The study was intended to find some criteria of item selection to raise up a test reliability (mainly cronbach' α and KR20). The previous studies were examined for the properties of reliability coefficients in terms of a test. Based on the literature...
The study was intended to find some criteria of item selection to raise up a test reliability (mainly cronbach' α and KR20). The previous studies were examined for the properties of reliability coefficients in terms of a test. Based on the literature review, relative effects of item variables such as item mean, item variance, inter-item correlation, test-item correlation and the number of items on test reliability coefficients was confirmed by computer simulated data.
In conclusion, coefficient α or KR20 can reasonably be regarded as a degree of item homogeneity in a test. The relative weights of the item variables for the reliability coefficient can be listed in order of item-test correlation, or inter-item correlation, the number of items, item variance, and item mean. However, the criteria of item selection to raise up reliability coefficient can be determined by the interaction of these item variables. Finally, the efficient procedure of item selection was presented for obtaining maximum reliability coefficient of a test.