A Review and Comparison of Diagnostic Instruments to Identify Students’ Misconceptions in Science

Abstract

Different diagnostic tools have been developed and used by researchers to identify students' conceptions. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the common diagnostic instruments in science to assess students' misconceptions. Also the study provides a brief comparison of these common diagnostic instruments with their strengths and weaknesses. A total of 273 articles published (from the year 1980 to 2014) in main journals were investigated thoroughly through document analysis method. The study reveals interviews (53%), open-ended tests (34%), multiple-choice tests (32%) and multiple tier tests (13%) as the most commonly used diagnostic tools. However, each tool has some advantages as well as disadvantages over the others that should be kept in mind in their usages. A careful user of a diagnostic instrument such as a classroom teacher or a researcher would be aware of the diagnostic instruments and selects the most effective one for his/her purposes.

Students Conception of Voltage and Resistance Concepts after Conventional Instruction

“…Among them, the two-tier test has been widely used to identify student misconceptions on science concepts (Gurel, Eryılmaz, & McDermott, 2015;Treagust & Haslam, 1986;Wang, 2004). Two-tier tests were considered a great improvement over the previous approaches in that these tests consider students' reasoning or interpretation behind their selected response and link their choices to misconceptions of the target concept (Wang, 2004).…”

“…Two-tier tests were considered a great improvement over the previous approaches in that these tests consider students' reasoning or interpretation behind their selected response and link their choices to misconceptions of the target concept (Wang, 2004). Since Treagust (1986) published his seminal work on the development of two-tier test, large number of researchers have developed and administered two-tier diagnostic tests in science subjects (Gurel, et al, 2015). But, in Ethiopia, the usual type of assessment used in classrooms is achievement test.…”

Dynamic Simulation of Mechanism in Theory Mechanics Teaching

“…In the actual teaching process, teachers and students often committed to solve the transient kinematic problem of a mechanism, and lose sight of the study of mechanism motion period usually (Gurel, et al, 2015). However, a mechanical engineer needs to grasp the whole process of a kinematic period of the mechanism from a macroscopic view.…”

Developing Four Tier Misconception Diagnostic Test About Kinematics

“…Tes diagnostik miskonsepsi sendiri dapat disajikan dalam berbagai metode. Sebuah penelitian yang meneliti artikel ilmiah tentang tes diagnostik dengan tahun terbit antara 1980-2014 di Inggris mengungkapkan bahwa dari 273 artikel yang diteliti, 53% menggunakan metode wawancara, 34% tes jawaban terbuka, 32% pilihan ganda, 13% tes pilihan ganda bertahap, dan 9% dengan metode lain-lain (Gurel, Eryilmaz, & McDermott, 2015). Setiap metode memiliki kekurangan dan kelebihannya, namun Reynolds dalam Caleon& Subramaniam (2009) menyatakan bahwa tes pilihan ganda memiliki kelebihan serba guna, efisien, objektif, mudah digunakan, dan lebih sedikit terpengaruh oleh tendensi seseorang dalam menjawab pilihan ganda dengan cara tertentu.…”

“…Secara umum, tes dua tahap adalah instrumen tes diagnosis seperti pilihan ganda umunya sebagai tahap pertama, dan di tahap kedua berisi prinsip-prinsip yang relevan yang membenarkan respons pada tahap pertama (Caleon & Subramaniam, 2009). Kelemahan dari tes ini dijelaskan oleh Tamir bahwa pilihan jawaban yang disediakan pada tes dua tahap memberikan petunjuk pada jawaban yang benar yang belum tentu dipikirkan oleh peserta tes ketika peserta tersebut dites dengan jawaban terbuka ataupun wawancara (Gurel et al, 2015). Tes dua tahap belum bisa membedakan salah yang disebabkan karena belum paham konsep atau mengalami miskonsepsi, dan tes tersebut belum bisa membedakan jawaban benar yang disebabkan paham konsep atau tebakan (Gurel et al, 2015).…”