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This article aims at proposing a new measurement to assess the effects of language learners' goal-setting behavior, as an alternative to the traditional open-ended questionnaire. This goal-setting instrument was carefully developed through three phases. In the first phase, an item pool was generated. In the second phase, a pilot study was carried out with a view to modifying the weak points of the questionnaire. In the third phase, a final version of the questionnaire was distributed among participants for evaluating the practicality. The evaluation of the psychometric properties of the final instrument was made using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), with the validity and reliability being evaluated. The results indicate that the proposed instrument yields satisfactory characteristics and that the theoretical model bears a good fit with the data. The researcher proposes that the instrument presented in this study can provide a more psychometrically sound measure of goal-setting in learning a second language than traditional open-ended questionnaires.

The article discusses the methodological approach to the technology of the educational experiment performance, the ways of the research data processing by means of research methods and methods of mathematical statistics. The article shows the integrated use of some effective approaches to the training of the students majoring in "Technological education". The purpose of article is to check the efficiency of the created didactic support that helps to ground the students majoring in "Technological education" in the technologies of modern production at the university. It shows the features of introduction of the created didactic set of the hi-tech educational laboratory equipment based on digital technologies with program control into the educational process. The materials of the article can be useful to university lecturers, school teachers (teachers of Physics, Mathematics, Technology etc.) and students of teachers training and technical institutions, colleges, schools.

This study investigated the validity and reliability of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for minority students enrolled in STEM courses at a historically black college/university (HBCU). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the third-order factor structure and to respecify the model. An adequate fit to the study sample data was achieved for the respecified MSLQ (MSLQ-R), and measurement invariance was verified on four groups within the HBCU sample. The highest correlates with EOC grade on the MSLQ-R were self-efficacy, task value, effort regulation, and time and study environment. Metacognitive self-regulation and strategy use variables were found to not correlate with EOC grade. A useful capability to discriminate on the basis of academic performance was exhibited by the MSLQ-R.

The 68-item Research Identity Scale (RIS) was informed through qualitative exploration of research identity development in master's-level counseling students and practitioners. Classical psychometric analyses revealed the items had strong validity and reliability and a single factor. A one-parameter Rasch analysis and item review was used to reduce the RIS to 21 items. The RIS offers counselor education programs the opportunity to promote and quantitatively assess research-related learning in counseling students.

The objective of this study was to identify the role of teachers in founding an attractive environment for developing the creative thinking, among the students of the basic stage in the schools of Tafilah Governorate. The researcher applied the descriptive statistical method, and developed a questionnaire consisting of (45) items, divided into five Dimensions: "Teaching strategies, Material preparations, extracurricular activities, Personality traits and Evaluation strategies". The instrument stability and validity were validated and approved. The sample of the study consisted of (300) female and male teachers, who were selected through a simple random method. The study resulted of the are the following: (1) The estimate of the sample members of the instrument as a whole was moderate, and the fourth Dimension "personal traits" ranked first, with a moderate estimation, while the second was "material preparations" which came in the last rank, and with a low grade of estimation; and (2) There were statistically significant differences in the sample of the study teachers' same role, attributed to the variables of "gender and academic qualification," while there were no statistically significant differences in the sample of the study for their role attributed to the variable of "years of experience." Based on the results of the study, the researcher presented recommendations, including reviewing the programs of preparing and training teachers, the need to include plans and strategies for the development of creative thinking, and enrichment of the school curriculum for the basic stage programs to develop the creative thinking.

The study aimed at identifying the degree of practicing academic freedom by faculty members in Jordanian public and private universities in the Northern Region from the point of view of the faculty members. The researcher applied the analytical descriptive survey method. The study population was composed of faculty members of Jordanian public and private universities in the Northern Region for the year 2017/2018. Their number was 1210 faculty members: 893 males and 308 females. The study sample was 445 males and 155 females, 50% of the study population. To achieve the objectives of the study, a study tool was developed. It is a questionnaire consisting of 50 items distributed on 5 domains. The findings of the study showed that the degree of practicing academic freedom by faculty members in Jordanian public and private universities in the Northern Region from the point of view of the faculty members on all domains of the tool was medium. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (0.05 a =) in the degree of practicing academic freedom by faculty members in Jordanian universities due to the variable of the type of university, and the existence of differences in the degree of practicing academic freedom by faculty members in Jordanian public and private universities in the Northern Region can be attributed to the academic rank between those whose rank is professor and associate professor on the one hand, and the rank of assistant professor on the other, for the benefit of the rank of professor and associate professor, ie, in favor of the upper rank. The researcher recommended the need to increase the practice of academic freedom by the faculty members at the Jordanian public and private universities in the Northern Region.

The aim of this research was to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool (SSEV) for the determination of the epistemological views of prospective teachers, and to use this scale to elicit the epistemological views of prospective teachers in Turkey. The application was conducted with 930 participants. SSEV was found to account for 48% of the total variance in the participants? epistemological views. SSEV consisted of three sub-dimensions; "authority and accuracy in scientific knowledge," "methodological approach and scientific attitude," and "nature of scientific knowledge." The ?, r, and a reliability coefficients for the whole scale were found to be 0.868, 0.838 and 0.861, respectively. In terms of the results it can be stated that SSEV is a valid and reliable scale to measure teacher candidates' epistemological views. The prospective teachers that constituted the sample of this research generally had mature epistemological views at a slightly higher level than moderate. It was found that the developed/mature epistemological views of the participants were at a high level for the authority and accuracy sub-dimension, above the moderate level for the methodological approaches and scientific attitude, and at a moderate level for nature of scientific knowledge.

This article reports on the development of a custom-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed with the aim to compile guidelines for the professional development (PD) of mathematics teachers for the pedagogical use of information and communication technology (ICT) integration in teaching and learning. During the standardisation and validation of the questionnaire it was distributed to 179 schools and 300 teachers in eight educational management districts in the Western Cape, South Africa. The extracted factors had a reliability level higher than 0.8, which indicates the items in the questionnaire are significant to address the research problem and the questionnaire is valid for ICT PD.

The primary aim of this study was to cross-validate the Revised Fit, Stigma, & Value (FSV) Scale, a questionnaire for measuring barriers to counseling, using a stratified random sample of adults in the United States. Researchers also investigated the percentage of adults living in the United States that had previously attended counseling and examined demographic differences in participants' sensitivity to barriers to counseling. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis supported the factorial validity of the three-dimensional FSV model. Results also revealed that close to one-third of adults in the United States have attended counseling, with women attending counseling at higher rates (35%) than men (28%). Implications for practice, including how professional counselors, counseling agencies, and counseling professional organizations can use the FSV Scale to appraise and reduce barriers to counseling among prospective clients are discussed.

Purpose of this study is to adapt Behavioral Regulation in Sports Questionnaire (BRSQ) which developed by Lonsdale, Hodge and Rose (2008) in Turkish and review psychometry properties. The scale consists of 24 items and 6 subdimension including intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation and motivation. Study group consists of total 681 student- athlete whom are licensed athletes and study at Physical Education and Sports College of Ahi Evran University, Erciyes University, Dumlupinar University and Çanakkale 18 Mart University. In order to determine psychometry properties of scale internal consistency, material and factor analysis and test- retest methods were applied. Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient of the measurement determined as follows; 0.790 for total points, 0.856 for intrinsic motivation subdimension, 0.838 for integrated regulation subdimension, 0.862 for identified regulation subdimension, 0.740 for introjected regulation subdimension, 0.788 for external regulation subdimension and 0.800 for motivation subdimension. In the analyzes performed, the data obtained from the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 6-factor structure of the scale. In addition, scale-based analyzes yielded high test-retest scores. In this sense, it is considered that the scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for the Turkish sample group.

The aim of this study is to develop a scale to measure primary and secondary school teachers' perception of a competence-based curriculum model in Spain. After reviewing the literature, we designed an initial questionnaire with 37 five-point Likert-type items. This was then reviewed by a panel of experts. A pilot test was conducted with 100 participants using exploratory factor analysis. This resulted in a final scale with 23 items across five factors (beliefs about the theoretical model, level of implementation of the model, difficulties in implementing the model, resources and professional development). To verify, using new data, the level of fit of the measurement model generated by the first sample, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis, and, subsequently, a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equations on a sample of 1408 respondents. Acceptable levels of internal consistency and model fit were obtained. The result is a scale which is rapidly and easily administered. It demonstrates good criterion validity in explaining teachers' beliefs about the competence-based curriculum model, and thus reveals teachers' perceptions of the impact of this curricular reform.

The aim of the study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire developed by McCaffrey, Reitman and Black (2017) in Turkish parents. At the beginning of the study, linguistic equivalence was examined. After observing that the scale is linguistically equivalent to the original form, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied for testing the construct validity. The results showed that goodness of fit indices of the scale are within acceptable ranges for the two factor structure (?[superscript 2/sd]=1.927, RMSEA=0.049, GFI=0.90, CFI=0.90, IFI=0.90) as well as for the single factor model of the scale (?[superscript 2/sd]=1.904, RMSEA=0.049, GFI=0.90, CFI=0.90, TLI=0.90). The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was found to range between 0.73 and 0.87 for each subscale and the whole scale. The results revealed that corrected item total correlations were between 0.50 and 0.85 and the t-test results for the upper 27% and lower 27% of scores were significant (p<0.05). Also, the scale was found to be significantly correlated to the Parent-Child Communication Scale and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. To conclude, Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable measure of mindful parenting in Turkish parents.

The main purpose of this study was to validate a Malay Language version of a 30-item teacher education program coherence questionnaire. Two different samples of preservice teachers completed the Malay translation of the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis (N=220) showed four types of perceived program coherence which had good internal consistency ranging from 0.79 to 0.86: "Opportunity to enact practice," "Opportunity to analyze practice," "Opportunity to connect ideas across courses" and "Coherence between courses and practical experience." The confirmatory factor analysis (N= 234) provided support for a four-factor model. In addition, an analysis of criterion validity of the four types of perceived program coherence also indicated meaningful relationships to teaching efficacy. Our study supports the applicability of the Malaysian teacher education program coherence questionnaire for use among Malaysian preservice teachers. Both theoretical and practical implications are provided for teacher educators and researchers.

The project examined the predictive validity of the "TOEFL iBT"® test with a focus on the relationship between TOEFL iBT scores and students' subsequent academic success in postgraduate studies in one leading university in the United Kingdom, paying specific attention to the role of linguistic preparedness as perceived by students and tutors. We employed a mixed-methods approach to enrich traditionally quantitatively oriented studies with a qualitative perspective. For the sample of 504 students who entered the university for postgraduate studies in the years 2011-2013 on the basis of a TOEFL iBT score, we analyzed the relation between TOEFL iBT scores and final academic award by correlation and regression analyses, taking into consideration discipline, nationality, and additional language support. For the qualitative strand, students entering the university in 2013 on the basis of a TOEFL iBT score were invited to complete questionnaires and interviews, as were their English for academic purposes and academic tutors. A total 48 students and 58 tutors participated, with 25 students and 36 tutors being interviewed at 3 points over the course of the year. Our findings show that students entering the university on the basis of TOEFL iBT scores feel well prepared and generally regard the test as an effective means of preparation for their academic studies in a U.K. setting. They cope well with linguistic demands, and a vast majority graduate successfully. Our findings support the appropriateness of the university's entrance policy with regard to setting minimum test score requirements, thus underpinning the predictive validity of TOEFL iBT in a U.K. setting.

Language test preparation has often been studied within the consequential validity framework in relation to ethics, equity, fairness, and washback of assessment. The use of independent and integrated speaking tasks in the "TOEFL iBT"® test represents a significant development and innovation in assessing speaking ability in academic contexts. Integrated tasks that involve synthesizing and summarizing information presented in reading and listening materials have the potential to generate new test preparation strategies. This study investigated the experiences of over 1,500 Chinese test takers and 23 teachers who were preparing for the TOEFL iBT speaking tasks. It examined the frequency of use of a number of different test preparation activities and materials, reasons, and expectations for taking preparation courses and the features of preparation courses. In addition, we examined the usefulness of test preparation from two perspectives: students' and teachers' perceptions as well as the relationship between test preparation and performance. Data were collected via questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews with test takers and teachers, and classroom observations. The data showed that (a) test preparation was a hugely complex, multiple-components construct, and teaching and learning test-taking strategies compose the most prominent feature of intensive preparation courses; (b) there were significant age-related differences in students' preparation activities and focuses, although with small effect sizes; (c) there was a high agreement between teachers and students in their views on the usefulness of test preparation activities; and (d) there existed only a weak relationship between test preparation and performance. The only significant predictor of students' test performance was the frequency of their use of the "TOEFL Practice Online TPO"® practice tests. The findings of the study can enhance our understanding of the pedagogical practices that characterize test preparation programs and contribute to the ongoing validity argument for the TOEFL iBT Speaking test. The implications of the findings for test publishers, test takers, teachers, and test preparation schools are discussed with reference to the instructional, learning, and affective aspects of the multifaceted construct of test preparation.

Identifying instruments and surveys to address geoscience education research (GER) questions is among the high-ranked needs in a 2016 survey of the GER community (St. John et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a student-centered assessment instrument to measure course experience in a general education integrated science course. A one-shot case study of pre-experimental design (Creswell, 2009, 2014) was used to understand student experiences in a large-enrollment course with digital content integration, including out-of-class video, online presentations, and warm-up questions, as well as in-class video paired with discussion and small group activities. In two sections taught by the same geoscientist, 209 students accessed course content in an online learning management system prior to classroom instruction. We adapted the 36-item Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ; Wilson et al., 1997) to a Web-based survey. We conducted statistical analysis on the CEQ responses, including item factor analysis, examination of communalities and measures of association, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability and stability testing through bootstrap resampling. The statistical analyses indicate that the results in this study are comparable to those from other cultural contexts and subject areas. Given the moderate fit of the model and reasonably stable results, we propose that the core indicators of the CEQ constructs, including Appropriate Workload, Clear Goals and Standards, Generic Skills, Good Teaching, and Emphasis on Independence are sufficient to assess students' course experiences in general education science settings. These results provided moderately to strongly valid information that can help instructors in designing their technology-integrated classes, although further study with a larger sample population would be beneficial. From this study we conclude that students' perceptions of their course experiences are closely related to their development of problem-solving and analytical skills, clear course expectations to direct their own study plans, their preference for a motivating instructor, the opportunity to have a variety of learning choices, and their workload. We propose the use of a 25-item version of the CEQ that is appropriate for formative assessment in discipline-specific STEM introductory classes, including geoscience classes.

The aim of this study was to make validity and reliability of Turkish form of the individual and team character in sport questionnaire (ITCSQ) which was developed by Davidson et al., (2000). Scale was designed to measure outcomes related with character in the sport environment. 438 participants were voluntarily included into the study in two stages as pilot and main study. After the controlling of the answers, incorrect and incompletely filled scale forms were taken out, 170 people were taken for the pilot study and 268 people were taken into the consideration for the validity and reliability of the scale. Firstly, language validity was provided through expert opinion. Validity of scale to Turkish culture was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis and reliability of scale was assessed with split-half reliability methods and it was seen that fit indices were in acceptable level for six subscales. In conclusion, the internal consistency for all scale was 0.83 and for the six subscale respectively were 0.74, 0.80, 0.82. Obtained data by the application of Turkish form of scale showed that adapted scale which had 3 factors, 44 items and 5 Likert type scoring tool, was a valid and reliable scale.

Test impact, widely recognized as the influence of testing on learning and teaching, affects a set of stakeholders including test takers. This study defines the construct of test impact on test takers and describes the construction and validation of the scale of test impact on test takers (TITT). 410 participants having passed a language test in University Entrance Examination (UEE) were asked to answer the questionnaire containing 64 items. Exploratory factor analysis was applied in the study and yielded evidence for the expected five factor structure of the TITT scale, including the components of test results, test awareness, test experience, test importance, and test sociocognitive effects. The final TITT Scale and its subscales consisting of 56 items demonstrated an acceptable internal consistency and expected levels of stability of the responses across time. Cronbach's alpha was 0.93 for the global TITT scale and between 0.78 and 0.88 for the five subscales. Implications are discussed and suggestions are provided for possible utilization and improvement of the scale, and future validity testing.

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Cognitive and Metacognitive Learning Strategies Scale (CMLSC) for mathematics learning in Chinese context. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, measurement invariance across gender groups, and criterion-related validity were conducted on 698 Chinese senior secondary school students. Results supported that the adapted CMLSC was reliable and valid. A bifactor model with one general and four specific factors (i.e., rehearsal, elaboration and organization, critical thinking, and metacognitive self-regulation) was found. Residual invariance across gender groups was also achieved. This adapted CMLSC is expected better to understand students' mathematics learning strategies in Chinese culture.

Examining the long-term impact of bullying can facilitate using retrospective bullying experiences questionnaire (RBEQ) which provides information regarding bystander, bully and victim through childhood to adolescence. This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of this questionnaire in Iranian samples. A total of 92 male and 283 female university students participated in this study. Factor structure of the questionnaire was investigated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results of principal components analyses showed that questionnaires' items in the primary, middle and high school parts consisted of three separate factors: bystander, victim and bully. However, bullying sub-types could not be identified as separate components. Regarding confirmatory factor analyses, the extracted single-factor models revealed optimal goodness of fit indexes and high loading factor. The results of the criterion validity of the RBEQ with the Buss--Perry aggression questionnaire showed positive significant correlations between all factors of the questionnaires. Reliability of the factors of bystander, victim and bully in three educational levels was also confirmed by internal consistency and split-half coefficients. The results indicated that the Persian version of the RBEQ has appropriate validity and reliability in Iranian university students.

Empathy is assumed to be a universal human motivation to act altruistically toward others. Developmental models of empathy explaining when and how children acquire the capacity to empathize have been proposed. However, the existing knowledge is largely built upon studies conducted in the Western context. To fill this gap, a cross-culturally validated measure of empathy for children is needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the Japanese version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue), a parent-reported measure of empathy in preschool children, including its construct validity, measurement invariance across genders, and reliability. A total of 550 children aged 1-6 years participated in this study (M[subscript age] = 4.17 years, SD = 1.21). Their mothers completed the Japanese EmQue. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized three-factor structure (emotional contagion, attention to others' feelings, and prosocial actions) in the 13-item Japanese EmQue. The internal consistencies of the three scales were high. Measurement invariance across gender groups was also supported. Overall, the results demonstrate that the Japanese EmQue is a reliable and valid measure of the empathy of Japanese preschool children. It can serve as a tool in future studies to elucidate the role of culture in shaping empathy in early childhood.

This study addressed the cross-cultural validation of the Chinese Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (CMRQ) in a sample of 522 seventh to ninth graders from two public schools in eastern China. Confirmatory factor analyses, item-total correlation analyses, and reliability analyses were conducted to assess the psychometric quality of the CMRQ. The results indicated that the three-factor model for the competence beliefs scale, the six-factor model for the goals for reading scale, and the two-factor model for the social motivation scale fit the data properly. All subscales showed good levels of internal consistency reliabilities, ranging from 0.71 to 0.86. The concurrent validity of the CMRQ was supported by significant correlations among subscales with reading attitudes. Students scored the highest on intrinsic motivation, followed by social motivation, competence beliefs, and then extrinsic motivation. The findings further confirmed the existence of several distinguishable dimensions of reading motivation. Finally, implications for literacy research and instruction were discussed.

Negatives attitudes toward children with autism are an important barrier to school inclusion. Despite the increasing amount of research, no psychometrically sound scale reliably measures these attitudes in young students. Our aim was to develop and validate a tool (Children's Attitudes Toward Autism Questionnaire) to evaluate attitudes (three dimensions) of students in elementary school toward peers with autism. Elementary school students (N = 204) completed the Children's Attitudes Toward Autism Questionnaire and two other scales assessing behavioral intentions toward peers with mental disability (Shared Activities Questionnaire-B) and familiarity with disability and autism. The confirmatory factor analysis first showed a satisfactory model fit (X[superscript 2/df] = 3.65, root mean square error of approximation = 0.114, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.970, standardized root mean square residual = 0.067, comparative fit index = 0.967, and non-normed fit index = 0.963) and internal consistency for each dimension was good (>0.70). Second, attitudes were more positive in girls, older children, and children familiar with disability (but not with autism). The behavioral dimension of the Children's Attitudes Toward Autism Questionnaire had the strongest association with the Shared Activities Questionnaire-B. The Children's Attitudes Toward Autism Questionnaire is the first scale (1) to assess the three dimensions of attitudes toward autism (2) among children (from the age of 6 years old) and (3) to show good psychometric quality. With the Children's Attitudes Toward Autism Questionnaire, researchers can reliably measure children's attitudes toward peers with autism, which is especially necessary when evaluating the effectiveness of much-needed anti-stigma programs.

The increase of cross-cultural studies and intervention programs, based on the self-determination theory, highlights the urge for validated scales to ensure high-quality research, particularly in the domain of physical education. The present study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the revised Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (PLOC-R) in physical education and the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-II) during leisure-time translations from English into German and French among youth. Data obtained from 1808 Luxemburgish students supported the five-factor structure of the translated PLOC-R as well as for the BREQ-II and showed good internal reliability as well as concurrent, discriminant, and nomological validity. Measurement invariance analyses across the two languages revealed configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance for both questionnaires. The findings provide promising evidence for the reliability and validity of the translated PLOC-R and BREQ-II and support their use in cross-cultural and physical activity--related motivational research.

We report findings of two validation studies of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Early Childhood (SRSS-EC). Although previous exploratory inquiry suggested a two-factor solution, results of Study 1 conducted with 274 preschool-age youth suggested mixed support for a two-factor model, with only one fit index suggesting an adequate fit (incremental index, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.963). However, results did provide additional evidence of convergent validity between SRSS-EC and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores. In Study 2, results of convergent validity studies with 90 preschool-age children offered evidence between SRSS-EC and (a) Social Skills Improvement System-Performance Screening Guide and (b) Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) scores. Results suggested the following cutting scores: SRSS-EC E7 (0-5 low, 6-7 moderate, 8-21 high risk) and SRSS-EC I4 (0-2 low, 3-4 moderate, and 5-12 high risk), with C-TRF scores as the criterion. We discuss limitations and directions for future inquiry.

This study examines measurement invariance of student perceptions of teaching quality collected in five countries: Indonesia (n students = 6,331), the Netherlands (n students = 6,738), South Africa (n students = 3,422), South Korea (n students = 6,997) and Spain (n students = 4,676). The administered questionnaire was the My Teacher Questionnaire (MTQ). Student perceived teachers' teaching quality was estimated using the partial credit model (PCM). Tests for differential item functioning (DIF) were used to assess measurement invariance. Furthermore, if DIF was found, it was explored whether an application of a quasi-international calibration, which estimates country-unique parameters for DIF items, can provide more valid estimates for between-country comparisons. Results indicate the absence of non-uniform DIF, but presence of uniform DIF among most items. This suggests that direct comparisons of raw mean or sum scores between countries is not advisable. Details of the set of invariant items are provided. Furthermore, results suggest that the quasi-international calibration is promising, but also that this approach needs further exploration in the context of student perceptions of teaching quality.

Purpose: The Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTD Scale) is a self-rating questionnaire investigating physical symptoms in the larynx associated with vocal pathology. The aim of this work was to investigate the reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity of the first German version and to provide normative data with thresholds for pathology and a scaling scheme. Study Design: A retrospective multicenter study was performed. Method: A total of 571 participants (409 female and 162 male), with a mean age of 47.2 years, were recruited at three German centers; of these, there were 447 participants with voice disorder and 124 vocally healthy participants. The clinical examination consisted of patient history, visual laryngeal examination, acoustic and aerodynamic assessment, perceptual analysis by the Grading-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain Scale, and subjective evaluation using the VTD Scale and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Statistics included group comparisons (t test and analysis of variance), Pearson correlation coefficient (between VTD Scale and VHI), and Cronbach's alpha to assess validity and reliability. Analysis of receiver operating characteristics was performed to examine VTD Scale's discriminatory ability and provide a cutoff score. Additionally, percentiles were applied to provide VTD Scale ranges. Results: There were highly significant differences between healthy participants and participants with voice disorder regarding the total score and both subscales of the VTD Scale. Internal consistency was excellent ([alpha] = 0.928). We found moderate, positive correlation between the VTD Scale and VHI (? = 0.596, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristics analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.876 (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [0.846, 0.906]). VTD Scale ranges were no (score: 0-13), mild (score: 14-26), moderate (score: 27-40), and severe (score: 41-96) disorder. Conclusions: Results confirm an excellent reliability and validity of the German VTD Scale. It provides additional and independent diagnostic information and is a useful instrument to complement voice assessment. The scaling into four severity subgroups allows the tool to be used for screening patients and considers a transferral to a voice specialist.

This paper presents the development and validation of the reading motivation questionnaire in an English as a foreign language context (RMQ-EFL) with Chinese secondary students. Data were collected from a sample of 293 secondary students in grades 10-11. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in determination of five factors (i.e., "reading efficacy," "reading enjoyment," "recognition," "involvement," and "compliance") with a strong psychometric basis. The significant correlations between these five RMQ-EFL factors and students' learning strategies in reading and between the five RMQ-EFL factors and students' English learning achievements further confirmed the concurrent and predictive validity of the RMQ-EFL. In addition, this study found that there were no significant differences in students' EFL reading motivation across gender and grade levels. The RMQ-EFL can be used both as an evaluation tool for teachers to assess students' EFL reading motivation, and as a research tool for researchers to explore the relationships between students' English reading motivation and their English reading behavior and performance or to assess the effectiveness of targeted reading motivation interventions.

In this article, we present a multidimensional school climate questionnaire, based on an adaptation and validation of the Socio-Educational Environment Questionnaire, which is an instrument developed in Canada, assessing several dimensions of school climate. In particular, the aim of this research was to create a Multidimensional School Climate Questionnaire, which is adding to the original measure by testing a second-order factor model. We conducted two studies with different samples of middle school students (aged from 10 to 16 years) from Northern Italy (Study 1: 575 students and Study 2: 1070 students), and collected data on the psychometric features of the instrument, its reliability and validity. In particular, in Study 1, we carried out the adaptation process and an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, we conducted first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis and tested the associations with school engagement and burnout scales. Overall, our results supported the stability of the adaptation and offered further insights into the original instrument. Assessment implications are discussed.

Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) can be an extended procedure since ASC tend to both vary greatly across individual symptoms and diagnostic pathways with serious challenges to opportune access and diagnosis in low resource settings. We adapted the Q-CHAT-25 for use in a routine health check-ups programme at Chilean primary health clinics by developing a 10-item version of this questionnaire recruiting n = 287 (F: 112/M: 175) participants (Controls: n = 125, F: 58/M: 67; Developmental Delay: n = 149, F: 53/M: 96; Autism Spectrum Conditions: n = 13, F: 1/M: 12). Our findings show that the Q-CHAT-10 can be successfully applied in health-check programmes. The results for the Q-CHAT-10 show high internal consistency (Cronbach's [alpha]: 0.85) and good overall performance, significantly correlating (r = 0.79, p < 0.0001) with the Q-CHAT-25. The Q-CHAT-10 had a sensitivity of 92.86% and a specificity of 76.86% in the Developmental Delay sample. The positive predictive value was 48% with a positive likelihood ratio of 4.01 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.09 with a post-test probability of disease of 19%. This study provides evidence that the implementation of Autism Spectrum Condition screening programmes using the Q-CHAT-10 is a cost-effective measure that improves diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Conditions in those participating in conditional cash transfer programmes in low- and middle-income countries or low resource setting in high income countries.

Despite the importance of dual VET for economic growth and stability, internationally, systems struggle with quality assurance and quality improvement. In recent years, numerous research efforts have been made to identify and describe quality aspects in dual VET, especially with regard to in-company training conditions as perceived by apprentices. This has resulted in an outsized number of test instruments, comprising numerous scales and numerous items. The research presented here aims to assemble and organize all existing survey instruments in the VET context and to develop a comprehensive and validated questionnaire for dual VET that measures workplace characteristics (VET-LQI). For this purpose, 43 test instruments were identified and categorized using a qualitative meta-synthesis, and integrated into a general theoretical framework (Tynjälä 2013). The results of the meta-synthesis reveal diverse content areas as the current foci of VET quality research. The applicability of any existing survey is limited, as the majority of studies either focus on a small range of selected categories and/or do not report the validation results of their scales. Hence, a synthesized item pool was used. Short scales were extracted and tested in seven commercial training occupations in Germany, which covered all identified content areas of VET quality research. On the basis of item and factor analyses, 22 scales (containing 99 items) are identified that, taken together, satisfactorily reflect all common workplace characteristic scales in existent measurement instruments. The resulting instrument provides a broad collection of short scales reflecting the various foci of a longstanding and diverse research tradition, and will allow future researchers to analyze in-company training conditions more comprehensively, given limited opportunities and time resources for testing.

This paper presents the results of a large-scale study to validate a questionnaire that measures pupils' attitudes towards socioscientific issues (the PASSI questionnaire). We define socioscientific issues (SSI) as those topics that are about complex societal and technological developments that may induce ethical dilemmas. In this study, the term attitudes describes a combination of attitude components that relate to pupils' engagement with SSI. Based on a literature review within social and educational psychology and sociology, on topics such as attitude development, scientific citizenship, social or civic engagement, and SSI teaching and learning, we developed a framework that describes several underlying components of pupils' attitudes towards SSI. These components were translated into nine scales that comprise the PASSI. Results of a validation study among 1370 pupils (age 8-15), using exploratory factor analyses on subsample 1 and subsequently confirmatory factor analyses on subsample 2, indicated an eight-factor structure that showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the PASSI instrument showed adequate measurement invariance for boys and girls, pupils in primary and secondary education, and for pupils at different secondary educational tracks. The results are discussed in terms of directions for future research to further investigate the validity of the PASSI questionnaire. To conclude, the PASSI questionnaire validly measures eight attitudes towards SSI and could serve as a tool that raises awareness of pupils' engagement with SSI. It can be used by researchers and teachers as a diagnostic instrument, to compare groups, and to study effects of SSI education.

Studies of self-efficacy that is linked to realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional (RIASEC) typology constitute a growing field of research because of its relevance to vocational and occupational choices. Particularly in Argentina, this line of research is still ongoing and requires valid and reliable measurement tools. The present work adapted the Learning Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) in a sample of 721 university students (473 women, 248 men), 18-53 years old, from Córdoba, Argentina. The authors translated the items of the LEQ and corroborated the cultural adequacy of their content. The multiple factorial structure that was reported in previous studies in North American contexts was replicated using the multitrait-multimethod matrix. The results provide convergent and discriminant evidence of the scale for use with Argentinean university students. Limitations are discussed, and further lines of investigation are suggested.

We report on the development of a new instrument for measuring teachers' knowledge of language as an epistemic tool in science classes. Language is essential for science learning, as all learning requires the use of language to constitute one's own ideas and to engage with others' ideas. Teachers with knowledge of language as an epistemic tool can recognize the ways that language allows students to generate and validate knowledge for themselves, rather than to replicate canonical knowledge transmitted by other sources. We used a construct-driven development approach with iterations of domain analysis, item revision, teacher feedback, expert review, and item piloting to address the content, substance, and structure aspects of validity. Data from 158 preservice and in-service teachers on 27 preliminary items were collected. Findings from Rasch measurement modeling indicate a single dimension fits the items well and can distinguish teachers of higher and lower knowledge. We revised and selected 15 items for an updated instrument. This contributes to ongoing measurement projects and provides a potential instrument for future, broader use by the field to gauge teachers' knowledge of language as an epistemic tool.

The perceptions of primary school teachers towards inclusive education was investigated in mainstream government schools of Islamabad capital territory where inclusive education was being supported by Sight savers and other international organizations. The study was carried out involving 54 teachers in six randomly selected primary schools. The sampled group comprised both, teachers trained in inclusive education and teachers working in same schools, but not trained in inclusive education. Purposive sampling method was used to select the teachers. Structured questionnaire (Likert Scale) and structured interview method was used for data collection. The results of the study revealed that inclusive education is considered to be a desirable practice. The teachers believed that all learners regardless of their disabilities should be in regular classrooms and they showed more favorable attitude towards children with mild disabilities, but were not very optimistic about children with severe disabilities. The study also recognized teachers' capacity as an essential component of inclusive education and recommends that inclusive education should be a part of pre and in-service teacher education.

Parenting practices are a field in psychology in which numerous studies have been carried out. In western countries, attempts to define the concept operationally have led to the emergence of many scales claiming to test the concept. This study aims at developing a scale to evaluate the parenting practices of parents with schoolchildren and at carrying out the validity and reliability tests of the scale in question. In the study, 511 parents with schoolchildren between the ages of 6-13 participated. The initial scale consisted of 84 items. Explanatory factor analysis was applied in order to analyze the construct validity and factor structure of the scale, whereas principle component analysis and the varimax rotation technique were used as the factoring technique. Following analysis, 32 items were removed from the scale. The final version of the scale consists of six components (sub-dimensions) and 52 items that explain 40.1% of the variance. Afterwards, second-order confirmatory factor analysis was applied, and model data fit was observed to be high. Cronbach alpha values of the scales' sub-dimensions were found to be between .65 and .79. Criterion validity of the scale was also tested during the study. To this end, the Parenting Practices Scale (PPS) and Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) were used. The correlation between sub-dimensions and total score was analyzed in the study, in which 168 parents participated in total. The findings support the criterion validity of the scale. Moreover, the results prove that the developed scale has the ability to validly test existing differences among parents' parenting practices and the psychological structures leading to them.

In an attempt to better understand factors contributing to students' off-task electronic multitasking behavior in class, the research included two studies that developed a scale of students' off-task electronic multitasking predictors (the SOTEMP scale), and explored relationships between the scale and various classroom communication processes and outcomes. The first study inductively developed initial typologies for the SOTEMP scale, refined the scale item pool, and explored the dimensions of the scale. Subsequently, the second study validated the scale through a confirmatory factor analysis and by assessing different concurrently existing communication processes as well as students' perceived learning outcomes. Four factors were found: Lack of Class Relating, Technology Dependence, Class Easiness, and Overwhelmed feeling. Reliability and validity were established for the scale. Results indicated the SOTEMP scale was positively related to students' cognitive absorption, and negatively related to students' perception of their affective learning. However, the SOTEMP scale was not related to students' perceived cognitive learning. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

This article investigates the participating students' evaluation of a teacher training seminar about heterogeneity in the classroom at Bielefeld University, Germany. The evaluation made use of a short questionnaire and an end-of-term test of the students' knowledge on the subject matter. The questionnaire is tested for objectivity, reliability, and validity and is shown to be a suitable tool. The test is shown to have certain weaknesses, but ways of improving it for future use are suggested. The method of evaluation used in this study can be adapted for other university courses. The importance of using empirical methods such as the one employed in this study for the improvement of teacher training is stressed. The seminar in question is shown to be largely successful and to contribute to the development of central diagnostic skills defined by the German conference of ministers of education.

This study aimed to extract the psychometric properties of a Jordanian version of the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM) to present a psycho-metrically reliable Arabic scale that benefits the Jordanian context as an effective childhood intervention scale. The validity of the scale was achieved in three ways: Face, construct, and concurrent validity. Face validity was accomplished through the translation steps. As for construct validity; the internal consistency of the translated version was checked. The correlation between the items and sub-scales was high, which indicated high construct validity. Lastly, the concurrent validity was obtained by calculating the Pearson correlation between the Arabic version of the PEDS:DM and the Preschool and Kindergarten Children's Performance scale (PKCPS). The significance of correlated validity for the domains of the scale was as follows: Cognitive (0.79), physical (0.83), social (0.82), and total score (0.84). The indicators of reliability were extracted in two ways: The scale's test-retest reliability, and the internal consistency reliability. The values of the coefficients of reliability for the test-retest ranged between (0.88-0.92) for the different domains, and (0.91) for the total mark. The coefficients of reliability for internal consistency using Cronbach's Alpha had values between (0.82-0.91) for the different domains, and (0.89) for the total mark. Consequently, the Jordanian version of the PEDS:DM is psycho-metrically valid and reliable. As a result, this scale is one of the first instruments that can be implemented safely in the Jordanian context to achieve early detection of any developmental delays in children.

The study features two basic steps. The first step of the research aims to develop a scale to measure the attitude of preschool teachers towards the Persona Dolls Approach and to verify its validity/reliability through a general survey. The cohort employed in the research was drawn from a pool of preschool teachers working in and around the cities of Çanakkale and Mardin, Turkey during the 2011-2012 academic year. The first sampling taken with the purposive sampling method was carried out in June 2011 with 187 preschool teachers employed in schools in and around the city of Çanakkale. Validity was measured through the application of structure and scope verification procedures, while reliability was established using the test-re test method and internal consistency procedures. The resulting analyses presented a scale with KMO Value (Kaiser Meyer Olkin) of 0.812 and an internal consistency value of 0.916, where a value approximate to +1.00 indicates a high level of internal consistency. The second step of the research involved a cohort of 46 preschool teachers from Mardin and surrounding districts, 23 in the trial group and 23 in the control group. The aim was to assess whether the trial group teachers would present a change of attitude following a two-day training in the Persona Doll Approach. A pre test-post test and control group trial method was employed for this purpose. The groups were equalized taking into account the validity-reliability studies related to the teacher survey and attitude scales from the first step of research, and related and unrelated Group T Tests were applied in data analysis. At the conclusion of the experimental model, comparing pre and post-test results, significant levels of positive attitude change were perceived in terms of measurable variances among teachers in the experimental group receiving instruction in the Persona Doll Approach. These results would appear to imply the positive effects of training in the Persona Dolls Approach for teachers in the experimental group.

Mass assessment of large samples' nature of science views has been one of the core concerns in science education research. Due to impracticality of using open-ended questionnaires or conducting interviews with large groups, another line of research has been required for mass assessment of pupils' nature of science conception meaningfully. Considering these issues, Chen et al. (2013) developed the questionnaire titled Students' Ideas about Nature of Science (SINOS) to evaluate young students' NoS views. This study targeted to translate and adapt SINOS into Turkish with the aim of measuring Turkish middle-school students' nature of science (NoS) views. Analysis results presented confirmation for the reliability and validity of Turkish version of the questionnaire with seven-factor structure as similar to the original questionnaire. The study concluded with recommendations for use of SINOS in Turkish context in order to improve NoS perspectives in national science curriculum.

Assessment in health sciences education has become an extremely critical issue in recent years, given the rapidly changing disease patterns and behavioral changes in communities among diverse cultural and economic contexts of patients. Globally, there is increasing demand for highly qualified contemporary healthcare professionals. Subsequently, learner assessment regimes need to have the capacity to accurately evaluate the competences (i.e. attitudes, skills and know-how) acquired during the training of healthcare professionals. This paper provides an analysis of assessment of and for learning in health sciences education with a focus on clinical laboratory training at MLT in Uganda. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative research designs. The program evaluation design principles were also utilized to measure the levels of compliance towards attainment of curriculum outcomes. The instruments used during data collection included checklists, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FDGs). The findings of this study showed that learners were achieving the intended curriculum objectives progressively. The assessment tools used were prepared through a rigorous process to ensure that the basic principles of assessment are identified and integrated during curriculum design and implementation. Results of the study also showed that adequate institutional administrative support available enhanced the teaching and learning processes and ensured that appropriate curriculum assessment schedules and strategies were strictly followed as stated in the elements of the curriculum structures. This contributed meaningfully in preparing competent contemporary healthcare professionals (clinical laboratory technicians). It was recommended that all healthcare professional training institutions should take the use of authentic assessment of and for learning very seriously.

Foreign language anxiety (FLA) has been mainly associated with adult language learners. Although FLA forms a serious problem in the foreign language learning process for all learners, the effects of FLA on children have been mainly overlooked. The underlying reason is that there is a lack of an appropriate measurement tool for FLA among children. In addition, FLA studies have included mostly the adult learners into research. Therefore, the current study intends to present the tests of reliability and validity for the Children's Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (CFLAS) and to report on the reliability, validity and factor structure of the scale. Results show that CFLAS is a reliable and valid tool to measure the levels of FLA among children aged 7-12 who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in the Turkish EFL context.

Early identification of school alienation is of great importance for students' educational outcomes and successful participation in society. This study examined the psychometric characteristics of a newly developed assessment instrument, the School Alienation Scale (SALS), to measure school alienation among primary and secondary school students. The SALS consists of three school-related domains, namely, classmates, teachers, and learning. Based on the responses of Swiss (1) and Luxembourgish (2) students from two school-specific cohorts--primary (grade 4; n[subscript 1] = 486, n[subscript 2] = 503) and secondary schools (grade 7; n[subscript 1] = 550, n[subscript 2] = 534), we assessed instrument reliability, validity, and cross-cultural equivalence. The scale showed evidence of reliability and internal validity across two samples, confirming that the hypothesized first-order three-factor model fits the data better than several alternative models. The results of measurement invariance tests revealed that the measurement model operated equally well for primary and secondary school students in both countries. The construct validity of the SALS was additionally supported by demonstrated criterion-related validity. Specifically, school alienation domains were negatively associated with positive attitudes to and enjoyment in school; social problems in school were positively related to alienation from classmates and teachers. Our key contributions to the measurement of school alienation are the disclosure of the core domains of school alienation, development of a reliable and valid instrument, and justification for its use. Therefore, the results of this study have important implications for further theoretical work in alienation research and contribute to comparative research by examining the construct of school alienation in different educational settings.

The Islamic higher educations have an important role in producing the qualified graduates. Therefore, the organization of the Islamic higher educations must be coupled with the quality of learning services. Some institutes and universities are optimizing their learning services, while the others tend to choose different service patterns since there is no standard instrument of the quality of the learning service. This research was conducted to develop an assessment instrument model to measure the learning services in Islamic higher education. This research applied a research and development approach through three stages, namely: predevelopment, development, and application of the model. The development of the instrument was done through individual, small group, and large group testing through field tests involving students of Islamic higher education. The instrument model includes the aspects of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance along with the indicators, which is, analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The findings of the research shows that learning assessment instrument model of Islamic higher education developed by integrating some aspects categorized as goodness of fit, which is, proved by Lambda score (?)> 0,30, ?- score (p)> 0, 05, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) <0.08, and Goodness of Fit Index (GFI> 0.90). The developed instrument has high validity, while the aspects of learning services meet the requirements and are reliably to assess learning services at Islamic Higher Education. A bibliography is included.

A partnership was created between psychologists and computer programmers to develop a computer-based assessment program. Psychometric concerns of accessibility, reliability, and validity were juxtaposed with core development concepts of usability and user-centric design. Phases of development were iterative, with evaluation phases alternating with development phases. The system was evaluated by the team using an accessibility measure, standard usability heuristics, and student questionnaires (n = 131). In its final form, the assessment was satisfactory to students, although many students did not use the provided testing accommodations, and reliability analyses were in the acceptable range. Recommendations include updating and creating common language, standards, heuristics, and measures to develop and evaluate computer-based assessments.

The current study aims to perform the adaptation of the Encouragement of Academic Skills of Young Children (EASYC) Scale into Turkish. The study group was determined by means of the convenience sampling technique. A total of 124 students aged at 48-84 months were included in the sampling of the study. The data collection tools of the study are the Turkish Version of Encouragement of Academic Skills of Young Children Scale (ÇEABD) and the Home Literacy Activities Questionnaire used for criterion validity. In the analysis of the data, explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses, Pearson correlation analysis, descriptive analysis, item total correlation, and internal consistency coefficient calculation were used. As a result of the study, the ÇEABD was proved to be valid and reliable scale in the Turkish sampling. The mean scores taken by the children in the sampling from the reading and math dimensions of ÇEABD and their total mean score were found to be at the medium level. Thus, it can be argued that the parents of the children in the sampling moderately encourage them in activities related to letters and words, comprehension, formal math activities, informal math activities and activities related to games/toys sub-dimensions.