Open AccessDetermining the Measurement Quality of a Montessori High School Teacher Evaluation Survey
Author(s) -
Anthony P. Setari,
Kelly D. Bradley
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of montessori research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2378-3923
DOI - 10.17161/jomr.v3i1.5871
Subject(s) - rasch model , montessori method , set (abstract data type) , psychology , quality (philosophy) , mathematics education , item response theory , sample (material) , medical education , psychometrics , pedagogy , computer science , developmental psychology , medicine , early childhood education , philosophy , chemistry , epistemology , chromatography , programming language
The purpose of this study was to conduct a psychometric validation of a course evaluation instrument, known as a student evaluation of teaching (SET), implemented in a Montessori high school. The authors demonstrate to the Montessori community how to rigorously examine the measurement and assessment quality of instruments used within Montessori schools. The Montessori high school community needs an SET that has been rigorously examined for measurement issues. The examined SET was developed by a Montessori high school, and the sample data were collected from Montessori high school students. Using a Rasch partial credit model, the results of the analysis identified several measurement issues, including multidimensionality, misfit items, and inappropriate item difficulty levels. A revised version of the SET underwent the same analysis procedure, and the results indicated that measurement issues persisted. The authors suggest several ways to improve the overall measurement quality of the instrument while keeping the Montessori foundation. Additional validation studies with a revised version of the SET will be needed before the instrument can be endorsed for full implementation in a Montessori setting.