Reliability and Validity of the TECO-D in Biomedical Laboratory Science Students at Sapienza University of Rome”: a Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of TECO-D for Biomedical Laboratory Techniques students at Sapienza University of Rome. The study was conducted by the research group “Riabilitazione, Evidenza e Svilup-po” (R.E.S.) based at the same university. The sample included 494 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree program in Biomedical Laboratory Techniques, divided into four groups based on their academic year. TECO-D test consisted of 70 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) selected from a database of 250 questions and was administered through a digital platform. Psychometric analyses were performed using SPSS-23, evaluating internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), cross-cultural validity (two-way ANOVA), and discriminant validity (Receiver Operating Characteristic—ROC curve analysis). TECO-D demonstrated excel-lent internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.889. Cross-cultural valid-ity analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in mean scores across different academic years, confirming the test’s ability to assess competence pro-gression. Discriminant validity analysis showed an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95% CI 0.81–0.88) for first-year students, 0.84 (95% CI 0.80–0.88) for second-year students, and 0.83 (95% CI 0.77–0.90) for third-year students, indi-cating a moderate ability to distinguish competency levels. TECO-D is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing competencies in Biomedical Laboratory Tech-niques students. It effectively tracks learning progression and competency devel-opment, making it a useful tool for improving educational quality and monitoring university training outcomes. This study supports the integration of TECO-D into academic programs as a standardized assessment method for evaluating students’