Item and error analysis of Form IV Junior Lyceum physics examination

Abstract

This study entails an item and error analysis of the 1986 annual Physics examination paper for Form IV of the Junior Lyceum schools in Malta. The item analysis is based on the responses of 403 pupils, including 276 girls and 127 boys from the Blata l-Bajda, Mriehel and Tal-Handaq Junior Lyceum schools. The study also compares the attainments in physics for girls and boys. The results show that the examination paper was both valid and reliable. Sex differences were found reaching a level of significance in two of the three sections of the paper. The girls did significantly better than boys (p < 0.050) when considering the whole examination paper. Also, the most difficult topic was Internal Energy and Heat for this group of examinees and once again, the girls performed significantly better than the boys (p < 0.050). Major errors included mathematical difficulties. inadequate description of an experiment and inexact recall of definitions and formulae. Possible sources of errors were hypothesised.