The exploration of mechanistic reasoning ability for high school students in static fluids

Abstract

The study aims to explore the mechanistic reasoning abilities of high school students in a static fluid material. This research was survey research using mixed-method. The subjects were 95 students of High School in the city of Batu and Malang. The instrument consisted of 5 question descriptions that were valid and reliable. The results showed the student’s mechanistic reasoning abilities were still in the moderate category. It was found that students had difficulty in analyzing mechanically to connecting physical phenomena with static fluid concepts. Most students mistakenly interpret the principle of hydrostatic pressure and Archimedes’ law. Research provides practical benefits on the concept of static fluid, especially regarding the mechanistic reasoning of students’ static fluid. The same mistake in each student can indicate a misconception that is difficult to remove. More effort is needed to master the concepts deeply to have good mechanistic reasoning abilities.