Investigation of Student Difficulties in Physics Learning and Readiness to Implement Physics Learning Using Bifocal Modeling-Based Practicum in Indonesia

Abstract

A research has been carried out to obtain the overviews of difficulties faced by students in learning physics and readiness to implement physics learning using bifocal modeling-based practicum. It was done in a senior high school in Bandung, Indonesia. The research subjects were two physics teachers and seventy nine students enrolled in the academic year of 2020/2021. This research was a qualitative case study, in which the data was collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The questionnaires were used to reveal students’ responses to physics learning and potential implementation of physics learning using bifocal modeling-based practicum. Observations were used to get overviews of physics learning process and school infrastructures. Interviews were used to reveal barriers faced by teacher in organizing physics learning and reveal difficulties faced by students in understanding physics concepts. Based on the data analysis, it was found that:  1) students are difficult to understand theoretical and mathematical physics concepts, 2) teachers face barriers to organize a physics learning due to several factors, i.e. limitation of time, abundance of curriculum teacher tasks, limitation of supporting facilities, 3) the infrastructures of the school are good enough to support the implementation of physics learning using bifocal modeling-based practicum.