Non-rigid spatial thinking, or mental transformations where the distance between two points in an object changes (e.g., folding, breaking, bending), is required for many STEM fields but remains critically understudied. We developed and tested a non-rigid, ductile spatial skill measure based on reasoning about knots with 279 US adults (M = 30.90,…

Introduction: Individuals' math value beliefs are theorized to influence who persists in STEM. However, the existing findings on gender differences in adolescents' math value beliefs are inconsistent. The goal of this study was to use three existing datasets to help clarify when gender differences emerge for high school adolescents and for whom…

Authentic assessments are seen as a promising response to many of the challenges currently facing Higher Education. Studies have identified shared characteristics of authentic assessments, but it is also argued that the term is vague and subjective. Drawing on existing frameworks we have established a standardised measure to evaluate authenticity…

Assessing cognitive demand is crucial for research on self-regulated learning; however, discrepancies in translating essential concepts across languages can hinder the comparison of research findings. Different languages often emphasize various components and interpret certain constructs differently. This paper aims to develop a translingual set…

Released in 2018, China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) set a benchmark for language education and assessment in China, integrating with international standards. This study investigates whether CSE assessment literacy (understanding and applying CSE standards in assessment practice) enhances Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) among…

When learning physics, students need more than just an understanding of mathematical and physical concepts. Integrating the two fields is crucial, as research indicates that students often struggle even when they have a strong grasp of both. In this paper, we use the heat equation as an example from higher education. Given the importance of the…

Introduction: This study investigated the longitudinal relationship between self-reported physical activity and national examination results among adolescents in an upper-middle-income country. Methods: This study engaged in a secondary data analysis derived from a closed prospective cohort consisting of 579 students, who were recruited at the age…

While it has been observed that second language learners selectively read information to answer comprehension questions, the amount of textual information required to correctly answer a question remains unclear. This study sought to identify the effects of this strategic reading on reading comprehension performance and explore how proficiency…

This report highlights Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District's 2022-2023 implementation of "My Reading Academy" with kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students across its 17 elementary schools. The district began using "My Reading Academy" with 10 classrooms of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students in spring…

The use of multiple-choice (MC) instruments to assess pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has advantages in terms of test economy and objectivity, but it also poses challenges, for example, in terms of adequately capturing the intended construct. To help address these challenges, we developed and evaluated a new instrument to assess science…

Assessing achievement is a complex task due to its dependence on multiple factors and the hierarchical structure of educational data, yet surveys like TIMSS offer valuable insights into its determining factors like students' mathematics anxiety. However, disregarding the nested structure of data and ignoring the assumptions of models causes poor…

The purpose of the study was to examine how parents' involvement is associated with Grade 4 learners' reading literacy achievement in Mpumalanga. Selected variables from the PIRLS 2016 home and school questionnaires were used, and interviews were conducted with parents to gain a deeper understanding of parental involvement in their child's…

The need for an explicit and validated instrument to assess analytical thinking skills in Zoology courses presents a critical divide in educational assessment. The research aims to evaluate the psychometrics of the instrument for assessing students' analytical thinking skills in the Zoology course. The main problem identified is the lack of an…

Setting cutoff scores is one of the most common practices when using scales to aid in classification purposes. This process is usually done univariately where each optimal cutoff value is decided sequentially, subscale by subscale. While it is widely known that this process necessarily reduces the probability of "passing" such a test,…

Background: Despite the relevance of assessing sexual knowledge in people with Intellectual Disability, there is a lack of appropriate assessment tools to measure this domain. The current study tests the psychometric properties of the new 'Inventory of Sexual Knowledge of people with Intellectual Disability' (ISK-ID). Method: 345 individuals with…