ENHANCING THE LEARNING OF NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION USING COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in two secondary schools in a major city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to examine the impact of Computer Simulations (CSs) on students’ learning of Newton’s Second Law of Motion (NSLOM) in grade 11 compared to traditional face-to-face education. The study used Newton’s Second Law of Motion Achievement test (NSLMAT) as a pre and post-test to collect the data. Altogether 90 students aged 16-17 (grade 11) participated in this study. Two grade 11 girls' classes (40 students) and two grade 11 boys' classes (50 students) were chosen randomly to participate in this study. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Results showed that CSs, through visualization, aided in establishing connections and brought attention to the concepts and details of NSLOM. In addition, CSs yielded better results than those taught in face-to-face education. The Results also suggest that CSs greatly impacted both female and male students. CSs helped female and male students gain a better understanding of NSLOM topics. The study recommended that physics teachers integrate CSs into their teaching and use them as valuable tools to improve student learning outcomes. Keywords: computer simulations, United Arab Emirates, Newton’s Second Law of Motion, students’ performance