Mobile Application-Integrated Self-Learning Module to Enhance Grade 11 Learners’ Conceptual Understanding and Motivation in Stoichiometry

This study developed and evaluated a mobile application–integrated Self-Learning Module (SLM), grounded in the ADDIE instructional design model and the 5E learning framework, to enhance Grade 11 learners’ conceptual understanding and motivation in Stoichiometry. Specifically, it identified the least-mastered Chemistry competency, developed and validated the instructional module, determined its effects on learners’ conceptual understanding and motivation, assessed its acceptability and usability, and examined the relationship between conceptual understanding and motivation.
A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design, complemented by qualitative thematic analysis, was employed. A needs assessment involving 153 Grade 11 learners from three public senior high schools in Iligan City, Philippines, identified stoichiometry as a priority area for intervention, with the highest least-mastered rates observed in determining percentage composition (66.0%) and expressing solution concentrations quantitatively (64.1%). The validated module was subsequently implemented among 90 Grade 11 learners from a separate public senior high school in the same city. Data were gathered through the needs assessment test, a 40-item conceptual understanding test administered as pretest and posttest, an adapted motivation questionnaire, an acceptability and usability survey, and semi-structured interviews.
Expert evaluation confirmed high content and instructional validity of the developed module, with parameter mean ratings ranging from 3.33 to 4.00 (Valid to Highly Valid). Following implementation, learners’ conceptual understanding improved significantly, with mean scores rising from 15.98 (39.95%) at pretest to 19.30 (48.25%) at posttest (paired-sample t-test, p = 0.0000003419). Motivation likewise increased significantly, from an overall mean of 2.32 (Partially Motivated) to 2.75 (Motivated) (p = 0.000005654), with gains recorded across all five motivational dimensions assessed. A statistically significant but low positive correlation was found between conceptual understanding and motivation (r = 0.2558, p = 0.0150), indicating that motivation contributed to, but was not the sole determinant of, learning gains. Learners rated the module acceptable and usable, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses showed that its interactive features, guided problem-solving activities, and mobile accessibility improved engagement, confidence, and conceptual understanding, although a few learners noted device- and connectivity-related constraints during use.
These findings suggest that the mobile application–integrated SLM is a promising technology-enhanced instructional tool for improving conceptual understanding and motivation in Stoichiometry. However, because the one-group pretest–posttest design did not include a comparison or control group, the observed gains cannot be attributed to the intervention alone; factors such as maturation, repeated testing, or concurrent classroom instruction may also have contributed. The study therefore recommends future research employing quasi-experimental or experimental designs with control groups, larger and more diverse samples, and extended intervention periods to strengthen causal inference and further validate the effectiveness of mobile-assisted self-learning modules across science education contexts.

conceptual understanding, mobile application integration

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