Misconceptions on photosynthesis and plant respiration topics based on thinking styles

Abstract

Photosynthesis and plant respiration is an important science concept included in the curriculum in many countries, one of which is Indonesia. This topic is repeatedly taught at different age levels from elementary until tertiary education. Students who have misconceptions will assume that the concept they believe is true, but in reality does not conform to the existing scientific concept. Misconceptions will affect students' knowledge. This knowledge will then be brought continuously to the next level of education and affect the learning achievement. Students' thinking styles are one of the factors causing misconceptions. This study aimed to identify misconceptions based on the thinking styles of the seventh grade students about photosynthesis and plant respiration. The method used in this study was survey method. The data were collected by employing Matching Familiar Figure Test (MFFT) and Four Tier Test in three schools with high, medium, and low grades. The result showed that the students with impulsive and slowly imprecise thinking style had a higher percentage of misconception than those with reflective and quickly precise thinking styles. This study can be used as a reference to do remediation of misconceptions to improve the quality of learning.