A Validity Study Applying the Rasch Model to the American Association for the Advancement of Science Force and Motion Sub-Topic Assessment for Middle School Students.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the reliability of the scores produced and validity of the inferences drawn from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 2018) force and motion sub-topic assessment for middle school students. The assessment of student outcomes in STEM is an international focus in K-12 education. Project 2061, initiated by the AAAS, focuses on addressing challenges related to standards and assessments. This study informs this effort through testing a 14-item multiple-choice test constructed of questions from the AAAS item bank. Two samples of eighth-grade students participated (N = 1777). Rasch analysis applying the dichotomous model (Rasch, 1960) indicated sufficient item separation and reliability. Thirteen items fit the Rasch model and one item was removed for misfit. Further support for construct validity was observed with 78 percent of item ordering aligned with that predicted by physics educators and stability of measures for 11 items across the two samples. One item exhibited significant differential item functioning by gender and minority status in science. After inspection by physics educators, no bias in item wording or context was determined. Recommendation for additional items is made to increase item targeting and variance explained by the Rasch linear measure.

Developmental trajectories of math anxiety during adolescence: Associations with STEM career choice.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were distinct developmental trajectories of math anxiety during adolescence and if these trajectories predicted later STEM career choice. The study also evaluated whether the trajectories varied in relation to gender and race/ethnicity. Data were drawn from Longitudinal Study of American Youth-younger cohort that consisted of 3116 nationally representative sample of 7th grade students (48% Female, 70% European American) that were followed for 7 years. The results revealed four heterogeneous math anxiety trajectory groups: consistently low (34.68%), decreasing (23.72%), increasing (21.90%), and consistently high (20.12%). Trajectories varied with regard to race/ethnicity but not gender. Membership in consistently low or decreasing trajectory predicted later STEM career choice. The findings suggest that preventive interventions may benefit from targeting math anxiety during adolescence.

Rasch Derived Teachers' Emotions Questionnaire.

The purpose of this research was to estimate the reliability of the scores produced from and validity of the inferences drawn from the revised 90-item Teachers' Emotion Questionnaire consisting of three measures: frequency of emotional expressivity, self-efficacy for regulation of emotional expressivity when teaching, and self-efficacy for regulation of context-specific emotional expressivity. A void exists in an instrument assessing teachers' regulation and communication of their emotions. One-hundred seventeen practicing teachers participated in this study at Time 1 and 46 at Time 2. Rasch rating scale analyses indicated sufficient item and person separation and reliability and some support for the construct validity of the inferences drawn from the measures. Test re-test reliability for the person estimates was supported for all three measures over a four-week period: r=.592, p<.001, r=.473, p<.01, and r=.641, p<.001, respectively. Concurrent validity for the self-efficacy for regulation of emotional expressivity when teaching measure with the re-appraisal and suppression sub-scales on the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (Gross and John, 2003) was supported at Time 1. Modifications to rating scales and future directions for assessing teachers' emotions based on these results are discussed.

Students' daily emotions in the classroom: intra-individual variability and appraisal correlates.

BACKGROUND: Recent literature on emotions in education has shown that competence- and value-related beliefs are important sources of students' emotions; nevertheless, the role of these antecedents in students' daily functioning in the classroom is not yet well-known. More importantly, to date we know little about intra-individual variability in students' daily emotions. AIMS: The objectives of the study were (1) to examine within-student variability in emotional experiences and (2) to investigate how competence and value appraisals are associated with emotions. It was hypothesized that emotions would show substantial within-student variability and that there would be within-person associations between competence and value appraisals and the emotions. SAMPLE: (s) The sample consisted of 120 grade 7 students (52%, girls) in 5 randomly selected classrooms in a secondary school. METHOD: A diary method was used to acquire daily process variables of emotions and appraisals. Daily emotions and daily appraisals were assessed using items adapted from existing measures. RESULTS: Multi-level modelling was used to test the hypotheses. As predicted, the within-person variability in emotional states accounted for between 41% (for pride) and 70% (for anxiety) of total variability in the emotional states. Also as hypothesized, the appraisals were generally associated with the emotions. CONCLUSIONS: The within-student variability in emotions and appraisals clearly demonstrates the adaptability of students with respect to situational affordances and constraints in their everyday classroom experiences. The significant covariations between the appraisals and emotions suggest that within-student variability in emotions is systematic.

Perceived social support and early adolescents' achievement: the mediational roles of motivational beliefs and emotions.

Although a bulk of literature shows that perceived social support (PSS) influences academic achievement, the mechanisms through which this effect operates received little empirical attention. The present study examined the multiple mediational effects of motivational beliefs (competence beliefs and subjective value) and emotions (anxiety and enjoyment) that may account for the empirical link between PSS (from parents, peers and teachers) and mathematics achievement. The participants of the study were 238 grade 7 students (average age = 13.2 years, girls = 54%, predominantly native Dutch middle class socioeconomic status). A bootstrap analysis (a relatively new technique for testing multiple mediation) revealed that the motivational beliefs and the emotions, jointly, partially mediated the effect of PSS on achievement. The proportion of the effects mediated, however, varied across the support sources from 55% to 75%. The findings lend support to the theoretical assumptions in the literature that supportive social relationships influence achievement through motivational and affective pathways.