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The SSIS SEL Brief + Mental Health Scales (SSIS SELb+MHS) are multi-informant assessments developed in the United States to assess the social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies and emotional behavior concerns (EBCs) of school-age youth. Although there are translations of the SEL items of the SSIS SELb+MHS available in other languages, a German translation has never been completed and validated, despite the growing need for SEL and mental health assessment in German-speaking countries. To address this need, this study's primary purpose was the examination of a German translation of the assessment with a specific focus on measurement invariance and concurrent validity invariance testing with 821 3rd through 6th-grade students in Austria and Germany. Results indicated that the SELb+MHS items clustered into 2 SEL factors and 2 EBC factors. With regard to measurement invariance, the SELb+MHS functioned similarly across both Austria and Germany and full scalar invariance was achieved. Additionally, the overall pattern of concurrent validity relationships was as expected and similar across countries. Implications and future directions are discussed.

This study aimed to validate a modified Statistics Anxiety Scale for students in the United States taking university courses. Modifications were made by changing the wording of several items to be consistent with American English, and to accommodate students taking statistics courses in various formats. Items were added to investigate anxiety toward the use of statistical packages, and peer mentoring. Data from 352 participants and exploratory factor analyses were used to analyze the original 24-item SAS (SAS-O) and a version of the SAS with six additional items (SAS-M). The three-factor structure for SAS-O was consistent with the original validation study, explaining about 64% of the items' variance. The factor structure for SAS-M contained an additional two factors, that explained a total of 68 % of the items' variance. The factors were internally consistent, correlated with one another, and negatively correlated with Wise's Attitude Toward Statistics scale. Male students generally had lower application anxiety and examination anxiety than female students, and lower asking for help anxiety than non-traditional students.

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.

Over the last two decades, cyberbullying has gained increasing attention from the research community as the phenomenon has become a public health issue affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. Although several instruments assess cyberbullying worldwide, many still need to be adequately validated in different languages, countries, and cultures. The European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) is one instrument that aims to measure two dimensions of cyberbullying: cyber-victimization and cyber-aggression. Although the instrument has been translated into various languages and validated in several European and non-European countries, validation studies have yet to be conducted in Turkish culture. This study aimed to adapt the ECIPQ into Turkish and to investigate the psychometric quality of the instrument in Turkish population. A total sample of 632 college students participated in the study. Along with the ECIPQ, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered for validation purposes. The results showed that the Turkish version of the ECIPQ had sufficient internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the ECIPQ. The ECIPQ showed adequate convergent validity, as evidenced by the positive correlation between the cyberbullying and aggression scores and the negative correlation between cyberbullying and self-esteem scores. In conclusion, the ECIPQ can be considered a psychometrically sound measure to assess Turkish college students' perceived cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization levels.

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.

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.

To revise the Parental Autonomy Support Scale (PASS) and to validate its psychometric properties in Chinese college students, this study recruited 738 Chinese college students, with 72 of them retested four weeks later. The Parental Psychological Control Scale (PPCS) and the Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used to evaluate the validity of the PASS. Results showed that the revised PASS contained a total of nine items measuring three dimensions: autonomous decision-making, transpositional thinking, and willingness to respect. Results showed that the three-factor ESEM model fitted the data well (TLI = 0.981, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.046). The PASS showed a significant negative correlation between the total score of the PASS and the total score of the PPCS (r = -0.344, p < 0.001), and a significant positive correlation of the PASS with the total score of the RSES (r = 0.297, p < 0.001). The composite reliability coefficient was 0.913 for the total score. The test-retest reliability coefficients were 0.827 for the total score and ranged from 0.626 to 0.744 for the three dimensions. The revised PASS is shown to have sound psychometric properties and thus can be used as a tool to measure the level of parental autonomy support among Chinese college students.

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.

Organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) skills are behavioral manifestations of executive functioning linked to academic outcomes. Interventions to improve OTMP skills have shown favorable outcomes. The Children's Organizational Skills Scale parent and teacher forms (COSS-P, COSS-T) are widely used for assessing OTMP skills, but there is limited research on this scale. This study examined the factor structure and construct validity of the COSS in a non-clinical and clinical sample of students in grades 2-8 (Study 1; n = 1138 COSS-T; 1155 COSS-P), and teacher-referred students with OTMP deficits in grades 3-5 (Study 2; n = 184). In Study 1, a bifactor model with a general factor and three subfactors demonstrated good fit for the COSS-P (RMSEA = 0.057) and COSS-T (RMSEA = 0.052). This model was replicated in Study 2. The general factor on both versions demonstrated an acceptable to high level of internal reliability. An acceptable degree of reliability was also identified for subfactor 1 (Task Planning). The COSS was shown to be effective in differentiating children with ADHD from a comparison group drawn primarily from the non-clinical sample (AUC = 0.84 COSS-P; 0.85 COSS-T). Sex differences of medium magnitude were identified on the total score of both COSS versions. Correlations between the COSS-P and COSS-T were variable across samples. The findings provide strong evidence for using the total score on the COSS-P and COSS-T as an index of overall OTMP skills deficits. Given variable cross-informant correlations on the COSS, multi-informant assessment of OTMP skills is strongly indicated.

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.

The Stranger Face Trust scale (SFT) and Imaginary Stranger Trust scale (IST) are two new self-report measures of generalized trust that assess trust in strangers--both real and imaginary--across four trust domains. Prior research has established the reliability and validity of SFT and IST, but a number of measurement validation tests remain. Across three separate studies, I assess the test-retest reliability, measurement invariance, predictive validity, and replicability of SFT and IST, with the misanthropy scale (MST) and generalized social trust scale (GST) serving as benchmarks. First, tests of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and longitudinal measurement invariance established that all four generalized trust scales were acceptably reliable, with SFT and IST yielding greater overall reliability than MST and GST. Second, tests of multiple group measurement invariance revealed that SFT and IST were equivalent across gender, race, education, and age groups, while MST and GST were non-equivalent across the same sociodemographic groups. Third, an investment game established the predictive validity of SFT and MST, with IST and GST yielding poor predictive validity. Fourth, tests of factor structure and measurement invariance indicated that all four generalized trust scales replicated across samples. The present findings bolster the validity, reliability, and measurement equivalence of SFT and IST, while illustrating the compromised validity and measurement non-equivalence of MST and GST. Implications for the measurement of generalized trust are discussed.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

An examination of gender-related differential item functioning was conducted on the verbal subtests of the Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale. Analyses were conducted using the scale standardization data (N = 4641). A Mantel-Haenszel statistic was used to detect differential item functioning (DIF). A total of 58 verbal analogical reasoning items, 20 verbal short-term memory items, and 70 vocabulary items were analyzed. Initially, items displaying DIF in different age groups were determined, and then experts were consulted to determine whether these items were biased. There were three items with item effects on the Verbal Analogical Reasoning subtest and five items on the Vocabulary subtest. Short-term Memory subtests did not reveal any bias. Several implications regarding cognitive development, gender perceptions, and cultural factors were discussed.

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 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.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), a popular and widely used measurement tool in cross-cultural research, evaluates life satisfaction. Even though numerous studies have demonstrated factorial validity across a range of samples and cultures, the topic of factorial invariance across various subgroups is still up for debate. There are inconsistencies regarding the structure of the life satisfaction scale in descriptive and relational studies. This study aimed to combine these contentious models' (Model 1: single-factor model, Model 2: modified single-factor model and Model 3: two-factor model) measurement invariance with the findings of Multi Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses (MGCFA) carried out among various gender subgroups in Turkish culture with a sample of 690 participants. As a result of the research, all models met the model data goodness of fit according to the gender subgroup. But measurement-invariance decisions carried out according to different models differed.

Context is considered to greatly impact student engagement. However, little is known about the association between students' situational engagement in a particular lesson and their overall engagement with school and learning over time. The current study aims to validate the InSitu measure of situational engagement in a Norwegian context and to explore the relation between situational and overall engagement to add empirical evidence about the association between them. The sample consisted of 419 students (grades 8-10, ages 13-16), who reported their situational engagement through a web-based questionnaire at the end of six separate lessons. In addition, they answered a questionnaire concerning their overall engagement twice. The results supported the current factor structure of the InSitu instrument in a Norwegian lower secondary school context. The results showed substantial variation in student engagement between lessons. Structural equation modelling indicated significant associations between situational engagement and overall engagement.

Human pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere is an important factor which influences nature and the environment and thus can contribute to the management of environmental problems. Although there are a variety of self-reported measurement tools for pro-environmental behavior, an established and validated measurement instrument for pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere is still missing. Therefore, in this investigation, the personal pro-environmental behavior (PPB) scale, was developed and validated on 7000 individuals. In study 1, eight appropriate items were selected and the factor structure was exploratory examined. It was shown that the scale represents a multidimensional construct. In study 2, the results from study 1 were supported using confirmatory methods. In the final study 3, evidence for the validity of the scale were found. Thus, it could be shown that the PPB scale can be a suitable measurement tool for pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere.

Executive functions (EFs) are a set of high-level cognitive processes that enable children to perform a goal-directed behaviour. During the preschool years, EFs undergo significant developmental changes. Therefore, it is crucial to have reliable measures that accurately evaluate preschoolers' EFs in preschool-aged children. The present study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI), replicating the expected two-factor model in Italian preschoolers. A total of 210 Italian parents completed an online survey on their children aged between 36 and 72 months (Mage = 54.12; SDage = 11.22; 44.3% girls). A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor model of the CHEXI (working memory and inhibition) for Italian preschoolers, also demonstrating the invariance of the model across gender and age. Furthermore, the criterion validity of the CHEXI was established by examining correlations with the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. The present study provides evidence that the CHEXI is a valid and reliable rating measure for assessing EFs abilities of Italian preschoolers.

"Grit" is a stable and measurable trait. It refers to the individual's ability to maintain efforts and interest in projects that take time to complete and are useful in educational contexts. In this study we investigated the validity of a short version of the Grit |International Assessment Scale, Portuguese Version (EAGrit-LP) based on the internal structure and invariance. A total of 1402 students from Brazil (53.2%) and Portugal (46.8%) participated in the survey. The students answered online the EAGrit-LP and the sociodemographic questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to reduce the EAGrit-LP from 12 to 8 items, with two factors explaining 55.7% variance and replicating the theoretical structure, with excellent fit indices. Invariance analysis showed no differences in the responses of male and female participants. The results demonstrate that the short version of the instrument presents evidence of internal structure validity and invariance in connection with genders.