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Rasch is a mathematical model that allows researchers to compare data that measure a unidimensional trait or ability (Bond & Fox, 2007). When data fit the Rasch model, it is mathematically proven that the item difficulty estimates are independent of the sample of respondents. The purpose of this study was to test the robustness of the Rasch model with regards to its ability to maintain invariant item difficulty estimates when real (data that does not perfectly fit the Rasch model), polytomous scored data is used. The data used in this study comes from a university alumni questionnaire that was collected over a period of five years. The analysis tests for significant variation between (a) small samples taken from a larger sample, (b) a base sample and subsequent (longitudinal) samples and (c) variation over time with confounding variables. The confounding variables studied include (a) the gender of the respondent and (b) the respondent's type of major at the time of graduation. The study used three methods to assess variation: (a) the between-fit statistic, (b) confidence intervals around the mean of the estimates and (c) a general linear model. The general linear model used the person residual statistic from the Winsteps' person output file as a dependent variable with year, gender and type of major as independent variables. Results of the study support the invariant nature of the item difficulty estimates when polytomous data from the alumni questionnaire is used. The analysis found comparable results (within sampling error) for the between-fit statistics and the general linear model. The confidence interval method was limited in its usefulness due to small confidence bands and the limitation of the plots. The linear model offered the most valuable data in that it provides methods to not only detect the existence of variation but to assess the relative magnitude of the variation from different sources. Recommendations for future research include studies regarding the impact of sample size on the between-fit statistic and confidence intervals as well as the impact of large amounts of systematic missing data on the item parameter estimates.

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This study is an investigation of Japanese university English language teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. Research has established that teachers' self-efficacy has considerable influence on a wide variety of teaching practices. However, in the English as a Foreign Language domain, and more specifically at the university level in Japan, self-efficacy beliefs have hardly ever been examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' self-efficacy beliefs based on the teachers' native language, teaching experience, contract and tenured status, and gender. Furthermore, the sources of these beliefs, how they are strengthened, and how they are challenged were also explored. In order to provide answers to these questions, the Japanese University Language Teachers' Efficacy Beliefs Scale (JULTEBS), a new instrument measuring language teacher self-efficacy was validated using the Rasch rating-scale model as well as a confirmatory factor analysis. A triangulation strategy mixed-method design was employed in which the collection and analysis of data from the quantitative survey was completed in addition to the collection and analysis of data from qualitative open-ended interviews. A profile analysis, a special application of a MANOVA, was conducted to check the hypotheses for parallelism, levelness, and flatness of the self-efficacy scores among the various groups of respondents. The four self-efficacy variables that were measured were Efficacy in Student Engagement, Efficacy in Instructional Strategies, Efficacy in Classroom Management, and Efficacy in Dealing with Superiors. Semi-structured interviews were also employed to help determine what potentially strengthens and weakens the self-efficacy beliefs of English language teachers. The results showed that native English language teachers perceived themselves to be more efficacious than Japanese English teachers across all four self-efficacy variables. Additionally, more experienced teachers exhibited higher self-efficacy beliefs than less experienced teachers. Tenured teachers and limited-term contract teachers showed similar levels of self-efficacy on all variables except for Efficacy in Dealing with Superiors, where tenured teachers rated themselves higher than contract teachers. Furthermore, male and female teachers showed no statistically significant differences across all four self-efficacy variables. Finally, four themes (Autonomy, Colleagues, Money, and Students) emerged as qualities that could support teachers' self-efficacy, whereas three themes (Administration, Students, and Limited-term Contracts) surfaced as qualities that could weaken teachers' self-efficacy. The findings of this study not only highlight the importance of teacher self-efficacy, but also provide valuable insights into the beliefs of English language teachers, as well as the current state of affairs for these teachers at Japanese universities. / Applied Linguistics

Over the past two decades, cigarette smoking has decreased among teenagers and young adults, but nicotine vaping has increased dramatically. Liquid vape products contain harmful chemicals ingested when vapor is inhaled, and vaping is associated with lung damage and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There has been relatively little research on nicotine vaping and effective prevention and intervention methods have yet to be developed. Changing expectancy processes has been successful in preventing early alcohol use and cigarette smoking, but little is known about nicotine vaping expectancies. An appropriately developed nicotine vaping expectancy measure is necessary to better understand vaping behavior and to provide a foundation for the development of effective prevention and intervention methods. In the present study, the Nicotine Vaping Expectancy Questionnaire (NVEQ) was developed using items collected from 8th graders, 12th graders, and college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Rash analysis were used to select items and create subscales. The NVEQ was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity.

Yes / Purpose There is a high level of over-referral from primary eye care leading to significant numbers of people without ocular pathology (false positives) being referred to secondary eye care. The present study used a psychometric instrument to determine whether there is a psychological burden on patients due to referral to secondary eye care, and used Rasch analysis to convert the data from an ordinal to an interval scale. Design Cross sectional study. Participants and Controls 322 participants and 80 control participants. Methods State (i.e. current) and trait (i.e. propensity to) anxiety were measured in a group of patients referred to a hospital eye department in the UK and in a control group who have had a sight test but were not referred. Response category analysis plus infit and outfit Rasch statistics and person separation indices were used to determine the usefulness of individual items and the response categories. Principal components analysis was used to determine dimensionality. Main Outcome Measure Levels of state and trait anxiety measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results State anxiety scores were significantly higher in the patients referred to secondary eye care than the controls (p<0.04), but similar for trait anxiety (p>0.1). Rasch analysis highlighted that the questionnaire results needed to be split into “anxiety-absent” and “anxiety-present” items for both state and trait anxiety, but both subscales showed the same profile of results between patients and controls. Conclusions State anxiety was shown to be higher in patients referred to secondary eye care than the controls, and at similar levels to people with moderate to high perceived susceptibility to breast cancer. This suggests that referral from primary to secondary eye care can result in a significant psychological burden on some patients. / University of Bradford

Educational and psychological tests are critical for measuring latent traits, yet their fairness can be compromised by Differential Item Functioning (DIF), where individuals of similar abilities across demographic groups have unequal probabilities of correct responses. To address these challenges, this study introduces the Fair Rasch Model (FRM) and Generalized Fair Rasch Model (GFRM), which integrate fairness regularization into the Rasch model framework to mitigate DIF effects during parameter estimation without requiring prior DIF detection. These models use adjustable hyperparameters to balance fairness and estimation accuracy. Simulation studies demonstrate that FRM and GFRM outperform existing methods in ability estimation, especially under conditions with high DIF magnitude or prevalence. In real data analysis using TIMSS 2015 mathematics assessments, the models minimized gender disparities in ability estimates more effectively than existing approaches. This study advances equitable testing practices, offering a novel approach to addressing DIF in psychometric assessments.