Synergistic scaffolding in promoting high school learners’ conceptual understanding of chemical and physical change in a simulated inquiry-based learning environment

Chemistry learning presents challenges worldwide due to the difficulty learners experience in visualizing phenomena that happen at a sub-microscopic level. While inquiry-based learning in science education is globally endorsed, factors such as the lack of physical resources constrain its implementation. Computer simulations provide a viable complement to traditional laboratory investigations and thereby mitigate against the challenges to inquiry-based learning. However, the effective use of computer simulations in inquiry-based learning depends on scaffolding provided to learners. This study investigates the effectiveness of synergistically integrating computer-based scaffolding and teacher scaffolding to promote grade 10 learners’ conceptual understanding of chemical and physical change in a simulated inquiry-based learning environment. Conducted in two schools in Soweto, South Africa, using a quasi-experimental design, the research compares the experimental classes, which experienced teacher scaffolding and simulation-embedded scaffolding, against the control classes, which experienced only simulation-embedded scaffolding. The findings revealed that while the experimental and control groups showed an improved conceptual understanding of chemical and physical change due to the simulated inquiry, the experimental group exhibited a stronger improvement. Therefore, this study provides evidence that teacher and computer simulation-embedded scaffolding can promote learning even in very under resourced schools. This has important policy implications for science education world-wide.