The Analytic Value of an Interpretation/Use Argument for the 11+ Examinations in Trinidad and Tobago

• In Event: Roundtable Session 50
  In Roundtable Session: Taking Stock: Engaging Diverse Perspectives on Education at Macro and Micro Levels

Abstract

For high stakes public examinations, the development of an interpretation/use argument (IUA) is a useful exercise providing a rationale and justification for the uses and interpretations of test scores. In this study, we developed an IUA to clarify and evaluate the evidentiary reasoning and justifications in policy documents for the 11+ examinations contained of Trinidad and Tobago. We then asked stakeholders to evaluate these claims using Q-methodology. To obtain a Q-concourse, we content analysed policy documents from 1960 to 2015, selecting a Q-sample of 42 claims and uses. Stakeholders (parents teachers, and students) ranked ordered their level of agreement with each claim/proposed use. Results of a Q-factor analysis and an overall theory of action are used to illustrate stakeholders’ perspectives

Authors

• Jerome De Lisle, University of the West Indies

• Susan Herbert, University of the West Indies

• Nirmala Ramnarine, Ministry of Education - Trinidad and Tobago