In the present study, we focus on a different type of student, namely those in secondary
vocational engineering education. In vocational education, which is more concrete in nature
than general education, students are trained for clearly defined professions or tasks, such as
becoming mechanics or electricians . In the Netherlands, an achievement test known as the “CITO Test” (administered by the Central Office
for Standardized Testing) is given to all students at the end of their primary education. On the
basis of their test scores, the students are tracked into either pre-vocational education or general (higher or preuniversity) education. A little more than 60% of the students are tracked
into pre-vocational education (12- to 16-year-olds) and then secondary vocational education
(16- to 20-year-olds). Inquiry learning is often assumed to be too demanding
for these students, because it requires them to adopt a scientific approach. Vreman-de Olde
(2006) characterizes students in secondary vocational training as do-ers, who have a visual orientation and who are mostly interested in the practical application of their knowledge. They
learn by experience and have difficulty with abstract theoretical models and methods . In particular, these students find the domain of electricity to be abstract. Vremande Olde suggests that using realistic visualizations in computer simulations (or virtual
labs) can support these students in connecting reality and theoretical concepts. Working with
real laboratories is also a necessity for these students, because they will work with similar equipment in their professional lives. Therefore, in the present study we did not replace the practical
lesson with a real laboratory but instead gave students additional lessons in a virtual lab.