Abstract
Summary writing is essential for academic success, and has attracted renewed interest in academic research and large-scale language test. However, less attention has been paid to the development and evaluation of the scoring scales of summary writing. This study reports on the validation of a summary rubric that represented an approach to scale development with limited resources out of consideration for practicality. Participants were 83 students and three raters. Diagnostic evaluation of the scale components and categories was based on raters’ perception of their use and the scores of students’ summaries which were analyzed using multifaceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships among the scoring components, but the coefficients among some of the components were over high. MFRM analysis provided evidence in support of the usefulness of the scoring rubric, but also suggested the need of a refinement of the components and categories. According to the raters, the rubric was ambiguous in addressing some crucial text features. This study has implications for summarization task design, scoring scale development and validation in particular.
Highlights
The ability to summarize English articles has been emphasized in both secondary (Zhang, 2007) and tertiary education (Chen & Su, 2012) in China
The goal of the present study is to validate a rating scale developed for summary writing as an integrated task that is expected to be used in the assessment of English as foreign language (EFL) in China
The sample was at the intermediate level of English proficiency according to their NMET (Chinese national matriculation English test) scores, which is mostly aligned with Common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR) level B2 (Papageorgiou, Wu, Hsieh, Tannenbaum, & Cheng, 2019)
Summary
The ability to summarize English articles has been emphasized in both secondary (Zhang, 2007) and tertiary education (Chen & Su, 2012) in China. Summarization skills have been taking on new importance as more and more Chinese college students seek further education in western universities where summarizing skills are long considered “essential to academic success” (Kirkland & Saunders, 1991, p.105). Undergraduates in these institutions are often required to summarize complex concepts and information in every subject they are studying.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
