Gender and Language Differences on the Test of Workplace Essential Skills: Using Overall Mean Scores and Item-Level Differential Item Functioning Analyses

Abstract

The Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES) assesses cognitive skills in three areas using the following three separate subscales: Reading Text, Document Use, and Numeracy inWorking-Age Adults. The sample was composed of 2,688 working-age Englishspeaking Canadians who came from a variety of settings (e.g., trades training programs, adult education centers, college programs, and athletic clubs). The relationships between subscale test performance and the demographic variables of gender and language showed there were some group differences in mean levels of performance. However, at most, these differences accounted for less than 3% of the variance in performance on any subscale. In addition, differential item functioning analyses using the BILOG-MG program showed that at the item level, little or no gender or language bias was present. Recommendations based on the findings are presented.