Differential rapid responding across language and cultural groups

ABSTRACT Rapid response behaviour, a type of test disengagement, cannot be interpreted as a true indicator of the targeted constructs and may compromise score accuracy as well as score validity for interpretation. Rapid responding may be due to multiple factors for diverse populations. In this study, using Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 Science data, we examined the comparability of rapid response behaviours for nine different language and cultural groups. Statistical methods were developed to flag rapid responses on different item types and to test differential rapid responding rates between groups. Results showed that rapid response rates and their association with performance were different among the studied groups. However, regardless of students’ group membership, a rapid response led to a chance correct rate, and it had a negative impact on performance. The results also indicated limited impact of different test engagement on performance ranking for the studied groups.