EFEKTIVITAS LABORATORIUM VIRTUAL PHET TERHADAP PEMAHAMAN KONSEP LISTRIK DINAMIS PESERTA DIDIK MTS ALKHAIRAAT BIROMARU

Understanding dynamic electricity is important because students often experience difficulties in understanding the relationships among electric current, voltage, and resistance in series and parallel circuits. This study aimed to analyze changes in students’ conceptual understanding before and after learning with the Physics Education Technology (PhET) virtual laboratory supported by student worksheets (LKPD), test the statistical significance of these changes, and determine the magnitude of improvement. The study employed a quantitative approach using a one-group pretest-posttest design without a comparison group. The participants were 20 eighth-grade students at MTs Alkhairaat Biromaru. Data were collected through conceptual understanding tests administered before and after instruction and an observation checklist assessing implementation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired-samples t-test, and N-Gain. The results showed that the mean score increased from 43.75 to 53.75, with a statistically significant difference (t(19) = −5.210; p < 0.001). Cohen’s dz was 1.17, indicating a large effect size, whereas the N-Gain of 0.18 was categorized as low. All instructional stages were implemented as planned. Thus, students’ scores increased following the intervention; however, the effectiveness of PhET supported by LKPD cannot be conclusively established without a comparison group. Future research should include a comparison group and a longer instructional period. ABSTRAK Pemahaman konsep listrik dinamis penting dikembangkan karena peserta didik sering mengalami kesulitan memahami hubungan antara arus, tegangan, dan hambatan dalam rangkaian seri maupun paralel. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis perubahan pemahaman konsep peserta didik sebelum dan sesudah pembelajaran menggunakan laboratorium virtual Physics Education Technology (PhET) berbantuan Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik (LKPD), menguji signifikansi perubahannya, serta menentukan besarnya peningkatan. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain one-group pretest-posttest tanpa kelas pembanding. Subjek penelitian terdiri atas 20 peserta didik kelas VIII MTs Alkhairaat Biromaru. Data dikumpulkan melalui tes pemahaman konsep sebelum dan sesudah pembelajaran serta lembar observasi keterlaksanaan kegiatan. Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif, uji-t berpasangan, dan N-Gain. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata skor meningkat dari 43,75 menjadi 53,75, dengan perbedaan yang signifikan secara statistik (t19 = −5,210; p < 0,001). Ukuran efek Cohen’s dz sebesar 1,17 termasuk kategori besar, sedangkan N-Gain sebesar 0,18 termasuk kategori rendah. Seluruh tahapan pembelajaran terlaksana sesuai rencana. Dengan demikian, terdapat peningkatan skor setelah pembelajaran, tetapi efektivitas PhET berbantuan LKPD belum dapat dipastikan tanpa kelas pembanding. Penelitian selanjutnya disarankan melibatkan kelas pembanding dan durasi pembelajaran yang lebih panjang.