Assessing students understanding of the concept of electric potential difference based on the SOLO taxonomy in upper-secondary students for a targeted assessment

TL;DR

This study develops and applies a novel assessment tool based on SOLO taxonomy to evaluate upper-secondary students' understanding of electric potential difference, revealing predominantly shallow comprehension levels and identifying specific learning difficulties.

Contribution

First application of SOLO taxonomy to assess students' understanding of electric potential difference, providing new insights into their conceptual learning in physics.

Findings

71% of students showed prestructural or unistructural understanding

Only 3% of students achieved higher levels of comprehension

Identified specific areas where student understanding diverged from scientific explanations

Abstract

The concept of potential difference is fundamental to understanding electricity in upper secondary physics courses. However, students often find it challenging to grasp. To address this, we designed and implemented a test aimed at assessing students comprehension of potential difference. This researcher developed test, with a reliability coefficient of 0.74, was administered to 92 students in grades 11 and 12. To evaluate the test and gauge the depth of student learning, we employed the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes SOLO Taxonomy. Our study is the first to apply the SOLO Taxonomy to this physics topic, contributing new insights to educational literature. The analysis revealed that 71% of students displayed prestructural and unistructural levels of understanding which is the shallowest learning stage while only 3% achieved higher levels of comprehension. Additionally, our analysis of student responses identified areas where understanding diverged from scientific explanations. By analyzing these difficulties, educators can develop targeted assessments and implement similar practices to improve learning before these challenges become deeply ingrained.