Exhibitions, experiments help students comprehend physics

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta

Exhibitions and experiments of natural phenomena can help high school students gain a much better understanding of physics than drilling them with theories and formulas, a teacher said.

"Exhibitions and experiments will encourage them to seek a logical explanation of the phenomena," said Lokie, a physics teacher from SMUK 3 BPK Penabur private high school, on the sidelines of a physics contest final on Saturday at Trisakti University.

In the contest, Lokie's pupil, Iyung, won first prize, a Rp 2.5 million (US$289) scholarship from the university. Hafiyan Prafianto from Insan Cendekia Islamic boarding school in Serpong, Tangerang, finished second, Dito Eka Cahya from SMU 1 state high school Serpong was third and Willy Yunnal Wirawan from SMUK 1 BPK Penabur, Jakarta, was fourth.

The four contestants had to answer 50 physics problems presented in three rounds. In the main round, they were required to observe experiments and explain the results.

Bambang Nurcholis, a member of the organizers and head of the university's school of industrial technology physics laboratory, said the committee had deliberately chosen a quiz format for the main round to make it more interesting.

"We want to prove that learning physics can be fun by exhibiting its theorems through simple and everyday events," he said.

The laboratory has contributed materials for Galileo physics quiz TV show, which also uses the same format.

Chairman of the organizers, Djasli Djamarus, who is also the school deputy dean, said the contest was also aimed at promoting physics among high school students.

"We can't deny that Indonesian students have potential in physics. Trisakti would like to encourage that potential," he said, adding that the school was planning to hold a mathematics contest later this year.

Indonesia won five medals, including a gold, in last year's 34th International Physics Olympiad (IPO) in Taipei.

Djasli, however, acknowledged that the contest had yet to receive much enthusiasm from invited high schools. Only 94 contestants from 27 high schools throughout Greater Jakarta participated in the contest. Most of them were sophomore students, as third-year students are busy preparing for their final national exams, which start on Monday.