The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a comparative assessment of the achievement of students in many countries. In the present study, a rigorous independent evaluation was conducted of a representative sample of TIMSS science test items because item quality influences the validity of the scores used to inform…

In the study of science topics especially in physics students are expected to move between different modes of representation when dealing with a particular concept as any science concept can be represented in several different modes. The difficulty for students is that they are often unable to move between these multi-modal representations and…

Reports the results of a comparative evaluation of Harvard Project Physics (HPP) and non-HPP student performance, and demonstrates the ability of a new test construction paradigm to generate valuable feedback for curriculum developers, teachers, and students. (JR)

Presents rationale and methods of using a hierarchical analysis to validate the use of randomized multiple choice test items. Concludes that solving randomized multiple choice problems require the same or similar cognitive processes or problem solving skills as a free response form. (DS)

Presents a diagnostic test for measuring college biology students' understanding of diffusion. Three general steps were used: (1) defining the content boundaries; (2) collecting information on students' misconceptions; and (3) instrument development. The split half reliability was 0.74, difficulty indices ranged from 0.23 to 0.95, and the…