Psychometric Evaluation of Dictations with the Rasch Model

Hussein, Rasha; Sabit, Shaker; Alwan, Merriam; Wafqan, Hussam Mohammed; Baqer, Abeer; Ali, Muneam; Hachim, Safa; Sahi, Zahraa; AlSalami, Huda; Sulaiman, Bahaa Aldin

doi:10.22034/ijlt.2022.157129

Psychometric Evaluation of Dictations with the Rasch Model

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Rasha Hussein ¹

Shaker Sabit ²

Merriam Alwan ³

Hussam Mohammed Wafqan ⁴

Abeer Baqer ⁵

Muneam Ali ⁶

Safa Hachim ⁷

Zahraa Sahi ⁸

Huda AlSalami ⁹

Bahaa Aldin Sulaiman ¹⁰

¹ Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences (Maysan)/Iraq

² Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Iraq

³ Medical Laboratory Techniques Department /Medical (Technology) College, Al-Farahidi University/Iraq

⁴ English Language Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, Iraq

⁵ Medical Laboratory Techniques Department, Dijlah University College, Iraq, Baghdad

⁶ Al-Nisour University College/ Iraq

⁷ College of technical Engineering, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq. Medical Laboratory Techniques Department, Al-Turath University College, Iraq

⁸ Department of Dentistry, Al-Zahrawi University College, Karbala, Iraq

⁹ Altoosi University College, Najaf , Iraq

¹⁰ Al-Esraa University College, Baghdad, Iraq

10.22034/ijlt.2022.157129

Abstract

Dictation is a traditional technique for both teaching and testing overall language ability and listening comprehension. In a dictation, a passage is read aloud by the teacher and examinees write down what they hear. Due to the peculiar form of dictations, psychometric analysis of dictations is challenging. In a dictation, there is no clear boundary between the items and every word in the text is potentially an item. This makes the analysis of dictations with classical and modern test theories rather difficult. In this study, we suggest a procedure to make dictations analyzable with psychometric models. Our strategy entailed using several independent short passages instead of a single long passage. The number of mistakes in each passage was counted and entered into the analysis. Rasch model analysis was then applied to the passage scores (mistakes). Our findings showed that dictations fit the Rasch model very well and it is possible to measure examinees’ ability on an interval scale using dictations.

Keywords

Dictation

Partial credit model

Rasch model

Reduced redundancy tests

Validation