COGNITIVE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF TIMSS-2007 MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT ITEMS FOR 8TH GRADERS IN TURKEY

Abstract

This study investigated students’ responses to 49 released TIMSS-2007 mathematics items and considered what those responses might show about participants' mastery level of cognitive attributes. There were 4,498 8th-grade students from seven geographical regions of Turkey who responded to these TIMSS items. In this study, an IRT analysis was also conducted to both compare item parameters based on the data from Turkey with international item parameters. As a result of this study, educators in Turkey should note that students have weaker knowledge in geometry, graphics, charts, figures, rule application in algebra, and data management and stronger skills with whole numbers and integers, data, probability, and basic statistics, translating/formulating equations and expressions to solve a problem, judgmental applications of knowledge in arithmetic and geometry, and applying and evaluating mathematical correctness. The results of the present study can help teachers and curriculum developers in Turkey ensure that the utilized educational policies and methodologies help students to improve their cognitive mastery levels.

Keywords

• cognitive assessment, mathematics, Least Squares Distance Method, validation, Rasch model, psychometrics, TIMMS-2007

COGNITIVE DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT OF TIMSS-2007 MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT ITEMS FOR 8TH GRADERS IN TURKEY

Öz

Bu çalısma TIMSS-2007 Türkiye evreni çerçevesinde yapılmıs olup ögrencilerin bilissel yeterlilik düzeyleri incelenmistir. TIMSS-2007 sınavına Türkiye’nin yedi cografık bölgesinden 4.498 sekizinci sınıf ögrencisi katılmıstır. Ayrıca bu çalısmada IRT analizi kullanılarak uluslararası madde güçlükleri ile Türkiye evrenine ait madde güçlükleri de karsılastırılmıstır. Bu çalısma sonucunda ögrencilerin geometri, grafikler, figürler, cebir kuralları, data yönetimi, tam sayılar, olasılık, basit analiz, problem çözümünde formül kullanımı, elestirel düsünme, uygulamalı matematik ve geometri alanlarında zorluklar yasadıgı yargısına ulasılmıstır. Bu çalısmanın sonuçlarının ögretmenlere ve matematik programı hazırlayanlara, Türk egitim sisteminde uygulanan politikaların ve yöntemlerin ögrencilerin bilissel yeteneklerini gelistirebilmeleri adına yardımcı olması düsünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bilissel Degerlendirme, Matematik, Kücük Kareler Yöntemi, Geçerlilik, Tek Parametreli Lojistik Model, Psikometri, TIMSS-2007

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