Contributions of Latent Trait Theories

L.C-1 C:73 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EOUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCA "IONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIALIN MICROFICHE ONLY CENTER IERIC) HAS BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproduced as tecer..edI -- the perecn or organtzation ouquotinq Minor t:haruter, have Leen made to improve reproduc turn quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this docu. INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) AND talent do not necessarily represent official ME USERS OF THE ERIC SYSTEM." posinon or policy The Improvement of Measurement in Education and Psychology Contributions of Latent Trait Theories Edited by Donald Spearritt Professor of Education, University of Sydney Vice-President, The Australian Council for Educational Research The Australian Council for Educational Research Golden Jubilee Year Invitational Seminar 22-23 May 1980 Australian Council for Educational Research U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCA7IONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY CENTER (ERIC) HAS BEEN GRANTED BY gThis document has been reproduced as received limn Me person or organization D. Arl qtA originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view Or opinions stated in this docu- INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) AND ment do not necwssarily represent official ME USERS OF THE ERIC SYSTEM." position or policy. 2 Published by The Australian Council for Educational Research Limited Radford House, Frederick Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 Typeset, printed and bound hy Brown Prior Anderson 5 Uans Street, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Nationall.ihrary of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data The Improver/1ov of measuremun in education and psychology. Bihliography. Includes index. ISBN 0 85563 226 7. Educational tests and measuftments. 2. Grading and marking (Students). 3. Psychological tests. 4. Personality tests. I. Spearritt, Donald, 1921-11. Austrahan Council for Fducational Research. 111. Fi'le. r1.26 Copy right R 1982 No part of this publication may he reproduced in any for,n without permission from the publisher. Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments ix Contributing Authors x \kntroductory Statement Peter Kcirmel 1 Educational MeasurementTheory and Practice Robert L. Thorndike 3 Reactant Statement Barry McCaw 14 2 Comparing Lateru Trait with Classical Measurement Models in the Practice of Educational and Psychological Measurement John A. Keats 17 Reactant Staterne-nt Kevin F. Collis 37 3 The Use of Latent Trait Models in the Measurement of Cognitive Abilities and Skills Bruce Choppin 41 Reactant Statement Glen A. Smith 64 4 The Linear Logistic Test Model and its Application in Educational Research Hans Spada and Regine May 67 Reactant Statement Glenn Rowley 85 5 Using Latent Trait Measurement Models to Analyse Attitudinal Data: A Synthesis of Viewpoints David ,4ndrich 89 Reactant Statement Charles Poole 127 6Conditional Inference in a Generic Rasch Model Graham A. Douglas 129 Reactant Statement Alan G. Smith 158 7 The Use of Latent Trait Models in the Development and Analysis of Classroom Tests John F. Izard and John D. White 161 8 The Use of the Rasch Lawnt Trait Measurement Model in the Equating of Scholastic Aptitude Tests George Morgan 189 9Some Alternative Approaches to the Improvement of Measurement in Education and Psychology: Fitting Latent Trait Models Roderick P. McDonald 213 10A Perspective on the Seminar Donald Spearritt 239 List of Participants 253 Name Index 257 Subject Index 260 Preface The Australian Council for Educational Research was established in 1930,under a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Three functions were held in1980to mark the fiftieth anniversary. Two were invitational seminars one on the improvement of measurement in education and psychology and another on societal change and its impact on education. The third function was the presentation of a history of the ACER prepared by Professor W. F. Connell. This volume contains the papers and reactant statements which were presented at the Invitational Seminar on the Improvement of Measure- ment in Education and Psychology. A seminar on this topic was con- sidered to be highly appropriate for the anniversary celebrations, as measurement in education and psychology has been one of the main areas of the work of the ACER since its inception. The seminar was held on 22 and23May in the Council Chamber of the University of Melbourne. Sixty-one people attended, including participants from most parts of Australia and from Canada, The People's Republic of China, Finland, Germany (FRG), Great Britain, New Zealand, and the United States. A highlight of the occasion was the presence of Emeritus Professor R. L. Thorndike, of Teachers College, Columbia University, who was especially invited by the ACER to give the opening paper. His visit to Australia was supported by the Australian American Educational Foundation. The seminar was opened by the President of the ACER, Emeritus Pro- fessor P. H. Karmel, whose introductory statement is included in this volume. It was decided in the planning stages of the seminar that the focus should be on the contribution that latent trait measures can make to education and psychology. In the1960sand1970s,psychometricians had devoted much effort to the development of latent trait measurement models. Yet measurement procedures based upon these models had been usedfor only a shorttimeinthe practiceof educational Lnd psychological measurement in Australia. Many practitioners in the field of measurement still had little or no knowledge of the features of the various latent trait models. It was thought that the time was opportune to vii bring some of the theoretical and practical aspects of latenttrait measurement procedures to the attention of people in Australia working in or interested in the field of measurement in education and psychology. Papers on various aspects of latent trait models were sought from appropriate authors in Australia and overseas. These were circulated in ad- vance to participants in the seminar. The.seminar itself took the form of a paper 'presentation, followed by a reactant statement on the paper, followed in turn by general discussion. The edited versions of the papers appear in this volume, together with the statements of reactants. Some of the discussion is caught up in the final paper, which represents the chair- man's attempt to summarize the debate emerging from the seminar. The seminar was undoubtedly successful inraising the level .of awareness of many of the participants about theoretical and practical ksues in measurement and particularly in latent trait measurement procedures. Since the papers represent original contributions by reputable authors in the field, the ACER believes that they deserve a much wider audience. July 1981 Donald Spearritt Vice-President Australian Council for Educational Research Acknowledgments Acommittee consistingof Dr J. F. Izard, Professors J. A. Keats and B. McGa*, and Mr G. Morgan was set up by the ACER to help with the planning of the seminar. The editor acknowledges their assistance and, in particular, the great assistance of Mr Morgan in the organization of the seminar itself, in preparing appropriate materials, and in the production of this volume. The interest and assistance of Dr J. P. Keeves, the Direc- tor of the ACLR, has been very much appreciated, as was that of the par.- ticipants who helped to make the seminar a significant event in the history of the ACER. Permission to reprint Figures 1 and 2 in the Spada and May paper which were originally published in H. Kluwe and H. S. Spada (Eds), Developmental models of thinking, was grarited by Academic Press, New York. Contributing Authors David AndrichUniversity of Western Australia, Ned lands, Western Australia, Australia Bruce ChoppinNational Foundation for Research inEngland and Wales, The Mere, Upton Park, Slough,Berks., England (now with Centre for the Study of Evaluation, Univers,tyof California, Los Angeles, United States of America) Kevin F. CollisUniversity of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Graham A. DouglasUniversity of Western Australia, Nedkmds, Western A ustrafia, Australia . JohnF.IzardAustralianCouncil for EducationalResearch, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia Peter KarmelChairman, Commonwealth Ter!iary EducationCom- mission; President, Australian Council for EducationalResearch John A. KeatsUniversity of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia Roderick P. McDonaldThe Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (now with MacquarieUniversity, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia) Barry McGaw Murdoch University, Murdoch,Western Australla, Australia Regine MayUniversity of Freiburg, Freiburg, Federal Republicof Germany GeorgeMorganAustralianCouncil for EducationalResearch, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia Charles PooleUniversity of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Glenn RowleyLa Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia Alan G. SmithUniversity of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia Glen A. SmithUniversity of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Hans SpadaUniversity of Freiburg, Freiburg, Federal Republicof Germany Donald SpearrittUniversity of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wdes, Australia Robert L. ThorndikeTeachers College, Columbia University, New York, United States of America JohnD.WhiteAustralianCouncil for EducationalResearch, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

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