Development of a test in German language to assess middle school students' physics proficiency

TL;DR

This paper presents the development and validation of a German-language physics proficiency test for middle school students, focusing on content and procedural knowledge aligned with TIMSS standards.

Contribution

It introduces a new standardized test for assessing middle school physics knowledge in German, with detailed psychometric evaluation.

Findings

Test shows good reliability and validity

Aligns with TIMSS content standards

Effective in measuring students' physics proficiency

Abstract

This short contribution reports the development of a test for assessing middle school students' physics proficiency via multiple-choice single-select items in German language. The test assesses students' content and procedural knowledge across various content areas that are typical of physics education at the middle-school level and is based on adapted items developed within the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). We report the study design we used to develop this test, as well as the results and selected parameters regarding the test's psychometric quality.