African Educational Research Journal - Vol. 14(1) - January 2026 Full Length Research Paper - Application of Item Response Theory in the Development and Validation of a Multiple-Choice Economics Test for Senior Secondary School Students

Oct 15, 2026

This study applied Item Response Theory (IRT) to develop and validate a 50-item multiple-choice Economics test (MCET) for senior secondary school students. Using an instrumentation research design, 1,005 SS2 students were randomly selected from 46 government co-educational secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria. Content validation by experts and pilot testing produced a reliability coefficient of 0.89 (KR-20). Three-parameter logistic (3PL) IRT analysis with BILOG-MG showed 49 items with low standard errors, while one item had low reliability; item-fit indicated 21 fitted and 29 misfit the 3PL model. DIF results suggested most items functioned differently by gender, supporting evidence-based revision to enhance reliability, validity, and fairness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Economics assessment and limitations of CTT

Item Response Theory (IRT) and the 3PL model

Purpose of the study

Research questions

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 14(1), pp. 63-70, January 2026 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Application of item response theory in the development and validation of a multiple-choice economics test for senior secondary school students Ani Elizabeth Ngozika Department of Science Education , University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Accepted 20 January, 2026 | ABSTRACT
This study applied Item Response Theory (IRT) to develop and validate a multiple-choice Economics test for senior secondary school students. An instrumentation research design was adopted. A total of 1,005 SS2 Economics students were randomly selected from 46 government co-educational secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria. A 50-item Multiple Choice Economics Test (MCET) was developed, validated by experts, and pilot-tested, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.89 (KR-20) . Data were analyzed using the three-parameter logistic (3PL) IRT model with BILOG-MG software. Results showed that 49 items demonstrated low standard errors of measurement, indicating high precision, while one item showed low reliability. Item fit analysis revealed that 21 items fit the 3PL model, whereas 29 items misfit. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis indicated that most items functioned differently across gender. The findings demonstrate IRT’s usefulness in identifying reliable, misfitting, and biased items, supporting evidence-based item revision. The study recommends adopting IRT principles in Economics test development to enhance reliability, validity, and fairness.
Keywords: Economics, item response theory, 3PL model, secondary education, test validation. | | --- | | E-mail: [elizabethngozika027@gmail. com](elizabethngozika027@gmail. com) . | INTRODUCTION Economics is a core subject in senior secondary school that equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand economic concepts, solve societal problems, and make informed decisions. Since its introduction into the Nigerian secondary school curriculum in 1966 (Obemeata, 1991), Economics has aimed to promote rational thinking, efficient resource management, an appreciation of labor , and responsible citizenship (Asadu, 2001) . Achieving these objectives largely depends on the quality of assessment instruments used to measure students’ achievement. Multiple-choice tests (MCQs) are widely used in Nigerian secondary schools because of their objectivity, efficiency, and broad content coverage (Okoro, 2006; Onunkwo, 2002) . However, most MCQs are constructed and evaluated using Classical Test Theory (CTT), which has several limitations. Under CTT, item difficulty and discrimination indices are sample- dependent, and test scores are interpreted primarily atthe total-score level, providing limited information on individual item functioning (Crocker and Algina, 2008; Adedoyin, 2010) . These limitations may compromise the fairness of the test and the comparability of scores across different student groups. Item Response Theory (IRT) offers a modern alternative, focusing on item-level characteristics and modeling the relationship between students’ latent abilities and their responses to test items (Hambleton, Swaminathan and Rogers, 1991) . IRT estimates item parameters such as difficulty, discrimination, and guessing, enabling a more precise measurement of student ability. Importantly, IRT allows for the detection of biased items through Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis, thereby enhancing the fairness of assessments (Meredith, Joyce and Walter, 2007; Chen, Li and Liu, 2021) . Recent studies in Nigeria demonstrate the effectiveness of IRT in Afr Educ Res J 64 improving test quality across various subjects, including Basic Science, Geography, and Mathematics. These studies showed that IRT provides stable item statistics and identifies problematic items that may be overlooked under CTT. Despite these advances, the application

FAQs

What was the purpose of applying IRT in this Economics test study?

The study used IRT to develop and validate a multiple-choice Economics test by examining standard errors of measurement, item fit to the 3PL model, and differential item functioning with respect to gender.

How many students and items were involved in the development and validation?

A total of 1,005 SS2 Economics students were sampled, and a 50-item Multiple Choice Economics Test (MCET) was developed, validated by experts, and pilot-tested.

What did the 3PL IRT analysis reveal about item fit and measurement precision?

The 3PL analysis showed that 49 items had low standard errors of measurement, indicating high precision. Item-fit analysis indicated 21 items fit the 3PL model while 29 misfit.

Oct 15, 2026

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