ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTION IN BIOLOGY SUBJECT MATTER OF ECOSYSTEM GRADE X AT SMA NEGERI DISTRICT MEDAN DENAI.

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ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTION IN BIOLOGY SUBJECT MATTER OF ECOSYSTEM GRADE X AT

SMA NEGERI IN DISTRICT MEDAN DENAI

By :

Arny Masnita Purba ID. 4123141009 Bilingual Biology Education

THESIS

Submitted to Fulfill the Requirement for The Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan

FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES MEDAN STATE UNIVERSITY

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BIOGRAPHY

Arny Masnita Purba was born in Medan on March, 23th 1994. Her father’s name is Pelda Jonni Purba and her mother’s name is Roma Ros Saragaih, S.Pd. She is the fourth in her family and she has three sisters and one brother. In 1999 the author starts her education in

TK Yayasan Bonapasogit Sejahtera Porsea and graduated in 2000. In 2000, the author

continues her education in SDN No. 173633 and graduated in 2006. In 2006, the author

continues her education in SMP Yayasan Bonapasogit Sejahtera Porsea and graduated in

2009. And then in 2009, the author continues her education in SMA Negeri 1 Laguboti and

graduated in 2012. In 2012, the author was accepted in State University of Medan as student

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ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ MISCONCEPTION IN BIOLOGY SUBJECT MATTER OF ECOSYSTEM GRADE X

AT SMA NEGERI DISTRICT MEDAN DENAI (Arny Masnita Purba, 4123141009)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the misconceptions of students , concept that become misconception, percentage of concept that become misconception on the topic of ecosystem system in grade X SMA Negeri District Medan Denai. This research type was descriptive. The samples were 130 students from 2 SMA Negeri in District Medan Denai. Data collected by using diagnostic test follow with open reasoning. The result showed the students have misconception with concept the role of microorganism in biogeochemical cycle was concept that highest become misconception for students. Percentage of concept that become misconception was 79.23%. The source and cause of misconception in this study was book and student self-experiences. The author proposed the students to increase their cognitive development by learn from other sources.

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ACKNOWNLEDGEMENT

Give thanks to Almighty God for gives blessing, health, and wisdom to the author until the thesis entitled “Analysis of Students’ Misconception in Biology Subject Matter of Ecosystem Grade X At SMA Negeri in District Medan Denai”

was finish.

First, thank you for the Dean of FMIPA UNIMED Dr. Asrin Lubis, M.Si,

the Head of Biology Department, Dr. Hasruddin, M.Pd, the Coordinator of

Bilingual Program, Dr. Iis Siti Jahro, M.Si, and my thesis supervisor Drs. Tri

Harsono, M. Si for his guidance and support during write this thesis. Also the

author says thank you so much to Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Binari Manurung,M.Si, Dra.

Adriana Lbn.Gaol,M.Kes, Dr. Hasruddin, M. Pd as examiner lecturers for

reviewing thesis by give input and great comments for this thesis perfection.

Thank you so much to Dra.Cicik Suriani, M.Si.,as academic supervisor.

The author gives special thanks to my family, lovely mother Roma Ros

Saragih, S.Pd and lovely father Pelda Jonni Purba (+) who patiently raise the

author well and become the best motivator, my beloved brother and sister. Special

thanks to big family in Bilingual Biology Class 2012.

I also appreciate the contribution of the principles of SMA Negeri 14

Medan, Sofyan, S.Pd and SMA Negeri 21 Medan, Dra. Hj. Yurmaini Siregar,

M.Si for their kindness to give me chance to do research and for all students that

participate in my research.

The author already gives the big effort to write this thesis, and about the

weakness of thesis the author need some suggestions to make it better. For the

last, the author hopes the contents of this paper would be useful in enriching the

knowledge.

Medan, July 20th 2016

Author,

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21

3.1. Time and Location of Research 21

3.2. Population and Sample 21

3.2.1 Population 21

3.2.2 Sample 21

3.3. Type of Research 22

3.4. Research Instrument 22

3.5. Research Procedure 24

3.6 Data Collection Technique 24

3.6. Data Analysis Technique 25

CHAPTER IV RESULT AND DISCUSSION 27

4.1. Results 27

4.1.1. Description 27

4.1.2. Analysis of Students’ Misconception 27 4.1.2.2 Analysis of Students’ Misconception of Each Concept 27

4.2. Discussions 30

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 35

5.1. Conclusions 36

5.2. Recommendation 36

REFERENCE 37

Appendix 40

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List of Table

Page Table 2.1. The Causing Factors of Misconception 9

Table 3.1. Students’ Population 21

Table 3.2. The Sample of Research 22

Table 3.3. Grating Test of Two-Diagnostic Test 23

Table 3.4. Scores given to Each Possible Combination of Answer 25

Table 3.5. Student Comprehension Level and Degree of Confidence 26

Table 4.1. Percentage of Misconception Based on Group of Concept 29

Table 4.2. The concepts and sub concepts that student had misconception 31

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List of Figure

Page

Figure 2.1. The Carbon Cycle 18

Figure 2.2. Animated Nitrogen Cycle 19

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List of Appendix

Page

Appendix 1. Syllabi 40

Appendix 2. Test Diagnostic- Two Dimension 43

Appendix 3. Answer Key Of Diagnostic Test 51

Appendix 4.Score of Test Diagnostic of Students 52

Appendix 5.Calculation of Students Number of Misconception 58

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1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Children develop ideas and beliefs about the natural world through their

everyday life experiences. These include informal instruction like, sensual

experiences, language experiences, cultural background, peer groups, as well as

formal instruction. Osborne, et al (1983) stated that studies have revealed that

during science class students bring about certain ideas and explanations to natural

phenomena that are inconsistent with the ideas accepted by the scientific

community (Tüysüz, 2009).

Brown in Naz and Nasreen (2003) stated that even the very little child of

3-4 years also has thoughts and his creative thinking helps him to understand the

outside world; the old concept of child being a blank slate is over now. One of the

key element of science teaching is making explanations and classifying concepts

of science. Concepts are the construction blocks for the structure of knowledge. Student’s concepts display their interpretations of objects and events in the material world. Students have concepts in their minds nearly about everything

which they see hear and observe during all ages. Experts have continuously made

efforts to identify and take in hand ideas of students and found these ideas

contradictory with the ideas of scientists is called misconception.

The low achievement of student especially in biology subject matter

because students are less able to understand the concept being taught. Meanwhile

the understanding of basic concepts in biology is very important for student so

that they understand other concepts. Student who does not understand the related

concept may undergo misconception (Fuadah, et al. 2015).

Trowbridge and Mintzes in Cardak (2009) stated that misconceptions of

students in the field of science education have become a focal point for

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misconceptions, naïve theories or alternative conceptions, these notions clearly

pose formidable barriers to learning. These misconceptions can be seen among

primary and secondary education students as well as university students.

Tekkaya (2002) stated that there is a need to identify the sources of these

misconceptions. Misconception may originate from certain experiences that are

commonly shared by many students. Misconception also arises when students

combined newly learned concepts with previously held, more primitive concept. Such situation creates conceptual conflict in the students’ mind. Sanders in Tekkaya (2002) stated that the result of study also shown that teachers could have

played a role in the formation of misconceptions by their students. Misconception

passed from teachers through wrong or inaccurate teaching, especially for

assessment strategies used by biology teachers could be a factor influencing the

development of misconceptions in their students. She says “teachers should not

only assess to get mark for the pupils. They need to listen to what their pupil tell them, as it can provide information about pupils’ understanding. Pupils require constant feedback about their correct and incorrect ideas”.

Storey in Tekkaya (2002) stated that another factor that contributes

occurrence of misconceptions by students is textbooks, which include many errors

and incorrect information. Many concepts in biology are interrelated and they are

keys to understanding other concepts. Therefore, not only lack of integration

among topic but also inappropriate presentation of topic in textbooks influence students’ further understanding. In general, the cause of misconceptions summarized into five groups: student, teachers, textbooks, context and methods of

teaching (Suparno, 2005).

In biology learning a lot of concepts that must be mastered by the students

and there is a relationship between one concept with another concept. This causes

difficulties for students to understand the concept. In biology many Latin terms to

be memorized by students without knowing their meaning, so that students are not

able to develop their understanding. For Ecosystem topic, the most misconception

found in sub topic of food chains and food webs, and they may assume that the

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a food web, showing how energy passes along one path of the web. Students may

also include only predators and prey in their webs, neglecting to include

producers, which are at the bottom of the food web. They may also assume that all

carnivores are bigger and stronger than herbivores, even though some carnivores

are small and relatively weak -- like spiders or birds -- and some herbivores are

larger and relatively strong -- like bulls and gorillas (Perles, 2016).

The result of researcher with some students and biology teachers at grade

X SMA in district Medan Denai indicates that will be occur the probability of

misconception in biology learning. The teachers (Mrs. Berliana Hutabarat from

SMA Negeri 14 Medan and Mr. Mula Siahaan from SMA Negeri 21 Medan)

states that the topic of ecosystem is difficult understood because there are terms,

cycles and process in ecosystem. From year to year, student is difficult to make

differences between food chain and food web, the trophic level of energy flow,

and teachers found difficulties from student in biogeochemical cycle. The students

said that the topic of ecosystem is one of difficult topics at X grade because the

large scope of ecosystem make them confuse, namely terms, cycles and the

complexity of energy flows in the earth.

Misconception is the danger that may interfere with the learning process of

students. If misconceptions have entered into the cognitive structure of students,

then such misconceptions will continue so that it will affect the students in

accepting a new concept. If misconceptions cannot be eliminated, misconceptions

will impact negatively on subsequent learning activities. All the factor that lead

misconception seem to be not only results in rote learning and the

compartmentalization of ideas, but also defeat the aim of the biology syllabus to

promote meaningful learning (Tekkaya, 2002).

So what can we do to prevent misconceptions and challenge

misconceptions held by the student? Teacher need tools to identify misconception

of student, so that teacher is expected to make the decision to overcome that

msiconception (Fuadah, et al. 2015). The first step is to attempt to discover what

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themselves. Another good method to counter misconceptions is to use concept

mapping during the lessons. A good way to utilize concept mapping is to do a

before lesson concept map and an after lesson map, so that the learners can see

what they have accomplished (Marshall, 2003).

Based on the background, it has been done a study to analyze

misconception with title:

"Analysis Of Student’s Misconception in Biology Subject Matter of Ecosystem Grade X at SMA Negeri in District Medan Denai".

1.2 Problem Statement

Based on the above background, then that becomes problems identification

in this study is:

1. There are misconceptions of students in understanding concept of

ecosystem grade X at SMA Negeri in District Medan Denai.

2. There are some misconception namely over concept or not clearly concepts when biology’s teachers are teaching in the class.

3. Misconceptions give the danger effect because can make the

misunderstanding between students and teachers of the wrong and

true concepts.

1.3 Scope of the Study

From the above problem identification, then becomes problem limitations

are:

1. Students that studying ecosystems grade X at SMA Negeri in

District Medan Denai.

2. Identifying which concept most often have misconceptions on

students of ecosystem grade X at SMA Negeri in District Medan

Denai.

1.4 Research Question

Based on problem restricted in above, problems formulation of this

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1. How big is the percentage of students’ misconceptions about the

topic of ecosystem grade X at SMA Negeri in district Medan

Denai?

2. What concepts in ecosystem that student have misconception?

1.5 Research Aim

Based on the problem formulation which has been described, the

objectives of this study are to:

1. Know the number of percentage of misconceptions that occur on

students about topic of ecosystem grade X at SMA Negeri in

District Medan Denai.

2. Know what concepts of ecosystem that students have

misconception

1.6 Significance of the Study

Results of this research are expected to provide inputs and contributions

for several parties, including:

1. Theoretically the results of this study are expected to add insight

and knowledge for decision-makers in the field of education on the

issue of misconceptions in biology learning and the factor that

cause it.

2. In the practical results of this study are expected to be input for the

information for education department and principals to provide a

solution to the misconception in biology learning. As an input for

the teacher to know the problems that exist in biology learning.

3. For students, it can give a correct understanding of the concept, so

as to increase student learning outcomes.

4. For researchers, theoretically to improve the scientific insight

especially about things that allow misconceptions, so it can be used

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CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1. Conclusions

Based on the result and discussions, can be concluded that:

1. The students in Grade X At SMA Negeri District Medan Denai have misconception on the topic of Ecosystem, with the highest percentage of misconception is 79.23%

2. The concept on the topic of ecosystem become misconception for the students namely the role of microorganism in biochemical cycle.

5.2. Recommendation

Several suggestion based on the result of research:

1. Teacher minimize the misconception in the concept that high in students misconception.

2. Do selection diagnostic test to misconception by two dimension and CRI test is better for the clear result of misconception.

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