The influence of virtual laboratories on students’ interest in STEM fields: a longitudinal study in secondary education
Karimova B. Zhumabekova B. Hamzina S.
April 2025Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science
International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education
2025#14Issue 21023 - 1033 pp.
The objective of this article is to investigate the impact of virtual laboratories (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) on students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields over six months of study. The study involved 317 participants from Alkey Margulan Pavlodar Pedagogical University (Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan), who were divided into experimental and control groups. An experimental approach was employed, wherein participants underwent training using virtual laboratories for six months. Statistical methods, specifically t-tests for paired and independent samples, were employed to analyze the results. The experiment revealed a statistically significant positive influence of virtual laboratories on students’ interest in STEM fields. Participants in the experimental group exhibited an increased interest in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics compared to the control group. The research findings hold important practical implications for enhancing STEM education. The implementation of virtual laboratories may contribute to an increase in students’ interest in studying STEM disciplines, which is crucial for shaping the future generation of specialists in these fields. Future considerations should involve exploring various types of virtual laboratories, taking into account sociocultural context, and addressing individual differences among students. Additionally, it is essential to investigate the longer-term effects of using digital technologies in STEM education.
Academic interest , Biology , Chemistry , Mathematics , Pedagogical methods , Physics , STEM education
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High School of Natural Sciences, Alkey Margulan Pavlodar Pedagogical University, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
High School of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Alkey Margulan Pavlodar Pedagogical University, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
High School of Natural Sciences
High School of Natural Sciences
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