Factors affecting students’ concept retention in learning science online using instructional videos

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Advancements in technology have led to a wide range of new instructional media that can be used in education.For example, the widespread availability of the Internet and mobile devices has led to the development of online and mobile learning resources, such as videos, podcasts, and interactive simulations [1]- [3].Instructional videos (IVs) have been part of the educational process, supporting varied, flexible teaching and learning modalities around the globe [4].Purported to impact students' holistic development and retention, IVs help learning be more efficient, interactive, and meaningful to students [5].At a certain point in educational advancements, the influence of instructional media assisted in evaluating students' ability to learn effectively and collaboratively [6], [7].Students are exposed to a learning experience comprised of good sensory experience-coordination, stimulation, and engagement.These educational materials increase of knowledge retention, information processing skills, and increase learning motivation [8], [9].

ISSN: 2089-9823 
Factors affecting students' concept retention in learning science online using … (Catherine B. Aguanta) 501 plans were used for both control and experimental groups, with the experimental group receiving additional intervention variables.

Pretest and posttest questionnaire
The study used researcher-made questionnaires to measure pre-and post-knowledge of the nervous and reproductive systems.The pretest questionnaire had 20 multiple-choice questions, while the posttest had 20 questions to measure how well students remembered the topic.The questionnaires were distributed using Google Forms through Google Classroom.A pilot test was conducted before the actual study with 20 students [19].The Kuder-Richardson 20 was used in this test to assess the reliability of the pre-posttest questionnaire.The findings revealed a moderate correlation with a value of 0.6, implying that the questionnaire is valid.

Survey questionnaire
The questionnaire includes a Likert scale and open-ended questions to evaluate the impact of IVs on students' concept retention.The Likert scale contains statements about video content, motion graphics, language, subtitles, speaker perspective, and video length.The open-ended questions aim to gather students' positive and negative experiences, particularly those in the experimental group taught using IVs.Cronbach's alpha reliability test was used to measure the Likert scale and open-ended questions.The result obtained was 0.7, indicating that the instruments are acceptable and reliable for the study.

Instructional design
The 7Es (elicit, engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate and extend) lesson plan model was used for the intervention's instructional design [20].Prior knowledge was extracted from students using guessing game activities and process questions (elicit phase).Critical thinking skills were promoted through open-ended questions, debates, sequencing order, and mnemonics activities (engage phase).Then, the students were encouraged to interpret observations from simulations and matching activities to deepen their understanding (explore phase).Furthermore, the study compared the effects of science IVs on students' concept retention between experimental and control groups.The experimental group was shown IVs facilitated by the cooperating teacher, while the control group received conventional instruction through PowerPoint presentations and virtual discussions (explain phase).Sequentially, students in both groups were given specific questions to answer, followed by process questions for idea extension (elaborate phase).The concluding activity involved formal and informal assessments, including oral recitations, multiple choice and true or false questions, and work submission through Google Classroom and other online platforms (evaluate phase).Lastly, students were required to complete the homework, aiding in concept retention and application to new situations (extend phase).

Data analysis
The data obtained from the implementation was saved in a spreadsheet.Normality tests were conducted to determine the statistical test to be used due to a small sample size.As shown in Table 1, data are normally distributed in terms of kurtosis and skewness.For Shapiro-Wilk values, the data are approximately normally distributed since most of the p-values are above 0.05, keeping the null hypothesis.The pretest, post-test, and delayed test (content retention test) scores were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for descriptive statistics.The t-test for dependent samples was used to compare the means of two sets of scores directly related to each other in comparing pretest-posttest scores and posttest-delayed test scores.Meanwhile, descriptive analysis summarizes the findings to answer how much the IVs factors influence respondents' concept retention.Statistical analysis and treatment were done using the software statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) 26.In the qualitative phase, the results of the open-ended question questionnaire are analyzed and scrutinized by Braun and Clarke [21] using reflexive thematic analysis to assess each participant's learning experiences.

Test scores of the participants
This section shows the students' test scores in the pretest, post-test, and delayed test, as shown in Table 2.The control group had below-average pretest scores in reproductive and nervous system concepts.Meanwhile, the experimental group had an average pretest score in the reproductive system concept but had below-average pretest scores in the nervous system concept.Overall, both groups had below-average pretest scores for the two concepts.Individual differences can contribute to variations in pretest scores, with some students naturally performing below average due to diverse backgrounds, abilities, and prior knowledge [22].Both groups had average post-test scores for the two concepts.However, the experimental group gained higher per-concept and overall post-test scores than the control group.A delayed test was also administered to evaluate students' retention, revealing that the experimental group had higher per-concept and overall delayed test scores.
Table 3 shows the difference in pretest and post-test scores between both groups.It can be noted that both groups gained higher post-test scores from the pretest scores.The experimental group consistently had a higher difference score for reproductive system and nervous system concepts as compared to the control group.Moreover, test statistics revealed that both groups had significant medium differences for the reproductive system, while a significant difference was observed for the nervous system concept.Since a significant difference was observed in both groups' pretest and post-test scores, as shown in Table 4, the null hypothesis is rejected, indicating that the instruction for the control group and the intervention for the experimental group were all effective.
The content retention of both groups is very high for the two concepts.However, a higher retention percentage is observed in the control group, as shown in Table 5.Furthermore, test statistics revealed a significant medium difference in students' concept retention for both groups.However, there is no significant difference in their retention of the reproductive system concept, as shown in Tables 6 and 7.The IVs support students' learning progress across various subjects, particularly in science.They effectively address learners' challenges by assisting them in overcoming barriers to understanding topics across all subject areas [23], mainly when educational institutions increasingly rely on online learning.Ensuring student retention is crucial for success in higher education.Shieh and Yu [24] defined learning retention as retaining memories after learning.The study found no significant difference between the mean gain scores of experimental and control groups.However, this does not imply that independent variables do not positively affect concept retention and overall learning experiences.The study considered factors such as COVID-19's effects on the online learning environment, unstable internet connections, and distractions at home, which may have contributed to the lack of change in test scores determining concept retention.As claimed by Geri [25], investigating the impact of videos on students' retention in distance learning reveals how educational videos positively impact increasing students' retention.Similarly, the study conducted by Duverger and Steffes [26] reported that videos increase students' retention significantly as long as the video is congruent with the instructional materials of the lesson.

Perceptions towards the use of instructional videos
IVs contribute to the students' learning progress in different subjects, especially in science.YouTube videos effectively deal with the learners' difficulties, helping them overcome barriers to understanding topics of every subject [23], especially during this pandemic wherein educational institutions lean on online learning.The factors of the videos include the content, motion graphics, language and presence of subtitles, perspective or the speaker's persona, and length.These factors affect the concept retention of the students.
Learning content is a broad definition of facts, themes, behaviors, beliefs, concepts, and topics often classified within each subject or learning area under knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills anticipated to be learned, forming the basis of teaching and learning.The content of IVs should appear adequate to the understanding of the learners.Content takes part in the students' retention, as the cognitive load needs to be considered to ensure the effectiveness of IVs [9].
Table 8 summarizes the content of IVs that positively affects students' concept retention.It gathered that 6.9% firmly agree, with a mean of 4.76 and a standard deviation of 0.42, which means that the video is highly related to their topic.On the other hand, with a mean of 4.69 and 0.54 standard deviation, 73.1% of the students agreed strongly on how the content of IVs effectively helps emphasize essential concepts of the Science lesson.Furthermore, with a mean of 4.46 and a standard deviation of 0.70, 57.7% of students strongly agree that videos further explained the processes and function of the body system per learning competency.Furthermore, 65.4%, with a mean of 1.5 and 0.90 standard deviations, strongly disagree that the IVs did not contribute to their understanding of the lesson.In the study of Mayer and Moreno [9], content takes part in the students' retention, as the cognitive load needs to be considered to ensure the effectiveness of IVs.As well as its complexity, one should be aware of the concept of combining visual and auditory channels as its implications may be more or less likely to contribute to students' academic achievement, which implies that teachers should scout effective, readily available IVs online for integration in the teaching and learning process.Motion graphics is a type of animation that uses text as a significant component.According to a study by Hanif [27], the use of motion graphic video media substantially impacts students' concept retention.Motion graphics of the video affect students' concept retention.As shown in Table 9, 46.2% of students strongly agree that the presentation style of the footage sustains their focus throughout, where it is supported by a mean of 4.23, and the graphics of the video created a more engaging sensory experience strongly agreed by 57.7% of the participants.Moreover, 58.5% of students shared the same perspectives, strongly agreeing that the graphics presented the lesson content in a structured and sequenced manner, with a mean of 4.58.Additionally, the colors and effects used caught the student's attention.The graphical elements, such as images and graphs, animations, and the entire part of motion graphics, contributed to the students' interest and motivation to learn the lesson.
The results imply that the interactive feature of the motion graphic meets the students' need for an active learning situation.Integrating IVs and the student-centered method in their classroom makes creating a dynamic learning setting easier.Thus, the use of motion graphics in the video significantly affected students' cognitive achievement [27].Moreover, having a more active learning setup, special features in the video are recommended to be present in the presentation to create a more dynamic learning experience for students.10 shows that about 80.8% of the students, with a mean of 4.76, strongly agree that using the English language in the video helps them understand what the speaker is saying.On the other hand, participants disagree with how they cannot understand nor hear the speakers' words in some parts of the video, ranging to 38.5%, underpinned by a mean of 2.46 and a standard deviation of 1.24.More than half of the students said that the slang/jargon words and the absence of subtitles did not affect how they understood the speaker's comments in the video.Unexpectedly, 34.8% neither agree nor disagree if they would understand better if subtitles were integrated into the video.Overall, the findings imply that the use of the English language positively impacts the students' comprehension of the topic.In the study of Woottipong [28], students agreed that videos were beneficial in learning the course and that English subtitles in video movies were an excellent aid to learning English.However, the presence and absence of subtitles do not impact the students' understanding of the topic, so students understand the video well, depending on the speakers' language and pacing.The speaker's perspective or persona, including their gaze, body orientation, slow-paced or mid-speed speaking, are significant indicators of an instructor's intentional focus in a classroom environment.However, these factors still need to be well known of how they could influence the learners' performance in watching IVs [29].
Table 11 shows that 46.2% of the participants agree that the video is more engaging due to the interest in the speakers' way of talking, supported by a 3.96 mean and 0.99 standard deviation.For statement number 2, students understood the discussions better with how the speaker communicates and relates to them, with a percentage of 42.9% and a mean of 4.11.Therefore, the critical points that the speaker highlighted and how the speaker delivered the content confidently allowed the students to be more engaged with the video discussion.Moreover, with a mean of 4.65, 69.2% strongly agreed that the speaker appeared to be knowledgeable of the content and passionate about teaching.Supported by the study of Guo et al. [30] and Afify [31], the person narrating the video satisfies students' learning of simple and complex topics and thus makes the video more engaging.In addition, there is a more intimate and personal interaction between the viewer and the speaker as information is communicated directly.Overall, the perspective and persona of the speaker matter greatly towards the deepening of understanding of the students, which positively affects their concept retention.Lastly, the length of the video matters most, especially to students with their attention span and interest at hand.It influences the students' decision to watch the video or not [15] and also the engagement or participation of the viewers [30].
The results from Table 12 suggest that 38.5% of the students agree and 26.9% strongly agree that the length maximizes their retention of the topic discussed.The second statement was also agreed by 34.6%, where length keeps them engaged throughout the IVs, underpinned by a mean of 3.80 and an SD of 1.09.However, both participants disagreed and disagreed that longer videos make them lose interest in learning and sticking through the discussion.However, 30.8% disagree with the statement, which slightly opposes the conclusion of Ali [15], that says students prefer short-length videos for longer videos to get them bored quickly.The video length should be taken with good observance other than the content, as students' attention span depends on their interest, which is affected by the video duration.The duration of the integrated videos was approximately 3-15 minutes.Thus, the students' attention span and interest are utilized; this is based on the statement of Guo et al. [30] that, at most, a 6-minute duration is the students' absolute engagement time.However, there was no video integration with more than a 20-minute duration of video discussion, so it might be one thing to consider for the subsequent study.

Learning experiences in using instructional videos 3.3.1. Positive experiences
IVs are widely used learning materials in education because of the factors that enable students to learn more than just the traditional ways of learning.The participants' learning experiences about using video materials positively responded to their learning process because it helped them engage with the topic more dynamically.Eight participants said that they enjoyed their learning process, and the video presentation made them learn easier and faster because the concepts or contents presented in the video helped them understand the topics better as shown in Table 13.The participants also said that the video's factors, such as their content, speaker, graphics and images, organization, and overall components, affect how they understand and learn the topic better.Another participant said that by having videos to re-watch any time of their convenience, they can learn at their own pace and review their understanding of the topics quickly.
"In my opinion the positive are the images and how it points out important words for each.I like images because I cannot see how they look and how the process works."(Participant 3) "The graphics and colors used caught my attention and the information said in the video was easy to remember."(Participant 7) "The IVs presented during science class were really entertaining because the speaker really explained well.The videos were also entertaining because it was not a dull looking video for me."(Participant 2) "I was able to learn at my own pace by watching the IVs." (Participant 16) Students who watched the videos took less time to acquire specific skills than those who did not.Using IVs is proven more convenient when learning [32].IVs contribute to the students' learning progress in different subjects, especially in science.Studies from other researchers prove that videos are combined visual and verbal compositions that give students a complete package of learning experiences reflecting their  [33], [34].Therefore, all of the participants agreed that using IVs materials positively affects their learning experiences in the science subject.

Negative experiences
The learning experience is only complete with the opposing side or the other end if there is any.According to the 11 participants, they merely had negative or bad experiences from integrating videos during the discussion because it worked well.However, there were a few downsides that some participants mentioned as well, such as the type of video presented was lengthy, and they needed to be able to jot down important information because the speaker was talking so fast that they could not catch up; this shows that students prefer to watch short videos because their attention span depends on how long the video is and if it is entertaining them along the way.
"It is a bit lengthy which makes me lose interest.The speaker sometimes speaks too fast and I get confused.I take notes and it gets cut off because of it and also my brain cannot process the information right away." (Participant 4) "...not being able to take down notes because of the speed of how the graphics are shown since for me that really makes me understand a lot more about the topic."(Participant 6) "Sometimes there are things in the video that I am still confused about or there are complicated terms."(Participant 11) "The negative experience I had was that I could not catch up with the video because I was busy taking notes.Sometimes, it goes by too fast and I cannot remember."(Participant 9) Science IVs improve the appearance of contents, enhance text coherence, and provide tangible information.According to Kosterelioglu [35], using IVs allows for a more effective learning environment, for it highly interests the students, helping them focus on the topic and refocusing them when their attention shifts.Therefore, the participants' negative experiences show that various factors affect their learning.For instance, the participants engage more in watching the video presentation when it is well-planned and organized.Information is put into simpler terms so they can remember and relate the key ideas they jot down on their notes.In lessons, IVs significantly impacted the student's learning experiences, improving concept retention, critical thinking, attention span, and note-taking.The suitability of the videos' features to the

CONCLUSION
This study sought to determine the factors of IVs that affect the student's concept retention in science.After conducting a thorough analysis and interpretation of the data gathered, the researchers conclude that there is a significant change between both the pre and post-tests of the experimental group (with IVs) and control group (without IVs).The conceptual understanding of the students in the topics reproductive system and nervous system as part of the learning competencies is noticeably positive.The test scores reveal that the students comprehend the lesson's key concept; therefore, the integrated IVs contributes to their retention of concepts.Between the median difference of experimental and control groups' retest and post-test results, it is concluded that there was no significant change observed.The researchers identified factors that affected students' level of concept retention, including the video content, speaker persona, motion graphics, video length, and language used in the videos and subtitles.Although students can increase their knowledge and skills with or without IVs, integrating IVs can facilitate a better understanding of lessons.The researchers noted that students may face challenges in the online learning environment, including unstable internet connection and distractions at home.The student's learning experiences are crucial in the learning process, and positive feedback was received on using IVs in the class.However, the researchers recommend integrating short and long videos in one class session and conducting the study in a face-to-face learning environment for a different approach.Lastly, due to limited time, the researchers predetermined factors that can affect students' retention, so it is suggested that participants identify different factors in a video for more exclusivity and undetermined choices.

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Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  Factors affecting students' concept retention in learning science online using … (Catherine B. Aguanta) 507 understanding of the concepts and retention of what they have learned throughout the experience

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ISSN: 2089-9823 J Edu & Learn, Vol. 18, No. 2, May 2024: 499-511 508 students' capabilities should be considered, as negative feedback is inevitable in online learning.However, positive feedback outweighed the setbacks, led to open discussions, and improved concept retention.

Table 4 .
Difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the two groups There is no significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores of the respondents; *significance value=0.05 ISSN: 2089-9823  Factors affecting students' concept retention in learning science online using … (Catherine B. Aguanta) 503

Table 5 .
Percent content retention of the respondents

Table 6 .
Difference between the post-test and delayed test scores of the two groups H02: there is no significant difference between the posttest and delayed test scores of the respondents; *significance value=0.05

Table 7 .
Comparison of mean gain of students' concept retention

Table 10 .
Participants' perception of language and the presence of subtitles on the videos

Table 12 .
Participants' perception of the length of the videos used in the intervention

Table 13 .
Themes and formulated meanings of students' learning experiences