Effectiveness of a STEM-Based E-Module Integrated with the Phyphox Application to Improve Phase F Students’ Physics Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the effectiveness of a STEM-based electronic module (e-module) integrated with the Phyphox smartphone application in improving physics learning outcomes among Phase F students (equivalent to Grade 11) in Indonesia. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group was employed. Two intact classes (total n = 34) were selected through purposive sampling in a public senior high school: the experimental class learned using the STEM-based e-module integrated with Phyphox, while the control class received conventional direct instruction without the e-module. Effectiveness was examined through pretest and posttest scores, normalized gain (N-gain), student response questionnaires, and observation of learning activities. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables, and N-gain analysis was used to quantify the improvement in students’ conceptual understanding of sound waves. Results: The results show an increase in the mean learning outcome from 36.76 (pretest) to 85.59 (posttest) in the experimental class, with an N-gain of 0.77 (high category). The mean student response score was 81.18%, categorized as “very effective”, and the mean activity score reached 96.85% (“very active” category). These findings suggest that the STEM-based e-module integrated with Phyphox provides not only substantial cognitive gains but also very positive affective and behavioural responses from students. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the STEM-based e-module integrated with Phyphox effectively enhances students’ learning outcomes and engagement, particularly on the topic of sound waves. The study strengthens the role of digital technologies and smartphone-sensor-based experiments in supporting contextual, inquiry-oriented physics learning under the Indonesian Kurikulum Merdeka and 21st-century learning frameworks. At the same time, the results should be interpreted within the specific context of one school and intact classes, and future studies with broader samples are recommended to confirm the generalizability of the findings.