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Enhancing Cross-Cultural Comparisons in ILSAs: A Comprehensive Investigation and Guideline Development. Complementary Studies

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Enhancing Cross-Cultural Comparisons in ILSAs: A Comprehensive Investigation and Guideline Development. Complementary Studies
Language: English
Authors: Andrés Sandoval-Hernández, Diego Carrasco, Nurullah Eryilmaz, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) (Netherlands)
Source: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. 2025.
Availability: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Herengracht 487, Amsterdam, 1017 BT, The Netherlands. Tel: +31-20-625-3625; Fax: +31-20-420-7136; e-mail: department@iea.nl; Web site: http://www.iea.nl
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 47
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: International Assessment, Cross Cultural Studies, Foreign Countries, Comparative Analysis, Reliability, Factor Analysis, Statistics, Teacher Surveys, Administrator Surveys, Principals, Psychometrics, Secondary School Teachers
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Program for International Student Assessment, Teaching and Learning International Survey, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, International Civic and Citizenship Education Study
Abstract: This research integrates findings from two complementary studies to advance understanding of alignment optimization as a method for addressing measurement invariance challenges in international large-scale assessments (ILSAs). Study 1 provides a comprehensive scoping review of 18 empirical studies across assessments, including PISA, TALIS, TIMSS, and ICCS, analyzing the application of alignment optimization for enhancing cross-national comparability. The review reveals promising yet inconsistent outcomes, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts, and highlights methodological limitations and future directions for strengthening alignment approaches. Study 2 presents systemic evidence from TALIS 2018, examining the dimensionality, reliability, and cross-national comparability of teacher and principal scales. While classical multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) demonstrated limited scalar-level invariance for many scales, alignment optimization successfully enabled comparability for all principal scales but failed to meet thresholds for many teacher scales. Together, these studies underscore the potential of alignment optimization to improve comparability, especially for principal constructs, while identifying persistent challenges for teacher scales. This work contributes to the theoretical and practical discourse on ILSA methodologies, offering actionable recommendations for achieving more valid and equitable educational assessments globally. [This report was co-produced by the University of Bath and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679605
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This research integrates findings from two complementary studies to advance understanding of alignment optimization as a method for addressing measurement invariance challenges in international large-scale assessments (ILSAs). Study 1 provides a comprehensive scoping review of 18 empirical studies across assessments, including PISA, TALIS, TIMSS, and ICCS, analyzing the application of alignment optimization for enhancing cross-national comparability. The review reveals promising yet inconsistent outcomes, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts, and highlights methodological limitations and future directions for strengthening alignment approaches. Study 2 presents systemic evidence from TALIS 2018, examining the dimensionality, reliability, and cross-national comparability of teacher and principal scales. While classical multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) demonstrated limited scalar-level invariance for many scales, alignment optimization successfully enabled comparability for all principal scales but failed to meet thresholds for many teacher scales. Together, these studies underscore the potential of alignment optimization to improve comparability, especially for principal constructs, while identifying persistent challenges for teacher scales. This work contributes to the theoretical and practical discourse on ILSA methodologies, offering actionable recommendations for achieving more valid and equitable educational assessments globally. [This report was co-produced by the University of Bath and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.]