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CIA 722

Report on Descriptive Statistics

André Botha

22320165
Descriptive Statistics: Measure of Tendency
and Variability

i. Acknowledgements

Thank you to Tom Kubiszyn and Gary Borich – the authors of the
book “Educational Testing and Measurement”.

ii. Descriptive abstract

The main topic covered in the report is descriptive statistics. First


of all a test analysis will be discussed. This includes statistics such
as test scores, reliability coefficients, graphic representations and
the interpretation thereof. Secondly an item analysis will be
discussed. This discussion covers variability. This includes difficulty
indices, discrimination indices and the interpretation thereof.

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iii. Table of Contents

i. Introduction: What is the purpose of the report?

ii.

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1.1. Introduction and the purpose of the report

This report was compiled after 25 learners completed a


multiple choice test. They were given 20 items to complete.
After the test was completed, each learner’s score was
calculated as a percentage.

The purpose of this report is to shed some light on the


common errors that teachers all over the world make when
they are setting tests items. This report focuses on the setting
of multiple choice items.

How can we determine whether the questions we set are valid


and appropriate? How does one determine whether a question
should be changed or even removed from a test?

The reason why a teacher would want to do an item analysis


would purely be to improve his test. The higher the quality of
the tests we set, the bigger the advantage to the learners we
teach.

2. Descriptive Statistics: Test Analysis

The two methods of analysing a test are to draw up a simple


frequency distribution or a grouped frequency distribution.
They will be discussed in short.

2.1. Simple Frequency Distribution

This distribution is the simplest method of summarising test


data. The disadvantage is that it cannot be used with a large
quantity of test scores. This method will seldom prove useful
in the average classroom (Kubiszyn & Borich 2007).
Table 1.1 represents a simple frequency distribution.

A simple frequency distribution can only be useful in one


instance – if the number of test scores are small. Even when
working with just a few scores there is a limitation – the
scores should not be widely spread.

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Table 1.1: Simple Frequency Distribution

2.2. Grouped Frequency Distribution

This method of analysis proved to be much more useful.


Instead of listing every single score, we make use of score
intervals. Just as with the simple frequency distribution we
tabulate the intervals next to the frequency. Each interval
has an upper and lower limit. The advantage of using this
distribution is that it can be used for a large quantity of test
scores. Table 1.2 illustrates this.

Table 1.2: Grouped Frequency Distribution

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2.2.1. Graphic representation of data from a grouped
frequency distribution

There are two graphs one can use to represent the data
from a grouped frequency distribution. The first is the
Frequency histogram. This graph is most widely used to
explain statistical data, simply because it is easy to interpret
(Kubiszyn & Borich 2007).

Figure 1.1: Frequency Histogram

A second way in which data can be represented graphically


is to use the Frequency Polygon. This graph is the popular
choice for test scores since it works best with continuous
data. Continuous data is data that can be expressed as
fractions or parts of whole numbers (Kubiszyn & Borich
2007).

Figure 1.2: Frequency Polygon

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2.3. Normal Distribution

The normal distribution is an idealistic distribution. A test


score distribution will never look exactly like this. The
measures of tendency in a normal distribution are equal i.e.
the mean, median and mode of the test have the exact
same value. Refer to Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.3: Normal distribution Curve

2.4. Measures of Central Tendency and standard


deviation
Table 1.3: Measures of Central Tendency

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Table 1.3 illustrates how the measures of tendency would
usually be calculated. From the data in the table we can
derive the following:
• The test results produced a mean (average) of 66%.
• The middle value of the distribution is 65%.
• The value that occurs most often is 65%.

The standard deviation in our distribution is 21.83. The


magnitude of this value tells us that our scores are spread
quite widely around the mean. The range of the distribution
is rather large. This also indicates that the standard
deviation is a large value.

When the standard deviation is small, it means that the


scores of the test are all closer to the mean.

The extent to which scores are spread around the mean is


an indication of variability. The higher the SD value, the
greater the variability will be. Thus the test has a rather
large variability.

3. Descriptive Statistics: Item Analysis


Table 1.4: Difficulty and discrimination indices

3.1. Discrimination index

A positive discrimination index indicates that the learners


who did well in the test chose the correct answer more for a
specific item than those who performed poorly.

From the table it is clear that the test had a positive


discrimination index for every single item. A positive
discrimination index is considered to be desirable.

3.2. Difficulty index

It is recommended that test items should have a difficulty


index between the values 0.20 and 0.80.

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If one closely inspects the difficulty indices of the test items
they do indeed fall between the recommended values. The
items appear not to be too difficult or too easy.

4. Conclusion

Overall this test seems to be of high standard.

5. References

Kubiszyn, K & Borich G 2007, Educational Testing and


Measurement, Wiley/Jossey-Bass Education.

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