Analysis of undergraduate student concept understanding-three-tier test: Simple harmonic motion on mass-spring system

Abstract

Concept understanding is important in physics. This study focus on the analysis of students’ conception and the analysis of the three-tier test instrument about simple harmonic motion on mass-spring system. The sample of this research was 123 students on 2nd, 4th, and 6th semester of Physics Education program of the university in Jakarta and Bengkulu. The data collected by using a diagnostic test about simple harmonic motion on a spring. The quality of three-tier instruments were analyzed using Quest software. The reliability estimation results obtained the value of person reliability of 0.79, and item reliability of 0.65 is in a good category. The category of understanding students’ concepts using a three-tier test of Scientific Knowledge, Lack of Knowledge, Error, and Misconception. The percentage of calculation results obtained information that the average student at the first level experienced many misconceptions, which has a frequency of 1138 times. At the second level, there are more students in the Scientific Knowledge category than students in the error and misconception categories. While at the third level, the Scientific Knowledge category more students than students who are in the category of lack of knowledge, error, and misconception.