Postingan
Studi Awal Pemahaman
Konsep Mekanika dan keterampilan berpikir
kritis siswa SMA di Kabupaten Jember
A Preliminary Study of Conceptual Understanding of
Mechanics and Critical Thinking Skill of Senior High School students in Jember
Regency
Rosyid1, Budi Jatmiko2, ZA. Imam
Supardi3
1Postgraduate
Program of Science Education Surabaya State University, 2Lecturer of
Postgraduate Program of Science Education of Surabaya State University, 3
Postgraduate Program of Science Education Surabaya State University
ABSTRACT
Conceptual understanding and critical thinking skill are the gates to
success in learning mechanics at school. Conceptual understanding of mechanics
should cover several representation abilities; that is, verbal, charts, images,
and mathematical. The fact that exists is that learning success is measured
only by how students can work on the problems that focus on mathematical
calculation. Various representations enable teachers to explore the students’
capabilities. The objectives of this research were (1) to identify the method
that teachers used in the teaching of mechanics at school, (2) to determine
senior high school students’ conceptual understanding of mechanics, (3) to analyze
the critical thinking skill of senior high school students, (4) to determine
the ability of students’ multi-representation, (5) to determine the response of
senior high school students toward the initial condition of mechanics learning,
and (6) to determine the main books used references in the teaching of
mechanics at senior high schools in Jember. The research was conducted at
several state senior high schools in Jember Regency. The research applied
questionnaires and tests. Questionnaires were used to identify the methods,
teacher references and student responses to mechanics teaching. Meanwhile, the
tests were used to determine conceptual understanding (Force Concept Inventory)
and the critical thinking skill (tests adapted from Ennis), and tests to
determine the ability of students’ multi-representation. The research results
showed that the methods used by teachers were lecturing, discussion,
Question-Answer (range 58% -90%), the conceptual understanding of mechanics was
low (54.35-68.30) far below Minimum Achievement (KKM) of 75.00, students’
critical thinking skill was categorized low, the ability of
multi-representation ranged 50% -60%, the students did not know that the
mechanic-physics teaching materials that were studied used representation formats
of Verbal, Mathematics, Images, and Charts (85%), and almost 100% of teachers
used only one book source (reference) in teaching physics. It is necessary to
conduct further research on the use of teaching models that can improve
conceptual understanding and critical thinking skill of high school students in
Jember.
Keywords:
Critical Thinking Skills, Conceptual Understanding of Mechanics
