Some pre-instructional misconceptions held by children can persist through scientific instruction and resist changes. Identifying these misconceptions would be beneficial for science instruction. In this preliminary study, scores on a 60-item true-false test of knowledge and misconceptions about earthquakes were compared with previous interview…

Standardized tests of writing ability have individual and shared limitations and deficiencies that should be acknowledged by test designers and users. Most institutions use the portions of standardized tests that test ability to proofread and edit, but they do not use the optional essay sections that actually require students to write. To assure…

About 9,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12 participated in three writing excersises: (1) directed--short passage in response to a specific request; (2) global--extended narrative or exposition on a broad topic; and (3) proofreading and editing. The exercises reflected writing tasks required of the average adult as a citizen worker or creative…

Two basic problems are confronted in this research: (1) What is sex role differentiation?, and (2) How does one go about measuring it? Both questions revolve around construct validity and the adequacy of sex role measures. Most investigators have used dependent "objective-verbal" tests to measure sex role differentiation. These either involve…

The reliability, content validity, and construct validity were compared for two test formats in a public examination used to assess a secondary school geography course. The 11-item geography portion of the Intermediate Certificate Examination (essay examination) was administered in June 1987 to 400 secondary school students in Ireland who also…

Examines the increase in popularity of objective testing in the United Kingdom and addresses some of the accompanying academic issues. Reports on a case study of test production and implementation to illustrate issues of time costs and benefits. Discusses question styles, marking schemes, and the problem of guesswork. (MJP)

The composite of Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) subtests used to select applicants for entry-level training in Army clerical schools was evaluated by correlating composite scores with training performance scores. Comparisons were made between the multiple R for this optimal set of predictors and that for the composite of…

In a discussion of the value of standardized tests and their implications for effective teaching, the author contends that such tests are useful in keeping those concerned with the learning process focused on the main target. In addition, standardized tests serve to (1) reveal variations in the effectiveness of different instructional procedures…

Tests are inevitably designed to measure students and therefore will affect both teaching techniques and the student's concept of what is important in learning. Standardized, objective high school English tests, which neglect the individual's needs or accomplishments, limit classroom freedom and the natural course of the curriculum. An integral…

The development and validation of a test of listening comprehension for English as a second language at the Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement (Cito) is described. The test uses two distinct item formats: true-false items and modified cloze items with two options. Both item formats were found to measure foreign language listening…

To establish an objective measure of English skills for graduation candidates and to determine whether objective and subjective measures of English skills produce different results, 101 volunteers completed a writing sample and the Reading and Written English Expression tests of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program (CGP). Scores obtained…

Following a practical approach, this book focuses on educational assessment as it is practiced today, in the actual world of classrooms, school systems, state departments, and national organizations. It first covers the basic concepts applicable to all types of assessment: statistical concepts, reliability, validity, and interpretive frameworks.…