The GERQN in Italian Secondary Education: Validation of a Tool for Evaluating Quantitative Reasoning

The Physics Inventory for Quantitative Literacy (PIQL), developed by White Brahmia et al. (2021), is a published assessment instrument designed to evaluate students’ quantitative reasoning skills and their ability to interpret, manipulate and apply mathematical relationships in physical contexts. The assessment emphasizes conceptual understanding of physical quantities and their relationships rather than the mere procedural execution of mathematical operations. The General Equation-based Reasoning inventory of QuaNtity (GERQN) is an algebra-based version of the PIQL, designed to investigate more specifically students’ difficulties in using mathematical formalism within physics. At present, the GERQN has not been validated in Italian. This thesis aims to carry out a systematic process of linguistic adaptation and validation of the instrument through qualitative and quantitative analysis conducted in an Italian secondary school setting, accompanied by a theoretical examination of the competencies it is designed to assess.