Physics students' responses when asked to select and solve motion kinematics problems in various representations

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the response of students when asked to select and answer to motion kinematics problems in different representations. The research used survey method that included 86 students in first year, second year and third year physics, consisting of 73 women and 13 men. The research instrument was an open-ended problem consisting of mathematical, graphic, and verbal representations with a reliability of 0.61. Out of the 6 questions presented, students are asked to choose 2 questions and to solve the questions they have selected. The results showed that students tend to prefer to solve problems in the form of mathematical representation, but they appear to have trouble solving selected problems. Students have shown the highest results in answering questions in the form of mathematical representation, followed by questions in the form of graphs, and the worst in verbal questions. It is important to include diverse representations in physics lectures. For further research, this research can be done by applying a multi-representation approach. So that it can be seen the effectiveness of learning on the students to problem solving skills.