FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PRACTICE OF TABLE OF SPECIFICATION IN TEST CONSTRUCTION: THE CASE OF BULE HORA UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Designing TOS plays a significant role in determining the quality of assessment in education. This is particularly so when teachers properlyalign the instruction,content, and classroomtests. This studyseeks to explorefactors influencing the practice of TOS in test construction in BHU.Mixed method designwas employed in collecting data from 250 instructors. Data were collected using questionnaire, interview, FGDand document analysis using stratified and purposive sampling. To determine if there were statistically significant relationships among teachers’ practices of TOS based on their knowledge, attitude and teaching experience and the extent to which each of these three selected variables individually and jointly affected the teachers’ practices of TOSwere formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. Frequency, percentage, mean, Pearson Product Moment‘s Correlation and multiple regressions statistical analysiswere used. The results showed that teachers exhibited a low understanding and were unableto build a comprehensive table of specification for the courses they teach. There were statistically significant relationships among the scores of the teachers’ table of specification practices based on knowledge and attitude respectively, but not teaching experience. Knowledge and attitudewere significant predictors of the table of specification practices with the exception of teaching experience. The study also found thatthe combined contribution ofteachers’ knowledge, attitude and teaching experiencewas significant in predicting the practice of table of specification.It was concluded that teachers should pay attention to designing TOS, teachers’ training and instructional skills training modules and materials contents should be revised to enhance the content for the principles of test constructionon a regular basis to sharpen their skills on effective test construction practices.