VIRTUAL LABORATORIES AS A TOOL FOR ORGANIZING STUDENTS’ RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING BIOLOGY

Abstract

The article examines the didactic potential of virtual laboratories as an effective tool for organizing students’ research activities in the process of studying biology in general secondary education institutions. The relevance of using digital educational resources is substantiated in the context of education modernization, the implementation of a competency-based approach, the development of STEM education, and the digital transformation of the educational process. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, the concept of “virtual laboratory” is clarified and defined as an interactive digital environment that enables the modeling of biological processes, the conduct of experiments, and the implementation of the main stages of educational research. A classification of virtual laboratories for biology education is carried out for didactic purposes, identifying demonstrational, training, and research-oriented digital environments. A matrix of correspondence between virtual laboratories and students’ research skills is developed, which makes it possible to determine their didactic potential in developing skills such as observation, problem formulation, hypothesis generation and testing, planning and conducting experiments, analyzing and interpreting results, drawing conclusions, and presenting the outcomes of their work. Methodological approaches to organizing collaborative research activities of students using virtual laboratories in biology lessons are presented. Examples of research tasks are provided, demonstrating the capabilities of digital resources in implementing the full cycle of scientific inquiry. Pedagogical conditions for the effective use of virtual laboratories are identified, and the expediency of combining them with traditional laboratory experiments is substantiated. It is concluded that the use of virtual laboratories promotes the development of students' research skills, critical thinking, and subject-specific and natural science competencies, and creates conditions for improving the quality of biology education.