Abstract
The study investigated the impact of item position in multiple-choice test on student performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level in Ghana. The sample consisted of 810 Junior Secondary School (JSS) Form 3 students selected from 12 different schools. A quasi-experimental design was used. The instrument for the project was a multiple-choice test consisting of 40 items in each of English Language, Mathematics and Science. The items were arranged using the difficulty order to obtain the three treatments i.e. Random (RDM), Easy-to-Hard (ETH) and Hard-to-Easy (HTE). The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA at .05 level of significance. The results of the analysis indicate that for English Language, Mathematics and Science at the BECE level, when item order was altered, the difference in performance was statistically significant. The study led to the conclusion that the proposition of using re-ordering of items of an objective test to curb examination malpractice may not be the best after all especially in English Language, Mathematics and Science at the BECE level. It was therefore recommended that other methods should be investigated for the purpose.
Highlights
Tests play an important role in determining achievement and certifying attainment
The study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) What would be the effect of a change in item order on candidates’ performance in English Language at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level? (2) What would be the effect of a change in item order on candidates’ performance in Mathematics at the BECE level? (3) What would be the effect of a change in item order on candidates’ performance in Science at the BECE level?
What would be the effect of a change in item order on candidate’s performance in English Language at the BECE level?
Summary
Tests play an important role in determining achievement and certifying attainment. Tests are used in providing incentives and goals for students, and providing information for decision-making. In matters of selection for higher education and placement into jobs, tests have been a good choice since they are devoid of most biases that may be termed systematic and provide equal chances to all candidates. Any intelligence, aptitude or achievement test may reveal limitations in skills and knowledge that an individual would rather not disclose Another limitation put forward by critics is the fact that testing produces rigid grouping practices so far as the test result leads to inflexible classification, in terms of categorization, labelling and grading. Worthen and Spandel [18] argued that classification could be demeaning and insulting and harmful to students who are relentlessly trailed by low test scores. This obviously carries connotations which may cause more harm than any gain that could possibly come from such classifications
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