ERIC Number: EJ1159030
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-5698
EISSN: N/A
Comparative Analysis of Academic Grades in Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain Using Statistical Techniques
Veas, Alejandro; Gilar, Raquel; Miñano, Pablo; Castejón, Juan Luis
Educational Studies, v43 n5 p533-548 2017
The present study, based on the construct comparability approach, performs a comparative analysis of general points average for seven courses, using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the Partial Credit model (PCM) with a sample of 1398 student subjects (M = 12.5, SD = 0.67) from 8 schools in the province of Alicante (Spain). EFA confirmed a one-factor model which explains 74.44% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha value for this factor was 0.94. The PCM supported the one-factor model, and an optimal fit was achieved in all of the courses. The analysis of differential item functioning showed no significant differences in any course. Equitable distribution was observed in the evolution of the difficulty indices along the measurement scale for each course. This type of analysis confirms the measurement of a single latent construct in the different topics analysed, despite addressing various theoretical and procedural contents.
Descriptors: Comparative Analysis, Grades (Scholastic), Compulsory Education, Secondary Education, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Statistical Analysis, Factor Analysis, Item Response Theory, Goodness of Fit, Item Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A