Study of scientific concept about momentum and collisions of higher vocational certificate students

This research aimed to 1) design and develop a diagnostic test to assess students' understanding of scientific concepts related to momentum and collisions, and 2) investigate the students' conceptual understanding of these topics. The sample consisted of higher vocational certificate freshmen in the academic year 2024 who-enrolled in the 30000-1305 course on Science for Mechanical and Production Occupations at a large vocational college in Nakhon Sawan province. The sample was selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument was a diagnostic test to evaluate students' understanding of scientific concepts regarding momentum and collisions. The test, comprising six questions, was carefully validated and designed to cover three learning objectives. The findings revealed that 84% of students held misconceptions related to the topics, with the misconceptions categorized into six main areas. The most prevalent misconception, identified in 89% of the students, was their inability to calculate velocity using the principle of conservation of momentum.