김기형, 신동광, 이용상. (2022). LQ 지수를 활용한 문항 난이도 조정 방안: 수능 국어 영역을 중심으로. 교육문화연구, 28(2), 127-144.
An item difficulty adjustment method using LQ index: Focusing on the Korean language section of the CSAT
Kim, Keehyung(Natmal Co.Ltd)
Shin, Dongkwang(Gwangju University of Education)
Lee, Yongsang(Inha University)
In this study, as part of an effort to explore a scientific and systematic item difficulty adjustment method, the relationship between the readability index and item difficulty was examined. To this end, the text difficulty of items comprising the elective subjects Speech and Composition and Language and Media in the Korean language section of the 2022 CSAT was analyzed, and the results were examined through a comparison of those items’ text difficulty. To measure text difficulty, the Lectio Quotient (LQ) index, a readability index developed by Natmal Co., Ltd., was used, and characteristics of the passages and items were analyzed using Natmal Co., Ltd.'s vocabulary and grammar analysis program. Firstly, analysis of the text difficulty of the items in the Korean language section of the 2021 and 2022 CSATs revealed that the text difficulty of the 2022 CSAT was higher than that of the 2021 CSAT. Additionally, the aforementioned elective subjects’ text and item difficulty for the 2022 CSAT were analyzed, and results confirmed the existence of a close relationship between text difficulty and item difficulty. This shows that the LQ index can be utilized to diagnose and scientifically and systematically predict and adjust item difficulty through analysis of the text difficulty of passages and items during item development. In the future, it is necessary to conduct a follow-up study to devise a sophisticated item difficulty prediction model utilizing the various item difficulty variables analyzed in this study.
[Keywords] Readability Index, LQ index, Sentence difficulty, Item difficulty, CSAT Korean language section