DEVELOPMENT OF ITEM SPECIFICATIONS OF A TEST INTEGRATING INDICATORS OF READING, ANALYTICAL THINKING, AND WRITING ABILITIES WITH INDICATORS OF CONTENT SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL ITEM RESPONSE THEORY
Abstract:
The purpose of this research were 1) to develop, verify the quality and try out the item specifications of a test integrating indicators of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities with indicators of content subject for ninth grade students and 2) to develop and verify the quality a tests that make from test item specifications by an application of multidimensional item response theory. This study had the same process for both science and mathematics strands. There were three sequential phases of study; i.e., 1) Development of test item specifications, 2) Development of tests, and 3) Implementation of test item specifications. The samples consisted of 697 grade ten students in science strand and 673 grade ten students in mathematics strand, using a multi-stage random sampling. The research instruments were interview form, questionnaire, evaluation form, the test item specifications, and ability tests that were mixed format and multidimensional within-item tests. Data were analyzed by using SPSS, LISREL and ConQuest. The research findings were as follows: 1. Development of item specifications of a test integrating indicators of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities with indicators of content subject that test item specification consisted of Objective of test, Indicators of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities, Test development guidelines, Table of specification, Test format, Item specification, Sample items, Scoring criteria, and Grading criteria. In addition, Integrating indicators of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities with indicators of content subject for ninth grade students consisted of eight indicators for science strand and eleven indicators for mathematics strand. 2. The quality evaluation results of Item specifications of a test integrating indicators of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities with indicators of content subject for ninth grade students, science and mathematics strands, were in high level (M=4.41, 4.22; SD=0.37, 0.62 respectively) 3. The tests of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities for ninth grade students are mixed-format tests containing both multiple-choice items and constructed response items, and multidimensional within-item tests 4. The quality of the tests of reading, analytical thinking, and writing abilities for ninth grade students, science and mathematics strands, consisted of content validity, construct validity (Chi-square=997.660, df=5, p