Research Seminar
Contextualized and non-contextualized mathematics items in large-scale assessments: An investigation of response patterns by means of mixture IRT modelsDaniël Van NijlenKU Leuven | |
| Abstract: | Nowadays, in mathematics education a significant emphasis is put on the use of realistic contexts, both in instruction and testing. Contextualized assignments and test items are thought to be more motivating and are assumed to facilitate transfer of what is learnt to real-life situations (Freudenthal, 1973). However, contextualized items may also introduce some difficulties (e.g., Boaler, 1993): Contexts need to be translated into a mathematical problem and the solution needs to be re-translated into the original context. Contextualized items may put a greater demand on the language skills of the students and, as a consequence, may pose bigger problems for those who are not so fluent in the test language. An extra factor that may introduce construct-irrelevant variance in the context of (low-stakes) large-scale assessments is test motivation (Wise & DeMars, 2005). Because the test bears little or no consequences for the students, not all of them may make all the effort to do a good job at the test. As it is assumed that contextualized items are more motivating, it is also interesting to investigate whether there is any evidence that these items are less prone to low examinee effort. |
| Date: | Tue Feb 9, 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm |
| Place: | room 02.51 (Department of Psychology, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven) |