Faculty of Education - Theses

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End date: 1989 × Type: Masters Research thesis × Subject: Science ×

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    A cognitive analysis of problem solving in examinations
    King, Michael G. ( 1981)
    The acquisition of the cognitive skill of problem solving is generally considered to be a necessary attainment for science students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the problem solving component to item difficulty. Success in this aim would enable examiners to select items which validly test for the cognitive objectives of their courses. Three schemes which can provide a hierarchical cognitive classification of items were considered (Bloom's Taxonomy, Piagetian levels, and Gagne's outcomes of learning), and a task analysis based upon Gagne's concept of the rule was chosen as the most appropriate for use with HSC physics items. From this analysis an operational definition of the higher cognitive component of item difficulty was derived: item difficulty is proportional to the number of rules involved in the solution of the problem. Two additional aspects of item construction which have been reported to affect item difficulty were also investigated: response style, and the use of certain logical connectives. Neither of these factors was associated with item difficulty after the effect of number of rules is accounted for.