Ventusky as a Geography Learning Tool: Enhancing Students' Spatial Thinking through Problem-Based Learning in Atmospheric Dynamics

Yosafat Dalimunthe; Sumarmi Sumarmi; Dwiyono Hari Utomo

doi:10.37905/jgej.v7i2.39802

Ventusky as a Geography Learning Tool: Enhancing Students' Spatial Thinking through Problem-Based Learning in Atmospheric Dynamics

Yosafat Dalimunthe, Sumarmi Sumarmi, Dwiyono Hari Utomo

Abstract

Spatial thinking is a crucial competency in geography education, but students' mastery of this capacity is lacking, particularly in comprehending abstract atmospheric phenomena. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the Ventusky-assisted Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model on students' spatial thinking abilities in the Atmospheric Dynamics topic. A quasi-experimental method with a posttest-only nonequivalent control group design was employed, involving 72 tenth-grade students at SMAN 2 Sampang, divided into an experimental class PBL assisted by Ventusky and a control class conventional instruction. Spatial thinking was measured using an essay test based on eight indicators: comparison, aura, region, hierarchy, transition, analogy, pattern, and association. The experimental class had a considerably higher mean score (84.61) than the control class (72.33), with an Independent Samples t-Test significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05) and a Cohen's d effect size of 1.37, categorizing it as very big. These findings indicate that integrating Ventusky's real-time meteorological visualization into the PBL framework effectively facilitates spatial reasoning by allowing students to observe, analyze, and interpret dynamic atmospheric phenomena through authentic spatial data. This study concludes that Ventusky-assisted PBL is a highly effective and contextually relevant strategy for developing students' spatial thinking skills in geography learning, particularly in regions with distinctive atmospheric conditions such as Madura Island.

Keywords

Atmospheric dynamics; Problem-based learning; Spatial thinking; Ventusky

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References

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37905/jgej.v7i2.39802