Comparative Study of Students' Performance Trends and Item Characteristics in Technical Drawing Examinations across Core Curriculum Themes

Abstract This study presents a comparative analysis of students’ performance trends and item characteristics in the National Examinations Council (NECO) Technical Drawing multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from 2017 to 2021 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. The analysis is based on five core curriculum themes: drawing studio practice, geometrical constructions, building drawing, mechanical/machine drawing, and computer-aided drawing (CAD), including business opportunities in drawing studio practice. The research evaluates the quality of assessments to inform improvements in technical drawing pedagogy and technical education delivery. The study employed four specific objectives examining reliability, difficulty indices, discrimination indices, and distractor efficiency. Using an ex-post facto descriptive research design, data were obtained from 6,258 candidates across 177 secondary schools, with a proportionate random sample of 942 candidates. A total of 250 MCQs were thematically classified, and item characteristics were analyzed using Lumen Ex Machina software, while hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA. Key findings reveal an overall mean reliability of 0.79, mean difficulty index of 0.48, mean discrimination of 0.32, and distractor efficiency of 76.4%. Geometrical constructions demonstrated the highest performance metrics, while CAD exhibited lower reliability and performance, largely due to resource and teacher proficiency constraints. ANOVA results showed no statistically significant differences across the themes. The study recommends CAD-focused teacher training, improved instructional resources, and enhanced infrastructural support to strengthen learning outcomes and promote equity in technical drawing education in Nigeria.