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Deciding how many factors to retain is still the weakest link in most scale development studies. I run large Monte Carlo simulations to see how classical and modern factor retention methods (parallel analysis, exploratory graph analysis, Hull, comparison data, empirical Kaiser) behave under conditions researchers actually face: ordinal and mixed-format indicators, cross-loadings and dominant items, hierarchical and bifactor structures, and varying interfactor correlations. I also look at what these structural decisions do to reliability — coefficient alpha and omega are reported almost automatically, so I study what happens to them when missing data handling, correlated errors, and item wording effects violate the assumptions behind them.
Alongside the factor-analytic tradition, I use psychometric network models (regularized partial correlation networks, exploratory graph analysis) as a complementary lens on construct structure — comparing what factor models and networks say about dimensionality, and examining network invariance across subgroups.
Cross-country comparisons only mean something if the instrument measures the same thing everywhere. I work on measurement invariance (MGCFA, alignment optimization) and on item-format effects, using PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS and ICILS data.
9 Kılıç, A. F., & Kaçak, T. (in press). Structuring psychopathology: A stress-test of factor retention methods in complex hierarchical models. Journal of Assessment.
8 Acar Güvendir, M., Kılıç, A. F., Güvendir, E., & Kaçak, T. (2026). Bridging minds and machines: A comparative study of AI and human rater agreement and reliability in educational assessment. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-026-13949-7
7 Ekici, G., & Kaçak, T. (2026). Easing the burden: How does teacher self-efficacy mediate the association between occupational stress and job satisfaction? International evidence from PISA 2022. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 8(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1776536
6 Kaçak, T., Temurtaş, A., & Kılıç, A. F. (2025). The role of cross-loadings in factor retention with ordinal data: Insights from Monte Carlo simulations. Psihologija. https://doi.org/10.2298/PSI250410050K
5 Kılıç, A. F., Acar Güvendir, M., Güler, G., & Kaçak, T. (2025). Examining the wording effect: What are we measuring? Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, 23(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/15366367.2024.2329505
4 Kaçak, T., & Kılıç, A. F. (2025). Factor extraction in exploratory factor analysis for ordinal indicators: Is principal component analysis the best option? International Journal of Assessment Tools in Education, 12(1), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.21449/ijate.1481201
3 Aydoğdu, M. Z., Kılıç, A. F., & Kaçak, T. (2025). Investigation of mathematics teacher candidates’ problem solving and problem posing abilities: The mediating role of belief and self-efficacy. Pamukkale University Journal of Education, (65). https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.1530235
2 Aydoğdu, M. Z., Türk Kurtça, T., Kılıç, A. F., & Kaçak, T. (2025). The role of value on mathematics between self-efficacy and liking mathematics: A moderated mediation analysis. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 15(2), 236–251. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1621346
1 Kaçak, T., & Kılıç, A. F. (2024). The effects of missing data handling methods on reliability coefficients: A Monte Carlo simulation study. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 15(2), 166–182. https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.1485482
Kaçak, T., Temurtaş, A., & Kılıç, A. F. Factor retention under careless responding: A Monte Carlo comparison of traditional and random-intercept adjusted dimensionality assessment methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research Decision pending
Güler, G., Kılıç, A. F., Acar Güvendir, M., Aktaş, M., & Kaçak, T. Does item wording effect change the psychometric properties of a scale? An investigation with the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology Decision pending
Kaçak, T., Acar Güvendir, M., & Özer Özkan, Y. The effects of item format and cognitive domain interaction on students’ mathematics performance in TIMSS 2023: A cross-country study. Studies in Educational Evaluation Major revision
Kaçak, T., & Koçak, A. E. Do test-taking engagement and test delivery mode matter? Modeling the interaction effects on DASS-42 with polytomous explanatory IRT. Journal of Social Research Methodology Major revision
Kılıç, A. F., Kaçak, T., & Doğan, N. Comparison of factor retention methods: Is exploratory graph analysis appropriate for mixed-format data? Methodology Under review
Kaçak, T., & Kılıç, A. F. The impact of correlated errors on reliability coefficients. Applied Measurement in Education Under review
Kaçak, T. Evaluating measurement invariance of students’ positive and negative beliefs towards ICT in ICILS 2023: MGCFA and alignment optimization. Computers in the Schools Under review
Kaçak, T. Exploratory bi-factor analysis with ordinal data. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology Under review
Kılıç, A. F., Acar Güvendir, M., Güler, G., Aktaş, M., & Kaçak, T. Within-subjects measurement invariance testing across survey mode and incentive conditions: A longitudinal CFA approach. Psihologija Under review
Kaçak, T., & Kılıç, A. F. To what extent do interfactor correlations affect the performance of factor retention methods? In preparation
Kaçak, T. Invariance of liking reading and reading self-efficacy scales in PIRLS 2021 across subgroups: Evidence from psychometric networks. In preparation
Kaçak, T. Dimensionality assessment of ordinal items with a combination of common factor retention methods. In preparation
Kaçak, T., & Aktaş, M. Q-matrix validation in the presence of missing data: A simulation-based comparison of multiple imputation methods. In preparation
3 Kaçak, T. (2025). İlk okuma ve yazma öğretiminde ölçme ve değerlendirme. In İ. Coşkun & H. Kadıoğlu-Ateş (Eds.), 2024 Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli öğretim programına uygun ilk okuma yazma öğretimi (pp. 247–274). Vizetek Yayıncılık. Publisher
2 Kaçak, T. (2025). JASP’ın kurulumu, veri girişi ve betimsel istatistikler (2nd ed.). In M. Acar-Güvendir & A. F. Kılıç (Eds.), JASP ile istatistiksel analiz: Uygulamalı bir rehber (pp. 1–31). Pegem Akademi. Publisher
1 Kaçak, T. (2024). JASP’ın kurulumu, veri girişi ve betimsel istatistikler. In M. Acar-Güvendir & A. F. Kılıç (Eds.), JASP ile istatistiksel analiz: Uygulamalı bir rehber (pp. 1–31). Pegem Akademi.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 – present | PhD, Educational Measurement and Evaluation | Hacettepe University |
| 2024 | MSc, Educational Measurement and Evaluation | Hacettepe University |
| 2021 | BSc, Primary School Education (GPA 3.51) | Anadolu University |
Kaçak, T. (2024). Comparison of factor retention methods in exploratory factor analysis under various conditions [MSc thesis, Hacettepe University]. YÖK National Thesis Center