Noun phrase dictation as a writing assessment instrument: a psychometric analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Prepare a list of noun phrases able to characterize the writing performance of schoolchildren according to school year.

Methods

A list of 25 noun phrases intended for dictation was prepared and applied to 275 Elementary School students (2^nd to 5^thgrades). The unidimensionality underlying the proposed items was analyzed using Item Response Theory.

Results

The list enabled differentiation between the performance of schoolchildren attending the 2^nd and 3^rd years and that of students attending the 4 ^th and 5^th years. Items on the list presented moderate difficulty level and medium discrimination capacity.

Conclusion

The model showed good fit and was able to differentiate the performance of 2^nd to 3^rd grade students from that of 4^th to 5^thgrade students. The list of noun phrases assessed writing in 4^th to 5^th grade students more accurately.

Keywords,
Writing; Students; Learning; Evaluation; Speech; Language and Hearing Sciences