The Use of Computer Simulation in Cooperative Learning to Minimize Students’ Misconceptions of Momentum and Impulse

Abstract

Momentum and impulse are two of the most abstract concepts that exist in physics, especially mechanics. Momentum and impulse are difficult to be learned by implementing conventional learning. Almost students have difficulties in learning momentum and impulse. These difficulties lead to students' misconceptions on this concept. The aim of this research was to determine the profile of students' misconceptions on the momentum and impulse concept by using computer simulations in cooperative learning. This research methodology was conducted in a quasi-experimental design with one group of pre-test and post-test for 37 students as research subjects. The data was collected by multiple choices providing with a scale Certainty of Response Index (CRI). The study results showed that the profile of students' misconceptions on momentum and impulse was more than 20% in a high school in the city of Bandung. Index Terms-computer simulations, misconceptions, momentum and impulse