A study was conducted to establish the construct validity of measures designed to assess topical knowledge. Thirty-one ninth-grade students and 44 third/fourth-grade students were interviewed to ascertain their knowledge about 4 topics; 2 weeks later they responded to 3 tests of topical knowledge. Results were analyzed quantitatively and…

A study was undertaken to develop a valid, reliable measure of coping skills for use with hearing impaired adolescents. Subjects included 324 adolescents, aged 15 to 17 years. Through the permission of schools and parents and the cooperation of the Annual Survey of Hearing Impaired Children and Youth of the Center for Assessment and Demographic…

This paper discusses cognitive and noncognitive variables, and their relationship with each other, in learning and in educational evaluation. The nature of noncognitive learning environment variables is examined. The following instruments that have been widely used in assessing classroom environment are described: (1) the Learning Environment…

A study examined the relationship of native language and level of English proficiency to the structure of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Using all of the information provided by various responses to the test's items (the four alternatives, omitted, and not reached), the items' interrelations were analyzed by three-way…

Psychometric properties of the Alcohol Behavior, Attitude, and Awareness Inventory (ABAA Inventory) were assessed using data collected in 1987 from 799 university students. Results suggested that the ABAA Inventory was internally-consistent (alpha = .82) and stable over time (test-retest coefficient = .77). Subscale alphas ranged from .45 to .92,…

In this study 6,942 items from two standardized achievement test batteries--the Stanford (Early School Achievement Battery, Achievement Battery, and Test of Academic Skills) and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills--were analyzed. Focus was on determining: (1) the extent to which these test batteries included general cognitive operations (GCOs)…

Attempts an empirical integration of the constructs of needs, values, and preferences. Using data from postsecondary students (N=439), found that the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire Work Values Inventory, Values Scale, and Work Aspect Preference Scale all measure highly similar constructs. (Author/ABB)

Reviews procedures followed in developing a set of science items for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology content areas and examines the items' construct validity in relation to a specific technique of evaluation. Analysis supported the items' construct validity and viability for testing certain science skills at the secondary level. (ML)

This study examined the construct validity of the Motivation Orientation and Language Learning Strategy Scales: For Spanish as a Foreign Language (MOLLS). The MOLLS is a Likert-type scale, that has 20 items in 5 broad categories in the motivation orientation scale (MOS) and 18 items in 3 broad categories in the language learning strategies scale…

Whether performance assessments can be claimed to be more inclusive than traditional assessments was studied in an investigation of whether a student's perceptions of control can be detected in a performance assessment score. It was hypothesized that students' perceptions of control would show no effect on their scores on an objective test of…

This working paper summarizes the results of an expert panel review of the Lexile Framework (LF). The review was conducted by five panel members through readings, the preparation of brief individual reports, and participation in a meeting held on April 26, 2001 in Washington, D.C. The list of panel members and invited observers, along with brief…

Construct validity of the Child Observation Record (COR) was examined with low-income urban preschoolers in two samples. Analyses yielded a three-dimensional structure: cognitive skills, social engagement, and coordinated movement. Cross-validation of this structure across gender and ethnic groups found evidence of validity for social engagement…

Explores plausible differences in composing processes when English as a Second Language (ESL) students write timed-essays on paper and on the computer. Examines the way in which the quality of the written products differs across paper and computer modes. Reveals that individual participants are engaged in different ways and to differing degrees by…

Chinese teachers in high-achieving (n=103) and low-achieving (n=77) schools completed measures of job satisfaction, intention to quit, and spurning (student rejection of teacher help). Teachers of lower achievers were spurned more often. For both groups, spurning predicted job satisfaction but not likelihood of quitting and also predicted stress…

Examination of the construct validity of Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale points toward dislike of learning as the cause of low scores. High scores seem to result from positive attitudes toward learning in general and not specifically self-directed learning. Further studies are needed to distinguish between readiness for…