Complexity of Illustrations in PISA-2009 Science Items and Its Relationship to the Performance of Students from Shanghai-China, the United States, and Mexico

Solano‐Flores, Guillermo; Wang, Chao

doi:10.1177/016146811511700103

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…Task difficulty can be reduced by providing visual information (e.g., Gut-Glanzmann, 2012;Prenzel et al, 2002). However, highly complex illustrations (Solano-Flores & Wang, 2015) or decorative pictures (Carney & Levin, 2002) can also increase task difficulty, while the presentation of tables have been shown to reduce difficulty (Stiller et al, 2016).…”

Section: Factors Influencing Difficulty Of Tasks In Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Difficulty-Generating Features of Text-based Physics Tasks

Schwippert,

Zilz,

Hoettecke

2024

Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education

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Influencing the difficulty of performance tasks is of great interest in science education as in several other subjects. In the context of the VAMPS project, difficulty-generating features with respect to the cognitive demand of text-based physics tasks were systematically varied at three levels. Based on preliminary work and two pilot studies presented here briefly, a model was developed by which cognitive requirement was varied according to three features. The viability of this model was empirically tested with a sample of n = 414 secondary school students. The feature cognitive activity proved to be a significant factor influencing the empirically measured difficulty of tasks. With the help of the feature number of information obtained from task stem and number of subject-specific mental procedures, no systematic influence on task difficulty could be shown. The influence of the test persons’ individual prior knowledge on the actual task difficulty is generally assumed to be a confounding factor. Overall, the present study contributes to a better understanding of construct representation in assessments of subject-specific proficiency and empirically confirms that a systematic variation of the task feature cognitive activity on three levels affects task difficulty

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Section: Factors Influencing Difficulty Of Tasks In Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Difficulty-Generating Features of Text-based Physics Tasks

Schwippert,

Zilz,

Hoettecke

2024

Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education

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Equitable STEM Instruction and Assessment: Accessibility and Fairness Considerations for Special Populations

Guzman‐Orth

Supalo

Smith

et al. 2021

ETS Research Report Series

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The landscape for STEM instruction is rapidly shifting in the United States. Attention toward STEM instruction and assessment opportunities is increasing. All students must have opportunities to gain access to the STEM content and show what they know and are able to do. We caution that attention to fairness and accessibility is critical for students from special populations, particularly English learners and students with disabilities. Opportunities for equitable access to STEM instruction and assessment are diminished without accessibility. In this report, we use an assets‐based perspective to discuss and reframe common misconceptions and challenges as opportunities. We argue that attention to accessibility at the onset of STEM instruction and assessment is the pivotal foundation for fair opportunities in STEM. We highlight key opportunities and conclude with recommendations for improved fairness and access in STEM.

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The Implications of Understanding That PISA Is Simply Another Standardized Achievement Test

Berliner

2020

Handbook of Education Policy Studies

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It occurred to me one day that despite all the excitement, and both the satisfaction and handwringing engaged in by some nations after scores are released, that the Program for International Student Assessment, PISA, is merely another Standardized Achievement Test. Almost all Standardized Achievement Tests (SATs) try to adhere to certain principles of design, have similar correlates, and have similar limits on the interpretations of the results obtained. Neither the popular press nor most politicians ordinarily understand these realities and their implications. Opinion makers are unaware that many of the Standardized Achievement Tests we commonly use do not have the powers attributed to them. It is not far from the truth to call the scores derived from some of these assessments “talismanic” (Haney et al. 1987). That is, for many people, test scores have special powers, particularly of prophesy, a bit like the Kabbalah of the middle ages. Scores from SATs are a part of the metrification associated with the modern world, no doubt aided by a global market place in which business leaders and technologists, instead of humanists and educators, have garnered political power. Contributing to this trend toward metrification has been the ascendance of economics as an influential discipline throughout the world (Lingard et al. 2015). But in my opinion, economists, journalists, and politicians too often seek in metrics powers that are more illusionary than they are real.

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Complexity of Illustrations in PISA-2009 Science Items and Its Relationship to the Performance of Students from Shanghai-China, the United States, and Mexico

Cited by 9 publications

References 27 publications

Difficulty-Generating Features of Text-based Physics Tasks

Difficulty-Generating Features of Text-based Physics Tasks

Equitable STEM Instruction and Assessment: Accessibility and Fairness Considerations for Special Populations

The Implications of Understanding That PISA Is Simply Another Standardized Achievement Test

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