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Structural Validity of Competency Based Assessments: An Approach to Curriculum Evaluation

Chelimo, Sheila
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1529504437498332

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Higher Education (Education).
The primary aim of higher education has been debatable. However, one of the many goals that higher education strives for is to equip students with competencies that will enable them to succeed in their future professions. This goal is achieved through a structured academic curriculum that is embedded with competencies, and the competencies are ascertained through assessments. This study focused on developing a practical measurement approach that offers evidence for the structural validity of an undergraduate competency-based medical curriculum. Competency-based education (CBE) is the 21st century trend for delivering health professions curricula, and defensible assessment systems ascertain these competencies. Therefore, the ability to define and defend the assessment system by producing evidence for structural fidelity ensures curricula efficacy. Structural fidelity indicates the extent to which the inter-relationships among assessment tasks reflect the internal structure of a construct domain. This study sought evidence of structural validity for the pre-clinical curriculum through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum. The EFA showed that the assessments in the pre-clinical curriculum primarily reflected three constructs. These were medical knowledge, patient care and osteopathic philosophy and practices. The constructs represented three of the seven competencies for the osteopathic medical curriculum. These constructs explained 47 percent of the variance. Through CFA a measurement model with moderate fit was generated: CMIN = 5.7, RMSEA = .09. SRMR = .07, AGFI = .81. This model was cross-validated establishing configural invariance CMIN = 4.52, CFI = .87, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .07 and measurement invariance, CMIN = 4.55, change in CFI = .009, RMSEA = .06. The outcome of the study provided evidence to support the efficacy of the pre-clinical undergraduate medical curriculum.
Lijing Yang (Committee Chair)
Michael Williford (Committee Member)
Laura Harrison (Committee Member)
Gordon Brooks (Committee Member)
165 p.
Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements
Assessment; Competency based education; Construct validity; Curriculum evaluation; Structural validity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Chelimo, S. (2018). Structural Validity of Competency Based Assessments: An Approach to Curriculum Evaluation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1529504437498332

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Chelimo, Sheila. Structural Validity of Competency Based Assessments: An Approach to Curriculum Evaluation. 2018. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1529504437498332.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Chelimo, Sheila. "Structural Validity of Competency Based Assessments: An Approach to Curriculum Evaluation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1529504437498332

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.