The Development of a Mathematical Skills and Processes Test for Upper Secondary School Students under the Bangkok Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) develop and examine the quality of a mathematics skills and processes test; and 2) develop a norm for interpreting scores. The sample group consisted of 564 upper secondary school students under the Bangkok Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1, Semester 2/2023, obtained through multi-stage random sampling. The research results indicated the following: 1) The developed test has five components, namely 1. problem-solving skills; 2.mathematical communication and interpretation skills; 3. connection skills; 4. reasoning skills; and creative thinking skills. The test is in the form of situational questions. Components 1-4 are 40 multiple-choice questions with five options, awarding 0 point for incorrect answers and 1 point for correct answers. Component 5 requires written answers and is scored using a rubric-based system, totaling 42 questions; 2) The test demonstrated content validity with the index of item objective congruence (IOC) ranging from 0.60 to 1.00. The level of difficulty and discriminating power were 0.37 to 0.74 and 0.30 to 0.82, respectively, while the overall reliability was 0.96. Confirmatory factor analysis showed consistency with the empirical data (  = 1.46,    p = 0.23, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.03, RMR = 0.00). The norm for the test, in the form of standard T scores, ranged from T35 to T70. The sample students demonstrated a moderate level of ability in mathematical skills and processes.

Keywords: mathematical skills and processes, norm, test development