Development of a Short-Form Instrument for Assessing Middle School Students' Statistical Literacy

This study aimed to develop a short-form version of the statistical literacy assessment instrument for middle school students, originally developed by Jeong (2024) while maintaining its diagnostic function, and to examine its validity and reliability. Cognitive diagnostic analysis based on the G-DINA model and expert reviews were employed to remove seven items from the original 23-item instrument, resulting in a 16-item short form. Analyses of item parameter estimates and the Q-matrix confirmed acceptable item fit and a balanced distribution of items across cognitive attributes. The short-form instrument also demonstrated satisfactory model fit and classification accuracy, as well as strong convergent validity in attribute mastery compared with the original version. These results indicate that the short-form instrument retains the diagnostic function of the original version while enhancing its practicality and usability in school settings, thereby indicating its significance for educational application.