Capturing developing constructs: Methodologies and validation practices of dynamic measurement

A burgeoning interest among educational and psychological researchers in developing constructs, such as students’ future learning potential, has stimulated key developments in the practice of measurement and testing. A wide range of heterogeneous measurement theories and practices have been developed and applied to capture developing constructs. This article suggests the use of dynamic measurement (DM) as an umbrella term to represent measurement work sharing the same goal (i.e., to measure developing constructs) and groups it into three methodological categories after a comprehensive review: Types I, II, and III. Furthermore, we identify practical challenges in validating DM measures, and then propose a tailored validation framework to highlight the unique validity concepts in DM and offer guidance for validating developing constructs. The framework features a total of six distinct characteristics: (1) two-level validation structure, (2) embedding extant validity theories, (3) incorporation of research validity into measurement validity, (4) examination of incremental validity, (5) flexibility in navigating validation processes, and (6) three-stage sequential validation procedure. This study concludes with recommendations about communicating DM validation research, aiming to benefit and support future advancements within this measurement paradigm.