STANDARD SETTING FOR ACHIEVEMENT TESTING IN NIGERIA: PRACTICABLE AND AFFORDABLE METHODS
Formal standard setting methods involving judges in decision making are usually costly and not practicable in small scale testing programs. Formal standard setting methods however seem not to be given much research attention in testing programs in Nigeria. This study was on standard setting for a constructed Physics Achievement Test using the conventional Fixed 50% Pass Mark, Borderline Group Method, an Angoff/Borderline Compromise Method, and the Cohen60 method in Oyo state, Nigeria. The survey research, had a sample of 419 Senior Secondary Two (SS2) students, with their Physics teachers purposively sampled from 10 public secondary schools in three local government areas in Oyo state. Five research questions were answered in the study. Four instruments were constructed and used to collect data. The Physics Achievement Test had reliability (KR 20 = 0.85). The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Item Difficulty, and one way ANOVA. Key findings revealed that The Borderline Group Method, Angoff/Borderline Compromise method, and Cohen60 method yielded comparable cut scores; The Fixed (50%) Pass Mark Method was not sensitive to test difficulty, and not credible; The Cohen60 method was considered as the best performing method; The Borderline Group Method and the Angoff/borderline Compromise method produced comparable pass rates; And the Fixed (50%) Pass Mark Method yielded unacceptable pass rates. It was recommended that the Fixed (50% Pass Mark Method being used in school and colleges examinations should be replaced with the Cohen60 method, Borderline Group Method or the Angoff/Borderline Compromise method, as a particular test situation demands.
I. A. Antia and J. G. Adewale (2016)
STANDARD SETTING FOR ACHIEVEMENT TESTING IN NIGERIA: PRACTICABLE AND AFFORDABLE METHODS
Formal standard setting methods involving judges in decision making are usually costly and not practicable in small scale testing programs. Formal standard setting methods however seem not to be given much research attention in testing programs in Nigeria. This study was on standard setting for a constructed Physics Achievement Test using the conventional Fixed 50% Pass Mark, Borderline Group Method, an Angoff/Borderline Compromise Method, and the Cohen60 method in Oyo state, Nigeria. The survey research, had a sample of 419 Senior Secondary Two (SS2) students, with their Physics teachers purposively sampled from 10 public secondary schools in three local government areas in Oyo state. Five research questions were answered in the study. Four instruments were constructed and used to collect data. The Physics Achievement Test had reliability (KR 20 = 0.85). The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Item Difficulty, and one way ANOVA. Key findings revealed that The Borderline Group Method, Angoff/Borderline Compromise method, and Cohen60 method yielded comparable cut scores; The Fixed (50%) Pass Mark Method was not sensitive to test difficulty, and not credible; The Cohen60 method was considered as the best performing method; The Borderline Group Method and the Angoff/borderline Compromise method produced comparable pass rates; And the Fixed (50%) Pass Mark Method yielded unacceptable pass rates. It was recommended that the Fixed (50% Pass Mark Method being used in school and colleges examinations should be replaced with the Cohen60 method, Borderline Group Method or the Angoff/Borderline Compromise method, as a particular test situation demands.