11th July 2026
Presentation of Project Proposal
(Chapter 1, 2 & 3)
Name: Sylvia Kon Pik Hiong
Master of Education
(Instructional Technology)
Universiti Geomatika Malaysia
The Effectiveness of
PhET Interactive Simulations
in Enhancing Preschool Students’ Understanding of Science Concepts in Alignment with KP2026
at Tadika Pujut Miri
The Title of the Research
* KP2026 promotes inquiry-based, play-based, and technology-supported learning to develop preschool children's scientific thinking and problem-solving skills.
* However, preschool science lessons still mainly rely on teachers’ explanations, printed materials, and simple hands-on activities, which may not effectively help students understand abstract science concepts.
* PhET Interactive Simulations enable students to explore scientific concepts through interactive virtual experiments and immediate visual feedback. For example, for abstract science concepts such as floating and sinking, magnets, forces, light, and sound, which are often difficult to observe directly.
* Although PhET has been proven effective in improving learning among primary, secondary, and university students, there is limited research on its effectiveness for preschool students, particularly within the Malaysian KP2026 context.
Research Problem
KP2026 encourages the use of technology and inquiry-based learning in preschool classrooms, but many science lessons are still taught using traditional methods. Young children often find abstract science concepts difficult to understand.
Although PhET Interactive Simulations have been effective for older students, there is very little research involving preschool student in Malaysia.
Through this study, I hope to determine whether PhET can enhance preschool student's understanding of science concepts and provide practical guidance for teachers implementing KP2026.
Why is this research important?
Research Question 1:
What is the effect of PhET Interactive Simulations on preschool students’ understanding of science concepts in alignment with KP2026 at Tadika Pujut Miri?
Research Question 2:
Is there a significant difference in preschool students’ understanding of science concepts before and after learning with PhET Interactive Simulations at Tadika Pujut Miri?
Research Questions
Research Question 1:
What is the effect of PhET Interactive Simulations on preschool students’ understanding of science concepts in alignment with KP2026 at Tadika Pujut Miri?
Data Needed: Students’ science concept understanding after using PhET, compared with their baseline understanding.
Collection Method: Pre-test and post-test (develop assessment aligned with KP2026 learning outcomes)
Analysis: Mean, standard deviation, improvement scores, paired-samples t-test
Data need to answer the Research Questions
Research Question 2:
Is there a significant difference in preschool students’ understanding of science concepts before and after learning with PhET Interactive Simulations at Tadika Pujut Miri?
Data Needed: Individual pre-test and post-test scores for each student
Collection Method: Same pre-test and post-test administered before and after the intervention
Analysis: Paired-samples t-test
Data need to answer the Research Questions
Method:
* Quantitative quasi-experimental design
* One-group pre-test (before intervention) and post-test (after intervention)
approach
Sample Selection:
* Preschool students from Tadika Pujut Miri
* Aged 5 to 6 years old
* Learning science concepts under KP2026
* 30 preschool students
Method &
Sample Selection
1) Science Concept Pre-test
2) Science Concept Post-test
3) Observation Checklist:
Sample:
Instruments
Sample:
Q1. Is the object in the picture sinking or floating?
Q2. Circle the object which floats. (brick / rock / leaf).
Q3. Match the objects to the correct group. Sink / Float.
OBSERVATION | YES | NO |
1. Student shows interest in PhET Interactive Simulations activities. | | |
2. Student can say whether an object sinks or floats. | | |
3. Student can make simple predictions whether an object sinks or floats. | | |
Research Question 1:
What is the effect of PhET Interactive Simulations on preschool students’ understanding of science concepts in alignment with KP2026 at Tadika Pujut Miri?
Descriptive statistics to show the improvement:
* Mean (average score)
* Standard deviation (SD)
* Minimum and maximum scores
* Present the results in a table and graph
Analyse Data
Research Question 2:
Is there a significant difference in preschool students’ understanding of science concepts before and after learning with PhET Interactive Simulations at Tadika Pujut Miri?
* Paired-samples t-test to compare the individual pre-test and individual post-test scores
Analyse Data