The level of understanding of the concept of power and the alternative framework of matriculation students through the Power Concept Assessment Test

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The topic of force is often considered difficult for students to understand and master. The knowledge and alternative frameworks obtained by students before learning the concept of force in class are difficult to change and hinder their understanding process. However, there is no specific and quality instrument developed to determine the understanding and alternative frameworks of matriculation students in Malaysia for the concept of force. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a quality test instrument in determining the understanding and alternative frameworks of matriculation students for the concept of force. The Force Concept Assessment Test (FCAT) instrument needs to be ensured for its validity and reliability before it can be used. The FCAT instrument consists of 12 multiple-choice items consisting of five subtopics in the topic of force, namely basic force, free-body diagrams, static and kinetic friction, and the concept and application of Newton's Laws of Motion. The instrument was adapted from the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and past questions from the Matriculation Program Semester Examination (PSPM). FCI adaptation is needed to ensure only relevant questions related to the force concept in the matriculation level curriculum are selected and improved. Two experts in the field have validated the FCAT instrument in terms of physical content and item content suitability. Several corrections and refinements to the validation results were made before the instrument could be used in this study. This quantitative study was conducted based on a survey design. Item analysis was performed to select valid, fair, and quality items, while invalid items were revised or removed. The sample selection used purposive sampling techniques. A total of 34 matriculation students from a matriculation college in the southern zone were selected as respondents. The data were analyzed using the Rasch Measurement Model through the WINSTEP software. High item reliability was obtained with a value of 0.82 and a separation index of 2.85. In addition, the items in the FCAT instrument also met the reliability aspects in the Rasch Measurement Model in terms of item fit, polarity, and unidimensionality. In conclusion, the Rasch Measurement Model showed that the items in the FCAT instrument have a high level of validity and reliability and can be used to determine the understanding and alternative frameworks of matriculation students in the concept of force.