This supports the integration of multimedia-based instructional strategies in promoting student-centered and technology-enhanced learning environments. It is recommended that educators adopt animation-driven approaches to improve science instruction and address conceptual difficulties in secondary education. It is suggested to integrate multimedia-based instructions to enable the student-centered and technology-enhanced learning environments in secondary education.