Alignment analysis between teacher-made tests with the learning objectives in a selected school of central regional state of Ethiopia

Alignment studies can offer valuable insights to educators about the effectiveness of the course objectives, assessments, and teaching. In this particular study, the aim was to determine the extent to which teacher-made tests aligned with the learning objectives of natural science subjects. The study included a total of 180 learning objectives (46 from Biology, 71 from Chemistry, and 63 from Physics) and 88 test items (30 from Biology, 30 from Chemistry, and 28 from Physics). Bloom's revised taxonomy was used to identify, organize, and code the objectives and test items. Porter's alignment index was used to analyze the data, allowing for determining the degree of alignment between tests and learning objectives. The results showed that the overall alignment between teacher-made tests with course objectives was 45 % for Biology, 46 % for Chemistry, and 62 % for Physics. The study also found that a dependable degree of alignment was not yet established between learning objectives and tests. Therefore, it was suggested that teachers should use assessment procedures and blueprints that consider higher-order cognitive levels and expected learning objectives. Further investigations are also required to determine whether students are meeting the expected learning objectives and moving to the next grade level.