Latent change score (LCS) models are a powerful class of structural equation modeling that allows researchers to work with latent difference scores that minimize measurement error. LCS models define change as a function of prior status, which makes it well-suited for modeling developmental theories or processes. In LCS models, like other latent…

Considered normative from the second half of the 20th century (Danziger, 1990), null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) has received consistent, largely unheeded criticism. Critiques have received more attention in recent years with the recognition of the replication crisis in the social sciences and the American Statistical Society's statement…

Growth mixture modeling (GMM) is a methodological tool used to represent heterogeneity in longitudinal datasets through the identification of unobserved subgroups following qualitatively and quantitatively distinct trajectories in a population. These growth trajectories or functional forms are informed by the underlying developmental theory, are…

This study aimed to observe measurement invariance between community college students and university students in response to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey instrument. Most studies of the CoI survey instruments have recorded and validated the instruments considering undergraduate or graduate students. This study sought to validate and prove…

Fitting wrongly specified models to observed data may lead to invalid inferences about the model parameters of interest. The current study investigated the performance of the posterior predictive model checking (PPMC) approach in detecting model-data misfit of the hierarchical rater model (HRM). The HRM is a rater-mediated model that incorporates…

Recent advancements in testing differential item functioning (DIF) have greatly relaxed restrictions made by the conventional multiple group item response theory (IRT) model with respect to the number of grouping variables and the assumption of predefined DIF-free anchor items. The application of the L[subscript 1] penalty in DIF detection has…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of three commonly used model fit indices when measurement invariance is tested in the context of multiple-group CFA analysis with categorical-ordered data. As applied researchers are increasingly aware of the importance of testing measurement invariance, as well as Likert-type scales are…

Over the last four decades, meta-analysis has proven to be a vital analysis strategy in educational research for synthesizing research findings from different studies. When synthesizing studies in a meta-analysis, it is common to assume that the true underlying effect varies from study to study, as studies will differ in design, participants,…

Monte Carlo methods are an accepted methodology in regards to generation critical values for a Maximum test. The same methods are also applicable to the evaluation of the robustness of the new created test. A table of critical values was created, and the robustness of the new maximum test was evaluated for five different distributions. Robustness…

As the international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) become more popular, policy makers and education practitioners are interested in collecting as much student background information as possible to better understand the learning context of their students. To collect such abundant information, administrators need to develop a lot of questions.…

Since near the very beginning of electronic computing, Monte Carlo particle transport has been a fundamental approach for solving computational physics problems. Due to the high computational demands and inherently parallel nature of these applications, Monte Carlo transport applications are often performed in the supercomputing environment. That…

Educational researchers are often interested in phenomena that unfold over time within a person and at the same time, relationships between their characteristics that are stable over time. Since variables in a longitudinal study reflect both within- and between-person effects, researchers need to disaggregate them to understand the phenomenon of…

Testlets bring several perks in the development and administration of tests, such as 1) the construction of meaningful test items, 2) the avoidance of non-relevant context exposure, 3) the improvement of testing efficiency, and 4) the progression of testlet items requiring higher thinking skills. Thus, the inclusion of testlets in educational…

The past decades have witnessed an ever-growing demand for higher network capacity. Given practical radio resource constraints such as bandwidth and power, a wide variety of spectral efficiency techniques have been thoroughly explored by research efforts around the world. In this dissertation, we examine two less conventional approaches to boost…

This dissertation informed researchers about the performance of different level-specific and target-specific model fit indices in Multilevel Latent Growth Model (MLGM) using unbalanced design and different trajectories. As the use of MLGMs is a relatively new field, this study helped further the field by informing researchers interested in using…