DEVELOPMENT AND STANDARDIZATION OF MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST (MAT) (GRADE VIII STUDENTS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA)

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop a mathematics achievement test for Grade VIII students. The test was designed from the Grade VIII mathematics curriculum and included multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and fill-in-the-blank items. The initial instrument consisted of 80 items and was administered to a sample of 100 Grade IX students. Following item analysis and refinement, 45 items were retained, while 35 items were discarded. The finalized test administration was done on a sample of (N= 100) students to standardize the final version and develop its norms. The test construction and standardization process involved preparing a test blueprint, developing the preliminary draft and answer key, conducting pilot testing, performing item analysis, preparing the final test, establishing reliability and validity, and developing norms. We calculated the discriminative index and difficulty power to evaluate test items. The study assessed test reliability using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.71, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Similarly, the study confirmed validity through subject experts' review and correlation with students' academic records. The study finalized norms by determining the percentile for each raw score. The study has significant implications for educational assessment and other areas of learning, as the standardized test may serve as a useful instrument for evaluating students’ achievement in mathematics.