Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Traducción y adaptación de pruebas: Lecciones aprendidas y recomendaciones para países participantes en TIMSS, PISA y otras comparaciones internacionales

2006; Instituto Salvatierra; Volume: 8; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

1607-4041

Guillermo Solano‐Flores, Luis Ángel Contreras Niño, Eduardo Backhoff Escudero,

Educational Outcomes and Influences

In this paper we present a conceptual model and methodology for the review of translated tests in the context of such international comparisons as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS ) and the Programme for International Student Assessment ( PISA ). We also present the results of an investigation into the quality of the Mexican translation of the TIMSS -1995 into the Spanish language. We identified translation errors in a significant percentage of the items, as well as relatively high correlations between the severity of translation errors and the items’ p-values. These findings indicate that our error-coding system is highly sensitive to test-translation error. The results underscore the need for improved translation and translation-review procedures in international comparisons. In our opinion, to implement the guidelines properly for test translation in international comparisons, each participating country needs to have internal procedures that would ensure a rigorous review of its own translations. The article concludes with four recommendations for countries participating in international comparisons. These recommendations relate to: (a) the characteristics of the individuals in charge of translating instruments; (b) the use of review, not simply at the end of the process, but during the process of test translation; (c) the minimum time needed for various translation review iterations to take place; and (d) the need for proper documentation of the entire process of test translation.