FORCE CONCEPT INVENTORY ANALYSIS BY USING INDEXES AND RASCH MODEL

Understanding basic physics concepts is crucial in high school education. The Concept Inventory (CI) test, introduced by Hestenes in 1992, is widely used to assess conceptual knowledge. The Rasch calibration technique ensures this test’s accuracy and provides valuable outcomes. A structured and standardized CI test is an effective measurement tool when certain prerequisites are met. Index analysis can help address potential drawbacks. In this paper, we evaluate the conceptual knowledge inventory of students after high school studies, addressing some problems related to the use of the FCI measurement. First, we used indices to validate the calibration of the test itself with the Rasch method. Then, the result of the index analysis was used to compare the students’ overall perception of the test. Further, we compare the results of the FCI calibrated tests with those collected at the end of the physics course in the Computer Science department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and discuss the persistence of some knowledge gaps and the degree of progress after the university course. For didactic purposes and to facilitate a qualitative generalization of the results, the measurements were performed on a group of students who were assumed to have an average background in physics.