:: Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2009) ::
2009, 12(1): 167-197 Back to browse issues page
Theoretical and Practical Comparison of Classical Test Theory and Item-Response Theory
Sara Jalali , Gholam Reza Kiany
Tarbiat Modarress University, Tehran
Abstract:   (13363 Views)
Classical test theory and item response theory are widely perceived as representing two very different measurement frameworks. Few studies have empirically examined the similarities and differences in the parameters estimated using the two frameworks. The purpose of this study was to examine how item statistics (i.e. item difficulty and item discrimination) and person statistics (i.e. ability estimates) behave under the two measurement frameworks i.e.CTTandIRT. The researchers tried to compare the two models from both theoretical and practical perspectives. For this purpose, first, a theoretical comparison of the two models was carried out then, a sample of 3000 testees taking part in the English language university entrance exam was used in order to compare the two models practically. The findings showed that person statistics from CTT were comparable with those from IRT for all three IRT models. Item difficulty indexes from CTT were comparable with those from all IRT models and especially from the one-parameter logistic (1PL) model. Item discrimination indexes from CTT were somewhat less comparable with those from IRT.
Keywords: Item Response Theory (IRT), Classical Test Theory (CTT), Person statistics, Item statistics
Full-Text [PDF 318 kb]   (4626 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research |
Published: 2009/03/15


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Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2009) Back to browse issues page