A questionnaire was recently developed for the use with the Spanish-speaking, and evidence have been provided about the construct internal validity by means of structural equation modelling. In this paper, two research questions were considered: (i) What new evidence does application of the Rasch model provide regarding the validity of this…

This paper presents a model that analyses the relationship between the coach's emotional competences and the training climate as predictors of the youngsters' emotional competences and psychological well-being. In the present study, 309 athletes and 17 coaches participated in the study. A general predictive model was estimated with path analysis…

The author argues that models of culture shock present a crisis response to cultural encounters and neglect key theories of student development. Drawing from interdisciplinary research, she presents a new model, the Cultural Transitions Model (CTM), to better support students as they encounter cultural transitions during study abroad. The CTM…

Data mining is known to have a potential for predicting user performance. However, there are few studies that explore its potential for predicting student behavior in a procedural training environment. This paper presents a collective student model, which is built from past student logs. These logs are first grouped into clusters. Then, an…

The present study has two main interests. First, some pending issues about the psychometric properties of the CTAC (an anxiety questionnaire for blind and visually-impaired people) are assessed using item response theory (IRT). Second, the linear model is compared to the graded response model (GRM) in terms of measurement precision, sensitivity…

The synthesis of digital circuits is a basic skill in all the bachelor programmes around the ICT area of knowledge, such as Computer Science, Telecommunication Engineering or Electrical Engineering. An important hindrance in the learning process of this skill is that the existing educational tools for the design of circuits do not allow the…

Background: Most instruments that assess quality of life have been validated by means of the classical test theory (CTT). However, CTT limitations have resulted in the development of alternative models, such as the Rasch rating scale model (RSM). The main goal of this paper is testing and improving the psychometric properties of the INTEGRAL…

The aim of this article is to present a methodological model to analyze students' group interaction to improve their essays in online learning environments, based on asynchronous and written communication. In these environments teacher and student scaffolds for discussion are essential to promote interaction. One of these scaffolds can be the…

A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good…

Introduction: The current study describes the planning process and aims of the university reforms in Spain and suggests an innovative proposal, namely the design and evaluation of a week-long induction programme for first-year bachelor's degree students at the University of Lleida (Spain), organised within the European higher education framework.…

An experiential approach to professional development (EPD) allowed Spanish teachers opportunities to improve their practice through demonstration, observation, collaboration, fieldwork, and reflection. As result of "experiential" professional development, Burke (2012) found that teachers' knowledge about communicative language teaching…

Developed an item response theory model of response stability based on the local independence principle. Tested the model, which predicts response changes under repeated administrations of the same instrument, with real data for 432 Spanish undergraduates. Results indicate that the model predictions are approximately fulfilled. (SLD)

This article describes a model for response times that is proposed as a supplement to the usual factor-analytic model for responses to graded or more continuous typical-response items. The use of the proposed model together with the factor model provides additional information about the respondent and can potentially increase the accuracy of the…

Examined the performance of three item-response models applied to data collected from a conventionally developed Likert-type personality scale administered to 657 Spanish undergraduates. Models' response assumptions were reasonably tenable, and the solutions obtained for the continuous, censored, and graded-response models were similar. (SLD)

The Second International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM2009) was held at the University of Cordoba, Spain, on July 1-3, 2009. EDM brings together researchers from computer science, education, psychology, psychometrics, and statistics to analyze large data sets to answer educational research questions. The increase in instrumented…