Abstract
This study aimed to develop a two-tier multiple choice test about the concept of “light and optical instruments†in 8th grade of Indonesian science curriculum. The test development procedure had three general steps: defining the content area of the test, identification on students’ conceptions, and the development of two-tier multiple choice test. The final version of two-tier multiple choice test consisted of 25 items question. This test was administered to 95 junior high school students. The students had completed a unit on light and optical instruments. The reliability of the test was 0.76. Based on the data analysis, twenty-two alternative conceptions were identified. The results of the study showed that the two-tier multiple choice test was effective in determining the students’ misconceptions and also it might be used as an alternative to the traditional multiple choice test. In conclusion, two-tier multiple choice test can be used to assess students’ conceptual understanding as well as students’ misconceptions on light and optical instruments concept.
Highlights
Conceptual understanding in science learning has been the main concern of the researchers in the science education field
Multiple choice tests have been employed for measuring students’ understanding of concepts since they allow a large number of students to be sampled in a provided amount of time as compared to time-consuming interviews
The final version of the Two-Tier Mulitple Choice Test (TTMCT) was administered to 95 students in grade 9th Junior High School
Summary
Conceptual understanding in science learning has been the main concern of the researchers in the science education field. In order to measure students’ conceptual understanding of several concepts in a science subject, various diagnostic tools have been developed and used such as open-ended tests, interviews, and multiple choice tests. Multiple choice tests have been employed for measuring students’ understanding of concepts since they allow a large number of students to be sampled in a provided amount of time as compared to time-consuming interviews. These tests are easy to administer and score; the results obtained are processed and analyzed (Petersonn et al, 1989; Tan et al, 2008; Tan & Treagust, 1999).
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