GUTTMAN CHART FOR LANGUAGE TEST SCORES ANALYSIS
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Abstract
Objective discrete-point language tests are widely used across various EFL contexts, including Morocco, because of their practicality, neutrality and precision. Therefore, it is crucial to explore effective methods for systematically analysing test scores to guide formative instructional decisions and improve test item quality, given the pervasive use of their results for high-stakes decisions, such as accountability and placement. To this end, this study investigates the use of the Guttman chart to analyse an objective test, identify a group of high school Common Core Science students’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and develop a suitable remedial. Additionally, it assesses the performance of test items at both the general and individual levels. Employing a repeated-measures pre-test and post-test design, this study examines the impact of the remedial work, based on a Guttman chart analysis of a written pre-test, on students’ performance in an online post-test. The findings demonstrate that the Guttman chart is effective for analysing objective test scores, facilitating formative decision-making, and evaluating test item functionality. This is supported by the statistically significant improvement in students’ scores from the pre-test to the post-test. Furthermore, the study offers valuable implications for applying the Guttman chart in test score analysis.
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