DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM ACHIEVEMENT TEST (EMAT)

This Study developed the Electricity and Magnetism Achievement Test (EMAT) to assess senior secondary school one student (SS1) learning in physics. EMAT items were carefully chosen by adapting them from established instruments from the physics Education Literature and past senior secondary school certificate examinations to ensure they accurately measured relevant concepts. Content validity, a crucial aspect of a good test, was evaluated by a panel of six experts. These experts judged each item's clarity, relevance to the target domain (electricity and magnetism), and overall coverage of the intended knowledge. A pilot study further complemented this process. To account for potential chance agreement among experts, modified kappa statistics were employed. The study had three objectives and three research questions were posed and answered in line with the objectives. Findings from the study reveals that, EMAT achieved a strong content validity index (S-CVI/Ave = 0.91), indicating a well-designed test that effectively measures the intended knowledge. Additionally, the test demonstrated good reliability (0.81), signifying consistent results. Following item analysis, the final EMAT comprised 33 carefully selected items, ensuring it comprehensively captures the essential elements of electricity and magnetism for senior high school one students. It is recommended that additional studies should be conducted to further validate the instrument's reliability and validity in diverse contexts and populations.