ESTIMATION OF PSYCHOMETRIC QUALITIES OF WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATION COUNCIL CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
This study estimated the psychometric qualities of WAEC Christian religious studies multiple choice questions. Descriptive Research Design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 1500 students participated in the study. This was obtained through a multistage sampling procedure. Christian Religious Studies Multiple Choice Questions (CRSMCQ) was the instrument used for data collection. The internal consistency reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined to be 0.75 using the Kuder-Richardson formula (K-K20). The data collected was analyzed using the Normal Ogive Harmonic Analysis Robust Method (NOHARM) and Root Mean Square Reduction (RMSR). Findings revealed that the 2020 multiple choice items of the West African Senior School Christian Religious Studies Examination have 10 items that moderately measure the students' abilities, 26 items were too easy, and 14 items were difficult for the students. The findings also revealed that all the items with the exemption of items 10, 11, 18, 20, 23, 27, 28, 33, and 41 have the ability to differentiate between the higher-ability students and the lower-ability students, and they have good difficulty abilities.
Keywords: Asymptotic index, estimation, IRT, psychometric assessment, students’ ability estimate, multiple-choice items
Clifford O. Ugorji
ESTIMATION OF PSYCHOMETRIC QUALITIES OF WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATION COUNCIL CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
This study estimated the psychometric qualities of WAEC Christian religious studies multiple choice questions. Descriptive Research Design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 1500 students participated in the study. This was obtained through a multistage sampling procedure. Christian Religious Studies Multiple Choice Questions (CRSMCQ) was the instrument used for data collection. The internal consistency reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined to be 0.75 using the Kuder-Richardson formula (K-K20). The data collected was analyzed using the Normal Ogive Harmonic Analysis Robust Method (NOHARM) and Root Mean Square Reduction (RMSR). Findings revealed that the 2020 multiple choice items of the West African Senior School Christian Religious Studies Examination have 10 items that moderately measure the students' abilities, 26 items were too easy, and 14 items were difficult for the students. The findings also revealed that all the items with the exemption of items 10, 11, 18, 20, 23, 27, 28, 33, and 41 have the ability to differentiate between the higher-ability students and the lower-ability students, and they have good difficulty abilities. Keywords: Asymptotic index, estimation, IRT, psychometric assessment, students’ ability estimate, multiple-choice items