Development and Usability of a Smart Ripple Tank for Enhancing Understanding of Wave Concepts

Abstract

This study aims to develop a Smart Ripple Tank to support the teaching and learning of wave concepts and to evaluate its usability among Form Four physics students. Specifically, it addresses two research questions: (1) Does the Smart Ripple Tank have good validity and (2) Is the Smart Ripple Tank have good usability among Form Four students? The study employed a development research design based on the ADDIE model and utilized a quantitative approach. The study was conducted in a secondary school physics classroom in Malaysia over the course of the 2024 academic year. The sample comprised 30 randomly selected Form Four students enrolled in physics. Instruments used included an expert validation form to assess the validity of the product and a usability questionnaire to evaluate its practicality. Expert validation was analyzed using percentage agreement, while student usability responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) via SPSS software. Expert agreement on the usability questionnaire reached 94.27%, while agreement on the Smart Ripple Tank development was 92.71%. Student responses indicated positive perceptions: usefulness (mean = 3.59, SD = 0.497), ease of use (mean = 3.52, SD = 0.504), ease of learning (mean = 3.62, SD = 0.489), and satisfaction (mean = 3.63, SD = 0.488). The findings suggest that the Smart Ripple Tank is a valid and usable educational tool that enhances students’ understanding of abstract wave concepts through practical experience and promotes the development of scientific skills. It is recommended that the Smart Ripple Tank be implemented in other classrooms to further validate its effectiveness in diverse educational settings.