Poster

[1Z119] Development and Evaluation of a Diagnostic Math Assessment in the Republic of Zambia:Focusing on the error analysis

*Yoshitaka ABE¹ (1. Hiroshima University)

Keywords:Mathematics Diagnostic Assessment, Error analysis, Misconception

Improving the quality of education in developing countries is an important issue. In African countries, standardized tests often indicate low academic performance but do not provide the necessary information to improve learning. Diagnostic assessments have been studied in Zambia to address this problem, showing some effectiveness in identifying issues and implementing interventions. However, the practice is limited because it relies on interview methods and heavily depends on the judgment of local teachers. Additionally, the target population is limited to natural numbers, and understanding of decimals is inadequate.This study aims to develop a diagnostic assessment for elementary school students in Zambia using a cognitive diagnostic model (CDM) capable of statistical processing and to evaluate its validity and discriminative power. In this presentation, I will discuss the results of error analysis that contribute to the validity and analytical framework of the assessment, which is important for discussing the potential use of cognitive diagnostic models.The research questions are 1 How appropriate are the developed assessment items for Zambian students? 2. 2. what kind of misinterpretation tendencies does the student have?Using classical test theory and Rasch modeling, the results showed an internal consistency of 0.78, and 21 of the 22 items showed good discrimination. There were many incorrect answers in decimal division, where the divisor and dividend were calculated in reverse, and the misuse of mathematical symbols, based on misconceptions such as “6 divided by 10 is not possible.” The results may contribute to improving the quality of education in Zambia.