Empowerment is a concept that has become increasingly used over recent years. However, little research has been undertaken into how empowerment can be evaluated, particularly in the case of young people. The aim of this article is to present an inventory of dimensions and indicators of youth empowerment. The article describes the various phases in…

Longitudinal item response data often exhibit two types of measurement noninvariance: the noninvariance of item parameters between subject groups and that of item parameters across multiple time points. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to the simultaneous modeling of both types of measurement noninvariance in terms of longitudinal item…

Recent advances in automated scoring technology have made it practical to replace multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with short-answer questions (SAQs) in large-scale, high-stakes assessments. However, most previous research comparing these formats has used small examinee samples testing under low-stakes conditions. Additionally, previous studies…

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are a common way to assess reading comprehension. Every MCQ needs a set of distractor answers that are incorrect, but plausible enough to test student knowledge. However, good distractors are hard to create. Distractor generation (DG) models have been proposed, and their performance is typically evaluated using…

Background/purpose: This study aimed to reveal the accuracy of estimation of multiple-choice test items parameters following the models of the item-response theory in measurement. Materials/methods: The researchers depended on the measurement accuracy indicators, which express the absolute difference between the estimated and actual values of the…

Acquiescence is the tendency of participants to shift their responses to agreement. Lechner et al. (2019) introduced the following mechanisms of acquiescence: social deference and cognitive processing. We added their interaction into a theoretical framework. The sample consists of 557 participants. We found significant medium strong relationship…

This study compares the psychometric properties of scales developed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Self-Organizing Map (SOM), and Andrich's Rating Scale Model (RSM). Data for the research were collected by administering the "Statistical Attitude Scale" trial form, previously used in a separate study, to 808 individuals. First,…

When learning with self-testing alone, will a learner make inferences between the tested items? This study examines whether self-testing's benefits extend beyond isolated facts to support broader connections between the facts. Comparing self-testing to self-explanation (a strategy known to facilitate inferential learning), we find that while…

Rasch modelling is a powerful tool for evaluating item performance, measuring drift in difficulty over time, and comparing students who sat assessments at different times or at different sites. Here, we use data from thirty UK medical schools to describe the benefits of Rasch modelling in quality assurance and the barriers to using it. Sixty…

"A Practical Guide to Language Assessment" helps educators at every level redefine their approach to language assessment. Grounded in extensive research and aligned with the latest advances in language education, this comprehensive guide introduces foundational concepts and explores key principles in test development and item writing.…

This study introduces a new chi-square test statistic for testing the equality of response frequencies among distracters in multiple-choice tests. The formula uses the information from the number of correct answers and wrong answers, which becomes the basis of calculating the expected values of response frequencies per distracter. The method was…

Assessment is viewed as an important means to understand learners' performance in the learning process. A good assessment method is based on high-quality examination questions. However, generating high-quality examination questions manually by teachers is a time-consuming task, and it is not easy for students to obtain question banks. To solve…

The use of unidimensional scales that contain both positively and negatively worded items is common in both the educational and psychological fields. However, dimensionality investigations of these instruments often lead to a rejection of the theorized unidimensional model in favor of multidimensional structures, leaving researchers at odds for…

Test developers and psychometricians have historically examined measurement bias and differential item functioning (DIF) across a single categorical variable (e.g., gender), independently of other variables (e.g., race, age, etc.). This is problematic when more complex forms of measurement bias may adversely affect test responses and, ultimately,…

Traditional estimators of reliability such as coefficients alpha, theta, omega, and rho (maximal reliability) are prone to give radical underestimates of reliability for the tests common when testing educational achievement. These tests are often structured by widely deviating item difficulties. This is a typical pattern where the traditional…