Scientific Literacy Skills of High School Students on Archimedes Principle: A PISA-Oriented Analysis
Mawarni Saputri (a*), Jumratul Adawiyah (a), Musdar (a), Nurulwati (a)

a) Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
*mawarni_saputri[at]usk.ac.id

Abstract

Scientific literacy has become an essential competency in physics education, particularly in enabling students to explain scientific phenomena, interpret evidence, and apply scientific concepts in real-life situations. However, students scientific literacy skills remain relatively low, especially in physics learning. This study aimed to analyze high school students scientific literacy skills on Archimedes Principle using PISA-oriented tasks. A quantitative descriptive design was employed involving 60 eleventh-grade students from three public senior high schools in Aceh, Indonesia. Data were collected through scientific literacy tests, questionnaires, and teacher interviews, and analyzed descriptively. The findings revealed that students scientific literacy skills were categorized as low, with an average achievement score of 28.81%. Students experienced substantial difficulties in evaluating scientific investigations, interpreting scientific evidence, and applying Archimedes Principle to everyday contexts. The results suggest that current physics instruction has not fully supported the development of scientific reasoning and higher-order thinking skills. Therefore, implementing contextual and scientific literacy-oriented learning strategies is necessary to improve students scientific understanding and problem-solving abilities in physics learning.

Keywords: scientific literacy- physics education- Archimedes Principle- PISA-oriented tasks- higher-order thinking skills

Topic: Physics Education