DO PROSPECTIVE SCIENCE TEACHERS EXPERIENCE MISCONCEPTIONS? IDENTIFICATION USING A DIGITAL BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES THREE-TIER TEST (BM-3T)

Misconceptions about scientific concepts are experienced not only among high school students but also among students at the university level. This study aims to identify prospective science teachers' misconceptions about biological macromolecules using a three-tier test form called the digital biological macromolecules three-tier test (BM-3T). We administered sixteen items on digital BM-3T to 73 students majoring in Science Education at the Universitas Negeri Manado. This research is a type of quantitative descriptive research. We obtained samples using the purposive sampling technique. The results showed five identified misconceptions on the biological macromolecules topic, with four being in the high category and one being in the medium category. "The steroid is a lipid molecule with hydrophilic properties because one end is polar" is a misconception with the highest percentage (63.01%). Nevertheless, prospective science teachers' misconceptions on the biological macromolecules topic are in the medium category (38.70%). These findings suggest lecturers must diagnose misconceptions about macromolecular biology before the course is carried out to design learning strategies and methods to reduce and avoid misconceptions of prospective science teachers.