In an upcoming coverage-comprehension study, we plan to assess learners' meaning-recall knowledge of words as they occur in the study's reading passage. As several meaning-recall test formats exist, the purpose of this small-scale study (N = 10) was to determine which of three formats was most similar to a criterion interview regarding mean score…

In German Switzerland the learning and assessment of Swiss German Sign Language ("Deutschschweizerische Gebärdensprache," DSGS) takes place in different contexts, for example, in tertiary education or in continuous education courses. By way of the still ongoing implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference for DSGS,…

This study offers evidence of the impact of language background on the performance of students enrolled in an accounting study unit. It aims to quantify the effects of language background on performance in essay questions, compared to calculation questions requiring an application of procedures. Marks were collected from 2850 students. The results…

The chapters in this online volume comprise the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center's technical report of the methods and procedures used to develop, implement, and report the results of TIMSS 2019. There were various technical challenges because TIMSS 2019 was the initial phase of the transition to eTIMSS, with approximately half the…

This article reports the results of a study of potential sources of item nonequivalence between English and Chinese language versions of a cognitive development test for preschool-aged children. Items were flagged for potential nonequivalence through statistical and judgment-based procedures, and the relationship between flag status and item…

When a test is adapted from a source language (SL) into a target language (TL), the two forms are usually not psychometrically equivalent. If linking between test forms is necessary, those items that have had their psychometric characteristics altered by the translation (differential item functioning [DIF] items) should be eliminated from the…

Studied whether differential item functioning (DIF) in translated verbal items could be reduced or eliminated by revising these items. Results for six sections of an Israeli college admission test translated from Hebrew to Russian show that revisions can reduce DIF considerably. Discusses costs of the revision process. (SLD)

Whatever the purpose of test adaptation, questions arise concerning the validity of inferences from such adapted tests. This paper considers several advantages and disadvantages of adapting tests from one language and culture to another. The paper also reviews several sources of error or invalidity associated with adapting tests and suggests ways…

Used the differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) framework to examine the measurement equivalence of a Spanish translation of the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire using samples of 309 Anglo American college students and other adults, 280 English-speaking Hispanics, and 244 Spanish-speaking college students. Results show…

Studied a method for investigating the equivalence of translated-adapted items using bilingual test takers through item response theory. Results from an English-Turkish course evaluation form completed by 688 Turkish students indicate that the methodology is effective in flagging items that function differentially across languages and informing…

Focused on whether differential item functioning (DIF) is related to item type in translated test items and the causes of DIF using data from an Israeli college entrance test in Hebrew and a Russian translation. Results from 24,304 college applicants indicate that 34% of items functioned differently across items. (SLD)

This study investigated the interaction between different cultural groups and item type, and the ensuing effect on construct validity for a psychological inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI, Form G). The authors analyzed 94 items from 2 Chinese-translated versions of the MBTI (Form G) for factorial differences among groups of…

International comparative educational studies make use of test instruments originally developed in English by international panels of experts, but that are ultimately administered in the language of instruction of the students. The comparability of the different language versions of these assessments is a critical issue in validating the…

Often, educational and psychological measurement instruments must be translated from one language to another when they are administered to different cultural groups. The translation process often necessarily introduces measurement inequivalence. Therefore, an examination may be said to exhibit differential functioning if the test provides a…

When a test is translated from a source language to a target language, the result is generally not two psychometrically equivalent tests. If the sources of differential item functioning (DIF) across languages could be predicted, this could have important implications for test adaptations. This study examined item revision as a tool for improving…