Enhancing Students' Engagement and Conceptual Understanding on Select Biological Concepts in an Interactive Learning Management System

Creating an interactive learning environment using a Learning Management System (LMS) is an innovative approach which helps teachers promote essential skills among learners through an effective, efficient, and engaging manner. This study aimed to develop an interactive LMS with the integration of the Next Generation Blended Learning Environment Framework that boosts learners' engagement and conceptual understanding on select biology concepts. The study employed a purposive quasi-experimental design. The participants were Grade 12 students at Carmen National Agricultural High School under General Academic Strand from a public high school in Carmen, Surigao del Sur. The seventy-three (73) students were split into two cohorts: the control (traditional learning approach) and the experimental (Interactive LMS). Quantitative data were obtained from the adapted 40-item conceptual understanding test administered between the two groups before and after the conduct of the study, while students' engagement was gathered through a survey-questionnaire from the experimental group after exposing for five weeks in the interactive LMS. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to substantiate the significant improvements of the study. Results have shown that students' engagement and conceptual understanding significantly improved after exposure to both learning approaches with a p-value of 0.021 as demonstrated in their increasing mean scores in the posttest with large effect sizes of - 3.15. In general, the students' engagement utilizing interactive LMS contributes to the improvement of students' conceptual understanding. Hence, it is suggested for science educators incorporate interactive LMS in conducting the lessons, especially during the disruption of classes to continue to support students' development of understanding and engagement.