Malaysian University English Test Research Articles

Beyond the Test Score: The Broader Use of MUET in Malaysian Higher Education

The present study seeks to explore the test use and consequences of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), a high-stakes university entry test in Malaysia that is used as an entry requirement for undergraduate education in Malaysia. It is deemed important to look into the consequences, particularly its washback associated with the use and interpretation of MUET as these consequences need to be understood in relation to the context in which the test is being implemented. Evaluation of large-scale assessment programs that are implemented to enhance educational quality involves investigating both their intended and unintended consequences. Therefore, this study sets out to examine both the intended and actual use and consequences of the MUET. Participants of this study include MUET test developers and students who have already taken the MUET and are currently situated in a diverse educational environment. A qualitative method was employed by means of document analysis and focused-group discussion. It was found that MUET has an impact in academic contexts as the students’ experience of taking MUET has improved their proficiency in English as well as their motivation to learn English.

Topic Familiarity Effects on Performance in Speaking Assessment Tasks

Speaking assessment is believed to be difficult in its expansion and execution. Thus, it is a challenge for teachers in preparing students for speaking tests. This study’s purpose was to identify whether topic familiarity affects speaking performance among students who were preparing to sit for the high-stakes Malaysian University English Test speaking test. The study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the speaking assessment measures and, subsequently, to examine the speaking tests’ item difficulty measures differences according to topic familiarity level. Data were collected from 40 non-native speakers of English among Malaysian Form Six pre-university students who were preparing for their MUET test. The researcher conducted two practice speaking tests, which used retired papers of the MUET CEFR-aligned speaking tests, to the 40 participants who were grouped into 10 speaking test groups. The practice speaking tests were video and audio-recorded. Topic familiarity was measured using self-report questionnaires. In the second phase, each of the seven appointed raters scored all 40 students’ responses in two speaking tests consisting of two speaking tasks assessed across four criteria: task fulfillment, language, communicative ability, and group discussion. Many-facet Rasch measurement results revealed significant differences translating to significant influence of topic familiarity on speaking performance. The present study’s results not only confirmed the significance of topic familiarity in the preparation for speaking assessments, but also highlighted the need for formal teaching on potential topic themes that are commonly encountered in such assessments, particularly those that are at the post-secondary level. These findings imply importance in designing speaking tests taking into account test-taker topic familiarity.

VOCABULARY BENCHMARKING FOR THE COMPREHENSION OF CEFR-ALIGNED ASSESSMENT READING TEXTS

In Malaysia, research on the essential vocabulary for academic comprehension among pre-university and university ESL students is rather limited. This study introduces the "Comprehension Corpus" to pinpoint critical words vital for reading understanding. This study aims to develop the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Reading Corpus, in order to identify the vital vocabulary for text comprehension and the specific categories or word lists that improve reading based on their texts coverage in the text. In addition, the vocabulary size needed to comprehend the comprehension texts was identified. By analysing CEFR-aligned texts using tools like RANGE BNC-COCA and WordSmith, it was found that to comprehend 98% of the content, students needed familiarity with 8,000-word families. this extensive demand, a streamlined list of 100 words, grouped by frequent topics and enhanced with the New General Service List (NGSL) and New Academic Word List (NAWL), was developed. The research underscores the necessity for educators to adopt targeted vocabulary teaching methods, highlighting the interplay between vocabulary breadth and reading comprehension. This tailored approach aids teachers in addressing students' specific lexical needs, ensuring more effective academic reading outcomes.

Prediction of MUET Results Based on K-Nearest Neighbour Algorithm

The machine learning based prediction has been applied in various fields to solve different kind of problems. In education, the research on the predictions of examination results is gaining more attentions among the researchers. The adaptation of machine learning for the prediction of students’ achievement enables the educational institutions to identify the high failure rate, learning problems, and reasons for low student performance. This research is proposing the prediction of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) results based on the K-Nearest Neighbour Algorithm (KNN). KNN is a powerful algorithm that has been applied in various prediction problems. The prediction of the MUET results would help the students and lecturers to be more well prepared and could improve the required English language skills accordingly before the actual examination. The MUET result prediction is based on the student’s English courses grades and there are 516 data of students’ results that have been collected from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Dungun campus. The performance measurement that has been used are the mean accuracy, percentage error and mean squared error (MSE). In this research, the KNN prediction model has generated an acceptable performance with 65.29% accuracy. For future work, KNN could be modified or hybridized to further improve its performance. Furthermore, other algorithms could also be explored into this problem to further validate the best predictive model for the prediction of the MUET results.

A STUDY ON THE LEVEL OF COGNITIVE FACTORS, AFFECTIVE FACTORS AND WRITING PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PAPER 4 OF THE MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST IN MALAYSIA

The aim of this study is to analyse the level of cognitive (background knowledge, thinking maps use, critical thinking) factors, affective (writing self-efficacy, second language (L2) writing anxiety) factors and writing performance among students. This research adopts a quantitative approach through a survey methodology. The sample comprises 400 Malaysian University English Test (MUET) students from 26 schools in Penang, Malaysia. Data has been collected using six instruments: five questionnaires as well as one argumentative writing task. Descriptive statistics, including mean, percentage, frequency, and standard deviation, have been used to answer the research question. The outcomes indicate that the levels of background knowledge, writing self-efficacy, critical thinking, thinking maps use, and L2 writing anxiety are moderate. Because writing is an integral part of MUET, the outcomes of this study can serve as a springboard from which teachers can gain a deeper appreciation for background knowledge, writing self-efficacy, critical thinking, thinking maps use, and L2 writing anxiety. As a result, it may shed light on what teachers may do to assist these L2 writers in improving their background knowledge, writing self-efficacy, critical thinking, thinking maps use and overcoming their writing anxiety, which possesses a negative impact on their output.

Language Learning Motivation of Form Six Students Preparing for MUET in Kota Kinabalu

his quantitative study investigates the language learning motivation (LLM) adopted by form six students in preparation for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Kota Kinabalu. The subjects were 306 form six students enrolled in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Kota Kinabalu. The instrument for data collection was a 27-item six-point Likert scale Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (LLMQ) which was adapted from Foreign Language Learning Motivation Questionnaire (FLLMQ). Descriptive statistics using SPSS v 28 were used to analyse the data. Results indicated that generally, the students were highly motivated to learn English in preparation for MUET. Students’ motivation orientation in learning English was sociocultural followed by knowledge. These results offer useful practical instructional implications concerning the students’ motivational orientations in the English language and MUET classroom.

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES INSTRUCTIONS WITHIN THE E-LEARNING SETTING DURING THE POST-COVID ERA

The COVID-19 outbreak quickly demonstrates the importance of adopting online education in teaching and learning. It has forced education systems worldwide to find alternatives to face-to-face interactions. Language instructors have made attempts to explore and utilise the e-learning tools to enrich their teaching and assist learners in improving their language learning. This paper, therefore, attempts to shed light on the effectiveness of implementing the Multiple Intelligences Instructions within the e-learning setting, thus present an unprecedented opportunity to continue adopting this digitally-enhanced approach post-pandemic. A Paper 800/4 (Writing) Task 2 of Malaysian University English Test (MUET) 2020 question was administered to 40 pre-university students from Preparatory Centre of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. The study employed a quantitative methodology and the data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U Test. The findings show that the adoption of the Multiple Intelligences Instructions in the English as a Second Language (ESL) writing classes improves the students’ skills in writing. This study calls Malaysian English educators to acknowledge students’ differences in learning, thus redesign the lessons by incorporating all intelligence for the students to actively manifest their preferred learning styles in acquiring the English language. The implementation of this writing module in an e-learning environment received positive feedbacks from the students, suggesting it would be a promising module to improve the students’ writing skills.

Reading With EDSAW Acronym at Tertiary Level

This study aims to explore the use of the EDSAW acronym, a reading strategy in locating contextual clues systematically among tertiary-level students. It takes a quantitative research design to answer the research question, ‘How effective is the use of the EDSAW acronym in comprehending a reading text?’ The sample was selected based on a purposive sampling technique that comprised 10 students from a public university who scored band 4 in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET). The data collection technique involves a pre-test and a post-test. A reading text was given during the pre-test where students were tasked to locate contextual clues without using the EDSAW acronym. Then, the same participants were taught to use the acronym in finding contextual clues in a reading text. The mean scores of the pre-test and post-test were compared. The findings revealed that there was a significant increase of 2.3 points in the mean score of the post-test. This study highlights the need for teachers and students to use the reading strategy EDSAW acronym during the teaching and learning of reading in ESL classrooms and fills a void in the area of reading comprehension by enabling students to read more independently.

6+1 Writing Traits in a Matriculation ESL classroom

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of the 6+1 Writing Traits approach in improving teaching and learning of writing in a Matriculation ESL classroom. This is due to the fact writing instruction has become a field of increasing interest at higher learning institutions and at pre- university levels in recent years. As a result of this interest, there have been many innovations to the teaching of writing in the evolution of language teaching and these have led to several significant shifts on how writing is taught in the ESL classrooms. The 6+1 writing traits is one such innovation. Writing traits such as Ideas, Organization, Convention, Sentence Fluency, Word Choice and Voice are important in any writing attempted by learners. Therefore, it is vital that Matriculation learners are exposed to the 6+1 writing traits in order to be able to produce a comprehensive essay that meets the requirements of the Malaysian University English Test examination. This proposed research will be a qualitative research. Pre-test, lessons plans, classroom observations, questionnaire and post-test will be used to elicit data in support of this research. Learners will learn to review peer essays thus enhancing their writing proficiency. This research will also look into the challenges faced by learners and lecturers in the course of implementing the 6+1 writing traits in the classroom.

Strength and Challenges Faced by the Pre-University Students in Extended Writing in Malaysian University English Test (MUET)

English is an international language used universally as a lingua franca among people from different cultures, ethnic and social backgrounds today. The Malaysian Ministry of Education has continuously emphasized on the importance of English with various efforts in many ways. However, recent studies conducted locally revealed that pre-university students are still facing difficulties in writing. Extended Writing is a major challenge faced by the pre-university students in Malaysian University English Test (MUET) as it carries the highest score of 60 marks. The pre-university students’ achievement for this section is definitely cause for concern. Thus, this qualitative study aims to explore the strength and challenges faced by the 16, Semester 2, pre–university students in scoring Task 2, Extended Writing in Paper 4, MUET in a selected premier secondary school in northern Perak. Data were triangulated based on research participants’ school trial examination score sheet, interview sessions and document analysis. Document analysis was done based on research participants’ essays in Extended Writing in the MUET School Trial Examination for Lower Pre–University 2022. The findings provide useful pedagogical implications for MUET teachers, syllabus designers, policy makers, module writers and reference book publishers. Understanding the pre-university students’ strength and difficulties aid in providing appropriate instructions, supporting programs and materials in writing essays in Extended Writing.

SOCIAL SCIENCE GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: FINDINGS FROM A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA

Recent literature suggested that the English language proficiency appears to influence graduates’ employability in the job market especially in the South-East Asia context. This study investigated the Social Science graduates’ employability in relation to the English Language proficiency in a Malaysian public university. A quantitative research design was utilised and involved 7025 graduates from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 graduating years. Three variables were examined consisting of the graduates’ employment status, the English Language course results, and Malaysian University English Test (MUET) results. These data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi Square test. Findings showed inconsistent trends of unemployed graduates in this three-year period albeit a notable increase in 2016. The chi-square analysis suggested that there was an association between the English language proficiency and social science graduates’ employability. Although the English language proficiency is highlighted as the contributing factor to graduates’ employability, this study concluded that the mismatch between the students’ perceptions and the employers’ expectations should be addressed. It is further recommended that an ecosystem of key players in the industry and universities should be developed to constantly address the issues related to graduates’ employability upon graduation.

The Role of Teachers in Assisting Low-Proficiency Students' Writing Performance via WhatsApp

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled educational institutions to explore alternatives to face-to-face instruction. The primary objective of this study is to identify the teacher’s role in the English argumentative writing performance of low proficiency university students via WhatsApp. In this case study, data were collected from multiple resources including WhatsApp discussions, interviews and students’ argumentative writing on thirteen undergraduate students from Universiti Sains Malaysia, chosen based on their Malaysian University English Test (MUET) results. The argumentative writing essays that the students sent every week for eight weeks after three days of discussion in WhatsApp with the teachers based on eight topics. The students' writing scores revealed that teacher’s role helped students’ improved in their writing skills and the students’ attitudes. The findings suggest that WhatsApp is recommended to support the students in writing, highlight the importance of teacher’s role in the students’ motivation, engagement and effective learning.

EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF E-LEARNING IN ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) SPEAKING CLASSES AMIDST COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak quickly demonstrates the importance of adopting online education in teaching and learning. It has forced education systems worldwide to find alternatives to face-to-face interactions. Language instructors have made attempts to explore and utilise e-learning tools to enrich their teaching and assist learners in improving their language learning. This paper, therefore, attempts to shed light on the effectiveness of adopting e-learning tools in ESL speaking class and their perception of it. Fifty-three pre-university students from the Foundation Programme of the Preparatory Centre for Science and Technology were involved in this study. Data analysed in this paper were derived from a threaded online discussion via Dotstorming. The structured interview questions were carefully designed based on the objectives to elicit the students’ opinions on the topic of interest. To explore the effectiveness of e-learning in developing the students’ speaking skills, scores of Individual Speaking Assessment and Group Speaking Assessment of each student were collected. These assessments were marked based on the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Speaking Rubric – Task Fulfilment, Language, and Communicative Ability. The findings show that the adoption of technology in ESL speaking classes improves the students’ speaking abilities. The thematic analysis also shows that the use of e-learning tools in language learning received positive feedbacks from the students, suggesting it would be a promising virtual platform to improve the student's confidence, knowledge, and language.

A CORPUS-BASED INVESTIGATION OF MOVES IN ARGUMENT STAGE OF ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Genre analysis has been frequently employed in Malaysia to analyse undergraduate and postgraduate target discourse, particularly research articles and abstracts. On the other hand, just a few studies have been done on argumentative essays written by pre-university students taking the Malaysian University English Test (MUET). The goal of this study is to examine rhetorical moves of the argument stage in 60 argumentative essays. The major instrument utilised to assess the rhetorical structure in the assembled essays was a compiled representative corpus of argumentative essays, COMWArE. The identification of rhetorical moves was investigated using BCU approach, which is aided by a computer-assisted corpus analysis (CACA). In addition, two subject matter experts were interviewed in order to gain insider perspectives. The analysis reveals that the argument stage in argumentative essays consists of three moves and five steps. The findings of the study lend itself to providing a representative template of rhetorical organisation for organising argument stage in producing an argumentative essay. Pedagogically, this rhetorical structure is useful particularly to novice writers to better understand how argument stage is produced.

‘Zoom’ing into MUET Students' Perception in Writing Skills Through Online Cooperative Learning

Technology and the internet has been used as an educational platform for years. Due to the pandemic learning online has become part of the norms. This study explored the use of cooperative learning by using the feature of breakout room in Zoom application towards Malaysian University English Test (MUET) students’ writing skills. Besides this study investigates students’ perception towards online cooperative learning methods. This study uses case study research design. There were 18 students chosen as a sample of this study who were from a secondary school in Malaysia that at the pre-university level (19 years old) which have never tried breakout room features in Zoom application but all of them are digital literate. The participants underwent six sessions of online cooperative learning treatment. Participant journals and individual interviews were used to collect data which highlighted their opinion on these methods and also the challenges that they were facing while using this platform. Findings reveal that the participant had positive perception towards online cooperation learning via breakout room in zoom application for writing skills. Another implication that can be derived from this study is that even in virtual classroom cooperative learning improves the participants’ social and problem solving skills. Thus, online cooperative learning is recommended to improve MUET students and it is aligned with Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) to promote student centered learning and create critical thinking students.

Washback Impact of the MUET: The Before and After Effect of a High-stake University English Test in Malaysia

This study seeks to explore the washback effect of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), a high-stakes compulsory university entry test in the context of Malaysia. As simple and linear as it commonly appears, washback has been found to be far more complex than simply looking at the impact that a test might or might not have on the stakeholders. Therefore, this study aims to fill in this knowledge gap by systematically re-examining the beliefs on washback by investigating the relationship between the students’ perceptions of the MUET in terms of its importance and difficulty, with their language learning strategies whilst preparing for the test and after sitting the test. Using a mixed methods approach, a student questionnaire and student interview were utilised to elicit data from 30 male and 46 female students. The students were further divided into two groups, specifically those who were preparing for the MUET and those who had already sat the MUET. The findings suggest that preparing for the MUET encouraged the students to utilise a certain language learning strategy more compared to the others, specifically focusing on language skills that had not been formally tested before. Although the students’ perception did not significantly shape the students’ course of action when preparing for the test, it still had an impact on their overall view of the whole test-taking matter. This study is intended to add more insights to the less explored areas of washback, specifically the students’ perceptions and washback over time.

MUET English Examination as a Predictor of Academic Achievement for TESL Teacher Trainees at a Public Teacher Education Institution in Malaysia

The Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is a standardised university entrance English language proficiency examination in Malaysia and is seen as one of the most important English language proficiency tests used by Malaysian public universities. Due to more international students (who have taken more internationally recognized English language proficiency tests) coming into Malaysian universities, it is important to assess the accuracy of the MUET as a benchmark to indicate the level of English proficiency of Malaysian students being at par with other international English assessment. In this regard, this study is conducted on a group of second year teacher trainees in the B. Ed Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program at a public university in Malaysia. A Bivariate Correlation Pearson test was conducted for the overall MUET score together with their CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) to identify important predictors of academic achievement. The study found that the overall MUET scores and CGPA has positive correlation, and that MUET can serve as a predictive of academic achievement. Moreover, from the four components of MUET, only ‘Reading’ and ‘Speaking’ components seemed to be the heaviest predictors of students' academic achievement.

Postgraduate Students’ Perceived and Actual Performance in Critical Reading Skills

Abstract: The democratisation and commodification of education has witnessed an increase in postgraduate education as it is one of the main sources contributing to the advancement of knowledge, technology, and innovation. However, despite the significant rise in numbers, the returns at both the global and national levels have been low due to high attrition and low completion rates among the students. One among the numerous factors cited has been the postgraduate students’ limited competencies in language and research skills. In terms of language, postgraduate students are expected to possess good working knowledge of the English language and be able to read academic literature and write their thesis with acceptable standard of English. Therefore, the main aim of this paper was to assess postgraduate students’ perceived and actual performance in critical reading skills. This study involved a total of 50 postgraduate students from a private university in Malaysia. Data for this study were collected using a questionnaire and a reading test based on the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Reading Examination Paper. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference between the two performances. Students held a higher perception of their ability when compared to their actual performance in critical reading skills. These results indicate that there is a need for innovative approaches to develop postgraduate students’ critical reading skills so that they can successfully complete their studies within the given duration and graduate on time.
 
 Keywords: Critical Reading, Performance, Postgraduate Students, Postgraduate Study

Effectiveness of Using Technology Based Songs to Enhance Vocabulary Competency among Year Two Undergraduate Students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)

The general standard of English among Malaysian students is poor considering that they receive 11 to 13 years of formal English lessons at both primary and secondary levels. As a result, they often need to re-take the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in order to fulfill the English proficiency requirements for university entry. The unsatisfactory level of students’ English has attracted the attention of educators, becoming a topic of concern for the government and local communities. Advances in technology that have signaled Industrial Revolution 4.0, prompted the researchers to explore the effectiveness of employing technology-based songs to enhance vocabulary competency among students taking English subjects. A total of 65 students took part in a seven-week research study based on a quasi–experimental design. From the sample, 35 students were placed in the experimental group and taught English vocabulary via music videos as a form of intervention. The remaining 30 students were placed in a control group and taught via traditional methods. Pre and post-tests involving vocabulary questions were distributed to all 65 students. Paired Sample T-Tests were then conducted and analyzed: the findings indicated that the mean score for the experimental group was statistically higher than that for the control group. This research may help educators to gain more ideas about employing technology to deliver teaching more effectively and has indirectly demonstrated more effective procedures for enhancing 21st Century skills which align with the aims of Industrial Revolution 4.0.

Assessing Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Essay on Language and Semantic Features Using Intelligent Essay Grader (IEG)

Automated Essay Scoring (AES) refers to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) application with the “intelligence” in assessing and scoring essays. There are several well-known commercial AES adopted by western countries, as well as many research works conducted in investigating automated essay scoring. However, most of the products and research works are not related to the Malaysian English test context. The AES products tend to score essays based on the scoring rubrics of a particular English text context (e.g., TOEFL, GMAT) by employing their proprietary scoring algorithm that is not accessible by the users. In Malaysia, the research and development of AES are scarce. This paper intends to formulate a Malaysia-based AES, namely Intelligent Essay Grader (IEG), for the Malaysian English test environment by using our collection of two Malaysian University English Test (MUET) essay dataset. We proposed the essay scoring rubric based on its language and semantic features. We analyzed the correlation of the proposed language and semantic features with the essay grade using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Furthermore, we constructed an essay scoring model to predict the essay grades. In our result, we found that the language featured such as vocabulary count and advanced part of speech were highly correlated with the essay grades, and the language features showed a greater influence on essay grades than the semantic features. From our prediction model, we observed that the model yielded better accuracy results based on the selected high-correlated essay features, followed by the language features.