The uses and methodology of factor analysis are widely debated and discussed, especially the issues of rotational use, methods of confirmatory factor analysis, and adequate sample size. The variety of perspectives and often conflicting opinions can lead to confusion among researchers about best practices for using factor analysis. The focus of the…

When conducting an exploratory factor analysis, the decision regarding the number of factors to retain following factor extraction is one that the researcher should consider very carefully, as the decision can have a dramatic effect on results. Although there are numerous strategies that can and should be utilized when making this decision,…

Structural models that yield circumplex inequality patterns are reviewed, focusing on a model developed by T. W. Anderson (1960). A modification is proposed to this model to allow for negative correlations. This model may be reparameterized as a factor analysis model with nonlinear constraints on the factor loadings. (SLD)

While educational researchers frequently collect data from a sample of individuals on a sample of variables, they sometimes collect data involving samples of: (1) subjects; (2) variables; and (3) occasions of measurement. A multistage procedure for analyzing such three-mode data is presented, focusing on effect sizes and graphic confidence…

The 7th International Conference on Education Data Mining held on July 4th-7th, 2014, at the Institute of Education, London, UK is the leading international forum for high-quality research that mines large data sets in order to answer educational research questions that shed light on the learning process. These data sets may come from the traces…