Date of Award

1-1-2010

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education

First Advisor

Kathy Green, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Duan Zhang

Third Advisor

Charles Reichardt

Keywords

8th grade math achievement, Cognitive diagnostic assessment, Least squares distance method, Mathematics, TIMSS 2007 math, Turkey

Abstract

This study investigated students' responses to released TIMSS mathematics items and considered what those responses might show about participants' mastery level of cognitive areas. The least squares distance method (LSDM) was used in this cognitive diagnostic analysis. There were 4,498 8th-grade students from seven geographical regions of Turkey who took TIMSS items. In this study, using the responses of Turkish students to the released math items of TIMSS-2007, an IRT analysis was also conducted to both compare results with international item parameters A Pearson correlation between these two sets of item logit positions produced a correlation of r = .82, and this correlation represents a high degree of relationship and so overall consistency in item logit position.

Results indicated that the majority of the items can be well explained by a set of 20 attributes (mean MAD = .075; r = .68). 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. The results of the present study can help teachers and curriculum developers ensure that the utilized educational policies and methodologies would help students to improve their cognitive mastery levels in general.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Turker Toker

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

59 p.

Discipline

Educational tests & measurements, Educational psychology

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