In order to ensure content validity by covering a broad range of content domains, the testing times of some educational large-scale assessments last up to a total of two hours or more. Performance decline over the course of taking the test has been extensively documented in the literature. It can occur due to increases in the numbers of: (a)…

Understanding the cognitive processes, skills and strategies that examinees use in testing is important for construct validity and score interpretability. Although response processes evidence has long been included as an important aspect of validity (i.e., "Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests," 1999), relevant studies are…

As the use of process data in large-scale educational assessments is becoming more common, it is clear that data on examinees' test-taking behaviors can illuminate their performance, and can have crucial ramifications concerning assessments' validity. A thorough review of the literature in the field may inform researchers and practitioners of…

My dissertation research explored responder behaviors (e.g., demonstrating response styles, carelessness, and possessing misconceptions) that compromise psychometric quality and impact the interpretation and use of assessment results. Identifying these behaviors can help researchers understand and minimize their potentially construct-irrelevant…

The measurement of test-taking strategies and practices, mostly studied through qualitative methods, has been an important aspect of language testing and assessment research. The current study examines the test-taking strategies of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test-takers and reports the process of designing and validating…

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is an important target of science teacher knowledge assessment. Most studies that have assessed the PCK across a large sample of science teachers used a text-based approach to elicit and assess the more declarative and static form of teachers' PCK. Recently, small-scale qualitative studies have adopted a novel…

Test-taking strategies are discussed in the literature as an important factor affecting test scores and are recommended to be taken into consideration regarding the validity of tests. Although studies have been conducted for more than a quarter century, no agreement has been reached on the dimensions of test-taking strategies. The purpose of this…

In previous studies, problem solving appraisal has been identified as playing a key role in promoting positive psychological well-being. The Problem Solving Inventory is the most widely used measure of problem solving appraisal and consists of 32 items. The length of the instrument, however, may limit its applicability to large-scale surveys…

When cognitive and educational tests are administered under time limits, tests may become speeded and this may affect the reliability and validity of the resulting test scores. Prior research has shown that time limits may create or enlarge gender gaps in cognitive and academic testing. On average, women complete fewer items than men when a test…

This study aimed to investigate the test-taking strategies needed for successful completion of a lecture-based listening test by employing self-reported test-taking strategy use, actual strategy use measured via eye-tracking, and test scores. In this study, participants' gaze behavior (measured by fixation and visit duration and frequency) were…

A decision of whether to move from paper-and-pencil to computer-based tests is based largely on a careful weighing of the potential benefits of a change against its costs, disadvantages, and challenges. This paper briefly discusses the trade-offs involved in making such a transition, and then focuses on a relatively unexplored benefit of…

Testwiseness may introduce construct-irrelevant variance to multiple-choice test scores. Presenting response options sequentially has been proposed as a potential solution to this problem. In an experimental validation, we determined the psychometric properties of a test based on the sequential presentation of response options. We created a strong…

The present study is part of a larger mixed methods project that investigated the speaking section of the Advanced Placement (AP) Japanese Language and Culture Exam. It investigated assumptions for the evaluation inference through a content analysis of test taker responses. Results of the content analysis were integrated with those of a many-facet…

Educators, especially test creators, are concerned with the construct validity of their tests. Blame has generally been attached to test-wiseness strategies as one source of error in measurement. There is little evidence of any relation between test-taking strategies in general and test validity; thus, it is not known how strategies can affect…

Recently, research in second language acquisition has seen an increased attention on low-educated low-literate (LESLLA) learners. However, few of the existing instruments to measure L2 proficiency have been validated for use with this population. In this paper, we examine how adult L2 learners with diverging educational backgrounds perform on and…