Development of Number Sense Test for Eighth-Grade Students: A Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a test for determining the number sense performance of eighth-grade students. This study was conducted with 405 eighth-grade students. The SPSS 17.0 and LISREL 8.8 software were used for data analysis. Data were analyzed by using the item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha reliability tests. As a result of the analyzes, the number sense test was developed, which consists of 38 multiple-choice items and six number sense components and can explain 48.5% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients of the number sense test and its sub-components were found to be between 0.72 and 0.82, and the item-total correlations were between 0.30 and 0.47. The first and second-level confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed that the number sense test consisted of six components and that the established models fit well. As a result of this study, it was determined that the number sense test is a valid and reliable measurement tool in determining the number sense performance of eighth-grade students.