Rasch Analysis in Physics Education Research: Why Measurement Matters

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Maja Planinić; MBZ: 184526
• Author: William J. Boone
• Author: Ana Sušac; MBZ: 236434
• Author: Lana Ivanjek; MBZ: 287501
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Mathematics

Abstract (english)

The Rasch model is a probabilistic model which describes the interaction of persons (test takers/survey respondents) with test/survey items and is governed by two parameters: item difficulty and person ability. Rasch measurement parallels physical measurement processes by constructing and using linear person and item measures that are independent of the particular characteristics of the sample and the test items along a unidimensional construct. The model’s properties make it especially suitable for test construction and evaluation as well as the development and use of surveys. The evaluation of item fit with the model can pinpoint problematic items and flag idiosyncratic respondents. The possibility of determining sample - independent item difficulties makes it possible to use the Rasch model for linking tests and tracking students’ progression. The use of Rasch model in PER is continuously increasing. We provide an overview and examples of its use and benefits, and also outline common mistakes/misconceptions made by researchers when considering the use of the Rasch model. We focus in particular on the question of how Rasch modeling can improve some common practices in PER, such as test construction, test evaluation, and calculation of student gain on PER diagnostic instruments.

• Keywords (english): Rasch model; physics education research
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Physical Review Physics Education Research
• Numbering: vol. 15, no. 2, 020111
• p-ISSN: 2469-9896
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.020111
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:515503
• Publication: 2019
• Document URL: https://journals.aps.org/prper/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.020111
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Received 31 August 2018. Published 3 July 2019. An article within the collection: Quantitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination.
• Created on: 2020-08-24 13:52:54