Background: This study explored science teachers' views about the nature and frequency of virtual lab implementation conducted by students and its contribution to developing science instruction and research in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Material and Methods: Focus group was employed to collect data through structured interviews. The sample comprised 45 science teachers from 10 intermediate schools. Two questions inquiring into the goals of virtual practical work and its frequency were developed to guide the study. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that virtual labs had reasonable effects on students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and achievement as well as innovation. Nonetheless, virtual labs were not used regularly and were only used at a narrow scale; however, they increased students' engagement, motivation, and achievement. Results are discussed in light of reexamining the current practices in terms of implementation, frequency, and country-level large-scale use. It is recommended to maximize virtual labs' use and effectiveness.

The study aimed to examine the influence of ChatGPT on the academic performance and learning perception of eleventh-grade students in a United Arab Emirates school in the field of electronic magnetism. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group granted access to ChatGPT and a control group without access to ChatGPT. The research spanned four weeks, during which the experimental group was instructed to utilize ChatGPT whenever they required assistance with the course content. The study employed a mixed-methods design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the impact of ChatGPT on student learning and perception. Quantitative data was gathered through pre-/post-test surveys, measuring participants’ course achievement and perception of learning with ChatGPT. Qualitative data was collected via open-ended survey questions, allowing participants to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. The study revealed that ChatGPT had a positive influence on student achievement and perception of learning in the field of electronic magnetism. The experimental group displayed significant enhancements in their scores on the post-test measuring the impact of ChatGPT on student achievement, exhibiting higher mean scores across all subscales compared to the control group. Furthermore, both male and female participants acknowledged ChatGPT as a valuable learning tool, offering suggestions for enhancing its functionality. The study suggests that ChatGPT is an effective tool for enhancing student learning and achievement in specific academic domains. However, further research is needed to explore its generalizability to other contexts and disciplines, as well as to address potential challenges and limitations of ChatGPT use in education.

This study aimed to determine the extent to which fourth-grade students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are able to develop their reading comprehension and creative writing abilities. The study used a quasi-experimental approach to achieve the study objectives, and the sample included (120) male and female students, who were divided equally into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. As a result of the differences observed between the tribal and remote measurements, favoring the dimensional measurements of the experimental group, the results of the study indicated that the use of digital learning platforms (Times, platform LMS, Nahla and Nahil) led to an improvement in the students’ levels of achievement in reading and writing. The results showed statistically significant differences in the students’ performance in literacy skills, reading and writing, between students learning via digital environment and those learning using traditional methods, with these differences favoring the digital environment. It is recommended that students’ needs and learning styles be met by shifting towards a digital environment, but gradually and cautiously.

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