2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Construct Validity Evidence of the Team Development Peer Evaluation Scale in An Engineering Foundation Course

Presented at Teamwork and Feedback

This empirical full paper examines the construct validity of the Student Team Development Peer Evaluation scale (TDPE) built on a four-factor team effectiveness model. This instrument is frequently used in undergraduate engineering programs to assess teamwork, a competency required by accrediting bodies, such as ABET. However, as teamwork evolves with the increasing prevalence of hybrid and virtual collaboration, the tools used to measure it must be continuously examined for their validity. Our study addresses this need by revalidating the TDPE, which is grounded in the constructs of Interdependency, Goal Setting, Potency, and Trust, to confirm its ongoing psychometric accuracy and generalizability.
To reaffirm the instrument's validity, we focused on three key areas: its latent factor structure, internal consistency, and evidence of convergent validity. We collected data from 2,077 students participating in engineering team projects for a foundational engineering design course at a large R1 public university in the Midwest during the fall semesters of 2023 and 2024. Using this data, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess how well the data fit the hypothesized four-factor model. We also calculated Cronbach’s alpha to assess internal consistency and evaluated convergent validity evidence by correlating the TDPE scores with students' self-reported team effectiveness scores.
Our findings are expected to demonstrate a strong model fit for the four-factor model, which would confirm that the four constructs are being measured distinctly. We also anticipate high internal consistency (α > 0.80) for each subscale and strong evidence for convergent validity, which will reinforce the instrument's accuracy in capturing the key dimensions of teamwork. Ultimately, by revalidating TDPE using the recent data, our work offers engineering educators a renewed sense of confidence in a practical instrument for assessing a core professional teamwork skill. The study confirms its value not only for giving students meaningful feedback but also for evaluating teamwork competency at the program level within today's engineering curricula.

Authors

Mr. Fazel Ranjbar http://orcid.org/https://0009-0004-8777-8698 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Fazel Ranjbar is a doctoral candidate in Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati and holds a Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics. He combines a background in industrial engineering and over a decade of management experience with advanced statistical methods to evaluate educational programs. His academic research investigates team dynamics and teamwork in undergraduate students. To support this work, he builds automated scoring platforms and applies natural language processing to validate educational assessments. His research aims to inform institutional decisions and improve instructional interventions in higher education.
Dr. So Yoon Yoon http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1868-1054 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Dr. So Yoon Yoon is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. Dr. Yoon received her Ph.D. in Gifted Education and an M.S.Ed. in Research Methods and Measurement with a specialization in Educational Psychology, both from Purdue University, IN, USA. She also holds an M.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a B.S. in Astronomy and Meteorology from Kyungpook National University, South Korea. Her work centers on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary engineering education research as a psychometrician, data analyst, and program evaluator with research interests in spatial ability, STEAM education, and research synthesis with a particular focus on meta-analysis. She has developed, validated, revised, and copyrighted several instruments beneficial for STEM education research and practice. Dr. Yoon has authored more than 95 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and served as a journal reviewer in engineering education, STEM education, and educational psychology. She has also served as a PI, co-PI, advisory board member, or external evaluator on several NSF- and NASA-funded projects.
Dr. Junqiu Wang University of North Carolina at Charlotte [biography]

I am currently serve as Teaching Associate Professor at Office of Student Development and Success, William States Lee College of Engineering, University of North Carolina Charlotte. I received my Ph.D. Engineering Education, Purdue University, M.S. Materials Engineering, Tsinghua University and B.S. Materials Engineering, University of Sci. & Tech. Beijing
Dr. P.K. Imbrie University of Cincinnati [biography]

P.K. Imbrie is the Head and Professor of the Department of Engineering Education and a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
University of Cincinnati. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engi

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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