自学考试试题功能差异研究

Research on Application of Differential Item Functioning(DIF)to Self-taught Examinations

试题功能差异检验是教育测量领域中典型的公平性量化研究方法,用于识别试卷中可能造成测量偏差的试题,减少无关因素可能带来的不必要的测量误差。自学考试的考生学习方式主要包括完全自学和参加助学两种,采用不同学习方式的考生在作答同一份试卷时,二者应该具有同等的展示知识和能力的机会,这对于试题的公平性提出了较高要求。研究通过以自学考试课程《英语(二)》试卷的阅读理解试题为例,探讨试题对于采用不同学习方式的考生是否会造成测量偏差,以期为命题实践中的公平性控制提供参考。

Differential Item Functioning/DIF as to be present in a test item when examinees from two subgroups with the same trait level have different expected scores on the same item;therefore,has been increasingly applied in fairness studies in education measurement circles.In self-taught higher education,students mainly learn in two styles:a totally independent study,or a schooling with some helps.Normally,when they take part in the self-taught examinations and answer the same questions,the two groups of examinees with different learning styles are supposed to result in the same score even without same knowledge or ability.Thus,the examination paper is expected to be fair for all groups of students.This article,by taking the Reading Comprehensionpartof the self-taught examination for the course of English(Book 2)as an example,intends to explore whether the items of the test include biased items for students with different learning styles.Hopefully,the findings here might offer reference for fairness issue in question-setting practice.