Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Assessment Test in Auto-Electricity Aspect of Automobile Engineering Practice for Technical College Students in North Central-Nigeria

Abstract

The need for a valid and reliable diagnostic assessment instrument in auto-electricity that could be used by teachers in the subject for diagnosing students’ learning difficulties due to their persistent low achievement in the subject area, prompted this study. This study developed and validated a diagnostic assessment test in auto-electricity aspect of Automobile Engineering Practice for technical college students in North Central-Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. Instrumentation research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 1914 students in 32 technical colleges in the zone, from which a sample of 1120 students in 23 technical colleges was drawn using simple random sampling technique. The Auto- electricity Diagnostic Test (ADT) developed was validated by five experts. Data collected were analysed using, X-Caliber 4.2 and IRT PRO softwares. Research questions were answered using Logic Validity method, 3-parameter logistic model of IRT. The results of the data analysed revealed among others that, the ADT is significantly valid in terms of content coverage of the curriculum of the subject area, the assumptions of item response theory investigated were satisfactorily met, which means that the items of the instrument were unidimensional and were locally independent of each other. Equally, the items of the instrument sufficiently fitted the 3- parameter logistic model. It also provided sufficient information about the testees’ abilities with a well spread test information function across the ability continuum and all the remaining 69 items after item analysis. have all the qualities of a good diagnostic assessment test items in terms of discrimination, difficulty and guessing parameters. It was concluded that, the developed ADT is valid and has the potency of eliciting sufficient i

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