The Force Concept Inventory Across Continents: Testing Q-Matrix Transferability and Cross-Cultural Differences in Mechanics Reasoning
Abstract
The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is one of the most widely used research-based assessments in physics education, yet the assumption that its underlying cognitive structure is transferable across educational contexts remains largely untested. This study investigates the transferability of FCI Q-matrices using the Generalized Deterministic Inputs, Noisy "And" Gate (G-DINA) cognitive diagnostic applied to two large cohorts: students from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) online system database in the United States (N = 4,750) and introductory physics students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa (N = 1,016). Rather than treating the analysis as a local model calibration exercise, we frame the problem as one of cross-context cognitive invariance. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses revealed substantial cross-cultural differences, with 14 of 30 items exhibiting high DIF after controlling for latent skill mastery. These differences were concentrated in force dynamics and contact-force reasoning and remained invariant under alternative Q-matrix specifications. The findings suggest that observed differences reflect genuine variations in students' conceptual reasoning rather than psychometric artifacts, highlighting the importance of validating Q-matrix structures before deploying cognitive diagnostic and adaptive assessments across diverse non-local educational settings.
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BibTeX
@misc{naylor2026force,
title = {{The Force Concept Inventory Across Continents: Testing Q-Matrix Transferability and Cross-Cultural Differences in Mechanics Reasoning}},
author = {Wade Naylor and Raheeq Tahir and Alan S. Cornell and Xuelan Qiu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.12869},
eprint = {2609.12869},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.12869},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Force Concept Inventory Across Continents: Testing Q-Matrix Transferability and Cross-Cultural Differences in Mechanics Reasoning
AU - Wade Naylor
AU - Raheeq Tahir
AU - Alan S. Cornell
AU - Xuelan Qiu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.12869
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.12869
AB - The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is one of the most widely used research-based assessments in physics education, yet the assumption that its underlying cognitive structure is transferable across educational contexts remains largely untested. This study investigates the transferability of FCI Q-matrices using the Generalized Deterministic Inputs, Noisy "And" Gate (G-DINA) cognitive diagnostic applied to two large cohorts: students from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) online system database in the United States (N = 4,750) and introductory physics students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa (N = 1,016). Rather than treating the analysis as a local model calibration exercise, we frame the problem as one of cross-context cognitive invariance. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses revealed substantial cross-cultural differences, with 14 of 30 items exhibiting high DIF after controlling for latent skill mastery. These differences were concentrated in force dynamics and contact-force reasoning and remained invariant under alternative Q-matrix specifications. The findings suggest that observed differences reflect genuine variations in students' conceptual reasoning rather than psychometric artifacts, highlighting the importance of validating Q-matrix structures before deploying cognitive diagnostic and adaptive assessments across diverse non-local educational settings.
ER -