Heightening Grade 11 General Academic Strand (GAS) Students’ Scientific Understanding and Ability through General Science Simulation Activity (GSSA) Scheme
Divine Louis P. Villalon *
Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology Malita, Davao Occidental, Philippines.
Prescila Marie V. Mahinay
Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology Malita, Davao Occidental, Philippines.
Anne Cloville J. Angchay
Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology Malita, Davao Occidental, Philippines.
Mayjury P. Garcia
Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology Malita, Davao Occidental, Philippines.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of the General Science Simulation Activity (GSSA) scheme in enhancing students’ scientific understanding and scientific ability at Benjamin Velasco Bautista Sr. National High School in Mana, Malita, Davao Occidental. Employing an experimental research design, 60 students were randomly selected from two class sections and assigned to either the control or experimental group. The control group received traditional lecture-based instruction, while the experimental group participated in the GSSA scheme. The simulation activity structure and test questions undergone validation processes. Following the intervention, a 30-item researcher-made post-test was administered to assess outcomes. Results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both scientific understanding (mean scores: 13 vs. 11.94) and scientific ability (13.6 vs. 11.05). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the groups, with p-values of 0.04 for scientific understanding and 0.01 for scientific ability, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. These findings suggest that incorporating simulation activities into science instruction can significantly improve students’ scientific comprehension and skills. It is recommended that science educators integrate simulation-based learning strategies to enhance student engagement and achievement.
Keywords: Simulation Activity, scientific understanding, scientific ability