ABSTRACT Background: The development of a set of questions is a central element of examination development, with the validity of an examination resting to a large extent on the quality of the questions that it comprises. This paper reports on the methods and findings of a project that explores how educational examination question writers engage in the practice of question setting. Although the practice of examination question writing is ubiquitous, limited research has been carried out on how writers actually draft individual examination questions when writing complete examination papers. Purpose: The main aim of this study was to understand more deeply the process of examination question writing. Sample: The study involved 12 experienced educational examination question writers. Design and methods: The first data collection phase involved observing writers whilst they wrote the first draft of a question paper (using a ‘think aloud’ process). Following the observation, the writers took part in an hour-long interview. This led to the construction of a model of question writing. Phase 2 of the data collection process involved validating the proposed question writing model with six additional question writers by means of telephone interviews. Analysis and findings: A model was developed that outlined the key stages of writing that all of the writers moved through in the completion of their question writing task. The question writing model situates the process of writing individual questions in relation to the broader cognitive tasks required in writing a complete paper. It also situates the writing process within the social dimensions of question writing. Conclusions: Iteration in the writing process appears to have an important function. These iterations represent a form of decision-making that is common to the examination question writing culture and appears to be logical and rule bound. Whilst the recognition of iterative behaviour reveals a highly personalised element of question writing, it also reveals a common expectation that the ideas across a subject area are highly inter-related, and that an examination paper should reflect this.

中文翻译：

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写题文化：专业试题编写者的实践

摘要 背景： 一套问题的开发是考试开发的核心要素，考试的有效性在很大程度上取决于它所包含的问题的质量。本文报告了一个项目的方法和结果，该项目探索了教育考试题作者如何参与问题设置的实践。虽然试题写作的实践无处不在，但关于作者在撰写完整试卷时实际如何起草个别试题的研究有限。目的：本研究的主要目的是更深入地了解试题编写过程。样本：该研究涉及 12 位经验丰富的教育考试题编写者。设计和方法：第一个数据收集阶段涉及观察作者，同时他们写了一份试卷的初稿（使用“大声思考”过程）。在观察之后，作家们参加了一个小时的采访。这导致了问题写作模型的构建。数据收集过程的第 2 阶段涉及通过电话采访与另外六名问题编写者一起验证提议的问题编写模型。分析和发现：开发了一个模型，概述了所有作者在完成问题写作任务时所经历的关键写作阶段。问题写作模型将个人问题的写作过程与撰写完整论文所需的更广泛的认知任务相关联。它还将写作过程置于问题写作的社会维度中。结论：迭代在写作过程中似乎具有重要作用。这些迭代代表了一种决策形式，这种形式在试题写作文化中很常见，而且似乎符合逻辑和规则。虽然对迭代行为的认可揭示了问题写作的高度个性化元素，但它也揭示了一个共同的期望，即跨学科领域的想法是高度相互关联的，并且试卷应该反映这一点。