12
individual in multiple-choice items, can prove just as valuable in its implications for teaching as for testing
.‖
23
According to James Dean Brown states, item quality analysis is ultimately means that judgments must be made about the degree to which the items are valid
for the purposes and content of the course or program involved. ‖
24
Thus, item analysis is a process which examiner student responses to individual test items
questions in order to assess the quality of those items. By examining the data from item analysis, the teacher can detect learning difficulties of individual pupil
or class as a whole. Item analysis is often used with multiple choice items. According to
Harrison ―Multiple choice items consist of a statement stem followed by several options of which one is the right answer key and the rests are not distracters.
Item analysis indicates the information concerning the performance of the student as a whole and of individual students is very important for teaching process,
especially as many test results can show not only the types of errors most frequently made but also the actual reason for the errors being made. Besides
indicating definite line on which remedial work can be given and the performance of the test items themselves is obvious importance in compiling.
An item analysis tell us about three things: how difficult each item is whether or not the question ‗discriminate‘ or tells that difference between high
and low students, and which distracter are working as they should. An analysis like this is used with any important exam, for instance review test and test given at
the end of a school term or course.
2. Types of The Test Item
Based on the manner of scoring, the type of test item is divided into two general types.
23
J. B. Heaton, Writing English Language Tests, New York: Longman Inc., 1988 , p. 172.
24
James Dean Brown, Testing in Language Programs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1996 . 76.
13
a. Subjective Test
Subjective test is a test where in its scoring requires judgment and evaluation of the scorer. In subjective test, the students are given a freedom to answer the
question in their own words. The subjective tests that are common used in the classroom are essay, short answer, and completion.
1. Essay
The building the essay item as a measurement of complex learning outcomes should be done in a proper and careful way. Here are some suggestions to
construct a good essay item:
25
1 Make definite provisions students for taking essay examinations.
2 Make sure that questions are carefully focused.
3 Structure the content and length of questions.
4 Have a colleague review and critique the essay questions.
5 Avoid the use of optional questions, except when one is assessing writing
ability where a choice of questions is desirable. 6
Restrict the use of the essay as an achievement test to those objectives for which it is best.
As a method to measure the complex learning outcomes, essay item has several advantages and weaknesses.
The advantages of subjective test:
26
1. It measures complex learning outcomes that cannot be measured by other
means. 2.
It emphasize on the integration and application of thinking and problem- solving skills.
3. It is regarded as a device for improving writing skills.
25
Kenneth D. Hopkins, et, al., Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1990, 7
th
Ed., p. 216.
26
Gronlund, Constructing Achievement Test, London: Prentice-Hall of international, Inc., 1982.p. 216.
14
4. It has ease of construction. Most teachers can formulate several essay
questions in a matter minutes. The Weaknesses of subjective test:
27
1. There are not many samplings of achievement because only a small number of
questions can be included in essay test. 2.
Scoring the essay test is influenced by student‘s writing ability. Poor expression and errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar usually lower their
score 3.
While scoring essay test, the standards can be shifted because of variations in the content of the answers from paper to paper
4. It requires much time to score the answers.
28
Thus in essay item, students are asked to demonstrate their ability to select, organize, integrate and review ideas to response the question in the freedom. In
addition, this item type is scored subjectively since it will present the different result when it is scored by the different person. The people who are assigned to
score the answer are typically influenced by their own judgment or opinion. To sum up, based on the previous explanation, an essay test is used to
measure student‘s comprehension of certain knowledge and student is asked to answer by expressing his own words effectively and organizing their own ideas,
using information from his own background and knowledge. 2. Fill
–in Fill in items are those where in a word or phrase is replaced by a blank in a
sentence or longer text, and the student‘s job is to fill in that missing word or phrase
.‖
29
For example: For question 1 and 2 answer fill in the blank on text
27
Gronlund, op. cit., p. 72.
28
Ibid
29
James Dean Brown, op. cit., p. 58.
15
In addition, Fill- in item measures the student‘s ability to produce a
language, even if a small amount of language. However, to make the measurement by fill-in item result the valid data, it is prominent to tell clearly to students that
only one word can be put in each blank or gap. Furthermore, as one of types of tests item, fill-in item has some advantages
and limitations:
30
The Advantages of Fill
–in the blank test: 1.
It is relatively easy to construct 2.
It is flexible to use from a test writer‘s point of view 3.
It requires a short amount of time to administer The Limitations of Fill
–in the blank test :
1. It is generally very narrowly focused on testing a single word or short phrase
at most 2.
It may have a number of possible answers.
30
J. D. Brown, op. cit., p. 73.
Dear Shinta, Sorry Shinta, Hi, Thank you Jakarta, 23 October 2013
.... 1, Im glad you are coming here. There are so many places you can visit
and things you can do. On this occasion, Id like to invite you to have dinner with my family on Saturday.
I hope you will come, thank you.
... 2, Weny
16
f. Objective Test
An objective test item is any item that there is only a single predictable correct answer. As stated by Arthur
Hughes, ―If no judgment is required on the part of the scorer, then the scoring is subjective, if judgment is called for the scoring is said
to be objective‖.
31
From the statements above, the writer conclude that the objective test is a kind of test that require the exact answer, so whether one or
another teacher scores the item and even in different occasion the score will be same.
1. Multiple Choice Items James Dean Brown said that are two parts in multiple choice items. The
main part is called item stem which is the item at the top. The other is choices that provides some option usually, a, b, c, or d, in choices there are two parts; correct
answer that be correct and distractors that be measured as incorrect.
32
The distracter here means that the incorrect options are made to distract poor student
who do not know the answer. There are usually four or five alternative available. Only one is correct or
best response, and the others are referred to as distracters. Alternatives may consist of number, single world, letter, phrase, and sentences of formulas. It can
be used to measure both knowledge outcomes and many types of skills. In addition, it can measure a variety of learning outcomes from simple to complex
material. The multiple choices item is concluded in discrete point test. Discrete
point test takes language skill a part. Oller states that, ―discrete items attempt to test knowledge of language one bit at a time.‖
33
It means that language knowledge can be divided into a number or components, such as grammar, vocabulary
spelling, punctuation, pronunciation, intonation, and stress. This test only measures the knowledge of language in one particular component.
31
Hughes, op. cit., p. 19.
32
J. D. Brown, op. cit., p. 54.
33
John W. Oller, Language Test at School, London: Longman Group, 1979, p. 37.
