Use of Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Cognitive Domain) in Constructing Tests for Primary School Pupils

The study was to determine whether the behaviors defined in the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain could be elicited and a range of performance detected in young children in the age range of seven to nine. Test items were developed for every level of behavior in the Taxonomy. Three judges ranked each potential test item according to the behavior involved in answering it. A test instrument was compiled of the items on which some agreement by the judges was reached and administered to forty-eight subjects. Content validity of the test items, reliability of the instrument, and discrimination indices for test items were determined. The two hypotheses were accepted with qualifications: a test instrument could be developed which distinctly measures the cognitive behaviors and the instrument could be administered so that a range of performance could be evidenced.