DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE TEST TO MEASURE HOTS AND DIGITAL LITERACY OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF CITY NOISE

PENGEMBANGAN SCIENCE TEST UNTUK MENGUKUR HOTS DAN DIGITAL LITERACY SISWA SMP PADA TEMA KEBISINGAN KOTA AbstractThe 2013 Curriculum emphasizes the process to improve HOTS and digital literacy. However, no appropriate science test instrument can measure the combination of these two aspects in contextual topics and relate to real-world problems. This kind of science test will engage students in-depth thinking as well as improve their digital literacy. This research aims to develop science tests based on HOTS and digital literacy in the City Noise theme for 8th-grade students. HOTS is operationally defined as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication (4C), while digital literacy is a thinking and operation skill. Borg & Gall models were adopted in this research and development. A total of 21 private school students in Semarang were subject to this research and investigated the validity and reliability of developed science tests. Based on expert judgment, the science test instrument, which consists of 25 multiple choice items and five essay items, was in a very good category. Based on the Rasch model analysis, the science tests are valid (28 items are valid) and reliable (Alpha cronbach=0.79). It can be concluded that the developed science test is feasible to use to measure HOTS and digital literacy of junior high school students on the topic of the City Noise.AbstrakKurikulum 2013 menekankan pada proses peningkatan HOTS dan digital literacy. Namun, belum banyak tersedia instrumen tes sains yang mampu mengukur kombinasi dari kedua aspek tersebut dalam topik yang kontekstual dan berhubungan dengan masalah nyata. Jenis science test seperti ini dapat melibatkan siswa dalam proses berpikir mendalam serta dapat meningkatkan digital literacy. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu mengembangkan science test berbasis HOTS dan digital literacy pada tema Kebisingan Kota untuk siswa kelas 8. HOTS secara operasional didefinisikan sebagai critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication (4C) sementara digital literacy sebagai thinking skills dan operation skills. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan (R&D) yang mengadaptasi dari Borg & Gall. Sebanyak 21 siswa dari SMP swasta di Semarang digunakan sebagai subjek dalam penelitian ini dan digunakan untuk mengetahui validitas dan reliabilitas science test hasil pengembangan. Berdasarkan hasil validasi ahli, instrumen science test yang terdiri dari 25 item pilihan ganda dan 5 item uraian termasuk dalam kategori baik. berdasarkan hasil analisis Rasch model, science test dikatakan valid (28 item valid) dan reliabel (Alpha Cronbach=0,79). Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa science test hasil pengembangan layak digunakan untuk mengukur HOTS dan digital literacy siswa SMP pada tema Kebisingan Kota.

Product Quality and Performance in the Internet Age: Evidence from Creationist-Friendly Curriculum

Curriculum is at the core of school quality. Curriculum changes often attempt to cater to local preferences while adhering to national standards. This tension often drives a school’s decision to invest in curriculum changes even though little is known about how such changes affect student performance. To examine these interrelated issues of product quality and performance in the education sector, the authors analyze the effect of the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act on students’ science test performance in nationally administered tests. The law allowed the teaching of creationism as an alternative “theory” to evolution in Louisiana schools. Using detailed data on Louisiana schools, the authors employ a difference-in-differences strategy to document that science test achievement declined after the law was passed, relative to schools in neighboring Texas. The effect of the law was driven by regions with high internet penetration and low parental education levels. After the change in policy, Louisiana students were more likely to seek out information on the internet using search terms that led them to web pages that reinforced a creationist message.

Pengembangan Instrumen Tes IPA pada Kompetisi Sains Madrasah Se-Kecamatan Bantur Malang

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable natural science test instrument. This test instrument was used to measure the ability of students in the Kompetisi Sains Madrasah (KSM) Bantur District, Malang Regency. This study is a research and development that adapts Borg & Gall's R&D model. The study subjects were 60 elementary school students in the field trial and instrument implementation on 14 students participating in KSM. Research procedures include (1) preliminary studies, (2) planning, (3) initial product development, (4) first revision, (5) field trials, (6) second revision, (7) implementation of test instruments, and (8) ) dissemination. Data collection techniques used interviews, questionnaires, and written tests. The instruments used were interview guide sheets, product validation questionnaire sheets, and question sheets. The data analysis techniques included first, product validity analysis, the second analysis of the empirical validity and reliability of the instrument was carried out with the help of the Rasch Ministep (Winsteps) software. The results of the study were 25 multiple choice questions for the science test instrument. The product developed is valid and reliable with a very good rating (A). Based on the results of field trials, it shows that the 25 questions developed are empirically valid. The reliability results also show a good category with the item reliability 0.90. The results of the implementation of the science test instrument showed that the student's highest score was 72, while the lowest score was 40.

The Role of Education in Increasing Awareness and Reducing Impact of Natural Hazards

Education could play a role in decreasing and mitigating damages caused by natural disaster. By analysing relationships between level of education and components of the World Risk Index, this study demonstrated an education’s role in natural hazard awareness and mitigation. For this purpose, we analysed relationships between the components of WRI, created an education factor independent of WRI (based on PISA 2018 Science test results), analysed the frequency, magnitude and exposure of natural hazards of an extreme event character in selected countries and analysed the relationships between the education factor and WRI components among the countries. A detailed analysis was performed for 15 countries representing the full global range of natural hazards (frequency, magnitude and exposure to droughts, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods (not related to hurricanes), mass movements, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis) and level of education. We found that the education factor (ranked and normalised to the maximal value among the considered countries) has significant negative correlation with the following WRI parameters: the Natural Hazard Factor (relative vulnerability, based on the difference between the relative and calculated WRI, ranked and normalised to the maximal value of WRI differences), susceptibility, lack of coping capacities and lack of adaptive capacities (all ranked and normalised to the maximal value). Results indicated that countries at low risk tend to be over-aware while countries at high risk are under-aware of natural hazards. Education can significantly increase awareness of natural hazards and reduce their impact.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES (SEPs): STUDENT'S PROFILE OF PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT INVESTIGATIONS (PCOI)

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to analyze the students' profiles of planning and carrying out investigations (PCOI). Methodology: This research is used as a descriptive method involving 40 students of 10th grade from two senior high schools in Boyolali regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The instrument is five questions based on the indicators of science and engineering practices by California Science Test Practices. Main Findings: The average student's correct answer is 42%. The result of the study represented that planning and carrying out investigations ability students categorized into a low level. Applications of this study: The involvement of this research is to improve students' science and engineering practices, especially in the aspects of planning and carrying out investigations, that can facilitate students in learning physics. The Originality of this study: This research has an innovation that aims to determine student's profiles of planning and carrying out investigations in work and energy materials using a two-level test adapted from the California science test practice.

Using IRT in Estimate Psychometric Characteristics of the Central Science Test for the Third Intermediate Grade in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara's Schools: استخدام نظرية الاستجابة للمفردة في تقدير الخصائص السيكومترية للاختبار المركزي لمادة العلوم للصف الثالث المتوسط بالمدينة المنورة

The aim of this study is to identify the psychometric characteristics of the central science test for the third grade intermediate , which was applied in 2017-2018, it consisted of (40) multiple-choice items. The analyses was according to item response theory. For achieving the objective of the study, (1040) students' answers forms were collected, the results indicated the availability of the assumptions of (IRT) in the test, the three-parameter model was used, it was the most appropriate for the data. The psychometric properties of the test were estimated using R software by the (ltm) package. The results indicated that the most of items were characterized by high level of difficulty, and some items contained a high guessing. In general, the values of the items parameters were inconsistency, according to the criteria presented by the measurement literature. Values of the difficulty parameters ranged between (-0.81 to 2.22), values of the discrimination parameters ranged between (0.28 and 3.81), and guessing parameter ranged from (0.00 to 0.50). The test presents the greatest amount of information at above average ability level There were some recommendations that may improve the quality of the psychometric characteristics of this test, making it an objective and accurate measurement tool in estimating examinees' abilities by using (IRT).

Is using ICT at home good or bad for learning? A cross-country comparison of the impact of home use of ICT for entertainment and learning on PISA 2015 Science test results

There is much contradiction in the results of recent research results concerning the impact of ICT home use by students on learning. Despite the availability of the large body of data from the PISA 2015 survey in which respondents from 47 countries answered the ICT use modules, the research results are still far from conclusive either. Consequently, the purpose of the present research is to explore the cross-country variation of the impact of ICT use at home for entertainment and for learning on the Science test results obtained by students in PISA 2015. More specifically, linear regression models of PISA 2015 Science test results at country-level will be ran, then the variations in betas of the regression models for the 47 countries will be statistically investigated including correlations with other presumably important country-level descriptors. The main conclusions are that is erroneous to expect for positive or negative general effects, as most probably they depend on country-level features, and that the impact of home use, for learning and for entertainment respectively, of ICT are in a kind of homeopathic negative cross-country relationship.

To Vaccinate or Not: The Relative Impact of Attitudes toward Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Ability to Interpret Scientific Information on Vaccination Decisions

Background. This pilot study investigated vaccine decision making, i.e., the relationships between knowledge and attitudes towards autism spectrum disorders (ASD), scientific literacy, attitudes toward the (MMR) vaccine, and children’s MMR vaccination status. Methods. A sample of 132 parents and expectant parents (mean age 38.40 years; >60% with university education) participated in a survey where they were asked about their knowledge of ASD, attitudes towards ASD and MMR, and their children’s MMR vaccine status. The participants also completed a standardized science test (The American College Test) to test their scientific literacy. Results. Knowledge of ASD was positively correlated with attitudes towards ASD. Attitudes towards ASD were positively correlated with scientific literacy and attitudes towards MMR. Attitudes towards MMR were positively correlated with MMR vaccine status (i.e., vaccination decision). Discussion. Factors other than scientific literacy seem to contribute towards children’s MMR vaccine status such as attitudes towards MMR. However, these are preliminary findings and need to be interpreted with caution.