ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING IN SOCIAL STUDIES MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS IN BASIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
Abstract
The study examined Differential Item Functioning in Social Studies multiple choice questions in Basic Education Certificate Examination. Five research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. An ex-post facto research design was adopted. The population of this study consisted of all Junior Secondary class three students in Delta central senatorial district. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed. The instruments used for collecting data were the 2014 BECE Social Studies multiple choice questions and socio-economic status whose validity and reliability was ensured. Data were analyzed using SPSS and WINSTEPS. Descriptive statistics was used to answer the research questions while Independence Chi-square test was used to test the hypotheses. The finding revealed that there is incidence of gender, location, socio-economic, school type and school ownership differential functioning in 2014 BECE Social Studies multiple choice test. It was recommended that examination bodies should be mindful of the disparities that exist between gender, location, socio-economic status, school type and school ownership. Some recommendations were made.
Article visualizations:
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Adebalaziz, N. (2011). Detecting DIF using item characteristic curve approaches. The international Journal of Education and Psychological Assessment, 8(2),1-15
Adedoyin, O. O. (2010). Using IRT Approach to Detect Gender Based Items in Public Examination. Education Research and Reviews Academic Journals. 5(7), 385-399.
Alordiah, C. O. (2015). Comparison of index of Differential Item functioning under the methods of Item Response theory and classical test theory in Mathematics. An unpublished Ph.D thesis of Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
Amina, J. (1995). Quality as Stress in Nigeria Education Kaduna, Northern Nigeria Publishing Company.
Anastasia A. & Urbina S. (2006). Psychological Testing. New Delhi: Prentice Hall.
Arnkelsson, G.A. (2000). Stability of Related Attributes and the Inference of Ability through Social Comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulleting, 26, 937-938.
Atar, B. (2006). Differential Item Functioning Analysis for mixed response data Using IRT-likelihood ratio test, logistic regression, and GLLAMN Procedures. Electronic thesis, treatises and dissertations (ETDs). Paper 248 http://diginole.fsu.edu/etd/248
Augemberg, K.E; & Morgan, D.L. (2008). Differential performance of test Items by geographical regions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on measurement in Education in New York, NY
Australian Bureau of Statistics Retrieved: 11-11-2016.
Baker, F. B. (2001). The Basics Item Response Theory. USA. ERIC clearing-house on assessment and evaluation
Berk, T. (2007). Item Bias Detection Methods for Small Samples. Dissertation Abstract International.
Blanton, H. (2001). Evaluating the Self in the Context of Another: The Three Selves Model of Social Comparison Assimilation and Contrast. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Bulleting 27 (12) 1628-1629.
Bolt, D. M. (2002). A Monte Carlo comparison of parametric and non-parametric polytomous DIF detection methods. Applied psychological measurement, 15,133-141
Braun, H., Jenkins, K. & Griggs, W. (2006). Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools using Hierarchical Linear Modelling U.S Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Centre for Education Statistics, NCES 2006 461.
Camilli, G. & Shepherd L.A. (1994). Methods for Identifying Bias Test: Items Vol. 4. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.
Chong, H. Y. (2010). A simple guide to the item response theory (IRT) and Rasch modelling. http://www.creative-wisdom.com
Considine, G. & Zappala, G. (2002). Influence of Social Land Economics Disadvantaged in the Academic Performance of School Students in Australia. Journal of Sociology, 38, 129-148. Retrieved 11-11-2016 from http://www.jos.sage.pub.
Cronbach, L.J. (1971). Test validation. Psychological Bulletin 52,281-302.
Egbule, J.F. (2002). Principles of Psychological Testing, Owerri. Whyte and Whyte Publishers.
Emaikwa, S.O. (2012). Issues in Test Item Bias in Public Examinations in Nigeria and Implications for Testing. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development. 1(1), 175-185.
Embretson, S. & Reise, S.P. (2000). Item Response Theory for Psychologists. Mahwah Hew Jersey Lawrence Erbaum Associates Publishers.
Emanovwe, A. (2009). The Impact of Gender, Socio-Economic Status and School Location on Students’ Academic Achievement in Basic Technology .Unpublished M.Ed. Project, Delta State University, Abraka.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National policy on Education. Lagos. NERDC press.
Ferder, R.M., Mohr, P.H. & Dietz, E. J (1994). A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. 11 Differences between Students from Rural and Urban Backgrounds. Journal of Engineering Education, 83 (3).
George, A. & Goethais, V. (2001). Peers Effects, Gender and Intellectual Performance among Students at a Highly Selective College. Comparison of Ability in Analysis: Research in Higher Education. 26, 427-446.
Gieris, M.J. (1999). Test bias, Sage Publications, Inc., California.
Goux, D. & Maurin, E. (2008). Public School Availability for Two Years old and Mothers’ Labour Supply. American Economic Association. 104(1) 252- 276
Greenward, A.G. (2009). The Brief Implicit Applications and Data Analysis Methods (2nded) Thousand Oaks, CA. Saga Publication.
Hambleton, R. K., Swaminathan, H., & Rogers, J. H. (1995). Fundamentals of Item response theory. Newbury park, CA. Sage
Ija, C.N. (2009). Towards promoting gender equality and women Empowerment for sustainable development in River state. Journal Of International Gender studies,4,225-235
Jorgensen, A.R. (2005). Cumulative Deficit in Compensatory Education. Journal of Psychology, 4, 37-47.
Joshua, M.T. (2005). Test/item Bias in Psychological Testing: Evidence on Nigeria System. A Paper Presented at the Annual Conference of Nigerian Association of Educational Psychologists held at Ahmadu University Zaria from 24th – 28th.
Kolcic, I. (2006). Academic Performance and Scientific Involvement of Final Year Medical Students Coming From Urban And Rural Background of Andjija Stamper School of Public Health, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia http://rrh.Deakia.rdu.au/
Lord, F.M. (2003). Application of Item Response Theory to Practical Testing Problems. Hilldale, New Jersey: Erbaum Press.
Lee, J. & Melritire, W. (2001). Interstate Variation in the Mathematics Achievement of Rural and Non-Rural Students. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 16(3).
Malouff, J.M. (2008). Bias in Grading. College Teaching, 58(3), 191-192.
Mercer, J.R. (1979). In Defence of Racially and Culturally Non-Discriminatory Assessment. School Psychology Digest, 8, 89-115.
Odili, J.N. (2003). Effect of language manipulation on differential item functioning of test items in Biology multiple choice test. An unpublished Ph.D thesis. University of Nigeria Nsukka.
Odili, J.N. (2010). Effect of language manipulation on differential item functioning of test items in Biology in a multicultural setting. Journal of Educational assessment in Africa, 4,268-286
Ogbebor, U.C. (2012). Differential item Functionary Economics Question Paper of National Examination Council in Delta State Nigeria. Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis. University of Ibadan.
Owoeye, J.S. (2000). The Effect of Integration of Location Facilities and Class Size on Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Ekiti State, Nigeria Ph.D. Thesis, Unpublished. University of Ibadan.
Pahike, E., Hyde, J.S & Allison, C.M. (2014). The Effect of Single Sex Compared with Coeducational Schooling On Students’ Performance and Attitudes: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulleting. 140 (4), 1042.
Park, J.H., Barhem, R.J. & Choi, J. (2012). Causal Effect of Single-Sex School on College Entrance Exams and College Attendance: Random Assignment in Seoul High Schools. PSC Working Paper Servers.
Perrone, M. (2006). Differential Item Functioning and Test Bias: Critical Consideration in Test Fairness. Applied linguistics,
Rauschemberg, S.W. (2012). Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Analysis Methods (2nd .ed) Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publication.
Regner, I., Huguet, P., & Monteil, J.M. (2002). Effects of Socio Economic Status (SES) Information on Cognitive Ability Inferences: When Low SES Students Make Use of a Self-Threatening Stereotype. Social psychology of Education, 5, 259-269.
Rudner, L. A. (2001). Item response theory. http://echo.edres.org.8080/irt/baker/chapter/.pdf.
Schemo, D.J. (2006). Most Students in Big Cities Lag Badly in Basic Science. New York Times, November 16 2006, Section A, 22.
Skiba, R.J., Knesting, K. & Bush, L.D. (2002). Culturally Competent Assessment: More than Nonbiased Tests. Journal of Child and Family, 11, 61-78.
Swaminathan, H; & Rogers, H.J. (1990). Detecting differential item Functioning using logistic regression procedures. Journal of Educational measurement,27,311-370
Teresi, J. (2004). Differential item functioning and health assessment. Colombia University Stroud centre and faculty of medicine, New York State psychiatric institute, research division, Hebrew home for The aged at Riverdale
Trembley, S., Ross, N. A. & Berthelot, J.M. (2001). Individual and Community Factors Affecting Grade Three Academic Performance, a Multi-Level Analysis. Education Quarterly Review, 7(4), 25-36.
Umoinyang, I.E. (2011). Method of detecting item functioning (DIF) as a Consistent error in achievement test. Journal of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (JSTAN). Stanonline.org/imo2011.pdf
University of Pennsylvania (2012). University Archives and Research Centre. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved November 25 2016.
U.S. Department of Education (2005). Single Sex versus Co-Educational Schooling: A System Review Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
Van de Vijiver, F. & Tanzer N.K. (2004). Towards and Integrated Analysis of Bias in Cross-Cultural Assessment. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 13, 29-37.
Webster’s collegiate Dictionary (2000). An American Dictionary of English Language, 2nd Edition. Springfield Massachusetts.
Zumbo, B. D. (1999). A handbook on the theory and methods of modelling as a unitary framework for binary and likert (ordinal) item scores. Ottawa, Canada. Directorate of human resources research and Evaluation department on national defence. Retrieved from: http://www.educ.uba.ca/faculty/zumbo/DIF/index,html
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.1783
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2018 Patrick U. Osadebe, Bright Agbure
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
