Abstract

VAZQUEZ ALONSO, Ángel; MANASSERO MAS, María Antonia  and  ACEVEDO DIAZ, José Antonio. Quantitative Analysis of Complex Multiple-Choice Items in Science Technology and Society: Item Scaling. REDIE [online]. 2005, vol.7, n.1, pp.01-31. ISSN 1607-4041.

The scarce attention to assessment and evaluation in science education research has been especially harmful for Science-Technology-Society (STS) education, due to the dialectic, tentative, value-laden, and controversial nature of most STS topics. To overcome the methodological pitfalls of the STS assessment instruments used in the past, an empirically developed instrument (VOSTS, Views on Science-Technology-Society) have been suggested. Some methodological proposals, namely the multiple response models and the computing of a global attitudinal index, were suggested to improve the item implementation. The final step of these methodological proposals requires the categorization of STS statements. This paper describes the process of categorization through a scaling procedure ruled by a panel of experts, acting as judges, according to the body of knowledge from history, epistemology, and sociology of science. The statement categorization allows for the sound foundation of ST items, which is useful in educational assessment and science education research, and may also increase teachers' self-confidence in the development of the STS curriculum for science classrooms.

Keywords : Science Technology Society (STS); evaluation; opinion survey; item scaling.

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