nicole kotras masters thesis

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The Griffiths Scales are criterion-referenced in nature. Criterion-referenced testing,
is used to identify an individuals status with respect to an established standard of
performance. Individuals are compared to some established criterion, rather than to other to
other individuals, hence the designation criterion-referenced testing. This approach
measures level of mastery. Criterion-referenced tests can provide information closely
related to instructional decisions, such as:
(i) whether the child is ready to proceed to the next level of instruction;
(ii) whether there are certain subskills that require more attention than others; and
(iii) what curriculum materials could assist the child with the mastery of the necessary
skills (Heimes, 1983).
In criterion-referenced measurement the scale is usually anchored at the extremities,
that is a score at the top of the scale indicates a complete or perfect mastery of some
defined ability, or at the bottom this indicates an absence of the ability. Sattler (1982)
proposed that the criterion-referenced procedures aid when behavioural objectives and
individual teaching programs are sought. Table 1 indicates the established criterions
suggested by Griffiths (1960) for the scoring of the 20 small and large pictures of the
Hearing and Speech Scale (Scale CQ).
The Griffiths Scales were introduced to South Africa in 1977, and to date there are
approximately 400 registered South African users. The Griffiths Scales have been
translated, using the Brislin back-translation technique, into Afrikaans (Allan, 1988) and
Xhosa (Tukulu, 1996). Extensive research conducted on a national and international basis
has made it clear that several items of the Griffiths Scales are culturally-biased and
out-dated thus in need of revision (Allan, 1988, 1992; Bhamjee, 1991; Heimes, 1983;
Huntley, 1944, 1996; Luiz, 1994; Luiz, et. al., 1995; Stewart, 1997; Tukulu, 1996). These
findings have been included in the present study.
Normative and clinical research completed at both a national and international level
utilizing the Griffiths Scales, with special emphasis on the Hearing and Speech Scale, shall
be presented.