The Effects of Using Simulated-Conceptual Collage (SCC) in Enhancing Students’ Conceptual Understanding in Physics

Conceptual understanding is one of the important factors in assessing students' overall performance in different academic areas. This study determined the students' levels of conceptual understanding regarding the use of Simulated-Conceptual Collage (SCC) intervention, which combines recorded-virtual simulation and metacards. This study employed a classroom-based research design, selecting 30 students through purposive and stratified sampling with random sampling under specific conditions. The researcher made a two-tiered test to gather data, and the rubric in the scoring method has been adapted to a certain study. Mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage, paired t-test, and one-way ANOVA were the statistical tools used in the study. Results show that students' conceptual understanding before using SCC intervention was within partial correct understanding, with a mean score of 61.27. After using the SCC intervention, students' level of conceptual understanding was still within partial correct understanding, but with a mean score of 89.07. Highly significant positive differences exist in student's conceptual understanding of Physics before and after the SCC intervention, with a calculated t-value of 13.66 and a corresponding p-value of 0.00. Moreover, there was also a highly significant difference in conceptual understanding among students in physics with different academic ranks after the SCC intervention, as evidenced by the One-Way ANOVA results (F(1, 28) = 9.65, p = 0.004). Additional improvements in students' conceptual understanding were also seen after using the SCC intervention. The effectiveness of SCC in enhancing students' grasp of physics concepts highlights the potential for targeted interventions to impact learning outcomes positively. Schools and educational institutions should consider implementing SCC intervention as part of their physics curriculum to address the notable room for improvement in students' conceptual understanding observed prior to intervention.