The Effectiveness of Game-Based Simulation and Rapid Prototyping in Project-Based Learning on Students’ Understanding and Kinematics Problem-Solving Skills

Physics learning requires students to interpret physical meaning and apply kinematics concepts in contextual situations. This study examined initial changes in students’ cognitive achievement following the integration of Game-Based Simulation and Rapid Prototyping into Project-Based Learning (PjBL). A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involved 92 Grade X students from three senior high schools in Kerinci Regency, Indonesia. Data comprised a five-item multiple-choice cognitive test administered before and after instruction and three four-point Likert questionnaires on perceived conceptual understanding, perceived problem-solving experience, and student response. The mean cognitive score increased from 40.22 to 89.35 (gain = 49.13; N-Gain = 0.841). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated a statistically significant pretest–posttest difference (p < 0.001; r = 0.868). At the indicator level, the largest increase was in motion representation/velocity–time relationships (+82.61 percentage points), followed by distance calculation (+72.83 points) and travel-time/fastest-route analysis (+59.78 points). Questionnaire averages were 90.99% for perceived conceptual understanding, 88.62% for perceived problem-solving experience, and 94.34% for student response. The questionnaire results represent students’ self-reported perceptions, not direct evidence of problem-solving performance. Because the study had no control group and the cognitive test contained only five items with low internal consistency, interpret the findings as preliminary evidence of improvement and confirm them with stronger designs and validated instruments. Keywords: game-based simulation, rapid prototyping, project-based learning, conceptual understanding, perceived problem-solving, kinematics.