Improving the Learning of Electrical Circuits: an Approach Using Snap Circuits

Science education can be not very interesting for students due to the traditional approach that is often used. This problem also occurs in the field of electricity, in which the lack of practical practice and the use of ineffective educational methods do not promote significant learning. In this paper, the effects of teaching electrical circuits with SNAP circuits as educational resources have been studied in four workshops of recreational sciences with 95 high school students in Ecuador. A combined methodology has been used, consisting of a descriptive analysis to characterize the demography of the participants and a correlation analysis to study the relationship between the implementation of the kits Snap Circuits and the learning and motivation of students in the workshops. The data were collected through two surveys (pre-tests and post-tests) and the T-student statistics were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of these didactic resources. The results show that the participants significantly improved their knowledge of electricity and electrical circuits after attending the workshops (T-Student >3.181 and p-value <0.002). Additionally, a significant increase in motivation and interest in engineering, especially electrical circuit design, was observed (T-student >4.047 and p-value <0.000). In summary, the use of Snap Circuits is effective in improving students’ learning and engagement with electrical circuits, which can have positive implications for their future educational and professional performance.