Difficulty-generating Characteristics of Reflection Items-an Empirical and Task-based Category Scheme

Abstract

Studies on different single reflection tasks identified characteristics of reflection items influencing the solution rates. Even if the analysis of those studies provides information on typical errors of children on reflection items, detailed conclusions on difficulty-generating characteristics of reflection items in primary school mathematics cannot be drawn. By systematically developing further items on the basis of these studies, this article aims to refine facets of complexity on reflection tasks. A sample of 37 items-each solved by approximately 250 pupils in 3rd grade-taken out from nationwide tests in Germany was therefore analyzed. A profound content analysis of reflection tasks (Rasch scaled) was used to enlarge findings on typical characteristics influencing demands for solving reflection tasks. Thereby the psychometric scaled difficulty of tasks will be combined with content-related didactical analyses to generate a categorical scheme on specific characteristics of reflection items. This scheme offers a detailed description of complexity characteristics for reflections at primary school age.