The first part of the issue, which was published at the end of last year, consisted of four papers highlighting the diversity of challenges currently faced within large-scale assessments while simultaneously introducing potential solutions. The second part of the issue will now primarily focus on the handling of latent variables in large-scale assessments through advanced item response theory based approaches which require sample sizes that are not commonly found in smaller sized studies.
The second part of the special issue includes five papers that deal with advanced approaches of tackling specific problems that researchers encounter when planning, conducting, and interpreting the results of educational large-scale assessments. Next to introducing their latest research results, the authors of all papers included valuable guidance for other researchers intending to conduct their own research in the exciting field of large-scale assessments.
- In the first paper of the second part Jutta von Maurice et al. elaborated on the benefits and challenges of implementing a longitudinal design into large-scale assessments in educational research.
- The second paper by Leslie Rutkowski deals with missing background data in educationel large-scale assessments and discusses possible questionnaire designs that create an improved foundation from which missing background questionnaire data can be imputed.
- The third paper by Lale Khorramdel et al. introduces a new IRT approach and its multidimensional extension to test and correct for response styles within large-scale assessments.
- Christine Hohensinn und Klaus D. Kubinger contributed the fourth paper; it deals with the concept of awarding quick solutions in ability tests with bonus points in order to gain more information about a testee´s ability.
