Using Rasch analysis to examine raters’ expertise Turkish teacher candidates’ competency levels in writing different types of test items

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine Turkish teacher candidates’ competency levels in writing different types of test items by utilizing Rasch analysis. In addition, the effect of the expertise of the raters scoring the items written by the teacher candidates was examined within the scope of the study. 84 Turkish teacher candidates participated in the present study, which was conducted using the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. Three experts participated in the rating process: an expert in Turkish education, an expert in measurement and evaluation, and an expert in both Turkish education and measurement and evaluation. The teacher candidates wrote true-false, short response, multiple choice and open-ended types of items in accordance with the Test Item Development Form, and the raters scored each item type by designating a score between 1 and 5 based on the item evaluation scoring rubric prepared for each item type. The study revealed that Turkish teacher candidates had the highest level of competency in writing true-false items, while they had the lowest competency in writing multiple-choice items. Moreover, it was revealed that raters’ expertise had an effect on teacher candidates’ competencies in writing different types of items. Finally, it was found that the rater who was an expert in both Turkish education and measurement and evaluation had the highest level of scoring reliability, while the rater who solely had expertise in measurement and evaluation had the relatively lowest level of scoring reliability.