A bifactor model of oral language and reading fits better than one-, three-, and four-factor models in every grade from 4th through 10th¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across 4th–10th grades, the unidimensional model fit worst and the bifactor model fit best, with AIC/BIC differences favoring the bifactor model in all grades except 10th. → Foorman Barbara R. 2015

Evidence¶

Foorman Barbara R. 2015¶

Foorman Barbara R., Koon Sharon, Petscher Yaacov, Mitchell Alison, Truckenmiller Adrea. (2015). Examining General and Specific Factors in the Dimensionality of Oral Language and Reading in 4th–10th Grades. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000026

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Confirmatory factor analyses by grade in a cross-sectional sample of 1,792 students in 18 schools compared one-, three-, four-, and bifactor models; the article reports the "unrestricted bifactor model provided the best fit to the data" in every grade, with criterion fit for fourth grade of CFI = .99, TLI = .97, RMSEA = .05.

"In fourth through 10th grades, model results followed the same pattern in that the unidimensional model consistently provided the worst relative fit to the data, and the unrestricted bifactor model provided the best fit to the data."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In an empirical comparison on a testlet-based English assessment test, the bifactor model is preferred over the second-order and unidimensional 2PL models by both AIC and BIC — related
• The second-order multidimensional IRT model for testlets is formally equivalent to the testlet model, and both are restricted bifactor models — related
• Ignoring testlet effects by fitting a unidimensional 2PL model produced mild shrinkage of item intercept and loading estimates toward zero relative to the bifactor model — related
• Specific syntax and vocabulary factors uniquely predicted reading comprehension in only one grade each (syntax in 4th, vocabulary in 7th) — related
• Higher order cognitive skills (inference, perspective taking, comprehension monitoring) fit a bifactor structure with a general cross-language factor and language-specific factors in English and Spanish — related
• No common underlying proficiency emerges for oral language: bifactor models of expressive and definitional vocabulary did not converge — related