Analysis Of Obstacles To Students' Science Process Skills In Learning Basic

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the barriers to students’ science process skills in the Basic Physics II course, with a particular focus on optical instrument topics. The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving physics education students who were enrolled in the Basic Physics II course. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique based on the following criteria: active students who had participated in both lectures and optical instrument laboratory activities. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and analysis of laboratory report documents. Data analysis was carried out using the Miles and Huberman model, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that students encountered several barriers related to their science process skills. The most significant barrier was the skill of measuring the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction (74%), followed by difficulties in interpreting experimental data (70%), observing refraction phenomena (65%), and formulating conclusions (68%). In addition, students also experienced challenges in analyzing variable relationships (61%) and preparing systematic laboratory reports (57%). Interviews revealed that some students tended to follow the lecturer’s instructions without independently analyzing the variables, and many still viewed laboratory reports merely as a formality. The novelty of this study lies in its specific focus on analyzing barriers to students’ science process skills in the context of optical instrument learning, thereby providing a meaningful contribution to mapping the challenges in optics education.