The Effectiveness of the Discovery Learning Model Assisted by Javalab and Hands-on Activities to Improve Students' Conceptual Understanding

Achmad Nur Rochim(1*), Retno Sari Dewi A Lende(2), Sabar Nurohman(3), Ismail Fikri Natadiwijaya(4)


(1) Univeritas Negeri Yogyakarta
(2) Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
(3) Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
(4) Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Understanding concepts is a fundamental aspect of science learning because it determines students' ability to connect scientific knowledge with everyday phenomena. This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of the discovery learning model, integrated with JavaLab and hands-on activities, in improving students' understanding of business and energy concepts. This study employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest involving 23 eighth-grade students at SMP Muhammadiyah 3 Depok. The treatment is carried out through a combination of JavaLab simulations and practicum activities to support the concept discovery process. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a normality test, a paired-samples t-test, N-gain, and effect size measurement. The results showed that the average pretest and posttest increased from 85.96 to 52.26. The paired sample t-test results in a Sig. (2-tailed) the value of 0.000 is smaller than 0.05, indicating a significant difference between the pretest and posttest. With an N-Gain of 0.71 in the high category and an effect size of 1.12, the treatment shows a strong influence on improving students' conceptual abilities. This study demonstrates that the combination of discovery learning, virtual labs, and hands-on activities can facilitate a more meaningful learning process, encourage active participation, and serve as a strategic alternative for schools with limited laboratory facilities

Keywords


Discovery learning;Javalab;Hands-on Activity;Concept Understanding;Science Learning

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/jps.14.1.2026.XX-XX

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