Abstract

This study aims to describe the student misconception on the concept of photosynthesis and respiration. This research involves 58 first year students of Biology education of Teacher Training and Education of Sriwijaya University. Data collection using written test of 16 questions. Test consists of 2 groups, which are 10 questions of multiple choice form, and 6 question of choice with reason. The results showed that: 1) 39.6% of college students stated that photosynthesis occurred in leaves and chlorophyll was present in leaves, rather than in green plants; 2) as many as 26% of students stated that photosynthesis occurred during the day, the percentage of students stated that photosynthesis occurs when there is light and photosynthesis occurs continuously in 36% and 38%, respectively; 3) as many as 34.5% of students stated that the energy used for photosynthesis, in addition to light energy is heat energy; 4) 45% of students stated that plants do photosynthesis to produce energy; 5) 76% of students stated that respiration in plants occurs only in leaves, because only leaves have stomata; 6) 47% of college students state that the gases taken by plants for respiration are CO₂ gases; 7) 39% of college students state that plants respirate when light is lacking and no light exists for photosynthesis. The conclusion of this research is the concept of respiration that still occur misconception is about the place of respiration in plant, gas needed, and time of plant respiration. In the concept of photosynthesis that still occur misconception is the concept of where and when the occurrence of photosynthesis in plants, and energy involved in the process of photosynthesis. The concepts that are well understood by students are the concepts of the required compounds and the compounds produced in photosynthesis, and the equations of photosynthetic reactions, as well as the factors that influence photosynthesis.

Keywords: misconception, photosynthesis, respiration