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number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 2,322
Vietnam’s 2018 general education curriculum has been developed according to the competency approach. As a result, the instruction and assessment systems need to be adapted to align with the requirements of the new curriculum. Experience from other countries shows that one effective solution is applying psychometric theories in different assessment programs. In this paper, the educational assessment system in Vietnam will be introduced along with the history of psychometric theories, especially Rasch measurement, in Vietnam. After rehearsing some illustrated studies using psychometric theories as well as identifying some challenges of this field in the context of curriculum innovation, a proposal for developing instruments using psychometric theories will be discussed in relation to the requirements of assessment in the new general education curriculum in Vietnam.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 659
Conducting assessment is well-known for posing serious challenges to teachers, particularly with the pluralism in assessment approaches. In Vietnam, English language teachers recently are required to master specified pedagogical competencies, including assessment of students’ newly defined language competence, and the national English curriculum has been continuously updated, while most teachers are not prepared for conducting classroom assessment in a competence-based approach. Local English teacher training universities have responded to this need by implementing language assessment courses. The conceptualization of pre-service teachers’ assessment competence and the effects of these courses, however, remains fairly unknown. This study examines the construct of preservice teachers’ assessment competence and the results of one introductory language assessment course at a leading language teacher education institution in Vietnam, focusing on measuring the competence of teachers-to-be in language assessment. Both Rasch analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the functioning of the items in a localized construct of assessment literacy for preservice English teachers and these teachers’ self-assessment results, which revealed that a) many practical components of the construct of language assessment competence can function well, but some requirements need to be adapted and instructed with more attention for students in the future courses, and b) while many student teachers could sufficiently perform the required language assessment tasks and were fundamentally ready for the job, others faced serious difficulties in applying the more abstract principles. The findings shed light on the necessary adjustments to be made in defining assessment literacy for the target teachers and offer suggestions for the future professional development of both these teachers and in-service ones.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 602
In many studies in Malaysia, several issues in providing evidence toward construct validity have been observed. In most problem cases, studies only provided face validity, factor analysis and reliability index yet claimed their instruments have sufficient construct validity. Another issue was a mix-up on assessment-type and perception-type items. Finally, insufficient sampling and targeting during pilot fail to provide empirical evidence on content validity. This paper presents the construct validity requirements according to Messick’s construct validity framework and proposes several methods to deal with the above issues.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 548
Prior research has demonstrated that different noncognitive factors influence students’ science literacy. The present research investigates the relationships among students’ perceptions of their science teachers, their non-cognitive outcomes (epistemological beliefs, science interests and usefulness of science) and the influence of these factors on students’ science literacy. The data includes 5,826 15-year-old students (52.2% male and 47.8% female) who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2015. The research revealed a meaningful pattern of complex relationships among non-cognitive factors and their influence on students’ science literacy, enhancing and clarifying previous research findings with both theoretical and practical significance. The results of confirmatory factor analysis show that all items in each non-cognitive outcome had reasonable factor loading, and the model had good fit indices [RMSEA = 0.037; CFI = 0.931: TLI = 0.923; SRMR = 0.032]. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) show good fits, suggesting that students’ science interests directly influence their science literacy. Furthermore, students’ perceptions of their science teachers, epistemological beliefs and usefulness of science indirectly influence science literacy through their science interests. Evidence from PISA Vietnam 2015 data also shows the insignificant path of the usefulness of science to science literacy.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 675
A growing number of studies utilising the Rasch model have been published, spanning various disciplines. This paper delves into five key domains where Rasch measurement is applied, namely: developing new instruments, creating short-form instruments, developing vertical scales, combining Rasch analysis and path analysis, and applications to classroom testing. Within each area, this paper presents research studies as illustrations of how Rasch measurement can effectively address measurement issues and advance practices. These studies provide concrete examples for reflection, highlighting typical procedures and potential pitfalls to avoid when employing the Rasch model for different purposes in diverse contexts.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 679
This study aimed to calibrate items aiming at measuring English reading comprehension ability in students who learn English as a second language. A total of 571 multiple-choice items were administered to 466 participants from 14 schools via a computer-adaptive test. These participants were mainly secondary school students. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model for dichotomous items. Results indicated that the instrument was sufficiently unidimensional and was quite well targeted at the students. It was able to measure the English abilities of secondary school L2 students. Item measures were also compared to the expert’s levelling of item difficulty levels. Based on the Pearson Correlation coefficient of 0.77, the items demonstrate a moderate shared variance, indicating a reasonably positive correlation with the expert’s levelling.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 600
This paper contrasts accountability focussed Rasch based assessment systems with those that are aimed at supporting student learning, by drawing at distinctions between assessment of learning and assessment for learning. It includes a modest proposal for implementing a Rasch based assessment system in developing countries. After highlighting problems with current educational testing regimes, it describes two exemplary assessment systems which provide good models for developing testing in developing countries. In particular, it canvasses specific recommendations which move away from testing of learning to testing for learning. "If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this. The most important single factor affecting learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly" (Ausubel, 1968).
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 578
It is important for teachers to be experts in the content that they teach, and it will be helpful for professional development programmes to design suitable and fair assessments for teachers. The purpose of this study was to use Rasch analysis to improve the functioning of the items in an instrument designed to assess the trigonometry knowledge of mathematics teachers. The participants in the study were 168 high school mathematics teachers who were enrolled in an in-service programme. Fourteen items were rescored to resolve the disordered thresholds that they exhibited. The rescoring resulted in an improved fit of the instrument. Furthermore, this cohort of teachers struggled with higher-level trigonometry questions, especially those which required shifts between different registers of representations. It suggests that the Department of Education needs to provide support to teachers by offering workshops which focus on building up their knowledge in trigonometry by also developing their representational fluency in trigonometry.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 817
This study examined the state of multicultural teaching and teachers’ perception of their preparedness for it in secondary schools in Benin City, Nigeria. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The one hundred and twenty-nine (129) English Language teachers in Benin City constituted the population of the study. A sample of 98 English Language teachers selected through multi-stage sampling participated in the study. Data for the study were obtained using the ‘Questionnaire on English Language Teachers’ Awareness and Perception of Integrating Cultural Contents in ELT’ (r = .78). Data collected were analysed using Mean, Standard Deviation, t-test and ANOVA. Results revealed that teachers integrated culture in ELT. Additionally, although teachers felt adequately prepared to integrate culture in ELT, they indicated a need for further training in multicultural education. Teachers were not found to significantly differ in terms of their perceptions of preparedness for multicultural teaching based on sex and qualification. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teacher education programs be reviewed to accommodate multicultural education in ELT while in-service training should be provided for employed teachers.
number: /2023
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 896
The advancement of technology and the increasing demand to enhance students’ mathematics achievement necessitates an innovative learning approach. One such approach is flipped learning, which enables students to actively participate in the learning process and work independently with the assistance of technology. The study assessed how the flipped classroom learning model enhances students’ mathematical comprehension. The flipped classroom approach involves students engaging with pre-class video assignments and learning materials, followed by in-class discussions to reinforce the acquired knowledge. This research employed a mixed method with a sequential explanatory approach. The target population was Year 11 students enrolled in a senior high school in Simpang Kanan, Aceh Singkil, Indonesia. A sample size of 22 students was selected for the study. Data collection encompassed administering pre-test and post-test assessments, using a mathematical understanding test as the research instrument, and interviews. The data analysis involved the application of paired t-tests and N-Gain tests. The research findings demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in students’ mathematical comprehension following implementing the flipped classroom model (p<0.005). The average N-gain value was calculated to be 0.45, indicating a moderate gain in understanding. This study suggests that the flipped classroom could be an alternative method to enhance students’ mathematics learning.