Development of Four-Tier Diagnostic Test (FTDT) To Assess Readiness of Incoming Grade 11 Students in General Mathematics

Abstract

Readiness in General Mathematics is a critical factor in ensuring students’ successful transition from Junior High School to Senior High School. However, traditional assessments often focus solely on the correctness of answers and fail to identify students’ reasoning, confidence, and misconceptions. This study aimed to develop a Four-Tier Diagnostic Test (FTDT) integrated with the Certainty of Response Index (CRI) to assess the readiness of incoming Grade 11 students in General Mathematics. Specifically, it sought to establish the psychometric properties of the instrument and analyze students’ readiness through multidimensional diagnostic classifications.
A descriptive-developmental research design was employed involving 100 Grade 10 students from Dr. Apolonio M. Lirio National High School. The instrument underwent expert validation and pilot testing. Data were analyzed using the Content Validity Index (CVI), Rasch Model, Readiness Index (RI), and frequency and percentage distribution.
Results showed that the FTDT demonstrated good content validity, with an S-CVI/Ave of 0.81. Rasch analysis revealed high person reliability for both the knowledge tier (0.883) and reasoning tier (0.884), indicating that the instrument could effectively differentiate students according to readiness levels. The Readiness Index revealed that 55% of students exhibited low readiness, 42% demonstrated moderate readiness, and only 3% achieved high readiness. Furthermore, the FTDT-CRI classification identified misconceptions, false negative responses, false positive responses, and lack of knowledge, highlighting significant gaps in prerequisite competencies.
The findings suggest that the FTDT integrated with CRI is a valid and reliable diagnostic instrument for assessing readiness in General Mathematics. The instrument provides a comprehensive assessment of students’ knowledge, reasoning, and confidence, which may assist teachers in identifying learning gaps and designing targeted instructional interventions and bridging programs