Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics

Addisu Kassie Getahun; Ashenafi Legesse Segni; Nebiyu Gemechu Debelo

doi:10.29333/pr/18094

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Addisu Kassie Getahun ¹ ^* , Ashenafi Legesse Segni ¹ , Nebiyu Gemechu Debelo ¹

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¹ Department of Physics, College of Natural Science, Jimma University, Jimma, ETHIOPIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a guided inquiry-based instructional method, interactive simulation instruction approach (ISIA), which integrates physics education technology simulations on ninth-grade students’ comprehension of sound waves. The study was conducted at Damot No. 1 High School in Finoteselam Town, Ethiopia, and compared conventional instruction and ISIA combined with collaborative group work. A quasi-experimental pre-/post-test design was employed. Students’ conceptual understanding was assessed using adapted items from the sound achievement test, mechanical waves conceptual survey, and sound concept inventory instrument. Score differences across groups were examined using descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test. According to the results, students who received instruction using ISIA outperformed their classmates in the conventional group on the post-test. These findings imply that students’ conceptual understanding of sound wave phenomena might be significantly enhanced by integrating interactive simulations into physics education.

Keywords

conceptual understanding
interactive simulation instruction approach
physics education research
physics education technology
sound wave

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

PEDAGOGICAL RES, Volume 11, Issue 1, January 2026, Article No: em0256

https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

Publication date: 13 Mar 2026

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APA

Getahun, A. K., Segni, A. L., & Debelo, N. G. (2026). Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics. Pedagogical Research, 11(1), em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

Vancouver

Getahun AK, Segni AL, Debelo NG. Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics. PEDAGOGICAL RES. 2026;11(1):em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

AMA

Getahun AK, Segni AL, Debelo NG. Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics. PEDAGOGICAL RES. 2026;11(1), em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

Chicago

Getahun, Addisu Kassie, Ashenafi Legesse Segni, and Nebiyu Gemechu Debelo. "Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics". Pedagogical Research 2026 11 no. 1 (2026): em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

Harvard

Getahun, A. K., Segni, A. L., and Debelo, N. G. (2026). Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics. Pedagogical Research, 11(1), em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094

MLA

Getahun, Addisu Kassie et al. "Effect of physics education technology-supported instruction on high school students’ understanding of physics". Pedagogical Research, vol. 11, no. 1, 2026, em0256. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18094