The study reported in this paper investigated the structure of the health locus of control beliefs of elementary school children using second-order factor analysis and the measurement characteristics of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales. Changes of wording were made in 10 of the MHLC Scales items in order to improve the…

A factor analysis study was conducted of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), a test developed from a test structure model of memory and learning. The battery is composed of nine subtests (three verbal, three visual, and three learning subsets). The sample consisted of 903 students aged 5 years through 8 years 11 months, and…

This document provides an overview of the 1980 and 1981 Illinois Inventory of Educational Progress (IIEP) in mathematics. Development of the IIEP is discussed, and results and analyses of the tests administered to students in grades 4, 8, and 11 are presented. Test items are included. Factor analysis identified two factors, "knowledge of…

The purpose of the present investigation is to study the hierarchical structure of academic self-concept. The original Shavelson model posited specific facets of academic self-concept to define a single higher-order facet, but Marsh and Shavelson (1985) found the hierarchical structure to be more complicated. In a revised model they proposed that…

When the three-parameter logistic model and item response theory are used to analyze Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) data, there are problems with the assumption of unidimensionality. Linear factor analytic models, exploratory factor analysis programs, and the comparison of item parameter estimates for heterogeneous and homogeneous…

Factors affecting the return rate of a mailed questionnaire were investigated. A survey was mailed to 196 students who had dropped out of home study courses offered by a distance education university. The effects of personalizing the cover letter and of including anonymous pre-coded personal information on the questionnaire were studied in a 2 X 2…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between graduate education in educational psychology and instructional design programs in view of the common interest of the two disciplines in certain content areas. Program administrators (chairpersons) of instructional design and technology programs at 22 institutions with doctoral…

A Monte Carlo study of five indices of dimensionality of binary items used a computer model that allowed sampling of both items and people. Five parameters were systematically varied in a factorial design: (1) number of common factors from one to five; (2) number of items, including 20, 30, 40, and 60; (3) sample sizes of 125 and 500; (4) nearly…

A study examined the needs of older students (individuals 26 years old and older) enrolled in college. The population of the study included undergraduate adult learners enrolled in the 18 institutions participating in the Higher Education for Adult Mental Health Project. Usable surveys were returned by 852 individuals from 14 of the 18…

This study examines two concepts--the relationship between different types of television viewing as evidence of viewer selectivity, and the structural relationships between television viewing and experiences derived from a subculture and location in the social structure. A review of the way mainstream research has characterized the viewing…

This paper examines the development of the "Comfortability Scale in Special Education." This 44-item self-evaluation instrument measures special education teachers' perceptions of "comfort" (self-confidence) with their ability to use pertinent knowledge and skills. Each item is rated on a seven-point Likert-like scale. Two…

Confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL VI) is the method best suited to the comparison of measurement models when those models are based on a priori assumptions. Traditionally, positive and negative item stems were mixed on affective scales to reduce response set bias since the item pairs were considered to be parallel. Recent studies indicate that…

An attempt was made to develop an objective instrument to assess a teacher's perceived engagement in reflective practice. A Reflective Teaching Instrument (RTI) was developed around three dimensions of reflective practice in teaching: (1) diagnosis (problem setting); (2) testing; and (3) personal causation. Indicators of each of the dimensions…

Reading test data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were scaled using the unidimensional item response theory model. Data were collected for students aged 9, 13, and 17. To determine whether the responses to the reading items were consistent with unidimensionality, four different methods were applied: (1) principal…

Approximately 1200 Danish school children aged 8, 11, and 14 participated in a questionnaire study under the caption, "Why I like to read." Data from Denmark formed part of an international study, in which 12 other countries used the same questionnaire to explore various functions of reading and to compare them over different countries.…