VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A PATHWAY TO ENHANCING PHYSICS AND INTEGRATED SCIENCE UNDERSTANDING IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The integration of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) into higher education has 
significantly transformed instructional delivery, particularly in science education, 
which requires conceptual depth and abstract reasoning. This study investigates the 
role of the virtual classroom as a pathway to enhancing students' understanding of 
Physics and Integrated Science in South-western Nigerian universities. Anchored in 
constructivist and multimedia learning theory, the research adopted a quantitative 
survey design involving undergraduate science education students across six South
western Nigerian States. Using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, 
independent samples t-test, and regression analyses, it provided answers to four 
research questions and tested two hypotheses. A twenty-item questionnaire of four 
points Likert scale was engaged via online Google form, to elicit information from 
respondents. To examine how participation in virtual classroom settings influences 
conceptual understanding and academic engagement while exploring the 
moderating effect of school type (federal vs state universities) a total number of 206 
science education students constituted the sample. The research instrument was 
face-validated by experts in tests and measurement and an empirical reliability of 
0.83 Cronbach's Alpha was obtained through a pilot study in a university different 
from the population. Findings revealed that structured and interactive virtual 
classroom environments significantly enhanced students' comprehension of 
complex Physics and Integrated Science concepts, with no variations observed 
between federal and state universities in spite of their differences in infrastructure, 
instructional support, and digital readiness. The study provides empirical insight 
which shows that the benefits of virtual classroom engagement are consistent across 
institutional types. Following this, the study recommended among others that 
university administrators institutionalize structured virtual classroom engagement 
strategies in science courses.