Sepni Yanti, Awaluddin Tjalla, Anan Sutisna, Tri Wahyudi Ramdhan
This study focused on developing and validating an instrument to assess elementary school students’ abilities in solving mathematical word problems, specifically targeting their skills in understanding, planning, applying strategies, and evaluation. Using the ADDIE instructional design model, a 30-item multiple-choice test consisting of word problem-solving was administered to 500 fourth-grade students (252 males, 248 females, aged 9–11) from three schools in Depok, Indonesia. Each of the 30 items was presented in a story-telling question format, requiring students to read and comprehend a real-world mathematical scenario before solving it. The questions were designed to test different cognitive aspects, including the student’s ability to understand the problem, plan an appropriate solution, apply mathematical strategies, and evaluate the correctness of their solution. The validity and reliability of the instrument were analyzed using Rasch analysis. Two trials were conducted. In Trial 1 (n = 200), the instrument demonstrated high item reliability (0.96) but low person reliability (0.58), with seven items identified as misfitting. Trial 2 (n = 300) showed an improvement in person reliability (0.67) and sustained high item reliability (0.98), though overfitting was observed. The results contribute to the creation of a valid and reliable tool for assessing problem-solving abilities in mathematical word problems. The findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions to enhance students’ problem-solving skills, offering insights for improving teaching and assessment practices. This research adds to the development of assessment instruments in mathematical problem-solving and deepens the understanding of elementary students’ problem-solving abilities. © 2026 Kasetsart University.
Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Indraprasta PGRI University, 12530, Indonesia; Doctoral Program Department of Educational Research and Evaluation, Jakarta State University, Jakarta Timur, Jakarta, 13220, Indonesia; Darul Hikmah Islamic College, Bangkalan, 69121, Indonesia
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