The Reality of Using Virtual Laboratories in the Practical Application of Chemistry Experiments in Distance Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic from the teachers' perspective in Bisha Governorate

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the inclination of female teachers towards using virtual laboratories in the practical application of chemistry experiments during distance education in light of the coronavirus pandemic, identify the requirements for using the virtual labs in the practical application of chemistry experiments, and identify the challenges faced by teachers in using virtual labs in the practical application of chemistry experiments. The study followed the descriptive approach with a study sample that consisted of 29 female chemistry teachers in the secondary schools of Bisha Governorate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who were chosen randomly; while using the questionnaire as the study's instrument. The study came out with a number of results, most importantly: The arithmetic means for all paragraphs on female teachers' inclination toward using virtual labs in the practical application of chemistry experiments came with a value of 3.96 and a relative weight of 79.14%, which means that there was high approval. The most prominent requirements for using virtual labs in the practical application of chemistry experiments were computer skills, having the ability to use virtual simulation programs, and being convinced of the scientific benefit of virtual labs. The most prominent challenges of using virtual labs in the practical application of chemistry experiments were represented in communication skills weakness and teamwork among female students in the virtual lab compared to the traditional teacher, and the lack of real interaction with devices, tools, and the teacher, as well as the weakness of the devices necessary to represent scientific phenomena. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the responses of the sample members due to the following variables (years of experience, academic degree, degree of knowledge using the internet). In light of the previous results, the study recommended holding seminars or workshops for teachers to explain the importance and advantages of virtual labs in education, providing continuous maintenance of computers in schools, and providing a continuous connection to the internet at schools.