Achievements of Montenegrian high-school students in Tugk test (test of understanding graphs – kinematics)

Abstract

Previous researches among the Montenegro high-school students has reveled a great deal of problems and misconception. An FCI-test, very popular instrument to assess the basic knowledge state of student in Newton mechanic, was given to high-school (Gymnasium) students in Montenegro. Result of this investigation has shown that kinematics problems are the most difficult among the Montenegro sample. Since a physics education research emphasizes that, graphical and diagrammatic representation are very useful to describe the demonstrated motion and this is powerful mechanism for develop a students understanding of kinematics motion, an investigation on students ability to interpret kinematics graph was done among Montenegro high-school (Gymnasium) students. Results obtained in TUGK (Test of Understanding Graphs-Kinematics, author R. Beichner) were compared with the results obtained in USA. Results of this test show that physics teacher in Montenegro should spent more time in developing a kinematics concept. Teacher should give a student a large variety of “interesting” motion situations for careful, graphical examination and explanation.