Year: 2025 | Month: December | Volume: 12 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 186-202
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20251222
Assessing the Level of Awareness and Readiness of Science Teachers on the Use of Virtual Laboratory: A Basis for Professional Development Program
Lorely F. Delgra1,2, Jonas Feliciano C. Domingo2,3,4
1Emilio Aguinaldo College-High School, Manila, Philippines
2Graduate School, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila, Philippines
3College of General Education and Liberal Arts, Arellano University
4Curriculum Implementation Division, Schools Division Office of San Juan City
Corresponding Author: Lorely F. Delgra
ABSTRACT
Virtual laboratories are becoming an increasingly valuable part of science education. They help students build a clearer understanding of scientific concepts, encourage inquiry-based learning, and provide a safe and convenient space to explore experiments that might be difficult to conduct in a traditional classroom. This study examined the level of awareness and readiness of sixteen (16) science teachers from the Emilio Aguinaldo College High School Department in using virtual laboratories in their teaching as a basis for a proposed professional development program. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was used, and data were gathered through a structured survey grounded in the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The findings showed that the teachers demonstrated a very high level of awareness (M = 4.53) and a high level of readiness (M = 4.18) in using virtual laboratories. Among the indicators of readiness, content knowledge received the highest rating, while skills in technological troubleshooting received the lowest. When awareness and readiness levels were compared across age groups, teaching experience, and educational attainment, no significant differences were found. However, a strong positive correlation emerged between awareness and readiness (r = 0.698, p = 0.003), suggesting that teachers who were more aware of virtual laboratories also felt more confident to use them. Based on the findings, a professional development program titled “Lab Beyond the Classroom: Strengthening Science Teachers’ Readiness in Virtual Laboratory Integration” was proposed to address gaps in technical troubleshooting and pedagogical design. The study concludes that sustained, context-based training is essential to fully harness the benefits of virtual laboratories in science instruction.
Keywords: virtual laboratory, TPACK, teacher awareness, teacher readiness, professional development program
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