A Rasch Analysis of Grammar Item Difficulty

• Project/Area Number: 22520596
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kyoto Sangyo University
• Principal Investigator: NISHITANI Atuko 京都産業大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (50367942)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2012)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: 英文法 / ラッシュ分析 / 項目難易度 / 多肢選択式問題 / アンケート調査 / アンケート / 教科書 / Processability Theory / 大学生

Research Abstract

The difficulty order of 38 grammar items was investigated using the Rasch analysis. There were items that looked parallel to teachers but showed different difficulty estimates. A questionnaire was administered concerning such items, and it was found that students seemed to look at the items differently than teachers. The difficulty order derived from this study was not in accord with the order predicted by processability theory or the order in which the structures appear in junior and senior high school textbooks.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The Order of Grammar Item Difficulty: A Preliminary Analysis (2012)
  • Author(s): Atsuko Nishitani
  • Journal Title: NIDABA Volume: 41 Pages: 127-136
  • NAID: 120006878702
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Investigating an Order of Grammatical Difficulty: A Review of Literature (2012)
  • Author(s): Atsuko Nishitani
  • Journal Title: 京都産業大学論集人文科学系列 Volume: 45 Pages: 59-79
  • NAID: 110009424180
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Order of Grammar Item Difficulty : A Preliminary Analysis (2012)
  • Author(s): Atsuko Nishitani
  • Journal Title: NIDABA Volume: 41 Pages: 127-136
  • NAID: 120006878702
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Investigating an Order of Grammatical Difficulty : A Review of Literature (2012)
  • Author(s): Atsuko Nishitani
  • Journal Title: 京都産業大学論集人文科学系列 Volume: 45 Pages: 59-79
  • NAID: 110009424180
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] ラッシュ分析による文法難易度の検証:類似問題が異なる難易度を示すのはなぜか (2012)
  • Author(s): 西谷敦子
  • Organizer: 大学英語教育学会
  • Place of Presentation: 京都産業大学
  • Year and Date: 2012-11-24
• [Presentation] Grammatical Difficulty for Japanese EFL Learners and Processability Theory (2011)
  • Author(s): 西谷敦子
  • Organizer: Temple University Applied Linguistics Colloquium
  • Place of Presentation: テンプル大学ジャパン大阪
  • Year and Date: 2011-02-13
• [Presentation] A Rasch Analysis of Grammatical Difficulty: What Influences Item Difficulty?
  • Author(s): 西谷敦子
  • Organizer: 大学英語教育学会(JACET)関西支部秋季大会
  • Place of Presentation: 京都産業大学