Teachers need to understand the limitations of various question types to develop effective assessments for measuring the student learning. This study aimed to compare student performances on MCQ items and their reasoning to identify and reveal student thinking regarding specific option selection. The test was a two-tier with MCQ and reasoning questions administered to 40 students studying at a public school in the UAE. Different cognitive skills such as scientific knowledge, observation, memorization, critical thinking, problem-solving and imagination related questions were examined. The results showed that MCQ items had medium difficulty level and lower discrimination index in comparison to reasoning questions. The study reports a significant difference between the student scores in MCQ and reasoning items with students scoring higher in MCQs than in reasoning. There was little to no correlation in student MCQ scores and their reasoning for specific choice selection in the test questions. These results suggest that MCQ items can direct students to select a particular option without thinking or understanding the scientific concept associated with it. The construction of MCQs can be modified with the inclusion of student reasoning to efficiently assess student higher order cognitive skills.

Authors:
Fatma Alyammahi, UAEU, United Arab Emirates
Manal Almahdawi, UAEU, United Arab Emirates

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Fatima Mohammed Ali Alyammahi holds a PhD in Science Education from UAEU. She is an experienced high school chemistry teacher with a proven track record of improving student engagement and academic performance.

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark