Changing the Order of Factors Does Not Change the Product but Does Affect Students’ Answers, Especially Girls’ Answers

This study is aimed at exploring how different formulations of the same mathematical item may influence students’ answers, and whether or not boys girls are equally affected by differences in presentation. An experimental design was employed: stem-items (i.e., items with content question intent) were formulated differently administered to a probability sample 1647 students (grade 8). All achievement tests anchored via set common items. Students’ equated then analysed using Rasch model, confirmed that affect performances thus psychometric functionality items, discernible according gender. In particular, we explored sensitivity effect typical misconception about multiplication decimal numbers (often called “multiplication makes bigger”) tested hypothesis more prone than be negatively misconception.