This study investigated to what extent the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4) is a reliable tool for measuring vocabulary knowledge of English as a second language (L2), and to what extent L1 characteristics affect test outcomes. The PPVT-4 was administered to Dutch pupils in six different age groups (4-15 years old) who were or were not…

In peer nomination research, individuals who do not provide nominations (nonparticipants) are often included on rosters as potential nominees. This can present ethical questions regarding informed consent, but psychometric consequences of excluding nonparticipants from rosters are unknown. In this investigation, Study 1 simulated both random and…

The growing complexity and numerous changes in Dutch vocational education and training (VET) pressures teachers to continually develop their teaching profession. Therefore professional development (PD) is needed, but policy-initiated and imposed PD might be ineffective. Thus the purpose of this research is to evaluate which design requirements…

Intercultural competence is a crucial element of foreign language education, yet the multifaceted nature of this construct makes it inherently difficult to assess. Although several tools for evaluating intercultural competence currently exist, research on their use in secondary school settings is scarce. This study reports on the development and…

Listening to young children's voices is an issue with increasing relevance for many researchers in the field of early childhood research. At the same time, teachers and researchers are faced with challenges to provide children with possibilities to express their notions, and to find ways of comprehending children's voices. In our research we aim…

Decades of research has assessed the benefits of children's and adolescents' friendships, but friendships among youth often dissolve within a matter of months or years. Studies have investigated predictors and consequences of friendship stability with the expectation that, in order for friendships to have a positive or negative influence on youth,…

While portfolios are increasingly used to assess competence, the validity of such portfolio-based assessments has hitherto remained unconfirmed. The purpose of the present research is therefore to further our understanding of how assessors form judgments when interpreting the complex data included in a competency-based portfolio. Eighteen…

Geography teachers' school-based (internal) examinations in pre-vocational geography education in the Netherlands appear to be in line with the findings in the literature, namely that teachers' assessment practices tend to focus on the recall of knowledge. These practices are strongly influenced by national (external) examinations. This paper…

A cross-national comparison of degree programme levels became relevant when the borders of European countries opened for students and graduates, and higher education institutions were restructured into bachelor's and master's programmes. This new situation foregrounded the questions of what students are learning in the degree programmes of…

Since the 1970s, many observation instruments have been constructed to map teachers' general pedagogic competencies. However, few of these instruments focus on teachers' subject-specific competencies. This study presents the development of the "Framework for Analyzing the Teaching of Historical Contextualization" (FAT-HC). This…

Approximately a third of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) items in the core domains (math, reading, and science) are constructed-response items and require human coding (scoring). This process is time-consuming, expensive, and prone to error as often (a) humans code inconsistently, and (b) coding reliability in…

This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Meyer, Shanahan, and Laugksch's Conceptions of Research Inventory using data collected from 227 undergraduate hotel management students in the Netherlands. The results of a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed substantial empirical support for the five-factor…

To determine the content of integrated curricula, clinical concepts and the underlying basic science concepts need to be made explicit. Preconstructed concept maps are recommended for this purpose. They are mainly constructed by experts. However, concept maps constructed by residents are hypothesized to be less complex, to reveal more tacit basic…

Background: With the increased attention on the implementation of inquiry activities in primary science classrooms, a growing interest has emerged in assessing students' science skills. Research has thus far been concerned with the limitations and advantages of different test formats to assess students' science skills. Purpose: This study explores…

To gain further insight into psychosexual functioning, including behaviors, intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects, in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), comprehensive, multi-informant measures are needed. This study describes (1) the development of a new measure of psychosexual functioning in both parent- and self-reports (Teen…