Phenomenon, 2022, Vol. 12 (No. 1), pp.

17-30
JURNAL PHENOMENON
phenomenon@walisongo.ac.id

Development of items in Acid-Base Identification Experiments Using

Natural Materials: Validity Test with Rasch Model Analysis

Sri Mulyanti1, Wati Sukmawati2, Nur Elisa Hawa Tarkin

1Program Studi Pendidikan Kimia, Fakultas Sains Dan Teknologi, UIN Walisongo

Semarang
2 Program studi Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu

Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. HAMKA

Abstract

The research aims to develop a test using multiple-choice items with 18

questions. The developed questions aim to measure students' critical thinking,
creative, and problem-solving skills in an experiment to identify acid-base
compounds with natural indicators. The research uses descriptive quantitative
methods, namely the results of quantitative analysis described to support the
feasibility of the test instrument developed. The research subjects were 79
high school students who had studied acid-base experiment with natural
indicators. The test results of the test instruments were analyzed using the
Rasch model in the Winsteps program to find out how the test was feasible,
including the questions' difficulty level, item validity, construct validity,
content validity, and instrument reliability. The results showed the feasibility
of the test in the form of 1) distribution of difficulty level of the questions so
that it could measure students' abilities at various levels of knowledge; 2)
construct validity is evidenced by the raw variance value of 31%, and 3)
content validity shows that the questions fit the Rasch model. The instrument's
feasibility can also be seen from its high-reliability value of 0.91. The
questions developed can be used to measure students' critical thinking,
creative, and problem-solving skills in the acid-base identification practicum
with natural indicators, namely hibiscus.

Kata kunci: acid-base identification; Rasch model; thinking skills; validity

Pengembangan Butir Soal pada Praktikum Identifikasi Asam-Basa

Menggunakan Bahan Alami: Uji Validitas dengan Analisis Model
Rasch
Abstrak

Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengembangan tes dalam bentuk bentuk butir soal
pilihan ganda, sebanyak 18 soal. Soal yang dikembangkan bertujuan untuk
mengukur keterampilan berpikir kritis, kreatif, dan pemecahan masalah bagi
siswa pada percobaan identifikasi senyawa asam basa dengan indikator alami.
Penelitian menggunakan metode kuantitatif deskriptif, yakni hasil analisis
secara kuantitatif yang dideskripsikan untuk mendukung kelayakan instrumen

UIN Walisongo Semarang ©2022 Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo 17

Email: riechem@walisongo.ac.id ISSN: 2088-7868, e-ISSN 2502–5708
 Sri Mulyanti, Wati Sukmawati, Nur Elisa Hawa Tarkin / Phenomenon Vol. 12, No. 1, July 2022

tes yang kembangkan. Subjek penelitian sebanyak 79 siswa SMA yang telah
mempelajari praktikum asam basa dengan indikator alami. Hasil pngujian
instrumen tes dianalisis dengan model Rasch pada program Winsteps, untuk
mengetahui bagaimana kelayakan tes, meliputi tingkat kesulitan soal, validitas
aitem, validitas konstruk, validitas konten, dan reliabilitas instrumen. Hasil
penelitian menunjukkan kelayakan tes berupa 1) sebaran tingkat kesulitan soal
yang merata, sehingga dapat mengukur kemampuan siswa di berbagai level
pengetahuan; 2) validitas konstruk dibuktikan dengan nilai raw variance
sebesar 31%; dan 3) validitas konten menunjukkan soal-soal fit dengan model
Rasch. kelayakan instrumen juga terlihat dari nilai relibilitasnya yang sangat
baik yakni 0,91. Soal-soal yang dikembangkan, dapat menjadi alat ukur
keterampilan berpikir kritis, kreatif, dan pemecahan masalah siswa pada
praktikum identifikasi asam basa dengan indikator alami, yakni kembang
sepatu.

Kata kunci: identifikasi asam-basa; keterampilan berpikir; model Rasch; uji

validitas

INTRODUCTION
Practicum identification of acid-base compounds is one of the chemistry learning
activities in high school, in chemistry lessons (Mawardi et al., 2020). Acid-base
identification practicum is an important part of applying the acid-base concepts that
students learn, thus making students more aware of the factual concept of acid-base, from
various examples of acid-base compounds identified. (Karpudewan et al., 2016). The
practical identification of acid-base compounds is proof of the acid-base theory that
students have learned theoretically in class, in addition to strengthening the understanding
of acid-base concepts for students, students can also practice various skills during
practicum activities. (Irmayta et al., 2018).
Various learning outcomes have been determined by the curriculum, one of which
is increasing conceptual understanding and skills for students after carrying out the acid-
base identification practicum (Nuswowati et al., 2020). Learning outcomes in the
identification of acid-base compounds can be measured by a series of tests given to
students after practicum activities (Hidayat et al., 2018). Measuring students' ability to
understand the concept of acid-base in practicum, it will be better if the tests given can
also measure thinking skills that have been trained to students during practicum activities.
(Nuswowati et al., 2020).
The evaluation process in practicum activities can be carried out in various forms,
both test and non-test. Evaluation in the form of a test is an option that is often used by
teachers, including practicum activities (McClary & Bretz, 2012). The test can be used to

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measure students' cognitive abilities, after learning activities, so that it can also be used
to measure the success of practical learning on the identification of acid-base compounds.
The test in the acid-base identification practicum becomes a measuring tool for students'
understanding of the concepts being taught, namely the concept of acid-base
identification. However, there is still no test that can measure students' thinking skills in
acid-base identification practicum activities, moreover on the use of natural materials as
indicators (Hawa & Mulyanti, 2021).
There have been many studies that have developed practical identification of acid-
base compounds from natural materials as indicators, but no research has focused on
developing tests that measure critical thinking, creative, and problem-solving skills of
students in practical activities. (Nuswowati et al., 2020; Nainggolan et al., 2019; Nuryanti
et al., 2013). Research is still mostly focused on developing practicum media with a
variety of natural materials used as indicators (Cendana et al., 2022; Priyanto et al., 2021;
Gelis, 2020). So, we need a measuring instrument that can measure students' critical
thinking, creative, and problem solving skills specifically in the practical identification of
acid compounds with indicators from natural materials, as a tool for evaluating the
success of practicum activities. (Sahara et al., 2019; Amin dan Sutrisno, 2018; Irmayta et
al., 2018).
A measuring instrument will be declared feasible if it can measure accurately and
precisely the latent nature of humans, namely the cognitive abilities and skills of students
from learning activities that have been carried out. ( Jin et al., 2020; Autin et al., 2019;
Peng et al., 2019). The test can be used as an appropriate measuring tool, of course with
an analysis of the accurate measurement results, namely the analysis of the Rasch model.
The Rasch model will analyze how a test can do well or not in measuring latent human
traits, including how the quality of the tests that have been tested (Vindbjerg et al., 2020;
Winarti & Mubarak, 2019). Analysis with the Rasch model can be a reference in
determining the validity and reliability of a test, by comparing the standards that exist in
the model (Adams et al., 2021; van de Grift et al., 2019) on students' cognitive abilities
in understanding concepts and thinking skills after practicum activities in the form of
multiple choice tests.
Based on various studies on studies that have been carried out by various experts
who have revealed, the research conducted is different from the existing ones, because it

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is still rare for research to develop test instruments in the form of multiple choice
questions to measure students' thinking abilities. The questions developed in this study
are expected to measure students' thinking skills in practical activities that have been
carried out. Furthermore, the feasibility of the developed test instrument was validated by
means of analysis with the Rasch model of the trial data using the Winsteps program. So
the purpose of this research is to develop a student thinking ability test instrument in the
acid-base identification practicum using natural materials that are suitable for use through
validity testing and analysis of the Rasch model.

RESEARCH METHODS
Research using quantitative methods (Cohen et al., 2018). Data obtained from
students' answers to the test questions, to analyze the reliability and validity of the test
(Sumintono & Widhiarso, 2015). The data were analyzed using the Rasch model to
determine the validity, reliability, and difficulty level of the questions based on the Rasch
model (Boone, 2016). The questions developed were 18 questions, including critical
thinking, creative, and problem solving skills in the acid-base identification practicum
with natural indicators. The questions were tested on 79 students who had studied the
concept of acid-base, from various public and private schools. Each question includes the
following indicators of various skills:
1. Problem solving skills in this study adopted the results of the development of Omiko
Akani (2015) in measuring problem solving skills while working in the laboratory.
Problem solving skills according to Omiko Akani (2015) believe that skills can be
applied to learning situations that students experience, and are useful for dealing with
future life. Problem solving skills for students, namely being able to provide solutions
to prove the nature of acids or bases in compounds encountered in everyday life (3
questions: Q4, Q5, Q6).
2. The critical thinking skills measured are part of the habit of thinking from the learning
dimension developed by Marzano (1993). Critical thinking according to Marzano
includes seeking accuracy, seeking clarity, being open-minded, and sensitive to the
feelings and level of knowledge of others. Stages of ability to achieve critical thinking
skills in this study include:

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• Students can analyze various compounds in everyday life that are acidic or basic
(3 questions: Q1, Q2, Q3)
• Students can argue and analyze the effectiveness of the use of hibiscus flowers as
an acid-base indicator (3 questions: Q7, Q8, Q9 )
• Students are able to give reasons for choosing the most effective method in
practical activities (3 questions: Q10, Q11, Q12)
• Students can observe the results of practical findings (3 questions: Q13,Q14,Q15)
3. Creative Thinking Skills in this study were developed by Chua Yan Piaw (2014)
includes elaboration, that is, after thinking about an original idea in solving a
problem, then a creative person must be able to communicate the idea to others. So
in this study, creative thinking skills in the form of students can elaborate between
factual observations with the naked eye, microscopic phenomena that occur, and
symbolically in the reaction of testing acid-base indicators. (3 questions:
Q16,Q17,Q18)
The questions that have been tested are then analyzed using the Rasch model in the
Winsteps program. Furthermore, the results of the analysis are interpreted in the form of
the feasibility of the developed test instrument, including:
1. The difficulty level of the questions is based on the logit value, namely the probability
that the questions will be answered by the students in the logarithm of odd units
(logit).
2. Item validity, which is an even distribution of the level of difficulty of the questions
from the most difficult to the easiest for students.
3. Construct validity, namely the question can measure variables very well and
comprehensively measure the variables expected from the response of research
subjects, with the raw variance value received which is greater than 20%.
4. Content validity, including the Rasch model criteria on three criteria, namely Outfit
MNSQ (< 1,5 ), Outfit ZSTD (between -1,9 and +1,9), and PT Mean Corr (positive
value) (Boone, 2016).
5. Instrument reliability. Reliability is the consistency of the instrument in measuring
what it is supposed to measure. The reliability of an instrument is needed to determine
the consistency of the instrument as its role in measuring the ability of the subject, in

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this case the student. Reliability is carried out by analysis with the Rasch model
through Item Reliability (Sumintono & Widhiarso, 2015), with criteria:
<0,67 : Weak ; 0,67-0,80: Enough ; 0,8-0,90 : Good

0,91-0, 94 : Very good ; >0,94 : Special

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this study, the data obtained from the analysis of the quality of the instrument,
namely how the questions can consistently measure the expected variables, in the form
of their reliability values (Othman et al., 2014; Sumarni et al., 2018). In this study, the
reliability value of the questions was 0.91 (Figure 1), indicating that the questions had
very good reliability as expressed by Sumintono & Widhiarso (2015). Other information
that supports the quality of the questions from the developed test is the separation value
of 3.24 (Figure 1), which shows that the questions can distinguish well each level of
ability of students who have answered them.

Figure 1. Test Instrument Reliability

Another criterion for testing the quality of the instrument is the validity of the items,
which was developed by looking at the suitability of the processed statistics with the
criteria from the Rasch model, including Outfit MNSQ, Outfit ZSTD, and Point measure
correlation (PT Mean Corr). Based on Table 1, 18 items were developed, getting all three
values in the range accepted by the Rasch model (Boone, 2016). Based on the range of
values from the criteria of the Rasch model (discussion on the method), there are several
questions with the Outfit MNSQ value exceeding the standard model, which is more than
1.5 in Q1 questions. (1,63) and Q3 (1,57). Both questions are still considered valid in
content, because the other two criteria are still within the range accepted by the model,
namely the Outfit ZSTD and PT Mean Corr criteria in line with the explanation from
Sumintono & Widhiarso (2015).

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Table 1 Fit statistical questions with the Rasch model

Kriteria Statistik
Kode Soal
Outfit MNSQ Outfit ZSTD Point measure correlation
Q1 1,63 1,3 0,13
Q2 0,84 -1,1 0,55
Q3 1,57 1,9 0,16
Q4 0,78 -1,1 0,59
Q5 0,81 -0,9 0,56
Q6 0,91 -0,4 0,45
Q7 1,11 0,6 0,48
Q8 1,37 1,6 0,32
Q9 0,67 -2,4 0,63
Q10 0,93 -0,4 0,47
Q11 0,91 -0,5 0,52
Q12 0,97 -0,1 0,49
Q13 1,08 0,5 0,53
Q14 0,79 -0,7 0,58
Q15 1,17 1,2 0,38
Q16 0,92 -0,2 0,52
Q17 1,36 1,3 0,28
Q18 1,36 1,6 0,35

A good test instrument must be able to accommodate students' abilities, both high
and low, this can be seen from the distribution of the level of difficulty of the questions
based on the logit value of each item. (Jin et al., 2020). In this study, the distribution of
the level of difficulty of the questions was obtained, as evidence that the questions can
measure various levels of students' abilities, from the most capable to those who are
unable to answer the questions.

Mean = 0

Figure 2. Distribution of questions based on the Wright Map

Figure 2 shows that the questions are evenly distributed from the logit mean based
on the Rasch model, which is 0.0. So, it can be concluded, the questions developed have
feasibility from the aspect of measuring student abilities, both students who have high
and low abilities, based on the distribution of questions in the whright map analysis results

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with Winsteps proposed by Boone (2016).

In this study, the raw variance value was 31% and the unexplained variance was
8.5% (Figure 3). Figure 3 shows that on the items that have been tested, it can be
concluded that the questions can measure students' abilities well in the practical activity
of identifying acid-base compounds with natural ingredients as indicators according to
the opinion of Bette Davidowitz & Marietjie Potgieter (2016).

Figure 3. Unidimensionality Test

Another aspect that supports a test instrument that is suitable for use is its ability to
measure the measured variables, which can be seen from the uni-dimensional results of
Rasch's processing. The uni-dimensionality analysis showed that the questions were not
biased in measuring the expected variables, namely the students' ability in the practical
activity of identifying acid-base compounds. Evidence of the ability of the questions that
fully measure students' abilities on the questions developed can be seen from the raw
variance data obtained with values above 20% and the value of unexplained variance
below 15%. (Laliyo, 2021).
In this study, the difficulty level of the questions was obtained, which was the result
of the analysis of the test questions using the Rasch model, from the aspect of the item
measure (Figure 4). The data from the item measure is the result of converting the basic
data from the students' answers to questions that have been changed in logarithmic form,
named logit (logarithm odd unit), which is the probability of answering the question based
on the ability of the students working on it. The logit value of each test shows how the
level of difficulty of the questions when answered by students, with an increasingly
positive logit value (Q14 with the largest logit value), indicates that the questions are
considered the most difficult for students to answer. On the other hand, a very low logit
value (Q1 with the lowest logit value) indicates that the questions are very easy to answer

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by students. Figure 4 shows how the questions are spread evenly, from questions that are
considered difficult, difficult, easy, to very easy for students. This shows that the
questions can measure the ability of students, both very smart students, and students who
do not understand the concepts tested by the test.
The researcher grouped the questions into 4:
1. Very difficult with logit value > 0,0 => (Q14,Q3,Q16)
2. Difficult with logit value -0,0 < logit Q < 0,0 => (Q17,Q8,Q7,Q5,Q4,Q11)
3. Easy with logit value -1,0 < logit Q < -0,0 = > (Q12,Q15,Q2,Q10,Q9)
4. Very easy with logit value < -1,0 => (Q13,Q6,Q1)

The questions that are most considered difficult by students are Q14, Q3, and Q16.
Q14 and Q3 measure students' critical thinking skills, namely observing the results of
practicum (Q14) and Q3 analyzing various compounds in everyday life that are acidic or
basic. Both questions are considered difficult because students must be able to critically
analyze practical activities both on the findings and relate them to contextuality in real
life. (Dijaya et al., 2020). Q16 measures creative thinking skills, namely elaborating
between factual observations with the naked eye, microscopic phenomena that occur, and
symbols in acid-base indicator testing reactions. Question Q16 is also considered difficult
because students must be able to relate between representations of identification of acid-
base compounds, namely between macroscopic and molecular analysis of practical
activities carried out in accordance with Mihwa Park's presentation. (2017).

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very difficult

difficult

easy

very easy

Figure 4. Question difficulty level

There have been developed questions in the form of multiple choice, as many as 18
questions. Questions are prepared based on indicators of concepts and thinking skills that
are specifically learned by students during the practical identification of acid-base
compounds with natural ingredients as indicators. The questions that have been compiled
and reviewed by three lecturers are then tested on 79 students who have studied acid-base
materials, and practical identification of acid-base compounds with natural materials. The
questions that have been tested on students, analyzed the results of the scores obtained by
the Winsteps program, namely the conversion of raw values into their logarithmic form
(logit). Another analysis is to find out how appropriate the instrument is as a measuring
tool, based on the statistical criteria accepted by the Rasch model.
Testing to students, as proof that the questions are suitable for use, namely with
valid and reliable criteria based on the Rasch model according to research conducted by
Maja Palninic et al. (2019). This research has developed questions that can measure
problem solving skills, critical and creative thinking skills in the form of multiple choice.
The research developed is in line with the research of Albert S. Matlack and Andrew P.
Dick (2015), namely measuring problem-solving skills in green chemistry-based
practicum activities.
The questions that have been developed in this study are used as a measuring tool
for learning success, especially in the practical identification of acid-base compounds

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with natural ingredients as indicators through multiple choice questions. According to

Rahayu & Sutrisno (2019) and Ghani (2017) which also use multiple choice questions to
measure students' thinking skills, including critical and creative thinking skills. The
results of this study can be used as a guide in measuring problem solving skills, critical
and creative thinking skills of students in online practicum activities.

CONCLUSION
A total of 18 questions have been developed, to measure various concepts and
thinking skills of students who carry out practical activities to identify acid-base
compounds with natural indicators. The questions were declared valid and reliable based
on the results of the analysis using the Rasch model through the Winsteps program,
covering the criteria for item validity, construct validity, and content validity.
Recommendations from this study are, for other researchers who also focus on developing
acid-base practicum from natural materials, as a measuring tool for the effectiveness of
student learning activities in acid-base practicum activities with natural indicators.

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 Journal of Educational Chemistry (3 (1), 2021, 53-66)
Website: https://www.journal.walisongo.ac.id/index.php/jec
ISSN 2715-3029 (p) 2685-4880 (e)
DOI: 10.21580/jec.2021.3.1.7560

Analysis of Understanding Chemical Bond Concepts in Students with Three-

Tier Multiple Choice

Mellyzar
Department of Chemistry Education, Universitas Malikussaleh
E-mail Corresponding Author: mellyzar@unimal.ac.id

Abstract

One type of diagnostic test is a three-tier multiple choice, which is a test question in the
form of choices consisting of three questions, the first part is about the concept of the topic, the
second part is the reason refers to the first question, and the third part is the level of confidence
in the two previous questions. Students' understanding of chemical bonding. The method used is
descriptive with the research subject of 93 students of chemistry education. Data collection with
14 three-tier multiple choice test questions and analysis of students' level of understanding
using the Certainty of Responses Index (CRI) technique. The results showed that the
understanding of the concept of chemical bonds was very low at 29.50% and misconceptions at
62.77% in the high category. With high student misconceptions, it means that the concept of
chemical bonds that they have is still not in accordance with the truth. Based on these findings,
for teachers there needs to be special preparations and strategies to improve students'
understanding of concepts, for example carrying out learning using methods that are in
accordance with the characteristics of the material presented or by using appropriate learning
media.

Keywords: CRI; chemical bond; three-tier multiple-choice; understanding concept

Abstrak

Salah satu jenis tes diagnostik adalah three tier multiple choice yaitu soal tes berupa
pilihan yang terdiri atas tiga bagian pertanyaan, bagian pertama tentang konsep materi, bagian
kedua alasan merujuk pada pertanyaan pertama, dan bagian ketiga tingkat keyakinan terhadap
dua pertanyaan sebelumnya Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis tingkat pemahaman
mahasiswa terhadap materi ikatan kimia. Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif dengan
subjek penelitian mahasiswa pendidikan kimia berjumlah 93 orang. Pengumpulan data dengan
14 soal tes three tier multiple choice dan analisis tingkat pemahaman siswa menggunakan
teknik Certainty of Responses Index (CRI). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pemahaman konsep
ikatan kimia sangat rendah yaitu 29,50% dan miskonsepsi 62,77% kategori tinggi. Dengan
tingginya miskonsepsi mahasiswa berarti konsep ikatan kimia yang dimiliki masih tidak sesuai
dengan sebenarnya. Penggunaan three tier multiple choice dengan teknik CRI mampu
mengklasifikasi pemahaman konsep mahasiswa. Berdasarkan temuan ini, untuk pengajar perlu
ada persiapan dan strategi khusus untuk meningkatkan pemahaman konsep mahasiswa,
misalnya melaksanakan pembelajaran menggunakan metode yang sesuai dengan karakteristik
materi yang disampaikan atau dengan menggunakan media pembelajaran yang sesuai.

Kata kunci: CRI; ikatan kimia; pemahaman konsep; three tier multiple choice

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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
54 JEC: Journal of Educational Chemistry ... Volume X, Nomor X,........ 20..
Introduction
A person's understanding of a
problem depends on the individual's
thinking (Radiusman, 2020). Chemistry is a
part of science that emphasizes
understanding concepts. Conceptual
understanding can be obtained from learning
experiences during the learning process
(Alighiri, Drastisianti & Susilaningsih, 2018;
Novita, Mellyzar & Herizal, 2021). Students
can be said to have understood the concept if
they can explain the material that has been
or is being studied using their language well.
However, in the learning process, especially
chemistry, many students do not understand
the basic concepts. This is very influential on
the continuation of the learning that will be
followed. Errors that occur continuously on
chemical concepts, make students
experience conceptual errors or
misconceptions (Febriani, Marfu’ah &
Joharmawan, 2018).
The introductory study of chemistry
is the study of the properties and structure
of matter. The basic concept that students
need in terms of studying the structure of a
material is chemical bonds. Errors in
chemical bonding material that are the roots
of chemistry need to be analyzed, and find
solutions to these problems, especially in
terms of the lack of understanding of
students' concepts (misconceptions). In
addition, another factor that influences
solving a problem is an experience (Herizal,
2020; Mellyzar, 2021). Students' mistakes in
chemical bonding material are students do
not understand how the stability of the
electron configuration in an element; the
bond mechanism; the polarity of compounds
that are influenced by geometric shapes; the
electronegativity value; the dipole moment
resultant; how to write Lewis dot formulas
for polyatomic molecules and ions, and how
to determine the formal charge of each atom
in the molecule and describe the structure of
the Lewis resonance (Mellyzar & Muliaman,
2020).
Conceptual errors experienced by
students are a serious concern for a lecturer
who must have professional competence,
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pedagogic competence, social competence,
and personality competence (Ginting et al.,
2020). More than 50% of students
experiencing misconceptions about chemical
bonding material (Fadillah & Salirawati,
2018). Misconceptions have been recognized
as the main factor influencing understanding
of the material, and teachers also have
misconceptions about certain concepts
(Utomo et al., 2018). Misconception can
affect learning effectiveness and significantly
impact learning achievement (Chen et al.,
2020).
Chemical bonds are the basis for
other advanced chemical sciences such as
inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and
physical chemistry (Gudyanga & Madambi,
2014). The solution that can be done to
determine concept understanding is with a
diagnostic test (Widiyatmoko & Shimizu,
2018).
A practical test instrument needs to
be developed as an instrument for
identifying errors in chemical concepts. One
instrument that can be developed is a
diagnostic test. The diagnostic test aims to
determine student weaknesses and can be
used as a basis for following up with
appropriate treatment (Mutmainna, Mania &
Sriyanti, 2018). One type of diagnostic test is
a three-tier multiple-choice test, which is a
choice of three questions consisting of three
parts. The first part contains questions about
the material concept, the second part
contains reasons referring to the first
question, and the third part is the level of
student confidence in the two parts previous
question (Adriani, Selaras & Yogica, 2019).
The three-tier multiple-choice test
instrument is very well used for analyzing
the level of student understanding (Savira et
al., 2019). Some of the advantages of the
three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test
include diagnosing misconceptions in-depth
experienced by students, knowing the
material that needs in-depth explanation
during learning, planning better learning in
the future, and helping reduce student
misconceptions (Mubarak, 2016). The three-
tier multiple-choice diagnostic test and
Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
 Analysis of Understanding ...

providing information to lecturers regarding Research Method

understanding student concepts can also
This research was conducted at the
determine the level of student confidence in
Chemistry Education Study Program,
the questions answered.
Malikussaleh University. The research
Technology as a learning media has
subjects were 93 students consisting of 4
been known for a long time. The use of
classes, namely A1, A2, A3 and A4. The
technology as a medium for evaluating
research method used was a qualitative
learning outcomes is still rarely done by
description by describing the research data
educators. Nowadays, technology is very
obtained.
efficient to use, both for direct learning or
The instrument used was a three-tier
distance learning. Diagnostic tests can be
multiple-choice test for chemical bonding
combined with computer, laptop or
based on Google Forms, and the questions
smartphone media that can be accessed
can be accessed at
anywhere. Online evaluation is also more
http://bit.ly/jualfinalikatankimia. Good
efficient than the use of paper and pen. In
questions were validated before being used (
addition to the online test, the process of
Utomo, 2019). The questions were
checking answers is also faster than in
developed by researchers and validated by
writing (Halim et al., 2018). The platform
five expert lecturers. The validators were the
that can be used to conduct online tests is
lecturers who teach Basic Chemistry,
Google Form. The use of this platform is easy
Chemical Bonds and Inorganic Chemistry
to do and effective (Rahardja, Lutfiani &
courses. The test questions that were
Alpansuri, 2018).
compiled consisted of 14 questions that were
This study aims to identify students'
developed from chemical bond indicators.
conceptual understanding in mastering
The criteria for assessing the item
chemical bonding material by using an
instruments by expert validators can be seen
instrument in three-tier multiple-choice
in Table 1.
diagnostic test questions based on Google
Form.

Table 1
Expert Validator Assessment Criteria
Percentage Range Criteria
81.25%< score = 100% Very good
62.50%< score = 81.25% Good
43.75% < score = 62.50% Fair
25.00% < score = 43.75% Poor
(Sudijono, 2018)

To classify students into CRI modification technique. Students who

understanding concepts, not understanding
concepts and misconceptions, it employed
the technique for measuring student
confidence in answering each question using
CRI (Certainty of Responses Index). The level
of student confidence was reflected in the
scale given for each question (A'yun, Harjito
& Nuswowati, 2018). The level of confidence
using CRI can be seen in Table 2.
Provisions on the possibility of
students answering multiple-choice
questions were with open reasons using the
answered correctly and were sure of their
answers on the three-tier test indicate that
they understand a specific concept. The
students who believed in the answer even
though the answer is wrong indicates that
they have misconceptions. In contrast, the
students who answered incorrectly and were
unsure of the answer do not mean that they
experience misconceptions but a lack of
knowledge (Nurhayati, Al Sagaf & Wahyudi,
2019). The assessment criteria using the CRI
technique can be seen in Table 3.
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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
Table 2
Confidence Level Scale with CRI Technique
Index Explanation
Almost guess (if in answering the question, the percentage of guessing is between
0 75-99%)

1 Not sure (If 50%-74% of students answer the question by guessing)

2 Sure (if 25%-49% of students answer the question by guessing)

3 Almost certain (if 1%-24% answered the question by guessing)

4 Certain (if 0% of students answer the question by guessing)

5 Total guess the answer (if 100% guessing)

Table 3
Assement Criteria with CRI Modification Technique
Answer Criteria Reason CRI Index Explanation
Correct Correct ≥ 2.5 Understand the concept
Correct Correct ≤ 2.5 Understand the concept
Less sure
Correct Incorrect ≥ 2.5 Misconception
Incorrect Correct ≥ 2.5 Misconception
Incorrect Incorrect ≥ 2.5 Misconception
Correct Incorrect ≤ 2.5 Do not understand the concept
Incorrect Correct ≤ 2.5 Do not understand the concept
Incorrect Incorrect ≤ 2.5 Do not understand the concept

The stages of data analysis technique

used include: (1) analyzing students'
answers between the results of multiple-
choice, reasons, and the level of confidence
in the answers according to the category of
understanding level in the three-tier multiple
choice (2) classifying the categories of
answers into understand, do not understand,
and misconceptions, (3) calculate the
percentage of misconceptions experienced in
each item, (4) draw conclusions from the
data obtained in the form of a profile of
misconceptions and the percentage of
misconceptions. The category of level of
misconception (percentage) 0-30 (low), 31-
60 (moderate), 61-100 (high) ( Halim et al.,
2017). According to Sudijono, the average
percentage of students' understanding levels
were analyzed by categorizing them into five
categories, namely 30-45 (fail), 46-55 (poor),
56-65 (fair), 66-79 (good), 80-100 (very
good) (Vellayati et al., 2020).
Results and Discussion
The questions that researchers have
developed were based on the indicators in
the chemical bond course. The questions
were arranged according to the three-tier
multiple-choice diagnostic test criteria based
on Google Form. The results of expert
validation of the test items can be seen in
Figure 1.
Based on the results of expert validation, the
questions are included in the very good
criteria and can be used for research.
Analysis of students' conceptual
understanding was carried out with a
description for each indicator and item. The
level of conceptual understanding is
categorized into understanding the concept
(PK), understanding the concept but not sure
(PKKY), misconception (M) and not
understanding the concept (TPK).

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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
 Analysis of Understanding ...

Figure 1
Chart of Item Validation Results

Table 4
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 1
Indicator 1: The Role of Electrons in Bond Formation
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PK PK PK
A1 15.15 15.15 15.15 15.15
A2 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00
A3 36.84 36.84 36.84 36.84
A4 90.48 90.48 90.48 90.48
Average 48.11 48.11 48.11 48.11

The questions for this indicator are:
In the Lewis structure H2SO4, NH, PCl5, how
many electrons are involved in a row? The
answer to this question is 32, 8, 40. The
correct answer is that the primary electrons
that play a role in chemical bonds are
electrons in the outer shell (Petrucci &
Suminar, 1999). The percentages of the four
classes for indicator 1, namely the role of
electrons in forming chemical bonds, can be
seen in Table 1. Analysis of student answers
with an overall percentage of 48.11%
understanding the concept, 0.76%
understanding the concept but not sure,
42.54% misconception, and 8.59% do not
understand the concept. Based on the
percentage analysis of the answers to
indicator 1, the student's level of
understanding of the concept of the role of
electrons in the formation of chemical bonds
is in the moderate category, and the criteria
for the misconception is moderate.

Table 5
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 2
Indicator 2: Ionic Bond Formation
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 15.15 6.06 72.72 6.06
A2 25.00 0.00 67.50 7.50
A3 13.16 2.63 81.58 2.63
A4 15.11 2.17 78.67 4.05
Average 17.10 2.72 75.12 5.06

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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
 The questions for indicator two
consists of two questions. The first question
is: forming ionic bonds between Mg and Cl, the
number of released and accepted electrons
and the charge that each ion can form is
(Atom No Mg = 12; Cl = 17). The answer to
this problem is that Mg loses 2 electrons to
form a +2 ion, and Cl gains 1 electron to form
a -1 ion. The right reason for this answer is
that the bond formation between Mg and Cl
occurs because it only transfers electrons, thus
encouraging positive ions and negative ions
(Yustin & Wiyarsi, 2019). The second
question is: Among the following groups of
compounds, there are ionic and covalent
bonds in one compound at the same time....
The answer to this question is NH4Cl, CaC2,
Na2O2. This answer is that ionic bonds occur
due to the transfer of electrons while covalent
bonds occur because of the sharing of
electrons (Syukri, 1999).
Based on table 5, the overall
percentage is 17.10% understand the
concept, 2.72% understand the concept but
Table 6
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 3
Indicator 3: Formation of Covalent Bonds
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK
A1 24.24
A2 55.00
A3 21.05
A4 4.76
Average 2626
The understanding of concepts in
indicator three with an average percentage
of 26.26%, is included in the very low
category (failure). Students' misconceptions
are high, with a percentage of 67.58%. The
question of indicator 3 is Consider the
following H2SO4 structure:
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are not sure, 75.12% have misconceptions,
and 5.06% do not understand the concept.
Based on this percentage, the level of
understanding of students regarding the
formation of ionic bonds is very low (failure),
and the level of misconception is in the high
category. Based on the analysis of students'
answers regarding the formation of ionic
bonds, they still assume that ionic bonds
only occur between metal atoms and non-
metal atoms. In the NH4Cl molecule with
non-metallic constituent atoms, they assume
that the molecule is only covalently bonded.
Students fail to understand ionic bonds,
which only assume that the bond consists of
metal with a non-metal, even though there
are exceptions to the concept of ionic bond
formation, where not all ionic bonds are
formed from metals and non-metals such as
BeCl2, compounds, where Be is metal and Cl
is a non-metal, but the type of bond in this
molecule is covalent (Prodjosantoso, Hertina
& Irwanto, 2019)
PKKY M TPK
3.03 66.67 6.06
0.00 40.00 5.00
0.00 68.42 10.53
0.00 95.24 0.00
0.76 67.58 5.40
The bond that occurs between atoms in the
above structure is. The answer to this
question is covalent bonds because of the
electron sharing among atoms (Nordholm &
Bacskay, 2020). The high level of
Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
 Analysis of Understanding ...

misconceptions is caused by students not already know the mechanism of the

distinguishing between bonds between
atoms and bonds between molecules. From
the structure of H2SO4, there is a bond
between H and O atoms. Most students think
that the structure is a hydrogen bond. They
formation of covalent bonds, namely the
sharing of electrons between atoms. In
comparison, hydrogen bonds occur among
molecules (Vinsiah & Fadhillah, 2018).

Table 7
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 4
Indicator 4: Metal Bond
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PK PK PK
A1 24.24 24.24 24.24 24.24
A2 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00
A3 10.53 10.53 10.53 10.53
A4 9.52 9.52 9.52 9.52
Average 14.82 14.82 14.82 14.82

Overall, the percentage of electrons that affect the strength of metal

understanding of the concept of indicator 4,
which is 14.82%, means that students'
understanding is very low (failed). The level
of misconception is high, with a percentage
of 78.04%. The question of indicator 4 is
Some metals are presented, including
Aluminum (Al), Sodium (Na) and Magnesium
(Mg). The order of metals from the highest
boiling point is. The correct answer is Al, Mg,
Na. The answer is the number of valence
bonds. The more electrons a metal can
release, the higher the density of the electron
cloud/sea and the stronger the metallic
bond. From the students' answers, most
answered the order of metals based on
boiling point elevation but could not relate to
the type of bond among atoms. Metallic
bonding occurs due to electrostatic forces
between metal cations and delocalized
electrons (Cheng & Oon, 2016).

Table 8
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 5
Indicator 5: Formal Charge
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PK PK PK
A1 27.27 27.27 27.27 27.27
A2 22.50 22.50 22.50 22.50
A3 5.26 5.26 5.26 5.26
A4 7.14 7.14 7.14 7.14
Average 15.54 15.54 15.54 15.54

The percentage of student's level of

understanding of the concept of formal
content indicators is very low, i.e. 15.54%
and students' misconceptions with high
criteria, i.e. 75.80%. The question of
indicator5: Consider the Lewis structure of the
following carbonate ion:

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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
The formal charge of each constituent atom
is... The correct answer is C = 0; O(1) = -1;
O(2) = -1; O(3) = 0. The answer is that the
formal charge is the charge that will appear
on the atoms in the Lewis structure, which is
used to determine the most reasonable bond
arrangement (Petrucci et al., 2011). Next
question: The most plausible Lewis structure
of NOCl is… (Atomic No = 8; Cl = 17; N = 7).
The correct answer is that
the correct NOCl structure with the formal
charge of each atom equals zero (Petrucci &
Suminar, 1999). The formal charge can also
be defined as the charge on an atom in a
molecule or ion, assuming that the electrons
in all chemical bonds are shared equally
between the atoms (Welsh & Allison, 2019).

Table 9
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 6
Indicator 6: Compound Polarity
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 15.15 9.09 60.61 15.15
A2 5.00 5.00 80.00 10.00
A3 36.84 5.26 53.63 5.26
A4 80.95 0.00 19.05 0.00
Average 34.48 4.84 53.07 7.60

For the indicator of compound
polarity, the percentage of students who
understand the concept is 34.48%, with the
category of very poor (fail) and 53.07%
(moderate) misconceptions. The question for
this indicator is to identify the most polar
bond. The correct answer is the difference in
electronegativity of two different atoms
forming a bond. The electron pair is pulled
towards the atom with a higher
electronegativity to form partly negative and
partly positive (Brady, 1999). The concepts of
electronegativity and polarity go hand in
hand (Danckwardt-Lillieström, Andrée &
Enghag, 2020)

Table 10
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 7
Indicator 7: Resonance
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 66.67 6.06 24,.4 3.03
A2 35.00 0.00 55.00 10.00
A3 36.84 5.26 47.37 10.53
A4 85.71 0.00 14.29 0.00
Average 56.06 2.83 35.22 5.89

The question of indicator 6 is:

Pay attention to this structure:

The correct Lewis Structure of CO32- is. The

answer to this question is numbers 1, 2, and
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 Analysis of Understanding ...

3. The reason is that the structure is
resonance; it can describe more than one
Lewis structure (Chang, 2004). The
percentage of students' conceptual
understanding of the concept for the
resonance indicator is in the sufficient
category with a percentage of 56.06%, while
the misconception is 35.22% in the
moderate category. Resonance is one of the
difficult materials for students to
understand. This material is the basis
because it affects the structure, reactivity,
and physical properties of organic
compounds (Betancourt-Ṕerez, Olivera, L. J.,
& Rodríguez, 2012).

Table 11
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 8
Indicator 8: Bentuk Molekul
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 37.88 3.03 56.06 3.03
A2 35.00 10.00 55.00 0.00
A3 21.05 2.63 73.68 2.63
A4 42.86 0.00 57.14 0.00
Average 34.20 3.91 60.47 1.42

The questions for this indicator are:
Among the following ions that have a trigonal
planar shape are. (A) SO32- (B) PO43- (C) PF6-
(D)CO32- (E) NO2. The answer to this question
is CO32-. The answer is that it occurs in a
structure with three bonding electron
domains and no free electron domain on the
central atom (Petrucci et al., 2011). The
student's misconception for this problem is
to look only at the number of terminal atoms
bonded to the central atom. Some students
answered SO32- without paying attention to
(remembering) the VSEPR theory that there
are lone pairs of electrons in the structure of
the ion. Then, the next question is what the
molecular shape for XeF4 and CCl4 is. The
answer to this question is a flat quadrilateral
and a tetrahedral. This answer in XeF4 is that
there are four pairs of bonding electrons and
two pairs of lone electrons, while in CCl4, there
are four pairs of bonding electrons. Students
were a mistake on the CCl4 and XeF4
molecules with the assumption that they
have the same structure.
Analysis of student answers to the
questions for indicator eight resulted from
the overall percentage of 34.20% understood
the concept, 3.91% understood the concept
but was not sure, 60.47% had
misconceptions, and 1.42% did not
understand the concept. From this
percentage, the level of understanding of the
concept of form owned by students is
included in the sufficient category, and the
criteria for misconceptions is moderate.

Table 12
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 9
Indicator 9: Hybridization
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level sep
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 19.70 4.55 74.24 1.52
A2 27.50 5.00 67.50 0.00
A3 18.42 5.26 73.68 2.63

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 A4 16.67 0.00 83.33 0.00
Average 20.57 3.70 74.69 1.04

The percentage level of understanding of the
concept of hybridization is 20.57%, with a
very low category (fail) and high
misconception criteria is 74.69%. The
questions for this indicator are: The hybrid
orbitals for PCl3 and PCl5 are. The correct
answer is that sp3 and sp3d because the
number of orbitals containing electron pairs
for PCl3 is smaller than for PCl5. The next
question is what Molecules with sp3 hybrid
orbitals are. The answer is NH3 because one s
orbital and three p orbitals combine to
produce a new set of hybrid orbitals consisting
of four hydride orbitals. In NH3, there are only
p orbitals involved in hybridization (de
Farias, 2017).

Table 13
Level of Concept Understanding of Student on Indicator 10
Indicator 9: Pi Bonds and Sigma Bonds
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 15.15 3.03 81.82 0.00
A2 15.00 15.00 70.00 0.00
A3 5.26 10.53 84.21 0.00
A4 76.19 0.00 23.81 0.00
Average 27.90 7.14 64.96 0.00

The percentage level of understanding of the
concept of sigma (δ) and pi bond (Л) is
27.90% (fail), and the high category of
misconceptions is 64.96%. The question for
this indicator is: Consider the following
structure of propene:
The number of sigma bonds (δ) and pi
bonds (Л) of the above structure is. The
answer to this question is eight sigma bonds
(δ) and one pi bond (Л) because
overlapping orbitals (ends) result in sigma
bonds while overlapping (sides) of two
parallel orbitals results in pi bonds.

Table 14
Students' Understanding Level for All Indicators
Percentage of Concept Understanding Level
Class
PK PKKY M TPK
A1 26.06 4.70 63.03 6.21
A2 28.50 3.50 60.75 7.25
A3 20.52 3.16 70.89 5.53
A4
42.94 022 56.44 0.41
Average 29.50 2.89 62.77 4.84

62

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Volume 3, Issue 1, 2021
 Analysis of Understanding ...
The concept of bonds among atoms
or molecules is quite abstract and far from
everyday experience, so that it becomes
difficult for students. However, as much as
possible, this basic concept must be
remembered to make it easier to master
other chemistry materials (Pérez et al.,
2017). Based on the calculation results of ten
indicators, the test was able to classify the
level of understanding of chemical bonding
material, which was only 29.50% of students
who understand chemical bond concepts and
62.77% experience misconceptions. This
research is also able to explore the
weaknesses of students in understanding the
concept. The three-tier multiple-choice
diagnostic test is an instrument to determine
the level of conceptual understanding and
identify misconceptions (Desfandi et al.,
2020).
Conclusion
The level of understanding of
students' concepts on chemical bonding
material is still very low, with a percentage
of 29.50%, and a high percentage of
misconceptions reached 62.77%. With high
student misconceptions, it means that the
concept of chemical bonds they have is still
not in accordance with the truth. Based on
these findings, both teachers and lecturers
need to have special preparation and
strategies to improve students' conceptual
understanding, for example, carrying out
learning using methods that are in
accordance with the characteristics of the
material presented or by using appropriate
learning media.
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