Detecting Differential Item Functioning of Grade 9 Science Literacy Test
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Abstract
The aims of this research were 1) to construct and develop a science literacy test for grade 9, and 2) to analyze the differential item functioning (DIF) of the test by using Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) of the science literacy test through Mplus Program, classified by the gender. The sample consisted of 689 grade 9 students in the academic year 2018 from schools in Chaiyaphum Province, obtained through multistage random sampling. The research instrument was a science literacy test with 54 items dealing with 3 parts of knowledge content: physical systems, in 18 items, living systems, in 18 items, and Earth and space systems, in 18 items. The research findings showed that:
1. The creation and finding the quality of the 54-item science literacy test revealed the consistency index ranging from 0.60 to 1. When the quality of the test items was considered, 45 items passed the selection criteria.
1.1 The quality of the science literacy test according to the Classical Test Theory (CTT) was found to be as follows: the difficulty (p) ranged from 0.22 to 0.79; the discrimination (r) ranged from 0.21 to 0.77 and the total reliability was 0.92.
1.2 The quality of the science literacy test, according to the Item Response Theory (IRT) by using a two-parameter logistic model (Two-Parameter Model) was found to be as follows: the difficulty of the test (b-parameter) ranged from -0.537 to 4.000 and the discrimination of the test (a-parameter) ranged from 0.313 to 1.382.
2. The analysis of the differential item functioning (DIF) of the test by using Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) of the science literacy test through Mplus Program, classified by the gender, revealed that males had a higher possibility of answering correctly than females in 18 items, and females had a higher possibility of answering correctly than males in 7 items.
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