The findings indicated a significant positive effect for the location-based learning approach on students’ ability to generate and answer science-related questions, provide reasoned explanations, and connect scientific topics to daily life. The study applied a quasi-experimental research design, within a framework of a mixed-methods approach, in which data were collected through pre- and post-questionnaires and the analysis of students’ learning outcomes.
The participants were 373 eighth-grade students, divided into two groups: control ( n = 167) - teacher-centered, textbook-oriented instruction - and experimental ( n = 206) - student-centered, location-based learning. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of location-based learning on students’ understanding of Newton’s laws of motion and to characterize the learning outcomes. based learning refers to place-based education conducted online with the use of geographic information systems and mobile devices with the shift to distance learning, its integration in science education warrants careful evaluation.