THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF PHYSICS TEACHER PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ABOUT THE LAW OF REFLECTION

Abstract

This study focused on the problem of the misconceptions of physics teacher prospective students about the reflection law. Since the students were physics teacher candidates who have an important duty as a physics teacher or physics information resource, so they must have no mistakes in physics concepts. The purpose of this study was, first, to describe the reflection law misconceptions on physics teacher prospective students. Second, to investigate the cause of misconception students. Third, to overcome the misconceptions. The study was conducted at physics educational program students, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Jember University, year 2006/2007. The sample taken were as many as 60 students, who were consisted of 25 persons (initial students group), 20 persons (middle students group), and 15 persons (last students group). The member of each group was selected purposive random sampling. Observation, paper pencil test, and interview were used to get data. The results of data collection were analysed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative description. The result of study revealed that (1) The students who have misconceptions about the meaning of incidence angle, reflection angle, normal line, and most of them located in a plane were 8%, 7%, 12%, and 80% respectively; (2) The main cause of students’ misconceptions were their competency about geometri concepts, as angle, line, and plane concepts was not very good. Finally, to overcome the students misconceptions about reflection law, before lecturing the law, the lecturer gives task students to learn and comprehand geometri concepts better. Demonstration was the method that have been used to overcome the misconception of reflection law students efectively.