Using Rasch Analysis to Inform Rating Scale Development

The use of surveys, questionnaires, and rating scales to measure important outcomes in higher education is pervasive, but reliability and validity information is often based on problematic Classical Test Theory approaches. Rasch Analysis, based on Item Response Theory, provides a better alternative for examining the psychometric quality of rating scales and informing scale improvements. This paper outlines a six-step process for using Rasch Analysis to review the psychometric properties of a rating scale. The Partial Credit Model and Andrich Rating Scale Model will be described in terms of the pyschometric information (i.e., reliability, validity, and item difficulty) and diagnostic indices generated. Further, this approach will be illustrated through the example of authentic data from a university-wide student evaluation of teaching.