Synthesizing Trends in Research on Virtual Laboratory Simulation, Structured Inquiry Strategies, Motivation, Critical Thinking, and Chemistry Performance: A PRISMA-Based Systematic Literature Review
*1Albert Alabi, 2Abdulmalik Sabitu, & 3Omiola Matthew Adetayo
*1,2&3Department of Science Education, Federal University Dustin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria Email: aalbert@fudutsinma.edu.ng*1, asabitu@fudutsinma.edu.ng2 and aomiola@fudutsinma.edu.ng3
Abstract
This study presents a systematic literature review on research trends in Virtual Laboratory Simulation (VLS), Structured Inquiry (SI) Strategies, students’ motivation, critical thinking, and academic performance in science education, with a focus on chemistry-related learning. Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, a total of 63 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2017 and 2025 were identified, screened, and reviewed across various databases. The findings reveal that VLS enhances students’ motivation by providing interactive, low-risk environments for science experimentation. Similarly, SI also, significantly improves students’ critical thinking through guided questioning. Both strategies were found to impact academic performance, especially when properly implemented. This review highlights the trend in research on VLS strategy and SIS as complementary, student-centered instructional methods and their impact on students’ motivation, critical thinking and performance in chemistry. The study also identifies research gaps and suggests directions for future empirical investigations.
Keywords
Virtual Laboratory Simulation, Structured Inquiry, Motivation, Critical Thinking, Academic Performance, PRISMA, Science Education
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