A mixed-methods approach to evaluating student nurses changing answers on multiple choice exams

Abstract

Using a mixed methods approach, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and patterns of nursing student's changing answers on multiple choice exams. The sample of 86 students enrolled in an undergraduate nursing program were surveyed after their first exam of the semester. Exam response forms were examined for erasure marks to determine the answer changes on the exam grade; additionally, the relationship between self-reported school performance and frequency of changing answers, and self-reported anxiety and frequency of changing answers was examined. A qualitative exploration of two open-ended items included examining student perceptions about changing answers on unit exams. Five themes emerged from the qualitative exploration of how students felt about changing test answers: Educated gamble, confidence, anxiety learned, gut instinct and ambivalence. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the reasons students changed answers: Uncertainty, light bulb effect, and testing errors. The study's quantitative results indicated that although the student indicated anxiety regarding changing answers, a majority did so anyway. Moreover contrary to students' negative feelings regarding answer changing, most answer changing resulted in a modest improvement in their grade.

Changing Answers in Multiple-Choice Exam Questions: Patterns of TOP-Tier Versus BOTTOM-Tier Students in Podiatric Medical School

“… 10 , 11 , 22 , 23 Students who may have made a careless mistake or who remembered exam content as the exam progressed are also more likely to benefit from changing their answers. 10 , 17 , 24 …”

“…One possible explanation for the observed trend is that low performing students who have less understanding of the material have less confidence in their answer choices. Cox-Davenport et al 17 observed that students who had partial understanding of the material felt uncertain about their initial response and often narrowed down potential answers without feeling confident in their chosen answer choice. If a student does not fully understand the subject material and does not have confidence in his/her answers, they are more likely to change answers more frequently due to feeling anxious about his/her answer choices.…”

“… 16 Students that may have been misled to believe that staying with the initial answer is more beneficial, often state that test anxiety and previous test experience influence their hesitation to change answers. 5 , 6 , 17 Students often feel a lack of confidence and have the general feeling of always changing the right answer to a wrong answer (CI) based on previous experiences. 9 , 18 , 19 All these studies also point to a critical element in assessment and higher education: not all students are the same, and not all solutions will be equally effective for diverse populations.…”

Investigation of Three-Tier Diagnostic and Multiple Choice Tests on Chemistry Concepts with Response Change Behaviour

“…There is a common belief that the first response to the test items is correct in the test and the second choice is incorrect if the response is changed later. Although test participants have worries about changing responses, they persistently change their responses (Cox-Davenport, Haynes, & Lawson, 2014). Therefore, the effect of RCB on test scores has always been a matter of interest.…”

“…When the deleted markings or choices in the open-ended, true-false and MCTs made with paper and pencil items were examined, it was found that there was a general increase in the test scores of test participants (Al-Hamly & Coombe, 2003;Baştürk, 2011;Beck, 1978;Cox-Davenport, Haynes, & Lawson, 2014;Kim, 2019;Lynch & Smith, 1972). Only Noorbala and Mohammadi (2011) explained that RCB had a negative effect on test scores in a study conducted with medical students.…”