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The procedures of carrying out factorial invariance to validate a construct were well developed to ensure the reliability of the construct that can be used across groups for comparison and analysis, yet mainly restricted to the frequentist approach. This motivates an update to incorporate the growing Bayesian approach for carrying out the Bayesian factorial invariance, as well as the frequentist approach, using the recent add-on R packages to show the procedures systematically for testing measurement equivalence via multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The practical procedure and guidelines for carrying out factorial invariance under MCFA using a classic empirical example are demonstrated. Comparison between the frequentist and the Bayesian procedures and demonstration using priors are another two nuclei of the paper.

This study attempted to discern the factor structure of the achievement goal orientation and goal structure constructs across the domain-specific task of essay writing in an Iranian EFL context. A convenience sample of 116 public university learners participated in a single-session, in-class study of an essay writing sampling and an immediate post-task inventory completion. Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates for all the goal subscales ranged from 0.86 to 0.92, and the factor analysis results divulged that 33 items from the goal orientation and goal structure scale produced valid and reliable scores, with the seven-factor solution found to be well-fitted for the observed data. Principal component analysis revealed a two-factor model separating the goal subcomponent variables into a binary orientation and dichotomy of mastery and performance. Findings provided cultural and contextual support for the stability and applicability of the four-factor (2x2) achievement goal model; namely, mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance in specific domain of writing. The findings provided evidence that the three-factor goal structure is also invariant in the Iranian EFL context. All told, the findings imply the need for bridging the research gap on the interplay of person- and structure-related goals.

This research aims to develop an instrument for the evaluation of impulsivity traits in children and to examine the psychometric features of the developed scale. The process of developing the scale involved three main phases: namely, item generation, evaluation of content validity, and analysis of psychometric properties. The study sample comprised 319 children (68 females, 201 males) aged 5-18, all diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including 50 who underwent pilot testing. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to assess the factor structure of the scale, resulting in an 18-item scale encompassing motor impulsivity, non-planning impulsivity, and attention-related impulsivity factors. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis "(CFA)" indicated a satisfactory model-data fit. The overall scale demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach's Alpha coefficients reaching 0.863. The analyses indicated that the scale is both valid and reliable.

This study aims to conduct the Turkish adaptation, validity, and reliability study of the Theory of Mind Inventory-2 (TOMI-2) developed by Hutchins and Prelock (2016) for 3-5-year-old children. The study group consists of 310 mothers with children in the 3-5 age group in Konya city center. Personal Information Form and Theory of Mind Inventory-2 (TOMI-2) were used as data collection tools in the study. After the TOMI-2 was translated into Turkish, the normality assumption was checked with the "Shapiro-Wilk" test. The relationship between two continuous variables was evaluated with the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Content Validity, Criterion Validity, and Reliability analyses were also used in the study. The findings of the analyses show that the Turkish version of the TOMI-2 is a valid and reliable measurement tool for children aged 3-5, with 60 items in the original form.

This study aims to adapt the Academic Entitlement Scale to Turkish culture and examine the scale's measurement invariance according to gender. The study was conducted with 372 university students aged 18 and 54 (I = 20.90). The study used the Academic Entitlement Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and Locus of Control Scale as data collection tools. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to identify the construct validity of the scale. The measurement invariance of the scale according to gender was examined using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Correlations between research variables were analyzed with the Pearson Correlation Test. Cronbach's Alpha was performed to measure the internal consistency reliability of the study. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that academic entitlement was positively correlated with self-esteem and external locus of control. In addition, it was revealed that the externalized responsibility sub-dimension was positively correlated to narcissism. The research findings indicate that the scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool within Turkish culture.

In the present study, the Teacher Formative Assessment Literacy Scale (TFALS), developed by Yan and Pastore (2022a), was translated into Turkish to examine the factor structure and psychometric characteristics of the scale in a Turkish sample. Data was collected from 318 teachers, of whom 168 were males and 150 were females, working in different state schools in a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye. As the first step, the scale items were translated and back-translated by experts in both English and Turkish. Afterward, experts were presented with the scale to check for consistency and accuracy based on the feedback received. A pilot study was carried out to establish the linguistic equivalence of the scale, followed by an examination of its structural validity in a Turkish sample. To demonstrate evidence of the confirmed factor structure of TFALS with 22 items, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. The CFA results demonstrated that the three-factor model of the TFALS-Turkishversion had adequate fit indices. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total scale was found to be 0.93. The Cronbach's alpha for each of the dimensions of TFALS was 0.90 for the conceptual dimension (7 items), 0.86 for the practical dimension (8 items), and 0.88 for the socio-emotional dimension (7 items). Composite reliability coefficients of the dimensions ranged from 0.78 to 0.84. The results of this study provide important evidence for the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the TFALS, confirming that it has good psychometric properties in a Turkish sample.

This study develops and validates an English communicative competence model for Korean high school students, in response to the need to redefine the relevant concepts and components of competence that are demanded by the rapidly evolving future society. Drawing on Celce-Murcia's (2008) theoretical model on communicative competence, this research conceptualized a model that could assess high school students' English communicative competence by examining relevant domestic and international studies as well as theoretical reflections. Expert opinions from a two-stage Delphi survey were compiled and incorporated to revise, supplement, and validate the English communicative competence among high school students reflecting Korea's English education environment. Following this process, the conceptual model for English communicative competence was reorganized into five sub-competences (sociolinguistic, discourse, linguistic, interactional, and strategic competence) and 15 corresponding subfactors. The content validity ratio values for the conceptual definition and factor structure of this model were all above 0.64, thus affirming the validity of the conceptual definition and factor structure.

Although equality of opportunity in education is a current and important issue, most of the studies on this subject are based on theoretical studies rather than empirical studies. The main reason for this can be said to be the lack of a valid and reliable measurement tool in this field. For this reason, this study aims to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool for determining pre-service teachers' perceptions of equality of opportunity in education. For this purpose, data were collected from four different samples using a simple random sampling technique. First, a literature review was conducted, and qualitative interviews were conducted with the first sample on equal opportunities in qualitative education. After the item pool was created, the first application was made in order to determine the factor structure of the measurement tool. Data were collected from a separate sample to test the resulting structure and perform confirmatory factor analysis. Then, in the context of reliability studies of the measurement tool, calculation of the internal consistency coefficient, extracted mean variance, composite reliability and test-retest processes were used. As a result, a valid and reliable scale for determining the perception of equality of opportunity in education consisting of three factors and 23 items has been brought to the education literature.

Sense of coherence (SOC) is a relevant contributor and predictor of the individuals' mental and physical health. There are a number of studies about SOC, but only two validation articles of the sense of coherence scale (SOCS) were found on adolescents and none on children. The aim of this research was to validate the SOC scale in youth under 18. We hypothesized that younger children and children without psychiatric problems will have higher SOC than older ones, and children with psychiatric symptoms. We also wanted to examine the factor structure of both the 13 and the 29 item versions of the scale to study which is more valid in child and adolescent population. 199 children and 198 adolescents were included in the study; the mean age was 14.3 (SD 2.1) years. The sample included average youth from schools and youth under psychiatric treatment. Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Inventory of Life Quality (ILK) were used for validation of the SOCS. SOCS-13 was applied to compare SOC of children and adolescents. Children had higher SOC than adolescents in both samples. Males had higher SOC than females in children but not in adolescents. Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms were associated with a lower SOC regardless

Evaluation of child-friendly school (CFS) policies is essential to determine the achievements of school efforts in reducing violence cases. This research aims to proving the reliability and validity of CFS policy evaluation instruments in elementary schools with different locations. This investigation uses the Context Input Process Product (CIPP) evaluation model to confirm the factor structure or dimensions of several observed variables (items) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the CFS policy evaluation tool in elementary schools. The validity and reliability of previously created instruments are evaluated quantitatively, but this study utilises different subjects and study sites. There were 320 respondents, with 145 school principals and 175 teachers taken randomly. Confirmatory factors analysis (CFA) results show goodness of fit (GOF), and the model is acceptable. The CFS evaluation instrument can be accepted after eliminating several question items and modifying them. All items of the teal instrument meet the goodness of fit criteria in terms of chi-square and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The instrument for evaluating CFS policies in primary schools using the CIPP model has met a valid and reliable psychometric property test so that it can be applied.

The objective of this study was to develop a measure that possesses both reliability and validity in order to evaluate innovative thinking within the realm of education. To achieve this, the instrument's validity and reliability were evaluated through quantitative methods in two distinct phases. A team of educational experts conducted the process of establishing content validity and ensuring that the items on the instrument accurately reflected the intended constructs of creative thinking. Following that, the assessment of concept validity was conducted using confirmatory factor analyses. The aforementioned investigations resulted in the discovery of a five-factor solution consisting of 25 elements, all of which demonstrated scores beyond the crucial threshold. This successful outcome confirmed the presence of distinct factors representing different dimensions of innovative thinking. The study enrolled 1250 students from vocational education institutions as participants. The data obtained from the participants was subjected to principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, leading to the development of a model that exhibited a good match with the empirical data. This indicated the effectiveness of the developed instrument in measuring innovative thinking capacity. In conclusion, the research effectively developed an accurate and dependable tool for evaluating innovative thinking in the realm of education. The gathering of positive data from the participants and meticulous quantitative analyses were responsible for this.

Fear of failure undermines students' learning and well-being. However, despite the prevalence of fear of failure, there is a lack of a measurement tool explicitly designed to assess the fear of failure in learning among Chinese students. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Chinese version of the Fear of Failure in Learning Scale (C-FOFLS). Exploratory factor analyses were conducted for the adaptation group (N = 353) and a four-factor solution was found. The construct validity of the four-factor structure was subsequently confirmed by item-level analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for the validation group (N = 366). The final scale was comprised of 22 items and had four underlying dimensions: shame, performance avoidance, learned helplessness, and self-handicapping. Pearson correlation analyses demonstrated satisfactory convergent validity and concurrent validity of the C-FOFLS. C-FOFLS could be a valuable tool for conducting research on the fear of failure in learning of Chinese students.

The broad autism phenotype is the phenotypic expression of the primary characteristics of autism. However, currently available tests do not agree with the two-domain operationalization of broad autism phenotype or autism, and their internal structure has shown instability across applications. This study presents the Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test, the first such test designed to target a two-domain operationalization in Spain and the United Kingdom. A broad pilot study was conducted in three community samples, two from Spain (ES1, N = 970; ES2, N = 460) and one from the United Kingdom (N = 530). The Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test consists of 20 items distributed into the SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP dimensions, representing the seven autistic subdomains. Common factor approaches were used to find a simple and invariant factor structure between countries. The Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test presents full metric invariance between two Spanish samples, partial invariance between countries, and adequate omega reliability estimation. Evidence-based results on the relationships of the SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP to other variables (the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire) support the interpretation of its scores for the intended uses. The evidence provided in this article shows that the Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test functions adequately compared to other available broad autism phenotype tests, such as the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire.

The current study examined the psychometric properties and correlates of three measures assessing individual differences in mattering among people from Palestine assessed in January, 2024. This study uniquely considers mattering as a resource and feelings of not mattering as a risk factor among people experiencing traumatizing life circumstances. Our sample consisted of 950 Palestinian adults (305 men and 645 women). They completed the General Mattering Scale, the Anti-Mattering Scale, the Fear of Not Mattering Inventory, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Extensive psychometric tests supported these measures as each having one factor with adequate reliability and validity. Examination of means indicated significantly elevated levels of fear of not mattering, anxiety, depression, and stress. Regression analyses further established that each measure predicted significant unique variance in anxiety, depression, and stress. The findings attest to the further use of these measures and how feelings of mattering can be vital resource as the need for resilience and adaptability escalates due to traumatizing events.

Metacognition awareness is a fundamental skill for the 21st century. Accurately measuring metacognitive awareness would be highly relevant regardless of age, background, or cognitive abilities. The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 19-item Metacognitive Awareness Inventory-Arabic version (MAI-A) in the general population of Saudi Arabia. The current study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega (reliability), and average variance extracted and composite reliability (validity to evaluate the psychometric properties of MAI-A among a sample of the Arabian population. Measurement invariance across male and female samples had been conducted. Finally, the Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) was used to estimate the dimensional structure of the MAI. In the first step, quantitative face validity was presented to remove the one on the items because of poor indexes. So, the evaluated version was 18 items MAI. Also, the first-order and second-order CFA confirmed the 2-factor model. So, the 18-item MAI presented suitable internal consistency. Second-order average variance extracted validity showed suitable validity of the MAI-A. According to [delta]CFI and [delta]RMSEA, there was no gender invariance between males and females in the MAI-A structure. Finally, the EGA estimated a 3-dimensional structure of the MAI, which was different from the factor structure in the CFA. The MAI-A is a practical and cost-effective tool for evaluating metacognitive awareness in Arab populations. However, future studies should be conducted due to differences between traditional methods (CFA)I and novel methods (EGA) in extracting factors.

The present study examines the measurement property of instructional quality in mathematics education, building on data from teachers and students, by combing TALIS 2013 and PISA 2012 linkage data from seven countries. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to examine the dimensionality of the construct instructional quality in mathematics instruction. Three dimensions were identified (i.e., classroom disciplinary climate, teacher support, and cognitive activation) when building on teacher data from TALIS. This three-dimensional model did not fit all countries. When analyzing PISA data, the same three dimensions could be identified, but two additional dimensions appeared: classroom management and student-orientated instruction. This five-dimensional factor structure reflected metric invariance across all countries. The findings imply that students and teachers seem to hold different perceptions about mathematics instructional quality reflect different dimensions. These differences seem to vary within and between countries. This implies that care should be taken when using the construct as an equivalent measure of instructional quality when studying school effectiveness in mathematics education across countries.

Given the need for a swift, systematic way to identify students with internalizing and externalizing behavior patterns to connect these students with appropriate supports, we present new findings of the Student Risk Screening Scale--Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE). In this article, we examined (a) factor structure of the SRSS-IE and (b) the extent to which measurement invariance holds across gender, special education status, race, and ethnicity, as well as time point (fall, winter, spring) within each school level (elementary, middle, high). The sample includes 124 schools from four U.S. geographic regions in their first year of implementing the SRSS-IE collected over a 10-year span. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures accounting for the nesting of students within teachers' classrooms, we confirmed a two-factor structure (internalizing and externalizing) and determined three items may be removed from the instrument while maintaining adequate model fit, pending replication with schools in later stages of screening implementation. All model comparisons between configural, metric, scalar, and strict models met invariance criteria within a time point. Longitudinal models also met these invariance criteria. We discuss educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

Teachers' digital teaching competence is a prerequisite for efficient teaching. This study aimed to develop a scale to assess primary and secondary teachers' digital teaching competence (PSTDTC). We analyzed and generalized definitions, models, and frameworks for PSTDTC, proposed a five-dimension model (digital teaching design competence, digital teaching implementation competence, digital teaching evaluation competence, digital teaching responsibility, and digital teaching attitude), and developed a scale. Three specialists and seven in-service teachers tested the content validity of the PSTDTC scale. An exploratory factor analysis (n = 473) revealed a 5-factor structure corresponding to the theoretical model. Confirmatory factor analysis (n = 574) was used to assess the structural validity of the final scale. Other statistical findings indicate that the scale is scientific and reliable. In the study, we also used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify unobserved structures and the subpopulations of teachers. According to the LCA results, three latent classes were obtained, including low-level, intermediate- and high-level digital teaching competence. Through multiple logistic regression, we discovered that urban and secondary teachers are more likely to enter intermediate- and high-level digital teaching competence classes. Therefore, the PSTDTC scale provides educators and researchers an effective diagnostic instrument for evaluating the present state of teachers' digital teaching.

Bullying is a form of school violence that has recently received the attention of school psychologists. One of these problems that exists in almost all schools is the phenomenon of school bullying. The aim of this study is to examine the psychometric reliability and validity of the Participant Role Scale in bullying in Persian and compare the psychometric properties of 3- and 4-factorial models for this scale. We use both descriptive and inferential statistics. The statistical population was the second-grade students in Lorestan province in the year 2021-2022. Sample size of 617 students (324 males and 293 females) were selected by multistage cluster sampling. The range of Subscales Cronbach's alpha coefficients varied from 0.8 to 0.91, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the whole scale was 0.90. The 3-factorial model had slightly better reliability than the 4-factorial model structure. Similarly, the factor structure of the 3-factorial model structure was much better in exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. We provide a reliable and valid 3-factorial model for the Participant Role Scale in Persian.

In this study, a valid and reliable scale (TSSSSS) was aimed to develop to measure secondary school students' perceptions of teacher support. The research was carried out on a total of 773 students studying in 6 different secondary schools in Ankara's Yenimahalle district in the Spring Term of the 2021-2022 Academic Year. The students who participated in the research voluntarily were divided into four study groups. The first study group consisted of 7th and 8 th grade students for the pre-application of the scale. The second study group and the third study group consisted of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8 th grade students to determine the structure of the scale and verify the structure of the scale. The fourth study group consisted of students studying in the 7th and 8th grades of the school where the pre-application was made for the reliability study of the scale. The application form of the scale, which was created based on the literature review, was submitted to expert opinion for content and face validity and rearranged in line with the recommendations of the experts. As a result of the pre-application, some statements in the scale were changed based on the students' opinions. A structure with 36 items and four factors was gained with EFA, which explained 66.56% of the total variance. The factors of the scale were categorized under the names of emotional support (10 items), instructional support (5 items), guidance and orientation support (12 items), and problem-solving support (9 items). The structure of the scale was confirmed by CFA. Reliability coefficients obtained by Cronbach Alpha, composite reliability, and the test-retest method were examined for the reliability of the measurements related to the dimensions of the TSSSSS, and it was found that the reliability was quite high. The analyses carried out to determine the distinctiveness of the items on the scale revealed that all of the items were distinctive. In addition, as a result of examining the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients calculated for the sub-dimensions of the TSSSSS after the item analysis, it was determined that the compatibility and the correlation between the dimensions of the scale were high. Based on these findings, it can be said that TSSSSS is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure secondary school students' perceptions of teacher support.

In Turkey, teacher appointment is made centrally by the Ministry of National Education and is made without considering where the teachers want to work. Many teachers are assigned to places very different from the cultural environments in which they grew up resulting in them encountering very different school types and administrator habits. The negative situations encountered affect the motivation of newly appointed teachers and weaken their organisational commitment. The draft scale was created with a pool of questions obtained as a result of examining the legal texts and similar studies on the subject. This draft scale includes 28 items and was developed for the adaptation of new appointed teachers to the profession. The rotated principal component analysis was used to test the construct validity of the scale. As a result of the analysis, the Kaiser-MeyerOlkin (KMO) value was determined as 0.949, while the Bartlett test was found to be significant. The analysis showed that 2 of the 28 items were loaded on more than 1 factor and as their load values were low, the 2 items were removed from the scale. The remaining 26 items formed a 3-factor structure with an eigenvalue higher than 1.00. Factor 1 of the scale is called "Compliance with the profession"; Factor 2 "Environmental compliance" and Factor 3 "Compliance with school." While Factor 1 with an eigenvalue of 5.86 explained 22.55% of the total variance, Factor 2, with an eigenvalue of 4.97 explained 19.13% of the total variance. Factor 3, with an eigenvalue of 4.71 explained 18.11% of the total variance. The alpha reliability coefficient of the composite scale was found to be 0.955. Internal consistency coefficients of the factors of the scale were 0.91 for all 3 factors.

This work is intended to develop a measuring tool for determining teacher perception of informal relationships. The pool of items created by researchers through a literature review has been presented with expert assessment of the validity of the content, face, and meaning, and a draft scale has been created by making necessary revisions to the feedback. The draft form was applied to 214 teachers working in the central districts of Diyarbakir, exploratory factor analysis was made on the obtained data set, and a six-dimensional scale structure consisting of 20 items was determined. In order to verify this structure, data were collected from 306 teachers working in the central districts of Diyarbakir, and the six-factor scale structure was confirmed based on the goodness of fit values estimated by confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, AVE (Average Variance Extracted), the root of AVE, composite reliability, and correlation among factors were checked, and it was seen that the scale provided the convergent and discriminant validity conditions as a result of the values reached. For reliability analysis, Cronbach's Alpha coefficients and composite reliability values were checked together, and it was seen that the scale had sufficient reliability values. The measurement invariance of the scale was tested according to the categories of gender (female-male), marital status (married-single), level of employment (primary school, secondary school, and high school), and seniority (1-10 years, 11-20 years, 21 and above), and the formality of the scale, metric, scalar, and strict invariance conditions were found to satisfy. Consequently, it was concluded that the scale in question is a valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure teacher perception of informal relationships.

Researchers in second language (L2) and education domain use different statistical methods to assess their constructs of interest. Many L2 constructs emerge from elements/parts, i.e., the elements "define" and "form" the construct and not the other way around. These constructs are referred to as emergent variables (also called components, formative constructs, and composite constructs). Because emergent variables are composed of elements/parts, they should be assessed through confirmatory composite analysis (CCA). Elements of emergent variables represent unique facets of the construct. Thus, such constructs cannot be properly assessed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) because CFA and its underlying common factor model regard these elements to be similar and interchangeable. Conversely, the elements of an emergent variable uniquely define and form the construct, i.e., they are not similar or interchangeable. Thus, CCA is the preferred approach to empirically validate emergent variables such as language skills L2 students' behavioral engagement and language learning strategies. CCA is based on the composite model, which captures the characteristics of emergent variables more accurately. Aside from the difference in the underlying model, CCA consists of the same steps as CFA, i.e., model specification, model identification, model estimation, and model assessment. In this paper, we explain these steps. and present an illustrative example using publicly available data. In doing so, we show how CCA can be conducted using graphical software packages such as Amos, and we provide the code necessary to conduct CCA in the R package lavaan.

Concerns have recently been raised about the validity of scales used in the L2 motivational self system tradition, particularly in relation to sufficient discriminant validity among some of its scales. These concerns highlight the need to systematically examine the validity of scales used in this tradition. In this study, we therefore compiled a list of 18 scales in widespread use and administered them to Korean learners of English (N = 384). Testing the factorial structure of these scales using multiple exploratory and confirmatory factor-analytic criteria revealed severe discriminant validity issues. For example, the ideal L2 self was not discriminant from linguistic self-confidence, suggesting that participant responses to such ideal L2 self items is not driven by actual-ideal discrepancies as previously presumed but more likely by self-efficacy beliefs. We discuss these results in the context of the need to encourage systematic psychometric validation research in the language motivation field.

The Digital Stress Scale (DSS) is used to measure digital stress, which is the perceived stress and anxiety associated with social media use. In this study, the Chinese version of the DSS was validated using a sample of 721 Chinese college students, 321 males and 400 females (KMO = 0.923; Bartlett = 5,058.492, p < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) revealed that the five-factor model fits our data best. And the good criterion validity was shown through the association of the Chinese version of the DSS with anxiety and depression. The results of measurement invariance supported that the scale has measurement equivalence across the region (rural or urban). However, they did not support strict measurement invariance across gender. Overall, our results suggest that the DSS is an ideal tool for measuring digital stress in a Chinese sample. People can benefit from assessing digital stress, which has the potential to moderate the relationship between social media use and mental health. These psychometric investigations of the DSS will allow future research to investigate construct validity better.

Introduction/Background: In 2016, the Adolescent Motor Competence Questionnaire (AMCQ) was developed in Australia. The AMCQ was developed to assess perceived motor competence in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years. The 26 items represent four factors: participation in physical activity and sports, activities of daily living, public performance, and peer comparison. Aims/Objectives: Currently, no validated German-language self-report screening instrument exists for assessing perceived motor competence among adolescents. This study aimed to validate the German version of the AMCQ (AMCQ-GER). Methods/Approach: The German translation's factor structure and psychometric properties were analyzed based on a community sample of 635 healthy children and adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (12.9 ± 2.31 years, 321 boys and 312 girls) and 100 healthy young adults between 19 and 30 years of age (23.0 ± 2.92 years, 49 men and 51 women). The previously validated cutoff score of [less than or equal to]83 out of 104 was used to group the sample into high and low motor competence. Results: The mean AMCQ-GER score was 84.9 (SD = 8.59), and 38.8% of the participants identified with low motor competence. The principle component analysis revealed clear evidence for a three-factorial structure comprising physical activity and sports, general clumsiness, and activities of daily living (with an explained variance of 29.2%). Reliability for all scales was excellent, with a McDonald's ? of at least 0.70. The overall conclusion of the Rasch analysis supported the confirmatory factor analysis, although with an overall smaller number of items (18 instead of 26). The AMCQ-GER was positively correlated with age (0.26**) and participation in organized club sports (0.19**). It was negatively correlated with body mass index (-0.23**) and school grade in physical activity (-0.40**). Conclusions/Relevance: Our rigorous validation protocol has generated a remarkable reproduction of the AMCQ in German. These results suggest that the language and structure of the questionnaire is appropriate for German-speaking countries.

There is an expectation that health professions schools respond to priority societal health needs. This expectation is largely based on the underlying assumption that schools are aware of the priority needs in their communities. This paper demonstrates how open-access, pan-national health data can be used to create a reliable health index to assist schools in identifying societal needs and advance social accountability in health professions education. Using open-access data, a psychometric evaluation was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the Canadian Health Indicators Framework (CHIF) conceptual model. A non-linear confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on 67 health indicators, at the health-region level (n = 97) was used to assess the model fit of the hypothesized 10-factor model. Reliability analysis using McDonald's Omega were conducted, followed by Pearson's correlation coefficients. Findings from the non-linear CFA rejected the original conceptual model structure of the CHIF. Exploratory post hoc analyses were conducted using modification indices and parameter constraints to improve model fit. A final 5-factor multidimensional model demonstrated superior fit, reducing the number of indicators from 67 to 32. The 5-factors included: Health Conditions (8-indicators); Health Functions (6-indicators); Deaths (5-indicators); Non-Medical Health Determinants (7-indicators); and Community & Health System Characteristics (6-indicators). All factor loadings were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and demonstrated excellent internal consistency ([omega]>0.95). Many schools struggle to identify and measure socially accountable outcomes. The process highlighted in this paper and the indices developed serve as starting points to allow schools to leverage open-access data as an initial step in identifying societal needs.

From the perspective of positive psychology, the study and measurement of subjective well-being has popularized a growing interest towards variables such as affective perception. In an attempt to explain and evaluate the affective structure in positive terms (PA) and negative terms (NA), PANASN affect scale (Sandín, 2003) constitutes the version adapted for children and teenagers of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988). Opposite to the confirmatory study made in teenagers by Sandín (2003), this paper proceeds to analyse the internal structure and reliability of the above mentioned questionnaire after being administered to 636 students aged between 6 and 14 years. An instrumental type of research methodology was carried out. The instrument used was the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children and Adolescents (PANASN). While confirmatory and exploratory analysis show an appropriate adjustment, these properties tend to fade when three or four factors are considered. In response to this, we reflect on the need to consider certain aspects of improvement in content and form, which are essential if we want to use said instrument with primary education students.

The "metaverse," which bridges augmented and virtual reality as mixed reality and includes technological phenomena such as artificial intelligence, continues to be an agenda topic. It is foreseen that the concept in question will accelerate the changes in education and teaching activities, as in many other fields. In this research, a measurement tool was developed to determine pre-service teachers' and teachers' beliefs about education in the metaverse (meta-education), especially considering the concept of the "metaverse" that entered our lives with the information age. During the development process of the measurement tool, an item pool consisting of 59 items was created by scanning the relevant literature. The opinions of five experts were received for the draft scale. Two items were added to the draft scale, and ten items were removed based on expert feedback. The scale was arranged as 41 items before the application. During the pilot application process, 203 were collected. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used for the scale's construct validity. The EFA result shows that the scale consists of 22 items and a single factor, and 44% of the total variance is explained. The item-rest correlations on the scale ranged from 0.64 to 077. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.90. Based on these findings, the scale can be used to determine adults' beliefs about meta-education.

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of Sosu Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (TV-CTDS). The data were gathered from two independent samples consisting of undergraduate and graduate students from four different universities in the Black Sea region of Turkey. After the translation procedure, the psychometric properties of the TV-CTDS, including factor structure, measurement invariance, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability, were investigated. The results of the study revealed that the two-factor model (critical openness and reflective skepticism) of the TV-CTDS presented a better fit to the data than the one-factor model, and two-factor model is invariant across different samples (undergraduate and graduate students) and genders. Also, the TV-CTDS showed convergent validity and discriminant validity across two different samples, and its internal consistency was adequate. Therefore, it can be said that the TV-CTDS can be used by educators, researchers, and professionals to assess undergraduate and graduate students' critical thinking dispositions in Turkey.

Integrating educational assessment tools, such as the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), into university classrooms can help students and faculty gain insight into areas of strength and challenge for students. The present study adapted and integrated the MSLQ into a set of first-year communication courses for Faculty of Arts students at the University of Waterloo. This adaptation allowed us to better situate the scale within the writing and communication course context. Through exploratory and confirmatory analysis, a shortened questionnaire (MSLQ-AF) with six subscales (motivation, academic self-confidence, performance anxiety, critical thinking, planning for optimal learning, and peer learning) was created. MSLQ-AF proved to have stable factor structure, adequate and stable internal consistency, and construct validity (correlation with grades) when assessed across four samples spanning four university terms. We discuss the role of this new scale in helping students transition into university.

This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive research self-efficacy scale (C-RSES) to measure the research self-efficacy of both graduate students and academics in any discipline. Data were gathered nationwide in Turkey from 1301 researchers including graduate students and academics. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 28-item C-RSES with six factors, namely Literature Review and Research Problem, Discussion, Data Analysis, Research Plan, Research Ethics, and Conceptual/Theoretical Framework. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed factor structure. Factorial invariance of the C-RSES across males and females was shown. Cronbach's alpha reliabilities for the subscales ranged from 0.85 to 0.94, which indicates high internal consistency for the scores obtained from the scale. Additionally, using multivariate analysis of variance, researchers with and without a Ph.D. were compared regarding their research self-efficacy aspects. The findings of the study provided evidence for the validity and reliability of the C-RSES. It is suggested that C-RSES is promising to measure the research self-efficacy of graduate students and academics.

The aim of this research is to develop a reliable and valid scale to determine the mathematical thinking skills of gifted students. In addition, with the developed scale, thinking skills of gifted students was examined in terms of various variables. In this context, the research was carried out on two different study groups. The first stage of this research was the development of the scale, and the data obtained from 410 gifted students. The second stage of this research was the testing process of the developed scale, and it was carried out on the data obtained from 393 gifted students. While developing the scale, confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, Guttman Split-half values reliability, Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient calculations were performed. As a result of analyses, the total variance percentage of the scale consisting of 16 items and four factors was obtained as 60.781%. It was concluded that the model obtained from confirmatory factor analysis applied was at an acceptable level. For the whole scale, Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was determined as 0.841. As a result of this study, a reliable and valid scale was developed to determine mathematical thinking skills of students. In addition, through the scale developed, it was concluded that thinking skills of the students showed differences according to gender, group, grade level and education status.

The true spirit of education involves psychosocial grooming and character building of learners. Teacher's efficacy plays a vital role in achieving educational objectives. The effectiveness of teachers is usually evaluated through the academic grades of their students. Teacher's efficacy, however, is originally the ability of a teacher to improve the cognitive functioning and humanistic values of students. The current study developed and validated a new scale entitled the Qualiquant Teacher's Efficacy Scale (QTES) by involving 147 teachers and 59 students. The sample was selected thru a mixed method that involved convenient and purposive sampling techniques. QTES reflected strong validity and excellent reliability thru exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, item-scale, and item-total correlations. QTES is a unique measure for teacher's efficacy because it defines teacher's efficacy through cognitive functioning and humanistic values, offers two parallel and separate versions for teachers and students, and quantifies the qualitative data.

In recent years, research has focused on the factor structure of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and the significant effects of teachers' self-efficacy on both teachers' outcomes (teachers' performance, enjoyment of teaching, and commitment to teach), and students' outcomes (student learning achievements, motivation, and own sense of efficacy. However, current literature shows that very limited research on the factor structure of the TSES for teachers has been conducted in the Vietnamese educational context. Thus, this study explored the factor structure of the 12-item TSES for a group of 395 in-service teachers from 24 high schools in Vietnam. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to explore the possible factor structure of the TSES and confirm the latent structural validity of the TSES model. The results of factorial analysis indicated that the three-factor structure of the original TSES, which included efficacy for instructional practices, efficacy for classroom management, and efficacy for student engagement, was appropriate for high school teachers in Vietnam. The reliability of each of the three subscales and the whole scale was satisfactory. The findings suggested that the application of TSES was suitable for Vietnamese in-service teachers to assess their self-efficacy. The study recommended that future studies should examine the factor structure of the TSES for a group of pre-service teachers in Vietnam to compare the experience levels of efficacy beliefs between pre-service and in-service teachers.

Global competence is supposed to possess a transformative capacity allowing for building bridges across cultural diversity to foster international cooperation. Literature searches indicate the paucity of robust tools evaluating global competence. This research strove to adapt and validate a measure for the assessment of students' global competence in Kazakhstan. For this purpose, the Global Competence Scale was chosen. A total of 467 graduate and undergraduate educational psychology students responded to the adapted scale. Based on the scores collected, the instrument was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Good reliability was yielded (Cronbach's alpha for the factors ranging from 0.722 to 0.924) and the original nine-factor structure was replicated and accounted for 61.84 % of the total variance. The model fit indices met the criteria set a priori. The Kazakh version of the Global Competence Scale was unprecedented and proved to be a reliable and valid tool for gauging the construct. In contrast to the original study, surveyees with international experience reported no superior scores relative to non-experienced counterparts. Holistically, findings suggest the respondents should work on their global competence, in particular with regard to international academic knowledge and communication. Further validation of the scale with larger sample sizes to increase its generalizability and use is encouraged.

Learner engagement is well-established as critical for learning online. Professional development for online instructors emphasizes techniques for engaging students, and learning technology products tout features intended to promote engagement (e.g., adaptive content, video, gamification). But the influence of particular instructor practices and of particular learning technology features on theory-based aspects of student engagement is infrequently tested empirically, and even more rarely with Black, Latine, and low-income students, who are more likely to face barriers to learning online. This paper first provides a research-based theoretical model of affective engagement developed in conjunction with ongoing studies of blended learning implementations of courseware designed to enhance learning and engagement among historically and systemically marginalized students. Next, the paper describes development of survey-based measures of four components of affective engagement and the use of responses from over 850 students in introductory statistics courses to evaluate the reliability and factor structure of those measures. We conclude with implications for use of the engagement measures in future improvement-oriented research and practice.

Global competence is a comprehensive term referring to the interconnectedness of various constructs ranging from knowledge to values required to communicate, cooperate, and work towards the well-being of not only the local but also the global community. Teacher education has an important role in preparing teachers equipped with global competences. Therefore, having tools which can validly and reliably measure if and to what extent pre-service teachers are globally competent is a requisite. Hence, this study aimed at adapting and validating the Global Competence scale developed by Liu et al. (2020) to Turkish to measure pre-service English language teachers' global competences and to obtain evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the scale to measure global competences in teaching and teacher education. The data collected from pre-service English language teachers (N=351) studying at various universities in Türkiye was divided into two equal halves. The first part of it was used to perform exploratory factor analysis which revealed an eight-factor 29-item structure. The second half which was used for confirmatory factor analysis yielded a good fit of a 25-item, eight-factor structure scale. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient ([alpha] = 0.88) and McDonald's Omega ([omega] = 0.89) which indicated good internal consistency in the CFA dataset revealed excellent internal consistency ([alpha] = 0.90, [omega] = 0.91) in another independent dataset. Thus, the study revealed that the Global Competence scale has a good level of psychometric properties and reliability to measure pre-service English language teachers' global competences in the Turkish context.

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool that will serve to determine the level of higher education students' tendency to be open to learning. The sample of the research consists of 523 higher education students. As a result of the literature review and analysis, the dimensions predicted as sub-dimensions in the scale are "being curious/ investigative, reflecting, being open-minded, being planned, being patient. Within the scope of the validity studies of the Tendency to Be Open to Learning Scale (TOLS), exploratory factor analysis was performed and construct validity was determined. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a 5-point Likert-typetool with 22 items collected in four dimensions was reached. The resulting TOLS consists of "F1. being patient, F2. being open-minded, F3. being curious, F4. being planned" sub-dimensions. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis performed to determine the scale's validity, it is seen that the four dimensions included in the scale explain 49.31% of the total variance

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have emerged as an affordable way to distribute knowledge and democratize education. The examination of online courses calls for theoretical models and instruments that contemplate its particularities. The community of inquiry (CoI) framework has been used in several studies to analyze the effectiveness of online education and hybrid education, including MOOCs. This study aimed to translate and validate the Community of Inquiry Survey instrument (Arbaugh et al., 2008) into Brazilian Portuguese, and used a two-stage methodological design for translating and validating a questionnaire. In the first stage, we carried out translation, back-translation, and cross-cultural adaptation. We translated the 34 items while maintaining the survey's original format. In the expert evaluation phase, all items were considered understandable and essential for inclusion in the Brazilian Portuguese version of the CoI instrument. In the second stage, a prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to validate the questionnaire, and data was collected from participants completing the "Nursing Assessment" MOOC available on the Lúmina platform. A total of 690 responses were gathered. The resulting instrument produced excellent results, and the three presences achieved high reliability indexes, clearly indicating their adequacy. Furthermore, this study proved the validation of the CoI instrument, maintaining the three-factor structure previously reported in the literature corresponding to the three presences: teaching, social, and cognitive presence. We recommend further studies to evaluate the need for excluding or altering cognitive presence items.

Globally, online course enrollments have grown, and English is often used as a lingua franca for instruction. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework can inform the creation of more supportive, interaction-rich online learning environments. However, the framework and its accompanying validated instrument were created in North America, limiting researchers' ability to use the instrument in courses where participants have varying levels of English language proficiency. We revised the CoI instrument so it could be more easily read and understood by individuals whose native language is not English. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) on data obtained from global online courses and MOOCs, we found the revised instrument had good fit statistics once seven items were removed. This study expands the usability of the CoI instrument beyond the original and translated versions, and provides an example of adapting and validating an existing instrument for global courses.

The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) measures a wide range of personality traits associated with affect and temperament. However, the lengthy administration time may have hindered its widespread use in personality research. The National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) has adapted a short version of the MPQ that consists of only 35 items. However, the psychometric properties of this abbreviated version have not been thoroughly examined beyond what is presented in the survey's documentation. This study aimed to investigate the construct validity of the MPQ-35 at both the item and scale levels using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), measurement invariance by gender and age, and external correlates with several personality and psychological constructs. The results show that the MPQ-35 exhibits promising properties, performing well and accurately recapturing the original MPQ structure, with ten lower-order traits and three higher-order broad factors.

Compared to traditional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) has been shown to result in less structural parameter bias when cross-loadings (CLs) are present. However, when model fit is reasonable for CFA (over ESEM), CFA should be preferred on the basis of parsimony. Using simulations, the current study examined the sensitivity of the CFI, RMSEA, and RMSEAD in correctly adjudicating model fit between ESEM and CFA. Results showed that 1) the magnitude of structural bias was moderated by the sign of the CL, 2) constraining non-zero CL to zero resulted in incorrectly specified CFAs demonstrating good stand-alone fit but were often rejected when compared with ESEM, and 3) CFAs with negligible factor correlation bias <|0.10| often failed the model equivalence test while those with non-ignorable bias >|0.30| passed. This disconnect is shown to be linked to CL conditions and calls into question historically held beliefs about what constitutes an "ignorable" CL value.

This study aimed to expand the psychometric properties of the Theory Evaluation Scale (TES), specifically its structure, construct validity, and internal consistency. A demographically diverse sample of 113 social work faculty (N = 113) utilized the TES to appraise a social work theory and their responses were used for exploratory factor analysis purposes (EFA). Results showed that the TES (1) is a two-factor scale with both a positivist component and a constructivist component (dimensionality), (2) is a one-construct measure (construct validity), and (3) has internal consistency (reliability). These results, therefore, lend psychometric credence to the TES, which is purported to enable the analysis of theories in social work, including the ones informed by the mixed-methods research design.

Educators' Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is crucial for fostering positive, supportive, and effective learning environments. This study seeks to improve SEL assessment among educators by addressing limitations of the previous EduSEL questionnaire. Study 1 established convergent validity by comparing EduSEL with a validated SEL questionnaire. Study 2 focused on expanding the scope of the assessment, by adding new items. In Study 3, exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor structure comprising self-management, ethical problem solving, self and social awareness and relationship skills. In Study 4, the five most robust items from each subscale (20 items) were assessed in confirmatory factor analysis, yielding good model fit indices for the four-factor structure, high reliability ([alpha] = 0.92) and adequate convergent validity. To summarise, the EduSEL-R questionnaire exhibits closer alignment with the CASEL framework and encompasses additional SEL competencies. Thus, the current study contributes to the advancement of a comprehensive SEL assessment.

Matrix decomposition structural equation modeling (MDSEM) is introduced as a novel approach in structural equation modeling, contrasting with traditional structural equation modeling (SEM). MDSEM approximates the data matrix using a model generated by the hypothetical model and addresses limitations faced by conventional SEM procedures by emphasizing factor analysis with L[subscript 2] penalization. Key advantages of MDSEM include preventing improper solutions, the ability to compute observation-wise residuals without post-hoc factor score estimation and ease in identifying equivalent models. These benefits are attributed to its matrix decomposition techniques, allowing for direct model fitting to the data matrix, unlike the covariance structure fitting in CS-SEM. An iterative algorithm for parameter estimation is proposed, guaranteeing a monotonically decreasing function value. Theoretical properties of MDSEM are examined, revealing its shared characteristics with existing factor analysis and SEM. Numerical simulations and real data examples validate that MDSEM produces results comparable to existing methods when adequately calibrated.

The objective of this study was to create a psychometrically valid and reliable toxic leadership scale (TLS) for use in higher education workplace environments. The TLS was administered to a sample of 482 faculty members employed by three public universities in Jordan. Another aim of the study was to determine the level of toxic leadership based on the perceptions of faculty members. In addition, the current study sought to ascertain how perceptions of toxic leadership varied according to differences in gender, level of education, experience, and academic rank. The findings of the study revealed that the TLS is composed of 15 items spread over three factors named managerial harassment, falsified show, and dictatorship. Results also indicated the presence of toxic leadership in public higher education with a low degree for the managerial harassment factor. However, moderate degrees of toxic leadership were found for the falsified show and dictatorship factors. Regarding the demographics of faculty members, the findings showed that lower academic ranks and less experienced faculty members had lower views of toxic leadership, while men had greater perceptions of toxic leadership. The study provided numerous recommendations for theory development and practitioners in higher education.

The objective of this work is to create, and validate, a questionnaire aimed at assessing those actions undertaken by school management teams to promote inclusion in compulsory education sector in Spain. It is based on the perspective of teaching teams (members of management teams and teachers). To determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaire a descriptive, exploratory factorial and confirmatory factorial analysis was performed. In the pilot phase of the instrument, 243 members of teaching teams participated. The results obtained confirm that it is a valid and reliable scale with a bifactorial structure. The first of these factors includes actions carried out by the management teams to energise inclusive culture in their schools and thus turn them into inclusive communities. The other set of actions includes interventions with the aim of improving the training of students and creating professional learning communities.

Purpose: This study examined the psychometric properties of intention to drop out and study satisfaction measures for first-year South African students. The factorial validity, item bias, measurement invariance and reliability were tested. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional design was used. For the study on intention to drop out, 1,820 first-year students participated, whilst 780 first-year students participated in the study on satisfaction with studies. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), differential item functioning (DIF), measurement invariance and internal consistency were used to test the scales. Findings: A one-factor structure was confirmed for both scales. For the intention to drop out scale, Items 3 and 4 were identified with statistically significant item bias; however, these differences had no practical impact. Except for scalar invariance for language, sufficient measurement invariance was established. No problematic items were identified for the study satisfaction scale. Practical implications: In essence, this study provides evidence of two short measures that are culturally sensitive that could be used as short and valid measures across contextual boundaries as practically valuable tools to measure intention to drop out and study satisfaction in diverse and multicultural contexts. Originality/value: This study contributes to limited research on bias and invariance analyses for scales that can be used in interventions to identify students at risk of leaving the university and utilising psychometric analyses to ensure the applicability of these two scales in diverse and multicultural settings.

Purpose: Lifelong learning has become one of the most interesting areas of research. Hence, the current study was aimed at developing and validating a tool that helps to study how well people working in higher education institutions are engaged in lifelong learning. Design/methodology/approach: A review of theories in the literature and experts' consultation were used to develop a pool of items and validate the self-assessment instrument for measuring lifelong learning. The study employed factor analytic methodologies such as principal component analysis, varimax rotation and exploratory factor analyses. Findings: The study yielded a reliable and valid lifelong learning measurement scale made up of 18 items and four underlying factors that are theoretically supported. Originality/value: The significant information is that, the current study aimed at developing a tool that could help to measure the engagement in lifelong learning of higher education institutions workers. The study found this tool to be important because lifelong learning is considered essential for personal and professional growth, and having a sound way to measure it can help individuals and organizations identify areas for improvement.