Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment

A substantial body of research supports the use of data-based decision making (DBDM) to support student reading progress, particularly in the areas of foundational skills such as word reading and oral reading fluency; less is known about DBDM in the context of reading comprehension. In this study, we compared a researcher-developed content-specific curriculum-based measurement (CS-CBM) with a standardized Maze CBM to determine the ways in which these sources of data may mediate student reading comprehension outcomes. Students’ progress was monitored using the CS-CBM and the Maze CBM during a reading comprehension intervention (Strategies for Reading Information and Vocabulary Effectively; STRIVE) paired with data-based decision making (DBDM). Findings reveal that both measures have potential utility in the decision-making process; the CS-CBM may be more predictive of outcomes as well as more sensitive to student growth over time, specifically for students receiving content-area reading comprehension intervention.

We document results of validity generalization meta-analyses of the teacher, student, and parent forms of the BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS). Effect sizes (reported here as absolute values, based on 16 studies and 428 correlation coefficients) ranged from 0.040 to 0.350 for constructs related to academics, 0.399 to 0.690 for executive functioning, 0.350 to 0.627 for externalizing problems, 0.287 to 0.815 for internalizing problems, 0.344 to 0.660 for prosocial functioning, and 0.478 to 0.875 for global risk indicators. Extracted coefficients were of the expected direction and magnitude with theoretically aligned constructs, although scores on the BESS scales showed relatively weak relationships with academic variables and results from the parent form were less consistent. Results indicate the broad utility of the BESS in identifying students for further assessment as part of the screening process and support the use of the broadband BESS Behavior and Emotional Risk Index (BERI) particularly for this purpose.

Mixed-worded questionnaire scales, containing both positively and negatively phrased items, are intended to encourage thoughtful responses, but may result in inconsistent responses and wording effects and can reduce reliability and validity. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of inconsistent responding to a mixed-worded scale in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) across seven countries. Using factor mixture analysis, findings revealed a low but variable rate of inconsistency (2–8%) across countries. Separate confirmatory factor analysis models on the effective and on filtered samples of consistent respondents showed improved fit and reliability indices for the filtered samples for all countries, suggesting that inconsistent respondents had unexpected response patterns. In logistic regression models, inconsistent responding was associated with lower PISA reading scores and often with reduced self-reported effort, suggesting that inconsistent responses may stem from lower reading ability and/or carelessness. The results contribute to ongoing discussions about the use of mixed wording in questionnaires and highlight the need to account for respondent behavior when analyzing survey data.

Motivational self-regulation is a key component of self-regulated learning. Research has revealed the variety of strategies students use to reach their learning goals, and several instruments, built on one another, have been developed. This study describes the development of the Motivational Regulation Strategies Inventory (MRSI), a French instrument that expands previous tools by measuring a broader range of strategies, including seeking support and emotion regulation. Two studies were conducted to assess its validity: one with 305 middle school students and another with 653 college students. Exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2) identified 10 strategies. Path analysis examined the nomological network of these strategies, which included intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy beliefs, and procrastination as sources, and academic perseverance as an outcome. The findings provide substantial evidence for the MRSI’s validity.

The Perception of Inclusion Questionnaire (PIQ) is a 12-item tool measuring students’ emotional well-being, social inclusion, and academic self-concept. To validly compare scores across groups or time, measurement invariance must be established. This study assessed the longitudinal and gender invariance of the PIQ with 201 students aged 11–14. Analyses confirmed strict longitudinal invariance across metric, scalar, and residual levels, confirming the PIQ is suitable for tracking changes over time in adolescence. For gender, strict invariance was found at ages 11 and 12, but only partial scalar invariance at ages 13 and 14. Results also indicated that the model’s quality and internal consistency improved over the years, while completion time significantly decreased. The study concludes that the PIQ possesses strong invariance properties for longitudinal research and for comparing girls and boys, particularly in early adolescence.

This study validated the Mandarin-Chinese Teacher Well-Being Scale (TWBS) and developed a context-specific extension (CS-TWBS) to capture culturally grounded dimensions of teacher well-being in China. Two studies were conducted with samples of in-service and former Chinese teachers. Study 1 evaluated the psychometric properties of the translated TWBS using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability testing, and measurement invariance analyses. A bifactor model provided the best fit, supporting a predominantly unidimensional structure reflecting general teacher well-being. Study 2 developed and validated the CS-TWBS through cognitive interviews and psychometric testing. The CS-TWBS showed strong internal consistency, clear factorial structure, and expected associations with flourishing, burnout, and job stress. Together, the Mandarin-Chinese TWBS and CS-TWBS provide psychometrically sound and culturally appropriate instruments for assessing teacher well-being in Chinese educational settings and for informing targeted interventions.

Morphological awareness contributes to literacy development through multiple components, yet few assessments with established evidence of internal construct structure are widely available and suitable for whole-class administration for efficiently characterizing elementary students’ suffix-based morphological knowledge in written sentence contexts. This study reports on the development and validation of ROAR Morphology, a brief classroom-based assessment of suffix-based morphological knowledge in written sentence contexts for students in grades 2–5, administered in under 10 minutes to whole classrooms with automatic scoring. Items were designed to capture a learning progression of suffix-based morphological knowledge, varying suffix type (inflectional/derivational) and suffix commonality (common/less common), with careful attention to cognitive processing demands including number of derivational distractors. Calibration of response data from 735 students using Rasch modeling yielded high reliability (α = .91; with fit indices ranging from .79 to 1.22). Item difficulty analyses confirmed that derivational morphology was more challenging than inflectional morphology, and less common suffixes were more difficult than common suffixes. Cognitive processing demands, specifically the number of competing derivational distractors, contributed additional variance in item difficulty beyond linguistic features. Based on item difficulty modeling, we established four empirically derived learning progression waypoints reflecting proficiency with suffix-based morphological structures of increasing complexity, from foundational inflectional morphology with common suffixes to more complex derivational morphology with less common suffixes. Notably, base word characteristics did not drive item difficulty, confirming that the waypoints capture genuine differences in suffix-based morphological knowledge development. ROAR Morphology uniquely predicted literacy achievement beyond word reading and sentence reading measures (ΔR² = 7.2%, p < .001), supporting its discriminant validity. These findings demonstrate that suffix type, suffix commonality, and cognitive processing demands systematically influence suffix-based morphological knowledge development in written sentence contexts, and that empirically validated waypoints may inform instructional planning during the critical grades 2–5 window when this knowledge is rapidly developing.

School anxiety can have detrimental effects on various aspects of students’ lives, including their academic performance, emotional well-being and social development. Despite its significant impact, there is a lack of brief, validated tools that are easy to administer for assessing school anxiety in students. To address this gap, the present study developed and validated the School Anxiety Scale (SAS), specifically designed for use with primary and secondary school students. The study involved 1,236 students (M = 11 years, SD ≈ 6 months) from France and Switzerland. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a robust single-factor structure. The SAS demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and good convergent validity. These results highlight the SAS as a reliable and practical instrument for assessing school anxiety.

While assessment literacy has long guided teacher’ assessment practice, the rise of digital assessment presents new challenges in educational measurement, necessitating a renewed focus on Teacher Measurement Literacy (TML). This study reconceptualizes TML and develops a validated framework to support teachers in this evolving context. Using the Delphi method, a three-dimensional, 14-element TML framework was refined through two rounds of expert consultation, demonstrating increased consensus. A corresponding instrument was then administered to 306 pre-service teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, likelihood ratio tests comparing nested Rasch models indicated that a three-dimensional model provided a significantly better fit to the data than a unidimensional alternative. Cross-validation with a sample of 297 in-service teachers further supported the robustness of the multidimensional framework. These findings validate the proposed three-dimensional conception of TML and offer empirical grounding to strengthen teachers’ capacity in the context of evolving measurement practices.

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study proposes the Teachers’ Motivational Styles (TMS) questionnaire, a new tool designed to assess how teachers support or frustrate students’ basic psychological needs. Items were developed based on a recent SDT-based taxonomy of need-supportive and need-thwarting teaching behaviors. The questionnaire was administered to 2454 secondary school students in Italy and the United Kingdom. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling supported a bifactor structure with two general factors—Need Support and Need Frustration—and three specific factors for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Measurement invariance confirmed the tool’s robustness across countries. Need-supportive teaching predicted higher Positive Affect, lower Negative Affect, and lower Intention to Drop out of school. In contrast, need-frustrating teaching styles predicted increased negative affect and greater risk of school disengagement. The TMS is a psychometrically sound, theory-driven instrument. Its cross-cultural validation supports its use in international contexts, with important implications for research, teacher training, and interventions to promote student well-being.

Digital technologies have reshaped how individuals engage in creative activities, highlighting the need for updated and valid instruments to assess digital creative behavior. This study developed and examined the Digital Creative Behavior Instrument (DCBI) using two samples of university students in Taiwan (N = 300 and N = 412). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses generally supported a three-factor structure: (1) digital media creativity and engagement, (2) digital video editing and production, and (3) digital artwork and design. Overall, the pattern of fit indices (CFI, RMSEA, and SRMR) suggested that the model fit was within a reasonable range for interpretation, although the TLI fell slightly below conventional benchmarks. Evidence of reliability and initial construct validity was observed. Openness to experience was positively associated with digital creative behavior, although the magnitude of the associations was small, providing preliminary support for criterion-related validity. The findings offer initial psychometric support for the DCBI and suggest directions for further refinement and validation in future research. This study contributes to creativity research and offers a basis for educators and researchers to assess digital creative engagement in contemporary contexts.

ChatGPT has shown considerable potential for Automated Item Generation, but the quality of ChatGPT-generated items in language assessment remains insufficiently substantiated. This research recruited 121 participants to systematically compare the psychometric properties of the test items and the linguistic features of the reading passages in ChatGPT-generated and official CET-4 reading comprehension materials, using Item Response Theory and Coh-Metrix. Key findings are as follows: (1) generated items fell short in higher-order reading skills; (2) the generated items were less difficult than official ones, showing weaker discrimination and providing measurement information mainly for lower-performing students; (3) only 22.9% distractors functioned effectively, indicating insufficient distractor performance; and (4) ChatGPT-generated passages were characterized by irregular lexical distribution, higher lexical complexity, weaker cohesion but simpler sentences than CET-4 passages. Although ChatGPT-generated passages were less readable than CET-4 passages, the corresponding items were easier and showed lower discrimination. This discrepancy can be attributed to inadequate distractor functioning that facilitates option elimination without complete passage comprehension, as well as to the underrepresentation of higher-order reading skills. The findings corroborate the conclusion that ChatGPT may function effectively as a supplementary tool in low-stakes assessment; however, substantial refinements in item quality are imperative before its application in high-stakes testing.

Understanding the multifaceted aspects of interest is crucial for improving engagement and learning. However, adequate measurement tools for this complex construct have been lacking. We conducted two studies to address this gap. Study 1 focused on developing the Multidimensional Interest Development Survey (MIS), capturing diverse interest components and stages. Study 2 aimed to validate the MIS. Study 1 (n = 277) and Study 2 (n = 342) involved participants from a private university. In the initial phase, we developed the MIS survey, comprising items reflecting distinct interest components and stages. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed in the second study to confirm the scale’s three-factor structure. Significant differences in interest scores were observed among individuals at different stages, affirming the scale’s sensitivity to developmental nuances in interest. This instrument shows promise for assessing and understanding interest and can inform tailored interventions to enhance engagement and learning.

This paper aims to understand the reliability of English and Mandarin vocabulary measures, and their associations, among infants and toddlers growing up in a multilingual society. Reliability was examined via item-response Rasch models across English and Mandarin word categories. Parents reported on 137 children’s (age = 5 to 27 months) English and Mandarin vocabulary with a newly developed measure, the developmental vocabulary checklist (DVC). High reliability (alpha .91 to .99) was observed across English and Mandarin DVC categories. Wright maps suggest a lack of sensitivity at the tail end of the language-ability distribution. One-way ANOVAs indicating a significant difference across expected categories of DVC words was found. Higher exposure associated with a higher composite score across DVC categories, but only in Mandarin and only among older children in the 1-to-2 year band. A threshold account is discussed as an explanation for differential association of exposure in Mandarin but not English.

This study aimed to conceptualize socially shared regulated learning competency (SSRLC) and develop a valid and reliable instrument for junior secondary school students. Based on a review of relevant literature and two rounds of Delphi consultation with 16 experts, a theoretically grounded indicator system was established, comprising five dimensions: clarifying collaborative tasks, planning, monitoring, adaptation, and evaluation and reflection. On this basis, a 30-item Socially Shared Regulated Learning Competency Test (SSRLCT) was developed. The instrument was piloted with 225 students and subsequently validated with 955 students. Results showed satisfactory item functioning, strong internal consistency, and stable model-based reliability. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a correlated five-factor structure, and measurement invariance across gender was established. Criterion-related validity was further supported by a significant positive association with students’ collaboration. The study provides both a conceptual framework and a psychometrically supported tool for assessing SSRLC in junior secondary school students.

Self-determination is a key predictor of positive life outcomes for people with and without disabilities across the life course. The Self-Determination Inventory: Adult Report (SDI:AR) is a self-report measure designed to assess self-determination in adults. This study examined the psychometric properties of the SDI:AR including internal consistency, factor structure, and measurement invariance across demographic variables of gender (female and male), life stage (early and middle adulthood), and disability status (with and without disabilities). Results demonstrated excellent internal consistency (>0.90) across the full sample and all subgroups. Using a single-factor model, measurement invariance was supported across all demographic group comparisons, allowing for meaningful comparisons of latent means and variances. There is a need to further explore how intersectional identities influence self-determination, particularly among adults with disabilities. Continued validation with underrepresented groups is essential to ensure the SDI:AR aligns with the full range of adult experiences. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Understanding and managing perfectionistic behaviours in students is a critical challenge for teachers. Consequently, this qualitative study sought to assess the strategies that elementary and secondary teachers in Ontario, Canada use to respond to perfectionism in their classrooms. Open-ended survey responses from 197 teachers (83.25% female, M_age = 40.21, SD = 9.00; 66.50% elementary teachers) and semi-structured interviews with a subsample of 26 teachers (84.62% female, M_age = 41.19, SD = 10.95; 65.38% elementary teachers) were analyzed using thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Findings indicated that teachers employ a range of strategies, such as encouraging a growth mindset, offering individualized support, fostering strong teacher-student relationships, and cultivating self-care among their students. Despite their efforts to build resilience and strengthen students’ sense of self, some teachers highlighted the persistent nature of perfectionism and expressed frustration with their limited capacity to effectively support perfectionistic students. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing perfectionism as a significant educational issue and suggest that insights from teachers’ observations and classroom strategies could inform psychoeducational assessment and targeted professional development.

Critical thinking is increasingly recognized as a key skill in higher education, but its systematic development and assessment remain limited in Eastern Europe. This study aimed to adapt and psychometrically validate the Slovak version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS). Data were collected from 545 Slovak university students (M_age = 21.94; SD_age = 2.19). Confirmatory factor analysis compared one- and two-factor models and tested measurement invariance across gender. The two-factor model, including Critical Openness and Reflective Skepticism, showed a better fit (CFI = 0.971; RMSEA = 0.040) and was partially invariant across genders. The scale scores showed acceptable reliability, stability of Critical Openness over time, and convergent validity through positive correlations with selected constructs from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The findings support the Slovak CTDS score as reliable and valid for assessing critical thinking dispositions in higher education, allowing for gender comparisons and contributing to cross-cultural research.

The current study extended previous work by further examining the psychometric properties of the Mistake Rumination Scale and its associations with depression and evaluative fears, as well as the cognitive experience of perfectionism and procrastination. Most notably, this study also uniquely examined a possible link between mistake rumination and a perfectionistic self-presentational style in line with our view that needing to outwardly seem perfect reflects internal insecurities and ruminative brooding about mistakes. The Mistake Rumination Scale is a seven-item inventory measuring the tendency to ruminate about a past personal mistake. In a sample of 132 university students, the Mistake Rumination Scale had good psychometric properties, including acceptable internal consistency and concurrent validity in terms of its links with perfectionistic self-presentation and ruminative thoughts related to being perfect and procrastination. Mistake rumination was positively associated with all facets of perfectionistic self-presentation. The measures of mistake rumination and automatic thoughts related to perfectionism and procrastination were all positively linked with depression and social anxiety. Regression analyses showed that mistake rumination was the only significant predictor of depression, while mistake rumination and perfectionistic cognitions were both significant predictors of fear of negative evaluation. Our findings attest to the further use of the Mistake Rumination Scale, highlighting the need for interventions that promote a more positive orientation toward making mistakes and an explicit emphasis on reducing the tendency to ruminate about mistakes.

Understanding the dimensionality of social-emotional learning is critical for valid assessment in youth. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Social-Emotional Learning Scale (SELS), and its associations with subjective well-being in a sample of 711 Portuguese students (50.6% girls; M _age = 11.01, sd = .81). Structural equation modeling indicated that a bifactor structure (one general and two specific factors: Peer Relationships and Self-regulation) provided the best fit (CFI _robust = .966, RMSEA _robust = .031, SRMR = .032). The bifactor indices supported unidimensionality (ECV = .896, PUC = 0.78, Omega G = 0.88), but not the interpretation of subscale scores. Metric and scalar invariance across gender was supported. An Item Response Theory analysis indicated the SELS is most informative at lower levels of the latent trait. Higher SEL was related to greater positive affect, lower negative affect, and greater life satisfaction. Our findings support unidimensionality and the usefulness of the SELS for identifying youth with lower social-emotional competence.