An Investigation of Differential Item Functioning in the MELAB Listening Test

Autor/inn/en	Aryadoust, Vahid; Goh, Christine C. M.; Kim, Lee Ong
Titel	An Investigation of Differential Item Functioning in the MELAB Listening Test
Quelle	In: Language Assessment Quarterly, 8 (2011) 4, S.361-385 (25 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1543-4303
DOI	10.1080/15434303.2011.628632
Schlagwörter	Test Items; Listening Comprehension Tests; Test Bias; Test Validity; Listening Skills; Gender Differences; Auditory Stimuli; Foreign Countries + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Test content; Testaufgabe; Hörverstehensübung; Testkritik; Testvalidität; Geschlechterkonflikt; Auditive Stimulation; Ausland
Abstract	Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis is a way of determining whether test items function differently across subgroups of test takers after controlling for ability level. DIF results are used to evaluate tests' validity arguments. This study uses Rasch measurement to examine the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery listening test for DIF across gender subgroups. After establishing the unidimensionality and local independence of the data, the authors used two methods to test for DIF: (a) a t-test uniform DIF analysis, which showed that two test items displayed substantive DIF, and favored different gender subgroups; and (b) nonuniform DIF analysis, which revealed several test items with significant DIF, many of which favored low-ability male test takers. A possible explanation for gender-ability DIF is that lower ability male test takers are more likely to attempt lucky guesses, particularly on multiple-choice items with unattractive distracters, and that having only two distracters makes this strategy likely to succeed. (Contains 4 figures, 4 tables, and 2 footnotes.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10