A Comprehensive Differential Item Functioning Analysis of Physics Test Items in the Secondary School Certificate Examination

Authors

Dr. Mobeen Ul Islam Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Gujrat, Author
Hafiz Muhammad Salman Naveed PhD Scholar, Department of Education, University of Gujrat, Author
Afeefa Amjad M. Phil. Department of Education, University of Gujrat Author

DIF, Annual Examination, Mantel-Haenszel, Secondary School Certificate Examination, Physics Test Items

The study was aimed at analyzing test items by means of differential item functioning. The test

questions are exercises that learners are to undertake during the test. Differentiation between items

functioning analysis is highly significant in test development at both national and international

levels to confirm the biased and unbiased items in the test. This research was useful in establishing

the validity of the test items and the data regarding the degree of difference in item functioning

performance regarding chosen groups. It was a quantitative paradigm descriptive study. Data were

analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel. Differential item functioning was useful to assess the

strengths and weaknesses of the tests of the target groups with non-similar traits using the test

items based on polytomous items in the science subject, that is, Physics of grade 10th, in the annual

examination of BISE Sahiwal 2018. The conclusion was reached that there is a necessity to create

the test items, which are to be developed by the experts, in order to conduct an appropriate

assessment.