Constructing a Polysemous Academic Vocabulary Extent Test Via Polytomous Rasch Model Measurement Analyses

Abstract

Educational measurement research faces an unresolved dilemma: competently meeting the longstanding demand for improved vocabulary strength (depth) aspect assessments. My original contribution to knowledge in the written receptive vocabulary knowledge construct research domain is twofold. My first contribution is proposing an a priori metasynonymy awareness hypothesis based on a vocabulary strength aspect extension of O’Connor’s (1940) written receptive vocabulary acquisition developmental stage theory. My second contribution is designing and constructing a vocabulary extent (the nexus between vocabulary size (breadth) and strength aspects) test. The test, called the Polysemous Academic Vocabulary Extent Test, utilizes ordered triple rank (OTR) responses and a complementary six-tier incremental scoring guide rubric. An example test item includes a sentence stem with a bold keyword and three options, such as: All the reviews of the movie were positive. positive: a) sure b) good c) enviro