Development and Validation of Economics Achievement Test for Secondary Schools

Abstract

Economics achievement test (EAT) for assessing senior secondary two (SS2) achievement in economics was developed and validated in the study. Five research questions guided the study. Twenty and 100 mid-senior secondary (SS2) economics students was used for the pilot testing and reliability check respectively. A sample of 250 students randomly drawn was used to subject initial 80 objective test items for the test try-out that yielded the data for item analysis. 50 items with difficulty indices ranged from 0.25 to 0.79 and discrimination indices of 0.20 to 0.58 where retained. Face and content validation of EAT was ensured by constructing items in line with the test blue print, the use of subject experts in SS2 economics and two experts in test construction. The test reliability established through Kuder-Richardson formula 20 gave a coefficient of 0.81. The test was found to be of good quality, valid and highly reliable. The EAT is therefore recommended for use in assessing SS2 students’ achievement in economics and to determine/predict students that will do well in economics in their final class (SS3) as well as those that will have good performance in economics external examinations (WAEC and NECO). Economics achievement test (EAT) for assessing senior secondary two (SS2) achievement in economics was developed and validated in the study. Five research questions guided the study. Twenty and 100 mid-senior secondary (SS2) economics students was used for the pilot testing and reliability check respectively. A sample of 250 students randomly drawn was used to subject initial 80 objective test items for the test try-out that yielded the data for item analysis. 50 items with difficulty indices ranged from 0.25 to 0.79 and discrimination indices of 0.20 to 0.58 where retained. Face and content validation of EAT was ensured by constructing items in line with the test blue print, the use of subject experts in SS2 economics and two experts in test construction. The test reliability established through Kuder-Richardson formula 20 gave a coefficient of 0.81. The test was found to be of good quality, valid and highly reliable. The EAT is therefore recommended for use in assessing SS2 students’ achievement in economics and to determine/predict students that will do well in economics in their final class (SS3) as well as those that will have good performance in economics external examinations (WAEC and NECO).