Grade 11 Rural Learners’ Emotional Responses to the Use of Computer Simulations when Learning Science

Abstract

Integrating computer simulations transforms rural classrooms into spaces for meaningful science learning. These tools support meaningful learning and enhance epistemic access by leveraging the affective (emotional) dimension of learning. This qualitative study, framed within constructivism, sought to explore what triggers the emotions of rural learners when learning science with computer simulations. Focus group discussions elicited the learners’ emotions when learning with computer simulations. Findings reveal that learning with computer simulations is an emotional activity. The emotions stem from the novelty of the digital tool and its graphical representability, which assists with cognition and enhances the ability to communicate scientific ideas with clarity and understanding. These affordances create quasi-authentic and topophilic learning experiences that simulate real-world scientific practices and phenomena, making the learning of science beyond a textbook activity. The emotions evoked engender engagement that deepens learners’ understanding and fosters a more meaningful connection to the content. When used effectively and routinely, computer simulations can engender an educational renaissance that will transform the teaching and learning of science in rural schools.