Mobile-Assisted Experimentation Using the Phyphox Application: Effects on Grade 8 Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Pendulum Motion

This study investigated the effectiveness of mobile-assisted experimentation using the Physical Phone Experiments (Phyphox) application in enhancing Grade 8 students’ conceptual understanding of pendulum motion. A quantitative quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed involving 90 Grade 8 students assigned to three instructional conditions: traditional instruction, Phyphox-assisted experimentation with teacher assistance, and teacherless Phyphox-assisted experimentation. Data were collected using a researcher-developed 40-item two-tier conceptual understanding test with a Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) reliability coefficient of 0.934. Results of the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test revealed significant improvements in conceptual understanding across all groups: traditional instruction (Z = −4.102, p < .001), Phyphox-assisted experimentation with teacher assistance (Z = −4.788, p < .001), and teacherless Phyphox-assisted experimentation (Z = −4.430, p < .001). The Kruskal–Wallis H Test indicated no significant difference among the groups in the pretest scores (χ² = 0.157, p = .925) but revealed a significant difference in the posttest scores (χ² = 5.189, p = .045). Post hoc analysis using the Mann–Whitney U Test showed that the Phyphox-assisted experimentation with teacher assistance group significantly outperformed the traditional instruction group (U = 306.500, Z = −2.134, p = .033). In contrast, no significant differences were observed between the traditional and teacherless Phyphox groups (p = .075) or between the two Phyphox-assisted groups (p = .847). The Phyphox-assisted experimentation with the teacher assistance group obtained the highest posttest mean score (M = 89.90, SD = 3.10). The findings suggest that mobile-assisted experimentation represents a promising instructional approach for enhancing students' conceptual understanding of pendulum motion and that teacher facilitation may contribute to improved learning outcomes. However, the results should be interpreted within the limitations of a quasi-experimental design conducted in a single public secondary school. The study provides empirical support for integrating smartphone sensor-based experimentation into physics instruction, particularly in resource-constrained educational contexts.

Conceptual Understanding, Mobile-Assisted Learning

1. Anselmo, C. T., Prudente, M. S., Aquino, J. L. R., Dumelod, D. A., & Cabrera, F. R. (2024). A systematic review of the effectiveness of mobile learning tools in enhancing physics education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(12), 237–257. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.12.13 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Arceño, H. B., & Mendaño, R. V. (2026). Students’ Misconceptions and Learning Experiences in Linear Motion: Basis for an Evidence-Based Intervention Framework. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 10(26). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Ballesta-Claver, J., Ayllón Blanco, M. F., & Gómez Pérez, I. A. (2021). A revisited conceptual change in mathematical-physics education from a neurodidactic approach: A pendulum inquiry. Mathematics, 9(15), 1755. https://doi.org/10.3390/math9151755 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Boller-Aying, S., & Villegas-Mendaño, R. (2024). Students’ Performance On The Horizontal And Vertical Components Of Projectile Motion Using Project-Based Learning. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11090569 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bruner, J. S. (2019). The process of education (60th anniversary ed.). Harvard University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Christonasi, P., & Kotsis, K. T. (2026). Smartphone-Based Experimentation for Teaching Linear Motion in Primary Education. EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 4(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Crompton, H., & Burke, D. (2018). The use of mobile learning in higher education: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 123, 53–64. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hochberg, K., Becker, S., Louis, M., Klein, P., & Kuhn, J. (2020). Using smartphones as experimental tools—a follow-up: cognitive effects by video analysis and reduction of cognitive load by multiple representations. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 29(2), 303-317. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Leelamma, S., & Indira, U. D. (2017). My Pocket Technology: Introducing a Mobile-Assisted Inquiry Learning Environment (MAILE) to Promote Inquiries among Secondary Students. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(3), 107–117. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ling, S. J., Sanny, J., Moebs, W., Friedman, G., Druger, S. D., Kolakowska, A., ... & Wheelock, K. (2016). University Physics Volume 2. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Liu, C., Zowghi, D., Kearney, M., & Bano, M. (2021). Inquiry‐based mobile learning in secondary school science education: A systematic review. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(1), 1–23. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Mateo, M. A. B. C. (2023). Usability of Developed Smartphone-Based Acoustics Experiments Using Phyphox. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Mayer, R. E. (2020). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Mazzella, A., & Testa, I. (2016). An investigation into the effectiveness of smartphone experiments on students’ conceptual knowledge about acceleration. Physics education, 51(5), 055010. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Momox, E., & Ortega De Maio, C. (2020). Computer-based learning in an undergraduate physics course: Interfacing a mobile phone and matlab to study oscillatory motion. American Journal of Physics, 88(7), 535-541. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Monteiro, M., & Martí, A. C. (2022). Mobile devices and sensors for physics teaching. arXiv preprint arXiv:2206.12062. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2206.12062 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mufit, F., & Karzah, K. (2024). Concept understanding and causes of student misconceptions on simple harmonic motion. JIPF (Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Fisika), 9(3), 464-473.Nikou, S. A., & Economides, A. A. (2018, April). Motivation-related predictors of engagement in mobile-assisted inquiry-based science learning. In 2018, the IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 1222–1229). IEEE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Ocenar, M. D. M., & Mendaño, R. V. (2026). Navigating conceptual struggles in physics teaching: Narratives of junior high school science teachers. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 10(26), 4270–4280. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2026.1026EDU0333 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Pacala, F. A. A., & Pacala, M. R. M. (2025). Smartphones, simulations, and science learning: rethinking physics experiments in CEUR Workshop Proceedings (pp. 52-64). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Pacala, F. A., & Mendaño, R. (2025). Comparing the acceleration due to gravity using traditional method versus tracker video analysis: experiments in a simple pendulum. Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia, 21(1), 32-41. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpfi.v21i1.16717 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Rediansyah, H. (2022). The model of physics experiments using smartphone sensors in a senior high school. Science Education Journal, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.58249/sjse.v2i01.56 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Tumanggor, A. M., Supahar, S., Kuswanto, H., & Ringo, E. S. (2020). Detecting students’ misconceptions in simple harmonic motion concepts using a four-tier diagnostic test. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Fisika Al-BiRuNi, 9(1), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.24042/jipfalbiruni.v9i1.4571 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Uy, E. L., Eredia, M. N. R., Verzosa, J. L. A., Cabanacan, K. M., Mendaño, R. V., & Lim, C. R. (2026). Determining the Acceleration Due to Gravity Using a Smartphone-Based Pendulum System. Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, 3(2), 81-89. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Wangchuk, D., Wangdi, D., Tshomo, S., & Zangmo, J. (2023). Exploring students’ perceived difficulties in learning physics. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 43(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.17102/eip.6.2023.03 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Wardani, S. (2020). An analysis of students' conceptual understanding of simple harmonic motion in a vocational high school. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1440, 012094. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1511/1/012079 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Yusoff, M. Z. M. (2024). A Survey on the Basic Understanding of Simple Harmonic Motion among Physics University Students. Gading Journal for the Social Sciences (e-ISSN 2600-7568), 27(2), 87–91. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zhao, Y. (2025). Smartphone-based undergraduate physics labs: A comprehensive review of innovation, accessibility, and pedagogical impact. arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.11363. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.11363 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study on the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity of Common Materials
• Thickness Dependent Thermoelectric Properties of Pb0.4In0.6Se Thin Films Deposited by Physical Evaporation Technique
• Optimization of a Patch Antenna Using Genetic Algorithm
• Kinematic Constraints On Brown Dwarf Atmospheric Variability And Evidence For Bimodal Formation From Multi-Survey Analysis
• Reservoir Characterization through the Application of Petrophysical Evaluation of Well Logs of Animaux Field, Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria