Examining Sequence of Contextualized Items in Science: Experimental Evidence on English Learners and Non–English Learners

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Differential Item Functioning: Methods and Applications

Abstract

Student performance on science tests is substantially influenced by the context of test items. This study described the sequence patterns used in science item contexts and obtained empirical evidence on how sequence patterns of contextual information support or hinder student performance on science tests. Items resulting from this process were designed to evoke students’ stored knowledge relevant to the content and/or process skills being assessed, with manipulations in one dimension of context sequence. The newly developed science items were field tested with a diverse population of students from middle schools and high schools in China and the U.S. Findings from the ELL, ESL and non-ELL students’ comparisons lead to important improvements in how items can be developed to ensure test fairness.

Author

• Ting Wang, Educational Testing Service