H. W. Marsh's monograph (1987) on students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness in higher education is summarized. The research, which emphasized the construct validity approach, led to the development of the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) instrument. Factor analysis resulted in identification of nine SEEQ factors--learning…

Classical measurement theory was used to investigate the measurement (psychometric) characteristics of both parts of the Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT) administered in either a "no guessing" supply format or a multiple-choice selection format to undergraduate college students or to middle school students. Three issues were…

The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) and the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) examinations were evaluated as measures of the effectiveness of the general education program of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville). The criteria used to evaluate these examinations focused on their construct validity. The data were…

An instrument was developed to assess principal leadership. Two studies were then conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and utility of the instrument. Leadership style is the relative intensity of the presence of four modes of authority (traditional, charismatic, legal, and expert authority) and four modes of power (moral, psychological,…

The psychometric integrity of a measure of ecological stress in families with children who are handicapped was investigated using bootstrap factor analytic logic and the FACSTRAP program. The instrument is known as the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress--Friedrich short form. Subjects included both parents (N=132) in each of 66 intact families.…

Four major problem areas inhibit the standardized assessment of critical thinking (CT): (1) content validity; (2) construct validity; (3) technical jargon; and (4) background knowledge. Practical examples of framing multiple-choice items for assessment are suggested. In the area of content validity, new agreement about the definition of CT now…

The process of designing and validating a test of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) speaking skills is described. The study examined: (1) whether nine traits (pronunciation, grammar, discourse, fluency, content, vocabulary, comprehensibility, interactional competence, sociolinguistic competence) are relevant and separable parts of speaking…

The construct validity of 290 preadolescent children's responses to 3 instruments claiming to measure dimensions of self-concept was studied. Instruments administered to the fifth graders include the Self-Description Questionnaire; the Perceived Competence Scale; and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scales. (SLD)

Two studies developed and initially validated an instrument for measuring perceptions of teaching autonomy. Teachers at all grade levels were surveyed on teaching autonomy, then 20 refined items were administered to other teachers. Results yielded two factors that were internally consistent: general teaching autonomy and curricular autonomy. (SM)

Analyzed and validated revised versions of the 2000 Word Level and the University Word Level of Nation's Vocabulary Levels Test, which can be administered for course planning and placement in language programs. Japanese high school and university students (n=496) completed four forms of the 2000 Word Test, and 464 completed four forms of the…

The purpose of this article was to report factor structures, reliability, and validity of the Significant Other Academic Support Scale from two different Latino samples of Mexican and Central American origin youth. Self-report data were collected from 394 Mexican and 220 Central American youth from immigrant families living in Los Angeles.…

Construct validity of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ) was studied in a sample of 194 normal Finnish adolescents from 14 to 16 years of age. Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the hierarchical structure of adolescents' self-image with 5 lower-order factors loading on a single higher-order factor. Lower-order factors were…

A student perceptions measure of college and university classroom learning environment was developed to reflect the dynamic interplay among contextual variables and accommodates theoretical and practical applications in light of logistical concerns found in such complicated educational settings as a medical school. The 18-item Teaching and…

The psychometric properties of a paper-and-pencil instrument for assessing individual differences in cerebral dominance are explored. The instrument, Your Style of Learning and Thinking (SOLAT), contains 50 multiple-choice questions. The study subjects consisted of three groups: 235 undergraduate and graduate students, 124 undergraduate and…

This report explores an approach to item development and psychometric modeling which explicitly incorporates knowledge about the mental models used by examinees in the solution of items into a psychometric model that characterize performances on a test, as well as incorporating that knowledge into the item development process. The paper focuses on…