INVESTIGATING LOCAL ITEM INDEPENDENCE IN CIVIC EDUCATION MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS OF JOINT MOCK EXAMINATION

Abstract

In preparation for external examinations, Senior Secondary School II students write joint mock examinations in core subjects including civic education. The study examined into the authenticity of civic education test multiple-choice items. A post-hoc research design was used. The population included all public school senior secondary I, II, and III students, whereas the target population included 2020/21 SSS II students. The Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development created a 50-item multiple-choice item for the research. At different stages of selection, stratified, proportionate, and simple random sampling techniques were used. Using tetrachoric correlation statistics, one research question was posed and answered. Based on the thumb rule of 0.3, 41 of 50 items favoured local item independence. Local item dependency should be taught as part of psychometric properties in undergraduate and postgraduate progra