Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate Improving Students conceptual knowledge of high school students in physics and the effect of PhET demonstration-based simulation on their conceptual knowledge in the concepts of mechanical energy. A quasi-experimental research design was used. The research sample were selected from grade nine students enrolled at Abomsa Secondary school in Merti Woreda,Arsi,Oromia. A pretest –posttest comparison group design was followed. The researcher developed MCCT on mechanical energy which was used for collecting data. Concentration analysis was used to categorize students‟ responses to the developed MCCT into three levels: pre, during and post intervention and most of the categories found in pre intervention persisted in post intervention with more percentage extensiveness of them in improving conceptual knowledge in the EG than in the CG group.
Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was individually conducted on the scores of 81 students on the developed MCCT to compare the effectiveness of PDBS and TMT. The result showed that there is a significant difference between the two group of the post test scores. To characterize and compare the improvements of students‟ conceptual knowledge of both groups, Hake‟s average normalized gain < g > from pre to post score was analysed. Moreover, recommendations are also suggested for guiding future research in this area
