From perception to performance: To establish the level of influence of prior knowledge on the scores of the reading section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) of B1 level students of a public university in Ecuador

Abstract

The general objective of this article is to determine whether the perceptions of B1 level students at a public university in Ecuador about their prior knowledge influence their scores in the reading section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The type of research was mixed, since numerical data were collected quantitatively and then generalized, and through a qualitative study important aspects were examined regarding the students' prior knowledge and whether it influences their performance in the aforementioned international test. For the sample, 28 students were selected, which were approached by two key instruments for the study, such as: the simulated test and the survey. The results obtained showed that the students' perceptions of their prior knowledge do not correlate with their performance in the reading section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Also, there was a high incidence of students who felt that reading does not help much in learning about a topic, however, they think it is of great help for vocabulary improvement.