Development and Validation of a Performance-Based Semiotic Analysis Tool (AGAF) for Visual Literacy and Values Education

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to develop the Emblem Semiotic Analysis Form (AGAF)—a performance-based assessment tool designed to evaluate the multidimensional visual analysis skills of middle school students—and to establish its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). Methodologically, the study is structured as mixed-methods instrument development research employing an exploratory sequential design. In the initial phase of development, a 15-item draft structure—synthesized from the literature on visual literacy, semiotics, and values education—was revised into a 12-item analytic rubric based on expert panel feedback. The content validity of the instrument was analyzed using the Davis technique, yielding an overall Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.91. To rigorously test the psychometric properties of the tool, a cross-validation process was conducted utilizing two independent study groups. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) conducted on the first group (n = 112) revealed the three-dimensional structure of the instrument (Descriptive, Symbolic, and Values); subsequently, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) performed on the second independent group (n = 214) statistically verified the model-data fit of this established structure. Furthermore, the criterion-related validity of the tool was established via correlations with students' Visual Arts and Turkish course academic achievement scores. Reliability was strongly confirmed through Cronbach's Alpha (.89) and McDonald's Omega (.91) coefficients, along with high stability demonstrated through the test-retest method (r = .85). Finally, the developed tool serves as an original assessment framework that supports students not merely in describing visual elements at a taxonomic level, but also in interpreting them within a transdisciplinary context of cultural codes, symbolic meanings, and universal values.