Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2023
Publication Title
Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness
Publisher
Penn State University Press
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5325/jasseinsteffe.13.1–2.0093
Abstract
Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) can offer a more flexible approach to common Item Response Theories (IRT) as a non-parametric method for evaluating educational tests with ordinal data. This study applied MSA on a Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) originally developed with IRT methods among 234 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students to test the assumptions of MSA, including unidimensionality, monotonicity, local independence, and invariant item ordering (IIO) with mokken package in R. MSA assumptions successfully met with the VLT validated with validating the VLT being a unidimensional test with Automated Item Selection Procedures (AISP) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) methods utilized. Scalability coefficients indicated a medium scale, and monotonicity was upheld, which ensured consistent participant rankings. IIO showed that item difficulty remained consistent across respondents. MSA highlights its potential for exploratory analysis, particularly with smaller sample sizes and ordinal data, offering a less restrictive alternative to parametric IRT methods.
Recommended Citation
Ali Jahanaray, Akram Faravani; Nonparametric Analysis in Educational Test Development: A Mokken Scale Approach to Evaluating EFL Vocabulary Proficiency. Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness 29 August 2023; 13 (1-2): 93–123. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/jasseinsteffe.13.1-2.0093
