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APPLICATION OF ITEM RESPONSE THEORY IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND STANDARDIZATION OF CHEMISTRY ACHIEVEMENT TEST FOR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

The study examined the application of item response theory in the development and standardization of chemistry achievement test for senior secondary schools in Bauchi, Bauchi State Nigeria. The study adopted Expost facto research design. The population of the study consisted of 18,389 Senior Secondary students. Clusters sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 377 from Eight Senior Secondary School Students across three educational zones by the application of Kcrejcie and morgan table of determining sample size. Standardised Economic achievement Test (SEAT) was used for data collection. Kendall coefficient of concordance and KR20 were applied for the establishment of validity and reliability index. Index of 0.40-0.63 and 0.3-0.5 were found for difficulty and discrimination respectively for the selection of proficient items. Zscore and T-score were also used to transform raw scores into standard scores. Seven objectives, seven research questions were asked and four hypotheses were formulated. Mean and standard deviation were also used to answer research questions 4-7. t-test was used to test all the formulated hypotheses and all the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 levels of significance.  This was used to confirm that there was a significant difference between the mean achievement of students in rural single sex schools and their coeducational schools in Standardized Chemistry achievement test was in favor of single sex school students. (t = 5.598, p = 0.00 two tailed); there was a significant difference between the mean achievement of students in urban single gender schools and their coeducational schools in Standardized Chemistry achievement test was in favor of single gender school students. (t = 7.998, p = 0.00 two tailed); there was no significant difference between the mean achievement of students of coeducational schools in rural areas and urban schools in Standardized Chemistry achievement test.(t = 2.53, p = 0.800 two tailed);there was  significant difference between the mean achievement of students of single sex schools in rural areas and urban single sex schools in Standardized Chemistry achievement test in favor of urban single gender school students.(t = 2.708, p = 0.007 two tailed). Base on the findings of the study this research recommended among others; Government should give an adequate consideration by creating more single sex schools and single gender classes among the existing coeducational schools in the rural areas. The outcome of the study revealed that, rural single sex schools‟ students achieved higher than the rural coeducation schools‟ students. Government should give an adequate consideration by creating more single sex schools and single gender classes among the existing coeducational schools in the urban areas. The outcome of the study revealed that, urban single sex schools‟ students achieved higher than the urban coeducational schools‟ students. 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the realm of education, the assessment of students' knowledge and understanding plays a pivotal role in gauging their academic progress and identifying areas that require improvement. Traditional methods of assessment often fall short in accurately measuring the depth of students' comprehension and the effectiveness of teaching methodologies. However, with advancements in psychometric theories and statistical models, educators and researchers have sought more sophisticated approaches to construct assessments that provide insightful feedback to both educators and learners. One such method that has gained prominence in recent years is Item Response Theory (IRT).

Item Response Theory, also known as Rasch Measurement Theory or latent trait theory, is a psychometric framework utilized to analyze responses to test items. Unlike classical test theory, which focuses primarily on the overall test score, IRT examines the relationship between individuals' abilities and the characteristics of test items. By doing so, IRT offers several advantages over traditional approaches, including the ability to produce more reliable and precise estimates of individuals' abilities, as well as providing valuable insights into the performance characteristics of test items.

In the context of educational assessment, Item Response Theory has been widely employed in the development and standardization of achievement tests across various subjects, including mathematics, language arts, and science. One subject area where the application of IRT holds significant promise is in the field of chemistry education at the senior secondary level. 

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