Static fluid concept understanding test instrument: Development and validation through Rasch analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/jrkpf.v13i1.1948Keywords:
Rasch Model, Conceptual understanding, Student’s reasoning, Naïve understandingAbstract
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.
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