<![CDATA[This study addresses the need for instructional approaches that enable engineering students to connect abstract physics concepts to contextual problem-solving and active knowledge application. It aimed to examine the effectiveness of the case method in improving students’ cognitive learning outcomes in basic physics compared with conventional instruction. The study used a quantitative, quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design with 133 undergraduate students: 76 in the experimental group and 57 in the control group. The experimental group received case method instruction through contextual engineering-related physics cases, whereas the control group received conventional instruction. Learning outcomes were measured using a 10-item essay test administered as a pretest and posttest, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption tests, paired- and independent-samples t-tests, normalized gain, and Cohen’s d. Both groups improved significantly, but the experimental group had a higher posttest mean than the control group (72.39 vs. 60.35), with a significant between-group difference, t(131) = 5.174, p < 0.001. The experimental group also obtained a moderate N-Gain of 0.487 compared with the control group’s low N-Gain of 0.294, while the between-group effect size was large (Cohen’s d = 0.91). This study's novelty lies in providing quasi-experimental evidence for the case method in an engineering-oriented basic physics context by integrating posttest comparison, normalized gain, and effect-size analysis. The findings indicate that contextual case-based instruction can support stronger cognitive learning outcomes and contribute to physics education by providing an empirically supported approach for linking fundamental physics concepts with analytical and problem-solving activities relevant to engineering learning.]]>
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