Sunaryono Sunaryono

Sensemaking is a critical aspect that enables students to integrate physics concepts into their deep and sustainable understanding. Without sensemaking, students find it difficult to apply this knowledge in real-life situations. Therefore, this study aims to explore physics sensemaking from both the belief and practice perspectives of different academic years as an initial and important step to improve the quality of physics learning. This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. Quantitative data were obtained from survey questionnaires, and qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews. The subjects of this study were 226 physics education students. Quantitative data analysis used descriptive statistics, while qualitative data analysis used content analysis. The results reveal differences in physics sensemaking among first-, second-, and third-year students, with students becoming more proficient each year. The sensemaking constructs that emerged consist of belief in the calculation process, satisfaction through understanding phenomena, the importance of understanding formulas, attitudes toward the history of formulas, flexible approaches to problem solving, explicit physics thinking, and the association of information with existing knowledge. These results were supported by the first interview but not by the second interview. When students were presented with phenomena based on PhET acceleration simulations, the physics understanding of first-year students, where the sensemaking of “Student M1” occupied level 2, tended to be higher than the sensemaking of “Student H1,” who occupied level 1. The qualitative pattern was observed in the sensemaking of these students. The implications of this study reinforce that sensemaking can be supported through interventions in physics learning.

Fabrication of thin films based on Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite photoelectrodes was successfully achieved using the doctor blade method. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of TiO ₂ composition on the magnetic properties and photoresponse of thin films utilizing Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite photoelectrodes. The crystal structure, functional groups, morphology, and magnetic properties of the Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposites were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), respectively. Meanwhile, the optical properties and photoresponse of thin films based on Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite photoelectrodes were investigated using a UV–Vis spectrometer and a photoresponse instrument, respectively. The XRD characterization indicates that the sample consists of cubic spinel (Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ ) and tetragonal spinel (TiO ₂ ) nanoparticles, with particle sizes of 7.54–10.21 nm and 10.79–14.47 nm, respectively. Based on characterization using TEM, the morphology of the Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite is spherical, with porous cavities, and the particle sizes range from 10.57 to 13.26 nm. Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposites exhibit superparamagnetic properties, with a saturation magnetization value decreasing from 41.90 to 9.04 emu/g as the TiO ₂ nanoparticles increase. That magnetic behavior supports enhanced power conversion efficiency. This is due to the bound magnetic polarons that can absorb dye molecules in DSSC. This result is also consistent with the absorbance of the Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite, which decreases from 3.69 to 3.28 eV with increasing TiO ₂ nanoparticle content. That shift in the band gap enhances photon absorption. The photo‐response test results show that the light response time during rise time ( τ _r ) is 1.53–0.45 s, and the light response time during decay time ( τ _d ) is 1.01–0.26 s. Based on the result of this report, the faster photoresponse at τ _r = 0.45 s and τ _d = 0.26 s was observed with the higher TiO ₂ content in Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite. That means the relatively fast photo‐response time indicates that the Mn _0.25 Fe _2.75 O ₄ /PEG/TiO ₂ nanocomposite has the potential to serve as a photoelectrodes material that can conduct electron flow quickly.

Co‐doped Fe ₃ O ₄ nanoparticles from iron sand with Syzygium polyanthum extract were successfully synthesized. The nanoparticle phase was exclusively Co‐doped Fe ₃ O ₄ with a cubic spinel crystal structure, where the replacement of Fe ³⁺ (ionic radius = 69 pm) by Co ²⁺ (ionic radius = 74 pm) enhanced the lattice parameters from 8.360 to 8.378 Å. The oxygen position parameter increased after cobalt substitution , with values ranging from 0.3890 to 0.3893. The overlapping FeO and CoO bonds were detected in the range of approximately 442–534 cm ^–1 as a result of cobalt substitution . The success of S. polyanthum extract integration was confirmed by the presence of CH (698–956 cm ^–1 ), CO (1365 cm ^–1 ), and CC (1636 cm ^–1 ) bonds, originating from phenolic compounds (flavonoids, saponins, and tannins) and aromatic compounds . The saturation magnetization decreased from 35.49 to 24.956 emu/g as the Co composition increased, which can be theoretically explained by Neel's sublattice model. Remarkably, the excellent broad‐spectrum antimicrobial performance of the nanoparticles against different microbial strains ( B. subtilis , E. coli , and C. albicans ) can be attributed to the synergistic role of Co substitution and S. polyanthum extract. These findings demonstrate the utilization of natural resources to fabricate new broad‐spectrum antimicrobial agents.

This study aims to examine the effect of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) with and without metacognitive scaffolding on the conceptual understanding and creative thinking skills of pre-service physics teachers on the topic of simple harmonic motion. A quasi-experimental design was employed involving two treatment groups. Instruments included an expert-validated conceptual understanding test and a creative thinking test. The results showed that both groups experienced significant improvement; however, the group receiving metacognitive scaffolding demonstrated significantly higher gains in both conceptual understanding and creative thinking. The metacognitive scaffolding provided through self-questioning technique proved effective in helping students plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning processes, while also stimulating flexibility and originality in scientific thinking. These findings highlight the importance of metacognitive support in inquiry-based learning to cultivate pre-service physics teachers who not only possess strong conceptual understanding but also adaptive creative thinking skills to meet the challenges of 21st-century education. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This study aims to develop an active photodetector material based on a nano composite thin film of Mn_0.75Fe_2.25O₄/ZnO/PVP/PABS. This material has been successfully synthesized using a multi-method approach, including co-precipitation for Mn_0.75Fe_2.25O₄, sol-gel processing for ZnO, and dual-solution polymerization to produce PABS. X-ray diffraction revealed high crystallinity, with Mn_0.75Fe_2.25O₄ crystallite sizes of 5.25–8.21 nm and ZnO crystallite sizes of 11.19–17.60 nm, corroborated by transmission electron microscopy (11.00–17.33 nm). VSM tests uncovered superparamagnetic behavior, with saturation magnetization (M _s ) values decreasing from 13.97 to 8.02 emu g⁻¹ as ZnO content increased. UV–Vis spectroscopy indicated band gap energies of 3.15–3.57 eV, refractive indices of 1.87–2.13, optical conductivities of (8.50–9.68) × 10⁷ S cm⁻¹, and electrical conductivities of 25.91–29.52 S cm⁻¹. Photodetector performance testing demonstrated rise times of 0.11–1.11 s and decay times of 0.99–2.53 s, reflecting a fast and stable response under visible light illumination. The novelty of the study lies in the integration of four components, including Mn_0.75Fe_2.25O₄ nanoparticle, ZnO semiconductor, PVP matrix polymer, and conductive PABS polymer, into an inorganic-organic hybrid nano-composite thin film fabricated via spin coating. These findings offer a cost-effective and highly applicable alternative for photodetector materials in future optical sensor technologies.

Magnetism is a fundamental component of physics education that underpins both scientific literacy and technological innovation. Yet, research consistently shows that students struggle to achieve a deep conceptual understanding of this topic. Persistent misconceptions, particularly in visualizing three-dimensional vector relationships and applying the right-hand rule, hinder students’ ability to transfer knowledge to novel contexts. Addressing these difficulties requires not only innovative instructional media but also insights from teachers who directly observe and manage such challenges in classroom practice. This study aimed to explore high school physics teachers’ perspectives on the difficulties of teaching magnetism and their interpretations of students’ learning barriers. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three teachers from different regions of Indonesia, each with four to seven years of teaching experience. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed two major findings: teachers reported significant limitations in instructional resources, which restricted their ability to dynamically depict vector orientations and forces; and students were observed to rely on rote memorization, struggle with spatial visualization, and confuse the applications of the right-hand rule in different contexts. These results highlight the intersection of pedagogical and cognitive barriers, showing how inadequate media directly contributes to persistent student misconceptions. The novelty of this study lies in foregrounding teachers’ experiences, thereby filling a gap in the literature that has predominantly focused on student-centered analyses. The conclusions emphasize the need for interactive, spatially explicit media, supported by structured pedagogical guidance, to strengthen magnetism learning. This study contributes to physics education by integrating teachers’ perspectives into efforts to design feasible and effective instructional interventions.