Surveys are frequently employed in needs assessment to collect information about gaps (the needs) in "what is" and "what should be" conditions. Double-scale Likert-type instruments are routinely used for this purpose. Although in accord with the discrepancy definition of need, the quality of such measures is being questioned to…

The purpose of the present study was to provide the means to evaluate the "interval-scaling" assumption that governs the use of parametric statistics and continuous data estimators in self-report instruments that utilize Likert-type scaling. Using simulated and real data, the methodology to test for this important assumption is evaluated…

Insufficient effort responding (IER) refers to a lack of effort when answering survey or questionnaire items. Such items typically offer more than two ordered response categories, with Likert-type scales as the most prominent example. The underlying assumption is that the successive categories reflect increasing levels of the latent variable…

The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare interprofessional skills among first year pharmacy students who participated in healthcare and non-healthcare setting service-learning experiences. This was a survey-based pre/post comparison of interprofessional attitudes among student pharmacists during a first professional year…

Prior research highlights the benefits of multimode surveys and best practices for item-by-item (IBI) and matrix-type survey items. Some researchers have explored whether mode differences for online and paper surveys persist for these survey item types. However, no studies discuss measurement invariance when both item types and online modes are…

The Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction or ARCS model is an effective motivational model that has been widely accepted by education practitioners. Literature on the ARCS model has focused primarily on aspects of educational settings, research methods, and outcomes. However, few studies have addressed the applications of the ARCS…

When education leaders utilize survey results to inform their decisions, they are often left wondering if the "right" survey questions were asked. To help state and local leaders improve existing instruments or create better instruments for data collection, this quick reference guide highlights best practices in designing effective…

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of offering a Doctor of Philosophy in Education program at LSPU. The study utilized a quantitative research design to gather data from 243 respondents consisting of teachers, education professionals, and stakeholders in the field of education. The data were analyzed using descriptive…

We have less time and focus than ever before, while the demand for attention is increasing. Therefore, it is no surprise that when answering questionnaires, we often choose to strongly agree or be neutral, producing problematic and unusable data. The current study investigated forced-choice (ipsative) format compared to the same questions on a…

Survey score interpretations are often plagued by sources of construct-irrelevant variation, such as response styles. In this study, we propose the use of an IRTree Model to account for response styles by making use of self-report items and anchoring vignettes. Specifically, we investigate how the IRTree approach with anchoring vignettes compares…

Psychometric properties of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS-8) scores were examined with a national sample of school counselors (N = 1,005). SPOS-8 scores displayed good internal consistency ([alpha] = 0.92), one-factor structure, and convergent and discriminant validity. Measurement invariance was evident for White and…

This mixed-methods study compares how secondary teachers implemented Education Reform in China in 2012 and 2022. The survey asked how often a teaching or evaluation strategy was used. The conclusions indicate that even though teacher-directed lessons (teacher talk, individual work, and questioning) still dominated, subject teachers were using a…

This special issue's editors invited discussion of three broad questions. Slightly rephrased, they are: How well do self-report data represent theoretical constructs? How should analyses of data be conditioned by properties of self report data? In what ways do interpretations of self-report data shape interpretations of a study's findings? To…

There are many valuable sources of evaluation data, including -- but not limited to -- professional learning participants. In the authors' work on leadership development and organizational learning for Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma, they regularly ask educators to share feedback and perceptions of usefulness of their professional learning. The…

This article aims to map the scales validated in the international literature for the assessment of learning environments. A systematic literature review was carried out in articles from the web of Science database in the period from 1970 to 2020. After completing the three stages proposed by Tranfield, Denyer, and Smart (2003), 94 articles were…