Impacto del uso de simulaciones PhET en la comprensión de la unidad de caída libre en estudiantes de segundo de bachillerato

Abstract

This research paper analyzes the impact of using PhET interactive simulations in teaching the free fall unit to second-year high school students. The study arises from the need to overcome the difficulties students have in understanding kinematic concepts, particularly those related to free fall motion and solving associated problems. The overall objective is to evaluate the extent to which the use of these PhET simulations contributes to improving understanding of the unit and performance in problem solving. The methodology corresponds to a quantitative approach with a preexperimental design, in which we worked with four parallel high school sophomore classes: two groups were taught using traditional methodology, which we will call the control group, while the other two were taught using PhET simulations, which we will call the experimental group. The process included an initial diagnostic test, which we will call the pretest, the corresponding feedback, and a final test, which we will call the postest. The results were statistically analyzed using Hake's normalized gain and Cronbach's alpha coefficient to determine the reliability of the instruments. It is expected that the implementation of interactive simulations will strengthen understanding in the free fall unit, promote more meaningful learning, and improve students' ability to apply knowledge in problem solving. Keywords: PhET simulations, free fall, teaching, high school.