Appropriate for All? Rasch Analysis of a Scale for Teachers' Perceived Challenges

• In Event: Latent Analyses With Surveys in Education Research

Abstract

Teachers face a variety of challenges to student learning in the classroom. While some research examines the challenges faced by private and charter school teachers (Malloy & Wohlstetter, 2003; Roehrig & Pressley, 2005), virtually no research assesses the degree to which the same survey items are comparable between teachers of different sectors. For this pilot study, an Andrich-Rasch rating scale model was applied to examine responses on a 23-item scale for unidimensionality, item fit and difficulty, and reliability with a stratified sample of each sector. Results suggest overall good item and person fit, suggesting the survey measure is valid for teachers employed in different school sectors.

Authors

• Audrey Conway Roberts, Bowling Green State University

• Shannon O. Sampson, University of Kentucky