Assessing Perceived Efficiency of Tailored Testing and Its Useability over Uniform Testing in Measuring Achievement of Secondary School Geography Students in Benue North-East Education Zone

Yeke C. M., Ogboji J. M., Akaakase T.

This study assessed perceived efficiency of tailored testing and its usability over uniform testing in measuring achievement of Secondary School Geography Students in Benue North – East Education Zone. The study adopted experimental research design. The sample size for the study was 266 secondary school Geography students representing 34.6% of the population drawn from 877 Geography students using Taro Yamen’s formula drawn from 238 schools that offer Geography out of 1046 secondary school in the Zone. A 50 item National Examination Council Geography Past Question Paper was adopted. Also 50 item standardized achievement test, a 50 item teacher-made achievement test and tailored tests were developed and used for data collection. The results revealed that there was a significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students using uniform test and tailored test items. Based on the findings it was concluded that when instruments of items tailored to individual ability of the testees are used, there is the tendency that the students’ true ability can be revealed. It was recommended that the Government should organize workshops to train teachers on item construction with particular reference to tailored testing to instill in the examiners the culture of testing students based on their individual ability, School owners should make introduction of item banking necessary in all post primary schools in order to enhance validity of testing in the school system, Relevant examination bodies like NECO, WAEC, and NABTEB should ensure that only experts are involved in item development to make the test items valid and reliable. Conclusions were drawn and suggestions for further studies were made.