Obstacles to using the virtual laboratory in teaching middle school science from the point of view of science teachers in the Taif Education Administration

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the obstacles to using virtual labs in teaching science from the perspective of middle school teachers in Taif Education Directorate. The obstacles were divided into three main areas: teacher, curriculum, and computer technology and school equipment. The study followed a descriptive analytical approach and utilized a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 53 science teachers. The results revealed that the main obstacles encompass: In the teacher domain: fear of bearing the responsibility for technical malfunctions during lab work, lack of motivation and follow-up on using computers in teaching, insufficient training on virtual lab usage, and difficulty understanding English terminology related to virtual lab software. The most prominent obstacles were in the domain of school equipment, followed by the curriculum and teacher domains, respectively. Based on these findings, the study recommended updating science curricula to keep pace with developments in e-learning, organizing training courses for science teachers to enhance their computer skills, and including virtual lab usage skills in teacher preparation programs. It also emphasized the importance of providing ready-made virtual experiments that align with science curriculum content and creating a supportive educational environment that encourages the adoption of these modern technologies.