Abstract

BRUCE, Judith C.  and  LACK, Melanie L.. Using subjective judgement to determine the validity of a tutorial performance evaluation instrument. Health SA Gesondheid (Online) [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.1, pp.7-12. ISSN 2071-9736.

Evaluating students' learning performance is dependent on assessment criteria from which valid inferences can be made about student learning. An existing 36-item instrument used to evaluate baccalaureate nursing students' performance in problem-based learning tutorials was presented to experts in nursing for their subjective judgement of item validity. Quantitative analysis of data sets from experts' judgements was used to construct a valid measurement scale for evaluating students' tutorial performance. The objectives of the study were to determine the content validity of items in a tutorial performance evaluation (TPE) instrument and to determine the construct validity of items through paired comparison of main and sub-items in the instrument. Academic experts (n = 8) from two South African universities were selected by means of purposive, maximum variation sampling. Data were collected in three rounds of the Delphi technique, which incorporated the Subjective Judgement Model for paired comparison of instrument items. Experts' ratings were captured on a visual analogue scale for each item. Relative item weights were determined using paired comparisons. Statistical analysis resulted in ratio scale data, each item being assigned a ratio relative to its weight. It was concluded that quantitative analysis of subjective judgements is useful to determine the construct validity of items through paired comparison of items in a TPE instrument. This article presents the methodological perspectives of subjective judgement to establish instrument validity.

Keywords : problem-based learning; quantitative analysis; subjective judgement; tutorial performance; validity; nursing.

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