The relationship between the psychometric and performance properties of teacher-made tests and students’ academic performance in Ethiopian public universities: a baseline survey study

Abstract

The core of the educational system is students’ academic performance, which demands sensitive measures. In this situation, teacher-made tests (TMTs) are more promising, but they can be susceptible to measurement error if not well designed. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the properties of TMTs and students’ academic performance in Ethiopian public universities, evidencing English language communicative skills courses. The research employs a postpositivist research paradigm, quantitative approach, cross-sectional design, purposive sampling size technique, and CTTs. It revealed that the relationship that exists between the properties of TMTs and students’ academic performance is strong positive, ranging from r=.773 to .886. This implies that the variance shared between these two variables was r²=.59 to .75/59% to 75%. A one-way ANOVA depicts (F_1.202 at p = .30>.05) there was no statistically significant mean difference among public universities in students’ academic performance, suggesting their homogeneity. In addition to this, in all public universities, students’ score mean was less than the minimum requirement [mean of 37.42 out of 80, which is < 40 (50%) at P =.326 >.05], needing concern. Design-thinking utilizing correlation enabled the creation of a novel model, while the limitation of correlation statistics was maintained by computing r². The model, ‘The Psychometric and Performance Properties of TMTs in Measuring Students’ Academic Performance’, requires further enhancement through interventional studies.

Keywords:

• Government universities
• undergraduates’ performances
• teacher-made test qualities

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Sammy King Fai Hui, Curriculum & Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

SUBJECTS:

• Higher Education
• Teachers & Teacher Education
• Classroom Practice
• Educational Psychology

Acknowledgments

The study is being carried out at Jimma University (JU). Thanks are due to JU for its coordination. The researchers also extend their gratitude to Wollega University and Ambo University, which voluntarily participated in providing the required information.

Statement of the authors

We declare that this study, entitled ‘The Relationship between the Psychometric and Performance Properties of Teacher-Made Tests and Students’ Academic Performance in Ethiopian Public Universities: Baseline Survey Study’, is our work and that all sources of materials used for this study have been appropriately acknowledged. We seriously declare that this study is not submitted to any other institution anywhere for the award of any degree or diploma.

Brief quotations from this study are allowable without special permission if accurate acknowledgment of the source is made. However, requests for permission for extended quotations from or reproduction in part of this manuscript may be granted by the author.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there exists no competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tekalign Geleta Kenea

Tekalign Geleta Kenea, BA in Educational Planning and Management, BEd in Information Technology, MA in Educational Measurement and Evaluation, is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Assessment and Evaluation at Jimma University, researching the qualities of public universities’ student learning measures.

Fisseha Mikire

Fisseha Mikre (PhD), associate professor of educational psychology in the department of psychology, Jimma University, Ethiopia.

Zenebe Negawo

Zenebe Negawo (PhD), assistant professor of educational psychology in the department of psychology, Jimma University, Oromia, Ethiopia.