Investigating the influence of virtual chemistry laboratories on learners’ attitudes towards chemistry in rural schools

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of Virtual Chemistry Laboratories (VCLs) on Grade 12 learners' attitudes towards Chemistry in rural secondary schools in the Sekhu­khune East District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Employ­ing a quasi-experimental pre-post non-equivalent control group design, 115 learners were assigned to an experimental group (EG) utilising VCLs and a control group (CG) receiving conventional teacher-centred instruction. The Attitudes To­wards Chemistry Scale (ATCS), comprising 24 items, was val­idated by two senior education specialists in Chemistry. Reli­ability analysis indicated a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82, demon­strating good internal consistency. To compare pre–post ATCS results, data were analysed using ANCOVA at a = 0.05. The covariate (pre-ATCS scores) significantly predicted post-test scores, F(1,112) = 8.56, p = 0.004, n² = 0.07. After controlling for pre-test scores, the instructional method had a significant effect, F(1,112) = 20.62, p < 0.001, n² = 0.16, with the experi­mental group outperforming the control group. The results suggest that VCLs significantly improved learners’ attitudes towards Chemistry, highlighting their influence as learner-centred instructional tools. The study recommends integrat­ing VCLs into the Physical Sciences curriculum and providing professional development for educators to effectively imple­ment VCL-based instruction.