<![CDATA[This study aims to produce a contextual laboratory practice in optics by analyzing the variations of fixatives in clove natural dye on the absorption of sunlight by colored fabrics. The background of this research lies in the limited optics experiments in schools, which often cause students to struggle in understanding the relationship between color, wavelength, and light energy, thus leading to misconceptions. The method employed was an experimental design with a posttest-only control, in which cotton fabrics were soaked in clove extract with three types of fixatives, namely alum, lime, and ferrous sulfate. The light absorption data were measured using a lux meter, then analyzed descriptively and statistically using one-way ANOVA. The findings indicated significant differences among the types of fixatives. Fabrics treated with alum fixative produced a bright yellow color with the highest absorption (113.7 Cd), followed by lime (69.5 Cd), while ferrous sulfate produced a deep blue color with the lowest absorption (16.22 Cd). This phenomenon can be explained through the concepts of light absorption, wavelength, and photon energy, in accordance with the Beer–Lambert law. This study demonstrates that clove natural dye with fixative variations can serve as a contextual, simple, and relevant laboratory medium aligned with the deep learning approach.]]>
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