INVESTIGATION THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN SCHOOL LEARNING AND ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS THROUGH ITEM ANALYSIS

This study presents findings collected from an analysis of Turkish Biology Curriculum Guidelines and of their alignment with the curricular outcomes and the Student Selection Examination (SSE) for higher education. The analysis was performed in multiple dimensions: content areas, learning outcomes in terms of scientific research and process skills (SRPS), science-technology-society-environment (STSE), communication competencies, attitudes and values (CCAV) and cognitive objectives. Webb's (2007) alignment criteria were used to investigate the relationship between curriculum standards and assessment frameworks. In this process, the biology questions asked in the 2010 SSE were examined in detail by 10 biology teachers who have been teaching biology courses at secondary schools. Although alignment consistency was high according to the depth-of-knowledge (DOK) consistency and categorical concurrence criteria, the SSE questions and curriculum outcomes were not fully aligned considering the low consistency of range of knowledge and balance of representation criteria.