Nhauro, Godwin2023-11-292023-11-292023https://hdl.handle.net/10539/37216A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Digital Business to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022Research has shown that emerging digital technology-based innovations in education, including the integration of virtual labs in science education, have brought a significant paradigm shift in instructional delivery, providing farreaching value and benefits regarding improving learning outcomes while providing learners with an excellent learning experience. The study investigated the extent of integration of virtual labs by teachers in supporting science education in selected South African public schools in Gauteng Province for improved learning outcomes. A quantitative survey was used to collect nominal and ordinal data from primary and secondary public school science teachers. Of the 207 (10% of Gauteng public schools) sampled schools, 135 responded. Nonparametric tests were used to analyse the data. The results show that the extent of integration of virtual labs in supporting science education is extremely low in terms of the percentage of teachers using the virtual lab in science pedagogy and the frequency of use. The results also show that the extent of use of virtual labs in teaching and learning differs according to the socioeconomic status of the community in which the school is located (school quintile ranking); thus, a higher percentage of teachers who use virtual labs were from affluent schools compared to under-resourced schools. In terms of improvement of the learning outcomes, the results of this study revealed a general improvement in the acquisition and long-term retention of science facts, skills, and knowledge; improved learning experience and learner achievements; and an improvement in learner interest in science, with the use of virtual labs.enVirtual realityScience educationDigital devicesSDG-8: Decent work and economic growthSDG-4: Quality educationDissertationUniversity of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg