Item Discrimination and Distractor Analysis: A Technical Report on Thirty Multiple Choice Core Mathematics Achievement Test Items

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VI, Issue IX, September 2019 | ISSN 2321–2705

Item Discrimination and Distractor Analysis: A Technical Report on Thirty Multiple Choice Core Mathematics Achievement Test Items

Daniel Asamoah^*1, Moses K. K. Ocansey²

Department of Education and Psychology, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Abstract:- The report focused on providing a detailed analysis with respect to item discrimination and distractor analysis of a thirty core mathematics achievement test.The test measured senior high school students’ achievement in core mathematics on some specific areas they were taught. After the discrimination and distractor analysis, it was found that 27 out of the 30 items discriminated positively, 2 discriminated negatively and 1 had a zero discrimination. The distractor analysis of all the options of the 30 items were also computed and discussed.

Keywords: Item discrimination, distractor analysis, item analysis

I. INTRODUCTION

The test (see appendix A) was conducted at a senior high school in the Northern Region of Ghana. The purpose of the test was to measure senior high school students’ achievement in core mathematics after they have been taught successfully in the following areas; linear equations, linear inequalities, simultaneous equations, percentages, vectors and indices. Thirty items on the areas listed above were crafted by their teachers and in each of the items, four options were provided for the students to choose the best option as an answer. The test was administered and scored by the assessors (teachers), following strictly the scoring rubric prepared.
According to Mehrens and Lehmann (as cited in Amedahe & Asamoah-Gyimah 2016), item analysis refers to the process of examining students’ responses to each item to judge the quality of the items. Crocker and Algina (1986) point that distractor analysis can be a tedious task which demands high level of professionalism and expertise and that, as part of item analysis, emphasis are always placed on item difficulty to the neglect of item discrimination and distractor analysis due to their (item discrimination and distractor analysis) nature (Crocker & Algina, 1986). In particular, distractor analysis is an extension of item analysis using techniques that are similar to item difficulty and item discrimination.

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