Scoring methods in script concordance tests : an exploratory psychometric study

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Despite the increasingly popular role of script concordance test (SCT) scoring methods in the evaluation of clinical reasoning, studies examining these methods in nursing are relatively scarce. This study explored the psychometric properties of five SCT scoring methods. METHOD:An SCT was administered to 12 experts and 43 learners. Scores were calculated using five methods and descriptive statistics. Differences in scores were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for the different methods. RESULTS:The median scores of both experts and learners differed substantially according to the scoring method used. Learners' scores were statistically different from experts' scores (p < .01) for each method. Spearman coefficients (range, 0.44 to 0.95) were positive for the different methods. CONCLUSION:Further research is needed to refine the influence of SCT scoring methods for use in certifying assessment of clinical reasoning in nursing. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(10):549–555.]