Assessing Students' Business studies Ability in Taraba State Schools: A Cognitive Diagnosis Model Approach

Abstract

School students exhibit varying level of intellectual abilities in the classroom setting during instruction process due to variation in natural abilities of individual student. The purpose of this study is to determine the proportion of students that possesses specific skills in business studies. The study applied the DINO model of cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs), for measurement of business studies skills mastery. A sample of one thousand and fifty (1050) students' scores in Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) business studies for 2019/2020 academic session was randomly selected and used for the study. A Q-matrix sh0'Åing various skills needed to answer the test items was constructed. The GDINA package version 2.7.8. in R program version 3.6.2 via R-studio I .2.5033 was employed to analyze the data. The result showed that students have not mastered any of the skills in business studies. Also, the guessing and slipping parameters showed that there is 26 percent chance of students endorsing the right response and a 47 percent possibility that students who have some of the skills required for an item endorsed the incorrect response. It was recommended that students should pay close attention to those skills combination in business studies that will help them earn a living after graduation.