Development of the pictorial values recognition test: assessing middle school students' value perceptions.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Pictorial Values Recognition Test (PVRT), a visual-based measurement tool designed to assess middle school students' ability to recognize 12 values. Values education is a critical component of moral and social development; however, conventional assessment methods often fail to capture students' perceptions of values in contextual or visual formats. This study addresses this gap by introducing a reliable and contextually grounded assessment instrument. Method: A quantitative survey design was employed. The study group consisted of 336 middle school students enrolled in public schools across different regions of Türkiye during the 2025-2026 academic year. The PVRT comprised 12 items, each depicting an illustration representing a distinct value such as justice, honesty, respect, compassion, and responsibility. Students identified the value associated with each picture. Test scores ranged from 0 to 12, categorized as low (0-4), moderate (5-8), and high (9-12) levels of value recognition. Results: The findings showed that 64.3% of students demonstrated a moderate level, 32.7% a high level, and 3% a low level of value recognition. The KR-20 reliability coefficient (0.87), along with acceptable item difficulty (0.58-0.82) and discrimination indices (0.38-0.55), confirmed the internal consistency and validity of the test. Discussion and conclusion: The results highlight that visual-based assessment tools can effectively facilitate students' understanding of abstract moral and social concepts. The PVRT offers educators a valid and reliable instrument for assessing value recognition and emphasizes the pedagogical value of incorporating visual materials into values education to enhance students' engagement and comprehension.