• Open Access

Approaches to data analysis of multiple-choice questions

Lin Ding and Robert Beichner
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 020103 – Published 10 September 2009

Abstract

This paper introduces five commonly used approaches to analyzing multiple-choice test data. They are classical test theory, factor analysis, cluster analysis, item response theory, and model analysis. Brief descriptions of the goals and algorithms of these approaches are provided, together with examples illustrating their applications in physics education research. We minimize mathematics, instead placing emphasis on data interpretation using these approaches.

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  • Received 12 February 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.020103

This article is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Authors & Affiliations

Lin Ding1 and Robert Beichner2

  • 1Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA

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Issue

Vol. 5, Iss. 2 — July - December 2009

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It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

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