Study on the Effects of Interactive Multimedia Simulation Advance Organisers Teaching Approach on Students’ Motivation to Learn Secondary School Physics

The study of physics is important for technological development of any society. Despite its crucial role as a catalyst to great innovations, motivation to learn the physics amongst learners has remained low. Data on enrolment of students in the subject has been low at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).There are many factors that might cause students to have low motivation towards physics. One among the factors is employment of ineffective teaching methods that are not interesting and enjoyable to the learners. Interactive Multimedia Simulation Advance Organizers (IMSAO) is one of the approaches that could enhance students’ motivation to learn physics. The approach allows students to create models of real situations, manipulate, and get feedback immediately .This study’s objectives were to investigate the effects of using the approach on students’ motivation to learn physics topic measurement in Nyahururu Sub-County in Laikipia, and also to compare the level of motivation to learn physics between boys and girls when exposed to IMSAO. Solomon’s four non-equivalent control group design was specifically used. A physics Motivation Questionnaire (PMQ) was developed and used for data collection. A total population of 168 form two students, drawn from the four sampled schools, took part in the study. Experimental groups were taught using IMSAO teaching approach while the control groups were taught using Conventional Teaching Methods (CTM). Data was analysed using t-test and ANOVA. The findings of the study showed that IMSAO teaching approach affected students’ motivation to learn physics positively when compared to CTM. The results also revealed that the IMSAO teaching approach affected positively the motivation to learn physics in both gender. The researchers recommends the integration of the IMSAO teaching approach in the teaching of physics to make the learning of physics interesting and to reverse the trend of low enrolment in physics in secondary schools.