The Issue of Non-Adherence to Test Construction Principles: Do Teachers’ Commitment to Teaching or Attitude by the Teacher Really Matter?

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ skills and attitude towards test construction, commitment to work and adherence to test construction principles. The study adopted the quantitative inquiry approach. Through the census survey method, 346 high school teachers in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana, were engaged. Questionnaire was used to survey the teachers. Reliability of the instrument was 0.8. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), through AMOS software, and mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS. It emerged from the study that teachers’ attitude towards test construction significantly mediated between teachers’ skills and adherence to test construction principles, but teachers’ commitment to work did not. Both teachers’ commitment and attitude did not serially mediate the relationship between teachers’ test construction skills and adherence to test construction principles. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE) and heads of various high schools should organise special workshops and symposia to sensitize teachers on the essence of developing quality test items, since doing this would help teachers develop positive attitude towards test construction.

Keywords

• commitment to work
• attitude towards test construction
• test construction principles
• test construction skills
• adherence to test construction principles
• senior high school
• competency in test construction