فهرس المقالات Likelihood Ratio

• حرية الوصول المقاله
  • صفحة الملخص
  • نص كامل
  
  1 - Examining Differential Item Functioning (DIF) For Iranian EFL Test Takers with Different Fields of Study
  Shokouh Rashvand Semiyari Saeideh Ahangari
  10.30486/relp.2021.1935588.1295
  Differential Item Functioning (DIF) takes place when different groups of test-takers with the same level of ability perform differently on a single test. It means some other factors might arise due to group membership. The object of this article was to examine DIF in th أکثر

  Differential Item Functioning (DIF) takes place when different groups of test-takers with the same level of ability perform differently on a single test. It means some other factors might arise due to group membership. The object of this article was to examine DIF in the MSRT (MCHE) test items. This is an English proficiency test that comprises a total of 100 questions including listening comprehension (LC), structure and written expressions (SWE), and reading comprehension (RC) sections. To this end, 200 pre-intermediate to intermediate Iranian EFL learners with the age range of 25 to 32 in two different fields of study (100 Humanities and 100 sciences) were randomly selected for the analysis. The Item Response Theory (IRT) Likelihood Ratio (LR) approach was used to identify items displaying DIF. The scored item of 200 test-takers was subjected to the IRT Three-Parameter Model presenting the probability that a randomly selected test taker with an ability of theta (θ) answered an item correctly, using item difficulty (b parameter), item discrimination (a parameter), and pseudo-guessing (c parameter). The results of the independent samples t-test for means comparison of two groups indicated that Science test-takers outperformed the Humanities, especially in SWE and RC sections. It can be inferred that the exam was statistically easier for the Science test-takers at 0.05 level. The findings identified 15 DIF items as well. The implications and suggestions for further studies were also reported. تفاصيل المقالة
• حرية الوصول المقاله
  • صفحة الملخص
  • نص كامل
  
  2 - Analysis of Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Cocoa Farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria
  Agom Damian Ila Susan Ben Ohen Kingsley Okoi Itam Nyambi N. Inyang
  The technical efficiency involved in cocoa production in Cross River State was estimated using the stochastic frontier production function analysis. The effects of some selected socio- economic characteristics of the farmers on the efficiency indices were also estimated أکثر

  The technical efficiency involved in cocoa production in Cross River State was estimated using the stochastic frontier production function analysis. The effects of some selected socio- economic characteristics of the farmers on the efficiency indices were also estimated. The study relied upon primary data generated from interviewing cocoa farmers using a set of structured questionnaire. A multi-staged random sampling technique was adopted in selecting two hundred (200) cocoa farmers from Ikom Agricultural Zone in the state. The data on the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the stochastic production function, using the Maximum Likelihood Estimating (MLE) techniques was used in estimating the farmer’s technical efficiency and their determinants. Result of the analysis showed that farmers were experiencing decreasing but positive returns to scale in the use of the farm resources. The efficiency level ranged between 0.20 and 0.93 with a mean of 0.69. The result of the generalized Likelihood Ratio (LR) tests confirmed that the cocoa farmers in the area were technically inefficient. The major contributing factors to efficiency were age of farmers, farm size, and level of education, sex of farmer and age of the farms. The study observed that there is enough room to improve efficiency with the farmers’ current resource base and available technology and concluded that policies that would directly affect these identified variables should be pursued. تفاصيل المقالة