A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were written for the second time in 2009 amid much criticism. In this study, scripts of candidates who wrote the NSC Mathematics examinations (papers 1 and 2) in 2009 were used as data to analyse the marks scored and then polytomous Rasch analysis...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2014-03-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1853 |
| _version_ | 1797258009929318400 |
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| author | Joyce Sewry Paul Mokilane |
| author_facet | Joyce Sewry Paul Mokilane |
| author_sort | Joyce Sewry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were written for the second time in 2009 amid much criticism. In this study, scripts of candidates who wrote the NSC Mathematics examinations (papers 1 and 2) in 2009 were used as data to analyse the marks scored and then polytomous Rasch analysis was conducted for all the subquestions to determine the level of difficulty of the questions. The purpose of applying Rasch measurement models is to explore the extent to which a test or an examination and its associated data set permit the interpretation of an underlying linear scale of ability against which to interpret overall performance and item difficulty. In the NSC data, some questions discriminated well at the lower-ability levels of candidates, but no questions were found to discriminate among higher-ability candidates.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f75474e8b9844448ab540d1a56fe924 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:44Z |
| publishDate | 2014-03-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f75474e8b9844448ab540d1a56fe9242024-03-18T11:11:25ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2014-03-0132110.38140/pie.v32i1.1853A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examinationJoyce Sewry0Paul Mokilane1Rhodes UniversityStatistical Information and Research, Umalusi The National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations were written for the second time in 2009 amid much criticism. In this study, scripts of candidates who wrote the NSC Mathematics examinations (papers 1 and 2) in 2009 were used as data to analyse the marks scored and then polytomous Rasch analysis was conducted for all the subquestions to determine the level of difficulty of the questions. The purpose of applying Rasch measurement models is to explore the extent to which a test or an examination and its associated data set permit the interpretation of an underlying linear scale of ability against which to interpret overall performance and item difficulty. In the NSC data, some questions discriminated well at the lower-ability levels of candidates, but no questions were found to discriminate among higher-ability candidates. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1853Mathematics educationGrade 12 examinationsNational Senior CertificateRasch analysis |
| spellingShingle | Joyce Sewry Paul Mokilane A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination Perspectives in Education Mathematics education Grade 12 examinations National Senior Certificate Rasch analysis |
| title | A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination |
| title_full | A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination |
| title_fullStr | A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination |
| title_short | A Rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the National Senior Certificate Mathematics examination |
| title_sort | rasch analysis to determine the difficulty of the national senior certificate mathematics examination |
| topic | Mathematics education Grade 12 examinations National Senior Certificate Rasch analysis |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1853 |
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