Developing a multi-tier instrument for chemistry teaching: A challenging exercise

This paper highlights the process of the development of the four-tier device in the topic of acid-base properties of salt solution (FTI-AB). The procedure for developing the instrument adopted the one proposed by Habiddin & Page (1). This study involved 172 secondary school students as respondents. One hundred three students participated in the preliminary survey (testing and interview) and 69 students in the pilot study (validating the four-tier instrument). Twenty- three items/questions of the prototype four-tier instrument were produced. The quality of the instrument in light of validity, reliability, difficulty level, discriminatory index, and distractor effectiveness are discussed. In considering the result of empirical validity (reliability, difficulty level, discriminatory index, distractor effectiveness, and validity), 23 questions are produced in the final FTI-AB. This study demonstrated that building a valid and reliable four-tier instrument is challenging and requires cautious procedures. This paper also highlights the survey regarding the instrument/tool applied in investigating students’ unscientific understanding in the area of chemistry education. The result of this survey emphasizes the dominant of multi-tier instrument utilization in the area. However, those instruments are mostly developed without applying a proper procedure.