An important element of good design, instructional or otherwise, is awareness of and being empathetic to the needs, wants, interests, values, and opinions of the intended audience. Typical approaches to learning about the subjective viewpoints of a particular audience have included survey instruments based on Likert-type items and open-ended…

Course evaluations can be used for curriculum improvement and have the potential to better the student learning experience. However, because most are based on Likert scales and open-ended feedback, understanding diversity in student opinion and uncovering optimal options for course change and improvement are often difficult. Alternatively,…

Whenever multiple observers provide ratings, even of the same performance, inter-rater variation is prevalent. The resulting "idiosyncratic rater variance" is considered to be unusable error of measurement in psychometric models and is a threat to the defensibility of our assessments. Prior studies of inter-rater variation in clinical…

This manuscript's purpose is to introduce Q as a methodology before providing clarification about the preferred factor analytical choices of centroid and theoretical (hand) rotation. Stephenson, the creator of Q, designated that only these choices allowed for scientific exploration of subjectivity while not violating assumptions associated with…

This article reports on an exploratory two-stage sequential mixed methods research study that investigated the views of university educators on the introduction of assessment methods other than essays, exams and dissertations within taught Masters programmes. In the first stage, interviews were conducted internationally with 45 participants and…

Cognitive Diagnostic Models (CDMs) aim to provide information about the degree to which individuals have mastered specific attributes that underlie the success of these individuals on test items. The Q-matrix is a key element in the application of CDMs, because contains links item-attributes representing the cognitive structure proposed for solve…

This work aims to highlight the relevance of Stephenson's Q methodology (QM) for improving the assessment of child-father attachment relationships. We argue that reconceptualising the relationship can enhance the validity of assessment techniques and help in identifying the paternal behaviours that predict a secure child-father attachment pattern.…

This article is primarily methodological but has dual aims. First, it makes a case for Q methodology as an effective and so far little exploited means of capturing, comparing and contrasting individual perspectives on a specific question in the field of educational leadership. In common with other research approaches designed to uncover the…

Results from a study involving 153 clinicians who used the new Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (a Q-sort approach) and eight patient interviews suggest the usefulness of the SWAP to measure personality disorders and refine categories and criteria according to Axis II of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"…

This paper presents the development of the fusion model skills diagnosis system (fusion model system), which can help integrate standardized testing into the learning process with both skills-level examinee parameters for modeling examinee skill mastery and skills-level item parameters, giving information about the diagnostic power of the test.…

This paper reviews the theoretical and research foundations for the Q sort procedure. Steps in the development of Q sort instruments are described and a model for the practical use of Q sort results in counseling is developed. The Q sort is the client's own description of himself. (Author)

Describes Q methodology, a technique that can be used to gain important insights on individuals' judgments, attitudes, and points of view on topics or situations that involve early intervention effectiveness issues. Specific steps involved in Q methodology are illustrated in a description of an early intervention efficacy study. (Author/CR)

Describes a Q-sort type instrument useful in obtaining descriptive information about teaching methods and curriculum materials used in the science laboratory, including information for, among others, developing operational definition of constructs (inquiry), diagnosing problems in curriculum development or implementation, and monitoring the effect…

Although Q methodology has been especially well used by researchers in a variety of social and behavioral sciences, student affairs researchers have not been inclined to deploy this methodology. This article examines Q methodology and uses a case study to explore the potential for student affairs assessment and research. Overall, the authors…