Conflict between physical analysis and mathematics causing failure: A case on diode circuits
Abstract
This study aims to describe the causes of students' failures in solving diode circuit problems. Research data were obtained through tests, dialogs, and interviews with 12 students of the physics education study program at Universitas PGRI Madiun. The research began by providing diode circuit test questions. Referring to the answers to the diode circuit test questions, an investigation was conducted through a basic circuit mastery test, followed by dialogs and interviews. The data from the test results, dialogs, and interviews in this study led to the conclusion that the common causes of students' failures in solving diode circuit problems are the inability to apply Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's law correctly, as well as the inconsistency and lack of systematic application of basic circuit concepts. A specific finding regarding the causes of failure in solving diode circuit problems is the conflict between physical and mathematical analyses. Based on the common causes of students' failures in solving diode circuit problems, a series of conceptual scaffolding needs to be designed. In conceptual scaffolding, complex circuits are transformed into several basic circuits to facilitate scaffolding for each basic concept. Procedural scaffolding needs to be designed to address failures resulting from the conflict between physical and mathematical analyses. One necessary step in procedural scaffolding is confirming answers using Kirchhoff's law.
References
Coppens, P., Van den Bossche, J., & De Cock, M. (2017). Student understanding of first order RC filters. American Journal of Physics, 85(12), 937–947. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5003805
Docktor, J. L., & Mestre, J. P. (2014). Synthesis of discipline-based education research in physics. Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research, 10(2), 1–58. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.10.020119
Dounas-Frazer, D. R., & Lewandowski, H. J. (2017). Electronics lab instructors’ approaches to troubleshooting instruction. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 13(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.010102
Ercan, A. (2016). On Kirchhoff’s equations and variational approaches to electrical network analysis. American Journal of Physics, 84(3), 231–233. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4939576
Ibrahim, B., & Ding, L. (2021). Sequential and simultaneous synthesis problem solving: A comparison of students’ gaze transitions. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 17(1), 10126. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.17.010126
Ibrahim, B., Ding, L., Heckler, A. F., White, D. R., & Badeau, R. (2017). Students’ conceptual performance on synthesis physics problems with varying mathematical complexity. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 13(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.010133
Kusairi, S., Noviandari, L., Parno, & Pratiwi, H. Y. (2019). Analysis of students’ understanding of motion in straight line concepts: Modeling Instruction with formative E-Assessment. International Journal of Instruction, 12(4), 353–364. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2019.12423a
Liu, Z., Pan, S., Zhang, X., & Bao, L. (2022). Assessment of knowledge integration in student learning of simple electric circuits. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 18(2), 20102. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020102
McPadden, D., Dowd, J., & Brewe, E. (2018). Power Boxes: New Representation for Analyzing DC Circuits. The Physics Teacher, 56(6), 362–366. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5051147
Narayanan, S., Sarin, P., Pawar, N., & Murthy, S. (2023). Teaching research skills for experimental physics in an undergraduate electronics lab. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 19(2), 20103. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.020103
Papanikolaou, C. P., Tombras, G. S., Van De Bogart, K. L., & Stetzer, M. R. (2015). Investigating student understanding of operational-amplifier circuits. American Journal of Physics, 83(12), 1039–1050. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4934600
Parno, Yuliati, L., Munfaridah, N., Ali, M., Rosyidah, F. U. N., & Indrasari, N. (2020). The effect of project based learning-STEM on problem solving skills for students in the topic of electromagnetic induction. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1521(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1521/2/022025
Perez, R. A. S., Fisher, A., Douglas, K. A., & Peroulis, Di. (2019). Assessing Students’ Understanding of Solid-State Electronics in the First Introductory-Level ECE Course. Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE, 2019-Octob. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028620
Popat, Y. (2021). Ohm’S Law: Misconceptions of the Students At Secondary and Senior Secondary Level. International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 5(12), 88–91. https://doi.org/10.33564/ijeast.2021.v05i12.014
Reddy, L. (2020). An evaluation of undergraduate south african physics students’ epistemological beliefs when solving physics problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/7802
Roy, A., Mallick, A., Adhikari, A., Guin, P., & Chatterjee, D. (2018). Theory and experiment on charging and discharging a capacitor through a reverse-biased diode. American Journal of Physics, 86(6), 417–421. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.5026994
Stanley, J. T., Su, W., & Lewandowski, H. J. (2017). Using lab notebooks to examine students’ engagement in modeling in an upper-division electronics lab course. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 13(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020127
Sujito, S., Liliasari, L., Suhandi, A., & Soewono, E. (2021). Description in course of mathematical methods for physics and possible development of course program. Momentum: Physics Education Journal, 5(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.21067/mpej.v5i1.5184
Sutopo. (2016). Student S ’ Understanding of Fundamental Concepts of Mechanical Wave Pemahaman Mahasiswa Tentang Konsep-Konsep. Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Indonesia 12, 12(5), 41–53.
Ünal, C. (2022). Pre-service science teachers’ processes of establishing simple electric circuits. Participatory Educational Research, 9(1), 271–284. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.15.9.1
Van De Bogart, K. L., Dounas-Frazer, D. R., Lewandowski, H. J., & Stetzer, M. R. (2017). Investigating the role of socially mediated metacognition during collaborative troubleshooting of electric circuits. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 13(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020116
Van De Bogart, K. L., & Stetzer, M. R. (2018). Investigating student understanding of bipolar junction transistor circuits. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 14(2), 20121. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.020121
Yuliati, L., & Parno. (2018). Exploration of Physics Problem-Solving Skills Within Phenomenon-Based Learning in Senior High School Students. 4, 97–103. https://doi.org/10.17501/icedu.2018.4111
Yuliati, L., Riantoni, C., & Mufti, N. (2018). Problem solving skills on direct current electricity through inquiry-based learning with PhET simulations. International Journal of Instruction, 11(4), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.1149a
Zuza, K., Sarriugarte, P., Ametller, J., Heron, P. R. L., & Guisasola, J. (2020). Towards a research program in designing and evaluating teaching materials: An example from dc resistive circuits in introductory physics. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(2), 20149. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.16.020149
Authors
Copyright (c) 2024 Momentum: Physics Education Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Momentum: Physisc Education Journal allows readers to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of its articles and allow readers to use them for any other lawful purpose. 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The Authors submitting a manuscript do so with the understanding that if accepted for publication, copyright of the article shall be assigned to Momentum: Physics Education Journal