Educational testing techniques in senior secondary school physics in Nigeria : are we ascertaining the development of requisite behavioural objectives?

Abstract

In order to estimate exam question demands and distributions in senior secondary school physics, this study was conducted. For the determination of the types of tasks involved, quantitative and qualitative research methods were combined (mixed method). Using Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, content analysis was carried out on questions from West African Examination (WAEC) and University of Cambridge International Examination. A perceptual Rating Scale (PRS) with a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was used to determine the readability indices of the questions. Detailed information on the subject matter was gathered through an in-depth interview of two students who sat for the two examinations in the year 2021. Analysis of the data obtained was conducted using inductive thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Bloom's taxonomy revealed that most questions were related to the lower levels (remembering and understanding), but no or very few questions were related to the higher levels. These outcomes portend far-reaching implications for the overall goals of teaching physics. It was therefore recommended that besides scaling up the training for inspectorate officers in the Ministry of Education, it is highly imperative for critical stakeholders and examination bodies, in particular, to promote questions along higher-order cognitive levels