Students often experience persistent conceptual difficulties in static fluid topics due to fragmented understanding and reliance on intuitive reasoning. Therefore, the development of valid and reliable diagnostic instruments is essential to accurately assess students' conceptual understanding. This study aims to develop and validate a Static Fluid Concept Understanding Test covering hydrostatics, buoyancy, Pascal's law, and surface tension. The research employed an instrument development and validation design using Rasch modeling to evaluate item functioning, dimensionality, and measurement quality. Data were collected from 54 secondary students and supported by expert validation. The results indicate high item reliability (0.93) with stable item calibration, although person reliability is relatively low, likely due to limited variability in student ability. Several items exhibit near-misfit patterns, reflecting variation in students' reasoning in conceptually demanding contexts. Dimensionality analysis suggests essential unidimensionality, while Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis shows no clear systematic bias across gender. In conclusion, the instrument demonstrates strong item-level measurement quality and potential as a diagnostic tool. In practice, it can help physics teachers identify students' misconceptions and design targeted instructional strategies. However, further validation with larger, more diverse samples is recommended to enhance its precision and generalizability.
This study addresses the low level of students' mathematical representation ability and learning interest in wave topics, highlighting the need for more effective instructional approaches. The study aims to develop and implement a student worksheet based on the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model to improve these two aspects. A pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest–posttest format was employed, involving 34 students as research participants. Data were collected using pretest and posttest instruments to measure mathematical representation ability, along with a learning interest questionnaire. The data were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test to examine differences before and after the intervention, and the effect size was calculated to determine the magnitude of the impact. The results indicate that the PBL-based worksheet has a positive and significant effect on students' mathematical representation ability (p < 0.001) with a large effect size (d = 2.1). However, its effect on learning interest is not statistically significant (p = 0.318) with a small effect size (d = 0.18). In conclusion, the PBL approach is effective in enhancing students' mathematical representation ability, but less effective in fostering learning interest. These findings imply that integrating additional or complementary instructional strategies is necessary to improve students' interest in physics more effectively.
Metacognition is the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate. Metacognition has a significant role in obtaining information, understanding, reading, solving problems, and controlling oneself. In physics learning, metacognitive skills are important because they help students understand complex concepts, including those in electricity and magnetism. These topics are essential in physics but often difficult for students since they involve abstract ideas. This study aims to identify the metacognition ability of physics education students in the electricity and magnetism course. The survey method was used in this research. The data collection technique used a questionnaire through Google Forms. In this study, the instrument used was a closed-ended questionnaire. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling. The percentage of planning ability: 58.30%, mostly answered 'doubtful'; monitoring ability: 58.30%, mostly answered 'agree'; and evaluation ability: 61.10%, mostly answered 'agree'. This percentage was obtained from the data of 36 respondents. In conclusion, students demonstrate varying levels of metacognitive abilities, with stronger monitoring and evaluation skills but weaker planning skills. Practically, these findings imply the need for instructional strategies that explicitly support the development of students' planning abilities in physics learning.
This study aims to analyze the effect of implementing the MURDER (Mood, Understand, Recall, Digest, Expand, Review) learning model on students' problem-solving skills in the concept of sound waves through direct practice, with a focus on problem identification, hypothesis formulation, and solution evaluation. A quasi-experimental approach was used with a matched-only posttest-only control group design. This design was chosen because the existing classroom conditions did not allow for complete randomization, yet still ensured equal characteristics between groups. The research population included 155 grade XI science students at one of the Madrasah Aliyah (Islamic high schools) in Tasikmalaya Regency, with two classes (a total of 64 students) selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using post-test essay questions that assessed problem-solving skill indicators: problem identification, hypothesis formulation, solution implementation, and result evaluation. The hypothesis test results showed that t count (15.13) > t table (1.67), indicating a significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Substantively, students taught using the MURDER model demonstrated higher problem-solving skills compared to students taught conventionally. Therefore, the MURDER model can be recommended as an effective instructional strategy to enhance students' problem-solving skills in physics learning.
The lack of engaging learning media and limited classroom time make it difficult for students to understand the concept of renewable energy in physics lessons. To address this issue, this study aims to develop podcast-based learning media on renewable energy issues in the context of the environment, as an alternative medium that is engaging, flexible, and contextual. The development was conducted using the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation), but was limited to the development stage. A limited pilot test was conducted with 2 physics teachers and 26 students from class X-E4 at SMAN 1 Ingin Jaya in the 2025/2026 academic year. The validation results indicate that the podcast media falls into the highly valid category with Aiken's V values of 0.909 (media), 0.85 (content), and 0.925 (instructional design). Teachers' responses were very good (93.3%), and students' responses were also very good (91.5%). The effectiveness test showed an increase in student learning outcomes, with an average N-gain of 0.51 (moderate), indicating that podcast use can improve students' understanding and learning outcomes. Therefore, the developed podcast media is suitable for use in Physics education as an innovative medium that supports active student engagement. In conclusion, the developed podcast-based learning media is valid, practical, and moderately effective in improving students' understanding of renewable energy concepts. In practice, this media can be used by physics teachers as an alternative learning resource to enhance student engagement, support flexible learning, and facilitate deeper conceptual understanding in physics.
