Analyzing Physics Students’ Misconceptions About Simple Electrical Circuits

This study investigates the prevalence and types of misconceptions among first-year Physics Education students regarding simple electrical circuits using the Simple Electric Circuits Diagnostic Test (SECDT). Employing a quantitative descriptive approach, the research analyzes responses from a sample of 42 students, selected through convenience sampling. The SECDT, a three-tier diagnostic instrument with a reliability of 0.69, identifies student misconceptions by categorizing responses into scientific knowledge, misconceptions, no understanding, and lack of knowledge. The results indicate significant gender differences in the types and prevalence of misconceptions. Male students exhibited a higher percentage of misconceptions (77.5%) compared to female students (62.8%). Notably, female students demonstrated superior scientific understanding (17.7%) relative to their male counterparts (11.7%). Specific misconceptions, such as the clashing current model, were common among both genders, while the attenuation model was the least frequent misconception. The findings underscore the critical need for targeted instructional strategies to address and correct these misconceptions. The SECDT proves to be an effective tool for diagnosing student misconceptions, providing valuable insights for educators. This study suggests that misconceptions in physics education can be mitigated through enhanced diagnostic assessments and tailored teaching approaches