Examining the Relationship Between Gender DIF and Language Complexity in Mathematics Assessments


KAN A., Bulut O.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TESTING, vol.14, no.3, pp.245-264, 2014 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 14 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2014
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/15305058.2013.877911
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TESTING
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.245-264
  • Keywords: explanatory item response modeling, gender DIF, language, logistic regression, mathematics, ITEM RESPONSE MODELS, PERFORMANCE, CONTEXT
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study investigated whether the linguistic complexity of items leads to gender differential item functioning (DIF) on mathematics assessments. Two forms of a mathematics test were developed. The first form consisted of algebra items based on mathematical expressions, terms, and equations. In the second form, the same items were written as word problems without changing their contents and solutions. The test forms were given to a sample of 671 sixth-grade students from 10 middle schools in Turkey. The tests were administered to the students with a 4-week interval. Explanatory item response modeling and logistic regression approaches were used to examine gender DIF. Several word problems were flagged as having gender DIF in favor of female examinees, whereas mathematically expressed forms of the same items did not function differently across male and female examinees. The verbal content of word problems seems to influence the way males and females respond to items.