Encrypting motion: diagnostic assessment and error classification in kinematics at the pre-university program of Universidad Técnica de Manabí
Keywords:
Diagnostic assessment, kinematics, vectors, procedural errors, prior knowledge.Abstract
The understanding of kinematics among students entering higher education shows persistent difficulties associated with conceptual gaps carried over from high school. A quantitative descriptive-correlational study was conducted with the aim of designing diagnostic assessments to evaluate students’ conceptual and procedural errors in the comprehension and problem-solving of kinematics. A 25-item multiple-choice diagnostic test was applied to 346 pre-university students at the Technical University of Manabí (2026-S1 period), along with a complementary perception survey (n = 150). The lowest-performing block was not kinematics (74.3% correct) but vectors (65.7%); both were strongly associated (r = 0.73, p < .001), and errors systematically concentrated on specific distractors (39–61% per item). 62.5% of students identified vectors as their main weakness. Errors in kinematics were largely explained by prior gaps in vectors and by specific procedural mechanisms, such as poor mastery of calculator degree/radian modes (89%) and inconsistent unit conversion (49%). The results support the design of an improved diagnostic tool, subject to validation by professional teachers’ judgment, as a future line of research.
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