USING DIF TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNERS CAN OUT PERFORM LEARNERS WITH SIGHT IN EXAMINATIONS: THE CASE OF THE 2018 PSLCE EXAMINATION IN ENGLISH IN SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN MALAWI

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether visually impaired learners (those with sight problems) can outperform learners without sight problems in Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) examination. This purpose was arrived at after identifying the knowledge gap in literature. The literature review showed that no study was carried out on whether or not visually impaired learners can outperform learners without sight problems in PSLCE. The focus was on the 2018 English Paper (Multiple Choice Section) using Differential Item Functioning (DIF) detection procedure.The research design followed quantitative approach which is under positivist paradigm. One of the assumptions used was multicollinearity, this is when predictors are measuring the same thing twice. Results of the data analysis after checking for multicollinearity using collinearity diagnostics, showed the Variable Inflation Factor of 3.773 which was not greater than 10 indicating no multicollinearity in the predictors. Finally the results of the data analysis when checking for outliers using P-P plots showed that almost all the predicted and observed points were linear. This meant that there were no outliers in the data. The study was undertaken to find out whether DIF detection procedures could be achieved in the 2018 PSLCE English Paper items and determine the group of learners affected by DIF. The learners were selected using stratified sampling and primary schools were selected using random sampling. Thus from a group of 400 learners 200 were learners without visual problems and another 200 were visually impaired learners. Data was analyzed using (SPSS). Results showed that performance of learners without visual problems in English was higher than that of visually impaired learners. This meant that learners without visual problems consistently outperformed the visually impaired learners and the type of DIF was Uniform. Furthermore, this showed that visually impaired learners were disadvantaged. Results of the study point to the recommendation that examining bodies need to consider adopting Differential Item Functioning analysis to enhance examination equity, fairness and quality.