A statistical method for development of subconcepts in nursing

Achievement tests, whether cognitive or performance, often are not analyzed with the intent of detecting subtests within the total test. Subtests should represent unitary concepts. A step-by-step process for detecting subconcepts is proposed and exemplified. Concepts arrived at by the proposed methodology can provide insight to learner strategies for learning and can refine outcome measures to detect effects of the independent variable in teaching-learning investigations.