USING VIRTUAL LABORATORY IN DIRECT INSTRUCTION TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT

Zulqifli Alqadri
Mr, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, INDONESIA, zulqifli.alqadri@student.upi.edu

Abstract

Chemistry laboratory is a place where students can learn and construct their knowledge through experiment-based learning. However, the reality shows that some schools are unable to facilitate their students with adequate laboratorie equipments. Therefore, virtual laboratory is present as an alternative media which is very cheap, safe, effective and efficient in in virtually conducting chemistry experiments. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the use of chemistry virtual laboratory in direct instruction model, as a frequently used learning model, to enhance students’ achievement on colligative properties of solution topic. Direct instruction model is a learning model which emphasizes on the declarative and procedural knowledge consisting of five phases: orientation, presentation or demonstration, highly structured practice, guided practice, and independent practice phases, where the use of virtual laboratory can be implemented in the guided practice phase. This Pre-Experiment Research used One Group Pre-test and Post Test Design where both consist of 20 items multiple choice. The participants in this study were the grade XII science students in one of the senior high schools in Bulukumba Regency, South-Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Subject were 30 students consist of 10 males and 20 females in the first half of the academic year. Data were obtained from 20 items achievement test in multiple choice, either from pre-test or post-test. There are three criteria of effectiveness that must be met to investigate the effectiveness of virtual laboratory in direct instruction, these are: the score of students is at least 75 (minimum completeness criteria of chemistry subject is 75), classical completeness is at least 80 %, and Normalized-gain (N-gain) is at least in the medium category. The results of data analysis showed that the mean score of students pre-test and post-test were 42.5 and 81.33 respectively. There were 25 students who have the score above or equal to 75 so that classical completeness reached 83.33%. The average of Gain is 38.83 and N-gain value obtained was 0.69 and it is in the medium category. These findings show that all the results of data analysis meet the criteria of effectiveness mentioned above. In other words, virtual laboratory is effectively used in direct instruction to enhance students' achievement.

Keywords: Virtual Laboratory, Direct Instruction, Students’ Achievement