A FEASIBLE GUIDANCE FOR ORDERED MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS IN STUDENTS’ HIERARCHICAL UNDERSTANDING LEVELS

Abstract

This research focuses on students’ 5 hierarchical levels of Ordered Multiple-Choice (OMC) items for their extensive conceptualized understanding in the particulate nature of matter (PNM) chemistry. The basic framework for OMC items is to link students’ conceptual understanding levels with possible cognitive responses. Developed as the substantial learning perspective, OMC item approaches benefit students with dominant formulations in directing a new impetus on individual mental constructions. This research attempts to establish the validity and reliability through assessing students’ understanding levels. The main methodology of innovative OMC design manifests students’ verified responsive accumulations; with 5 hierarchical mental conceptualizations from naive understanding up to complete systemic PNM understanding. OMC findings offer students more choices to determine the most appropriate corresponding answer towards different conceptualization levels and to set their individual responses at the medium understanding levels. All contribution of this research gives students’ future perspectives in more collaborative engagements with further administering OMC items.