What is it called and how does it work: examining content validity and item design of teacher-made tests

Abstract

This article examines content validity in teacher made tests in elementary technology education—an interdisciplinary subject mandatory for all pupils in compulsory school in Sweden. The context of teacher-based assessments relies heavily on trust for teachers to cope with demands. Even though the system is challenged and preconditions for teachers’ assessment practices are not always adequate to support instruction, much is unknown about teachers’ assessment practices. In this explorative study, 30 teacher-designed tests in technology education from 12 elementary schools were scrutinized in regards to content validity and the types of questions used to assess student knowledge supporting technological literacy. The results present the content validity of these tests in its current form, which may call into question the validity in terms of content and ability. Furthermore, the tests indicate how the technology school subject continues to struggle with shifting epistemologies and technologies far removed from pupils’ everyday lives, which seem to contradict the aims and purpose of the subject.