A Validity Argument for a Brief Assessment of Mature Number Sense
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This Brief Report presents an example of assessment validation using an argument-based approach. The instrument we developed is a Brief Assessment of Students’ Mature Number Sense, which measures a central goal in mathematics education. We chose to develop this assessment to provide an efficient way to measure the effect of instructional practices designed to improve students’ number sense. Using an argument-based framework, we first identify our proposed interpretations and uses of student scores. We then outline our argument with three claims that provide evidence connecting students’ responses on the assessment with its intended uses. Finally, we highlight why using argument-based validation benefits measure developers as well as the broader mathematics education community.
Footnotes
This research was supported by a Community-Engaged Research Grant from the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL EHR 2100214. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Thanks go to Allison VanOverberghe and Joanna Azar for their help with coding and administrative tasks and to Guangjian Zhang for statistical consultation. This research would not have been possible without the support of many administrators and teachers throughout the country, especially Kathe Streeter. The preregistration for this study is available at https://osf.io/xk97w/.
Contributor Notes
Patrick K. Kirkland, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556; pkirklan@nd.edu
