Nuri Doğan

The comparison of differential item functioning predicted through experts and statistical techniques

Validity is one of the psychometric properties of the achievement tests. To determine the validity, one of the examination is item bias studies, which are based on differential item functioning (DIF) analyses and field experts’ opinion. In this study, field experts were asked to estimate the DIF levels of the items to compare the estimations obtained from different statistical techniques. First, the experts were asked to examine the questions and make the DIF level estimations according to the gender variable for the DIF estimation; the agreement of the experts was examined. Second, DIF levels were calculated by using the logistic regression and Mantel–Haenszel test. Third, the experts’ estimations and the statistical analyses results were compared. As a conclusion, it was observed that the experts and the statistical techniques were in agreement among themselves, and they were partially different from each other for the Sciences and equal for the Social Sciences tests.

A Research on the Classification Validity of the Decisions Made According to Norm and Criterion-referenced Assessment Approaches*

Abstract In this study, the criterion-referenced assessment and norm-referenced assessment applications were examined comparatively to see whether the decisions made about the students led to any differences in their classification validity, and the results obtained were analyzed. For this purpose, the evaluation results belonging to the students were transferred into the passed/failed decisions in accordance with the rules in criterion and normreferenced assessment systems, and the obtained findings were analyzed with the discriminant analysis. The study was conducted with 1007 students from six universities who attended courses in the 2011-2012 academic year, and who had previously taken education (pedagogical formation) courses. At the end of the study, the classification validity of the decisions made about the students with the criterion-referenced assessment approach was seen to be higher. Thus, it can be said that making classification decisions about students using the criterion-referenced assessment approach can give more accurate results than the decisions made according to norm-referenced assessment approach.

Öğrenme Stratejilerini Tekrar Amacıyla Kullanmanın Akademik Başarıya Etkisi

The aim of this study is to determine whether there are differences between groups that summarize, using concept-map, prepare questions, telling to another person and do not use any learning strategies in regard to the effects of learning strategies used for rehearsal on the Academic Success of students. In this study, pretest, posttest controlled grouped experimental design was used. The study was performed on 135 grade 5 students and five teachers at Ankara Tevfik Fikret Primary School in 2010-2011 academic year. The data was collected from a multiple-choice test including 20 questions at the beginning and end of the experimental study. As a result, a significant difference was found between the pretest and posttest marks of experimental groups and control groups. In comparison of pre-test and post-test results of experimental group and control group, the increase in the marks of experimental group was statistically significant as compared to increase in the marks of control group. Furthermore, the highest increase was observed in the group that summarized and using concept-map.