Designing, Implementing, and Validating the Concept Map-Based Tests

Abstract: Evaluation of learners’ cognitive structure is a growing and important part of academic evaluation research. One of the most commonly used methods to measure cognitive structure is concept map-based tests. The purpose of this research is to design، implement، and validate the concept map-based tests in Persian textbooks. First، four types of concept map-based tests (free drawing، the leaded drawing، the free complete، the leaded complete) were presented. The tests were implemented among a sample of 221 students of secondary school students that participated in eight experimental classes in Tabriz، Iran. In the next step، the tests were validated these based on indexes of content validity، criterion validity، and differential validity and inter raters’ reliability. The qualitative findings indicated that the Persian textbooks include the potential for concept map-based tests. The findings also showed that these tests have a high content validity. The results of these tests have different values of correlation (average value of. 50) with multiple-choice tests (criterion validity). Furthermore، the tests detected a difference between high achievers students and low achievers ones (differential validity). According to the obtained results، the coefficients of scoring agreement in concept maps tests were high (inter raters’ reliability).