Title:
EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF ITEM DIFFICULTY AND DISCRIMINATION INDICES OF NATIONAL BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EXAMINATION BOARD (NABTEB) ECONOMICS ESSAY TEST ITEMS FROM 2013-2015

Authors:
Romy. O. Okoye and Joy Nneka Ndubuzor

Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to find out the difficulty and discrimination indices of Economics essay test items constructed by NABTEB from 2013-2015. Two research questions guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study which was carried out in Anambra State. The population of the study comprised all the Economics essay test items set by NABTEB (May/June) from 2013-2015 and also 582 Senior Secondary 3 (S.S.3) students offering Economics in state government technical colleges in Anambra State in 2017/2018. A sample of 307 S.S.3 students was obtained for the study through simple random sampling. The research instrument was made up of all Economics essay tests administered by NABTEB (May/June) in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The data obtained were analysed by computing difficulty indices (p) and discrimination indices (d). Results showed that seven out of 12 items each in 2013 and 2014 and eight out of 12 items in 2015 NABTEB Economics essay test items fell within acceptable ranges of difficulty indices. The results also showed that seven out of 12 items each in 2013 and 2014 and five out of 12 items in 2015 NABTEB Economics essay test items fell within acceptable ranges of discrimination indices. In conclusion therefore, one would say that the Economics essay test items set by NABTEB fall short of being described as good items. The researcher recommended that NABTEB should improve and maintain high quality NABTEB Economics test items so as to increase the students’ enrolment in NABTEB examinations, especially in Economics.

Keywords:
Item Difficulty Index, Item Discrimination Index and Economics Essay Test Items

DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.37500/IJESSR.2021.4203