Facilitating Science Process Skills in Early Childhood Education Through Digital Simulation: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of digital simulation in facilitating science process skills among children in early childhood education. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed with 120 children aged 4 to 6 years drawn from four early childhood centers. The experimental group (n = 60) engaged with curriculum-aligned digital simulation activities addressing observing, classifying, measuring, predicting, and communicating, while the control group (n = 60) received conventional hands-on instruction on the same content over eight weeks. Skills were assessed with the Early Science Process Skills Rating Scale (ESPSRS). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for pretest scores, revealed a significant difference in posttest composite scores favoring the experimental group, F(1, 117) = 113.58, p < .001, partial η² = .49, a large effect. Gains were most pronounced in observing and communicating, with more modest but significant gains in measuring and predicting. Findings suggest that well-designed digital simulations, integrated with teacher scaffolding and hands-on follow-up, can meaningfully strengthen foundational scientific reasoning in young children without displacing developmentally appropriate practice.