INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XI November 2025
Benefits and Need for Visualization
PhET Simulation
“It helps the students visualize the concepts and let them
understand fully the lesson” (NAST1)
Enhancing
understanding
“Using PhET helps us visualize and better understand the
lesson…” (NAST4)
Improving
motivation
“Improve conceptual understanding and student motivation”
(NAST5)
Need for Inquiry-Based Active learning
Activity Packet
“It encourages active student participation, gives abstract
ideas more substance, and fosters critical thinking abilities
through interaction.” (NAST5)
Supports
“This will help students visualize the projectile motion and
exploration
let students explore and discover the principle.” (NAST3)
Correcting
misconceptions
“PhET makes projectile motion easier to visualize, corrects
misconceptions, and through inquiry-based activities, helps
students actively explore and understand the concepts even
with limited resource.” (NAST2)
Table 1 reveals the major learning gaps, challenges, and instructional needs in teaching and learning projectile
motion as observed by the participating teachers. Teachers reported that students have difficulty understanding
projectile motion concepts, particularly in distinguishing horizontal and vertical motion, the effect of launch
angle and speed, and the difference between velocity and acceleration. Misconceptions include believing the
projectile is continuously pushed forward or assuming a higher angle always results in a farther range. These
observations are consistent with Dilber, Karaman, and Duzgun (2009), who found that students often incorrectly
assume total velocity is zero at the peak of motion, and Prescott & Mitchelmore (2005), who emphasized the
persistence of intuitive, non-Newtonian ideas. Kwpublications (2024) also highlighted the difficulty in
integrating horizontal constant velocity with vertical acceleration, reflecting the challenges observed by teachers.
Mathematical problem-solving was also highlighted as a major challenge. Teachers indicated that students often
struggle with formulas, substitution steps, and trigonometric functions such as sine and cosine, resulting in
incorrect answers. A single mistake can lead to an entirely wrong solution, reducing confidence and reinforcing
rote memorization. These findings are consistent with Kwpublications (2024) and Dilber et al. (2009), who noted
that reliance on formula memorization without conceptual understanding hampers problem-solving.
Students also experience difficulty visualizing trajectories, distances, and height at varying angles, particularly
when limited equipment or interactive demonstrations are available. Mckagan et al. (2008) emphasized that
dynamic visualization is essential for building accurate mental models, while Aslan & Buyuk (2021) found that
interactive visual tools improve comprehension of abstract physics concepts.
Resource limitations further affect instruction. Teachers reported that not every student has access to a gadget
or stable internet, limiting the use of PhET simulations. These constraints echo the observations of Henderson
& Dancy (2007) and Perez Jr. et al. (2024), who reported that infrastructural and access issues can prevent the
effective implementation of technology-based instructional strategies.
To address these gaps, teachers implement interventions such as step-by-step guidance, real-world examples,
multimedia presentations, and offline resources. While these practices are useful, they remain largely teacher-
centered and do not fully resolve misconceptions. This aligns with Gerace & Beatty (2005), who argued that
traditional instruction often results in low-level learning outcomes.
Teacher familiarity with PhET simulations and the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) approach informs these
learning needs. Teachers experienced with PhET reported that it improves visualization and supports conceptual
understanding, whereas teachers with limited experience indicated the need for instructional materials that are
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