Investigating the Effect of a Researcher-Developed Educational Simulation Software for Science Lessons on Learning Outcomes and Academic Achievement Motivation among Sixth-Grade Students in Smart Schools of Tehran

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of researcher-developed educational simulation software for science lessons on the learning outcomes and academic achievement motivation of sixth-grade students in smart schools in Tehran. In terms of its nature, subject matter, objectives, and hypotheses, this study was applied and employed a quasi-experimental research design. The statistical population consisted of all male sixth-grade students studying in smart elementary schools in Tehran during the 2023–2024 academic year. A smart elementary school, Nezam Mafi School, was selected as the research setting using purposive sampling. The dependent variables of the study were learning outcomes and academic achievement motivation, which were measured using relevant instruments. The research instruments included: (1) a researcher-developed science learning achievement test for sixth-grade students and (2) Hermans’ Academic Achievement Motivation Questionnaire. The content validity of the learning achievement test was evaluated and confirmed by the academic supervisors, advisors, and experienced science teachers. The validity of the academic achievement motivation questionnaire was also confirmed by supervisors, advisors, and experts in the field. The reliability coefficient of the learning achievement test, calculated using the Kuder–Richardson method, was 0.75, and the reliability coefficient of the academic achievement motivation questionnaire, calculated using Cronbach’s alpha, was 0.84. The collected data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) through the SPSS software. The findings indicated that the learning outcomes and academic achievement motivation of students who received instruction through educational simulation software were significantly higher, with 95% confidence, than those of students who were taught using conventional instructional methods.