Using knowledge sketching strategy to increase ability in solving the multi-concept physics problem

The main problem to be answered in this research is "the unability of students to answer the problem of multi-concept physics". One of the reasons is that students do not have much knowledge about strategy in solving physics problems. So far, they have only used a strategy called "known-asked" strategy. This strategy has the following stages: (1) identification of variables, (2) using formulations or formulating equations, and (3) solving equations. This strategy is only good for the mono-concept of physics, but it is very difficult to apply to the problem of multi-concept physics. One of the weaknesses of this strategy lies in identifying the problem variables. At this stage, this strategy only determines the known variables and the variables asked in the problem. While hidden variables or variables that connect between one concept to another are difficult to determine.

To overcome the weakness of the "known-asked" strategy, the writer has developed a knowledge sketching strategy as one of the strategies in solving the multi-concept physics problem (Abdullah, 2018). This strategy is used by the writer to overcome the low ability of students in solving the problem of multi-concept physics.

Before the writer explains briefly about knowledge sketching strategy, there is an interesting thing that needs to be mentioned, it is the terms "mono-concept" and "multi-concept". Mono-concept and multi-concept are closely related to the use of concepts in physics problems. Many experts give different views on the meaning of concepts and it makes it very difficult to find the right definition. The writer does not want to discuss the meaning of the concept, but the writer just wants to provide examples related to concepts in physics such as: linear motion with fixed acceleration, free fall motion, projectile motion, second law Newton, conservation law of energy, conservation law of momentum and so forth. So the term of mono concept physics problem is a problem of physics whose material contains only one concept only. For example the following problem.

If you note the editorial of Problem-1 above, it reads clearly that the problem is only discussed about the use of the concept of free fall motion. This is what I mean by the mono-concept physics problem. Compare this with the following multi-conceptphysics problem.

In problem-2, there are three concepts that are contained in the problem, Newton's Second Law, linear motion (vertical), and free fall motion. More details can be seen in the problem solving with knowledge sketching strategy in Figure-1.

Figure 1. Multi-concept problem solving with knowledge sketching strategy

It can be seen in figure 1 that the problem-solving procedure is performed using a knowledge sketching strategy. There are three stages of the process in the sketching strategy: (1) sketching, (2) formulating the equation, and (3) solving equations (Abdullah, 2018). The sketching step is the process of translating the statement of the problem into a sketch. The number of sketches made depends on each stage of the event. Stages of this event can be based on the time of the incident and can also be based on events for each concept. As in figure-1 above there are three sketches made based on the type of concept for each stage of events. Then, each sketch made has been defined variables that accompany the event based on the statement of the problem. The variables that accompany the sketch can be either a predetermined variable in the statement of the problem or a variable that is not explicitly specified in the problem (Amin, Abdullah, & Malago, 2018).

The stage of formulating the equation, ie the process of formulating the equation based on the events depicted in the sketch. In formulating equations always based on concepts that apply to every event. As shown in figure-1, the first sketch uses the basic formulation of Newton's second law. As for the second sketch using the basic formulation of linear motion, and the third sketch using the basic formulation of free fall motion. From the three sketches will be obtained equations that describe the event in the statement of the problem.

The stage of solving equations is astep to perform mathematical operations on the equations that have been formulated. At this stage, it is done to simplify the equations and the formulation of the equations that have been formulated. Therefore this is the last stage last of the knowledge sketching strategy process that is by obtaining the answer to the problem. Therefore based on this explanation, then the question of this research is"there is an increase of score in solving multi-concept physics in first-year students physics study program after being taught using knowledge sketching strategy".