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Descriptors:
Factor Analysis; Interpersonal Relationship; Measures (Individuals); Interpersonal Competence; Preschool Teachers; Content Validity; Factor Structure; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Adoption (Ideas); Replication (Evaluation); Program Validation; Psychometrics; Educational Strategies; Educational Practices; Social Cognition; Media Adaptation; Early Childhood Education; Questionnaires; Likert Scales; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
The aim of this study is to adapt SIPPY (social interaction practices for the preschool years) scale into Turkish. The SIPPY is a tool designed to assess teachers' judgments of the acceptability and feasibility, as well as their current use of literature-supported strategies for promoting the development of young children's social competence in early childhood classrooms, but only one part of the scale--the form about determining strategies that preschool teachers' use--is used in this study. It is a 5-point Likert-type scale and has 30 items. After verification of Turkish equivalence of the form, it is administered to 200 preschool teachers for validity and reliability study. The scale's total and internal consistency was calculated by using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient, Sperman-Brown formula, and Guttmann Split-Half reliability coefficient. Descriptive analysis and CFA (confirmatory factor analysis) and item discrimination forces were calculated in order to identify the scale's content validity. Findings show that the scale is an appropriate instrument to examine preschool teachers' practices about supporting preschool children's social competence. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Problem Based Learning; Teaching Methods; Measures (Individuals); Focus Groups; Likert Scales; Evaluation Methods; Methods Research; Test Items; Participant Satisfaction; College Faculty; Program Validation; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Psychometrics; Teacher Workshops

Abstract:
A focus group of 18 faculty members at Campus O of a higher educational institution and another focus group of 16 faculty members at Campus S of the same institution comprised the sample, representative of close to 100% of their respective populations. Independently, both groups were engaged in interactive Problem-Based Learning sessions. They subsequently completed two evaluation instruments. One evaluation instrument had five items (05ITEMS), and the other had ten items (10ITEMS). Each evaluation instrument had two forms; one used a five point Likert scale and the other a ten point Likert scale. Identical participator satisfaction ratings were recorded using 05ITEMS and 10ITEMS instruments at the 99%, 98% and 95% confidence intervals (t = 0.59, [alpha]= 0.01, df = 34). Participants expressed satisfaction in a number of areas like clear delivery by workshop facilitator; capturing their interest; gaining knowledge; and obtaining useful handouts. Implications for improving teaching and learning in higher educational institutions through Problem-based Learning, engaging participants and saving time and cost are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Factor Analysis; Questionnaires; Asian Culture; Social Work; Undergraduate Students; Factor Structure; Values; Interviews; Item Analysis; Test Items; Interest Inventories; Psychometrics; Cognitive Tests; Program Validation

Abstract:
Objectives: The present study examined the factorial invariance and functional equivalence of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) among the Chinese. Methods: A total of 839 undergraduate students completed the 240-item Simplified Chinese version of the VIA-IS online. Another 40 students participated in qualitative interviews to examine the meaning and function of the items in Chinese culture. Results: A total of 144 items were removed from the original version questionnaire (240-item) because of low item-loading and lack of cultural validity. A Chinese Virtues Questionnaire-96 (CVQ-96) in simplified Chinese containing 96 items (4 items per strength) was adopted. Three subscales (interpersonal, vitality, and cautiousness) were developed after exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Conclusion: A theoretically meaningful 3-factor model of virtue, comparable to some virtue structures proposed in previous studies conducted in Western countries, was obtained. The inventories being developed can facilitate positive social work assessment and intervention. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Attainment; Measures (Individuals); Social Work; School Social Workers; Factor Structure; Disadvantaged Youth; Homeless People; Program Implementation; Program Validation; Knowledge Level; Familiarity; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Federal Legislation; Social Services; Psychometrics; Item Analysis; Rating Scales; At Risk Students; Compliance (Legal)

Abstract:
Objective: The McKinney-Vento Act (MVA) is the primary federal policy addressing homelessness in America with specific mandates designed to ameliorate the effects homelessness has on educational attainment for school-age children. The extent to which this policy is implemented may have far-reaching effects for homeless children. The MVA Implementation Scale (MVAIS) was developed for the purpose of providing a tool for assessing school-based social services personnel's perceived knowledge and awareness of implementation of the MVA within their service areas. This study tests the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the 26-item instrument. Method: Data were collected from a purposive sample of school social workers (N = 201) attending a Mid-Western regional conference in order to examine the reliability and the validity of this measure. Results: The hypothesized factor structures were confirmed. Findings also indicated high levels of reliability among items, as well as initial evidence of instrument validity. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that the MVAIS adequately measures participant's perceived implementation of the MVA. Future implications for research and practice are discussed. (Contains 8 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Testing; Biology; Undergraduate Study; Educational Change; Scientific Literacy; Skill Analysis; Psychometrics; Program Development; Program Validation; Program Descriptions; Item Analysis; Student Evaluation; Evaluation Methods; Content Validity; Construct Validity; Interviews; Achievement Gains; Scientific and Technical Information; Science Process Skills

Abstract:
Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students' proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students' proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students' scientific literacy. (Contains 4 figures and 6 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Factor Analysis; Adolescents; High School Students; Parents; Measures (Individuals); Foreign Countries; Program Validation; Career Development; Career Education; Parent Influence; Parent Role; Parent Participation; Adolescent Attitudes; Rating Scales; Item Analysis; Test Reliability; Translation

Abstract:
The Career-Related Parent Support Scale (CRPSS; Turner, Alliman-Brissett, Lapan, Udipi, & Ergun, 2003) was translated and modified to form the 24-item Chinese version of the scale. As in the case of the original CRPSS, the Chinese version includes 4 subscales (Instrumental Assistance, Emotional Support, Verbal Encouragement, and Career-Related Modeling). The Chinese version of the CRPSS was validated in this study with a sample of Hong Kong high school students (N = 677). Reliability analyses showed that the total scale and subscales were internally consistent. The results of the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the Chinese version of the CRPSS provided adequate indicators of Chinese adolescents' perceptions of parent support for their career aspirations. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Factor Analysis; Self Efficacy; Career Choice; Performance Factors; Longitudinal Studies; Correlation; Decision Making; Decision Making Skills; Goodness of Fit; Models; Pretests Posttests; Item Analysis; Program Validation; Personality Traits; Personality Measures; College Students; Likert Scales; Outcome Measures; Scoring Rubrics; Robustness (Statistics)

Abstract:
A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested the fit of Kelly and Lee's six-factor model of career decision problems among 188 college students. The six-factor model did not fit the data well, but a five-factor (Lack of Information, Need for Information, Trait Indecision, Disagreement with Others, and Choice Anxiety) model did provide a good fit. Scores for four of the five factors demonstrated 8-month test-retest stability; scores on Disagreement with Others were not stable over the retest period. Trait indecision was negatively associated with age and year in school, but the other career indecision factors were not associated with age or year in school. Three of the five career indecision factors were associated with career decision-making self-efficacy assessed 8 months later, but only one factor (Trait Indecision) was associated with the subsequent declaration of a major among formerly undeclared students. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Evidence; Self Efficacy; Measures (Individuals); Foreign Countries; Undergraduate Students; Graduate Students; Test Bias; Life Satisfaction; Psychometrics; Item Analysis; Program Validation; Interest Inventories; Cross Cultural Studies; Well Being; Predictor Variables; Likert Scales; Correlation; Schematic Studies; Social Indicators

Abstract:
The authors report further validity evidence for the Chinese version of a U.S. adult social self-efficacy inventory, the "Perceived Social Self-Efficacy" (PSSE) scale in Chinese populations. Study 1 participants were 323 new graduate students enrolled at a large university in an east coast city of the People's Republic of China. Differential item functioning analysis indicated that the internal structure of the Chinese PSSE scale was invariant over individuals with different levels of "respect for authority". Study 2 participants were 204 undergraduate students enrolled at a medium-sized university in the southeast region of China. Chinese PSSE scores were significantly related to scores in the three components of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Personal self-esteem and two collective self-esteem dimensions were found to mediate the above relationships. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Grade Repetition; School Holding Power; Public Education; National Surveys; State Surveys; Program Validation; Evaluation Methods; Evaluation Criteria; Progress Monitoring; Academic Records; Student Records; Student Promotion; Academic Failure; Achievement Gap; Educational Policy; Measurement Objectives; Measurement Techniques; Outcome Measures; Age Grade Placement; Data Analysis; Statistical Data; Educational Research

Abstract:
How many students repeat a grade each year? How do retention rates vary across states and over time? Despite extensive research on the predictors and consequences of grade retention, there is no systematic way to quantify state-level retention rates; even national estimates rely on imperfect proxy measures. We present a conceptually simple method--based on publicly available data that are routinely collected each year--that describes retention rates at the state and national levels. After describing and validating this method, we use it to report first- through eighth-grade public school retention rates for 2002-2003 through 2008-2009 for the entire country and for each state. (Contains 13 notes, 5 figures and 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Achievement Tests; Science Tests; Item Response Theory; Measures (Individuals); Elementary Secondary Education; Testing Programs; Program Validation; Multidimensional Scaling; Models; Group Testing; Test Validity; Item Analysis

Abstract:
This study investigated the application of multidimensional item response theory (IRT) models to validate test structure and dimensionality. Multiple content areas or domains within a single subject often exist in large-scale achievement tests. Such areas or domains may cause multidimensionality or local item dependence, which both violate the assumptions of the unidimensional IRT models currently used in many statewide large-scale assessments. An empirical K-12 science assessment was used as an example of dimensionality validation using multidimensional IRT models. The unidimensional IRT model was also included as the most commonly used model in current practice. The procedures illustrated in this real example can be utilized to validate the test dimensionality for any testing program once item response data are collected. (Contains 7 tables and 4 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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