Construction and Validation of the Basic Operations Achievement Test (BOAT): An Arithmetic Achievement Test for Learners in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to develop an Arithmetic Achievement test through a scientific process. It aimed 
to develop a good quality test which could be used in the Zimbabwean education system as a 
replacement for the Western tests which are culture-biased, with irrelevant content included. To 
achieve this goal, a blueprint of the scale was developed based on pertinent literature of 
achievement test development, with a view to measuring students’ success in learning natural 
numbers and operations. As a developmental quantitative descriptive study carried out in  four 
Manicaland Districts, namely Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutare and Mutasa, it analyzed the items 
of the test that were tried out on 250 pupils attempting 30 open-ended questions included in the 
test. Their answers were analyzed in terms of validity, item difficulty, and reliability to some 
extent. Firstly, the validity analysis showed that all items were considered valid, with a content 
validity index of 0.75 considered acceptable since it falls slightly off 0.8 that is considered 
excellent. Then the difficulty index analysis of 40 pool test items showed that more than a half of 
the items were categorised as moderate but the rest were either very easy or very difficult. The 
average pass rate from the nine piloted schools was 40%, with insignificant score variance between 
boys and girls. Finally, the reliability estimation analysis showed that the consistency index of the 
test already met the minimum reliability index required. Based on the findings, the test developer 
is recommended to cascade the achievement test to other districts and provinces, with 
standardization of the developed test in mind.