Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of test format on test performance by comparing Multiple Choice (MC) and Constructed Response (CR) vocabulary tests in an EFL setting. Also, this paper investigated the function of gender in MC and CR vocabulary measures. To this end, five 20-item stem-equivalent vocabulary tests (CR, and 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-option MC) were administered to 243 (132 male and 111 female) pre-intermediate students. Results of the study revealed that MC tests were easier than CR. Results indicated a gender bias, in that, males scored better than females in all versions of MC tests while females outperformed males in CR. The findings implied that testers should consider the effect of test format while assessing vocabulary knowledge and use a combination of test formats (MC and CR) in vocabulary assessment to reduce gender bias and format effect.
Highlights
Assessment is an integral part of any educational system, and it plays an important role in English as a foreign language (EFL) context
Literature review As mentioned above, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of format of the test, Multiple Choice (MC) and Constructed Response (CR), on the performance of students in vocabulary tests in an Iranian context
This study mainly investigates the effect of test method facet and personal characteristics on vocabulary test performance
Summary
Assessment is an integral part of any educational system, and it plays an important role in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. One of the components of language that is challenging for test constructors is vocabulary, a skill without which a learner cannot understand or communicate in a foreign language. Word knowledge or vocabulary repertoire is a fundamental component of language proficiency and an essential component of communicative competence and acts as a vital element for production and comprehension in a second language (Coady & Huckin, 1997; Richards & Renandya, 2002). Numerous researchers have highlighted the importance of vocabulary knowledge in their writings. Wilkins (1972), for example, asserted that “while without grammar very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” His assertion highlighted the importance of vocabulary and placed it above grammar. According to Luppescu and Day (1993), it is necessary for students to build a large repertoire of vocabulary when learning a language because people with large
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