Use Of Test-taking Strategies Research Articles

Test-taking strategy use by Chinese young EFL learners in an authentic international standardized English test

The current study examined language test-taking strategies used by Chinese young learners of English as a foreign language (EFLs) in an authentic international standardized English test–Cambridge Young Learners English Test: Flyers Test. It adopted a mixed-methods approach: the quantitative part was a survey administered to 138 participants, and the qualitative part consisted of think-aloud sessions and retrospective interviews with six participants (three were high-achievers and three were low-achievers). The quantitative results show that in general, children adopted metacognitive test-taking strategies more frequently than cognitive test-taking strategies irrespective of language skills; and the high-achievers used test-taking strategies more frequently than their low-achievers. The two-way interaction effects between levels of test performance ☓ strategy type and between language skills ☓ strategy type were also significant. The qualitative results demonstrate that the high-achievers not only used a broader range of cognitive strategies than low-achievers, they also used the same metacognitive strategies at an in-depth level and in a more sophisticated way than low-achievers. The results of the study suggest that expanding Chinese young EFL learners’ repertoire of test-taking strategies and modeling desirable ways of using strategies may help them improve their test-taking strategy use.

“I guess it was more than just my general knowledge of chemistry”: exploring students’ confidence judgments in two-tiered assessments

Two-tiered assessment structures with paired content and confidence items are frequently used within chemistry assessments to stimulate and measure students’ metacognition. The confidence judgment is designed to promote students’ reflection on their application of content knowledge and can be characterized as calibrated or miscalibrated based on their accuracy. Previous studies often attributed students’ miscalibrated confidence rankings to metaignorance, however, in this qualitative study, interviews with general chemistry students were thematically analysed to provide a more robust understanding of the processes and factors students use when engaging with these metacognitive prompts in a chemistry assessment. Both calibrated and miscalibrated confidence judgments were observed independent of accuracy. Students who provided miscalibrated confidence judgments often used unreliable metrics such as processing fluency which can mimic content mastery whereas students who provided more accurate evaluations of their confidence relied more heavily on their stable understanding of chemistry concepts. Many students cited previous experiences, underlying self-efficacy beliefs, and/or the use of test-taking strategies which negatively or positively impacted their confidence. These findings suggest that the confidence tier is indeed capturing students’ self-assessment, however, students’ confidence judgments are based on a range of factors independent of content knowledge which may impede on the utility of this metacognitive tool for students, researchers, and instructors.

ĐÁNH GIÁ KHẢ NĂNG NGHE HIỂU CÁC THÔNG TIN TƯỜNG MINH VÀ KHẢ NĂNG SUY LUẬN TRONG KHI NGHE: CÁC CÂU HỎI TRẮC NGHIỆM CÓ THẬT SỰ HIỆU QUẢ?

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a widely accepted format used in second language (L2) listening tests. However, there is a lack of literature on the usefulness of this format in measuring the listening construct. This study investigates the extent to which MCQs engage two important components of the default listening construct: understanding explicit information and drawing inferences from the spoken input (Buck, 2001). Verbal reports were employed to explore the participants’ cognitive processes as they answered multiple-choice test items. Taking a qualitative approach, this study draws on the think-aloud protocols provided by 10 English majors from a university in Vietnam. The results show that while the multiple-choice format successfully measured the ability to understand explicit information, it promoted the use of test-taking strategies that compromised cognitive validity of the test items that targeted the ability to draw inferences. Practical suggestions were given so that MCQs can be better prepared to engage the inference-making process. These included input text preparation, item design, and double-play format. The challenges in measuring L2 learners’ ability to make inferences while listening were also discussed.

The effects of L1, task, and classifier type in Chinese-L2 learners’ use of classifiers

AbstractThis study explores three potential factors that influence Chinese L2 learners’ classifier use in a classroom setting: L1 background, task, and classifier type. We developed a picture-prompted test, including composition, free cloze, and multiple-choice cloze questions to elicit the use of classifiers. Participants were 50 Chinese L2 learners from Arabic, English, and Japanese L1 backgrounds. Although Japanese L1 participants performed numerically better than their Arabic and English counterparts, statistical analysis suggests that L1 was not a significant predictor of test performance. The composition task was shown to be conducive to the use of test-taking strategies, and it revealed a higher classifier accuracy than the more constrained multiple-choice task. Meanwhile, there was an interaction between L1 and task, suggesting that L1 influence may be conditioned by task type. Moreover, our logistic model predicts different levels of accuracy for classifier use by type, which potentially suggests a developmental path of acquiring classifiers licensed by the most prominent noun feature they are associated with, with shape being the earliest, followed by animate, inanimate, and concept.

A proposed taxonomy of test-taking action and item format in written receptive vocabulary testing

Abstract The functioning of a vocabulary testing instrument rests in part on the test-taking actions made possible for examinees by item format, an aspect of test development that warrants consideration in second-language vocabulary research. For example, although iterations of the written receptive vocabulary levels test (VLT) have integrated improvements in lexis sampling and distractor-item creation (i.e., Beglar & Hunt, 1999, Nation, 1983, 1990, Schmitt et al., 2001, Webb et al., 2017), its clustered form-meaning matching format has remained fundamentally unchanged. This study qualitatively explores the influence of this test item format on test-taking actions observed when taking the updated vocabulary levels test (UVLT, Webb et al, 2017). Data from a think-aloud protocol and retrospective interviewing indicated the predominant use of test-taking strategies for answering test items on the UVLT, such as bidirectional matching and elimination of cluster options, and that these actions enabled correct responses for clusters of target vocabulary about which the test taker demonstrated partial or even no knowledge. This evidence at the interface of test taker and test draws attention to the interconnection of estimating learners’ vocabulary knowledge and the action possibilities provided by item format on vocabulary tests. Such affordances are hierarchically structured in a proposed Taxonomy of Test-taking Actions Afforded by Receptive Vocabulary Test Format as a heuristic to evaluate the influences of test format on written receptive vocabulary assessment.

Investigating Test-Taking Strategies in Listening Assessment: A Comparative Study of Eye-Tracking and Self-Report Questionnaires

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the test-taking strategies needed for successful completion of a lecture-based listening test by employing self-reported test-taking strategy use, actual strategy use measured via eye-tracking, and test scores. In this study, participants’ gaze behavior (measured by fixation and visit duration and frequency) were recorded while they completed two listening tests of three stages each: pre-listening, in which participants (n = 66) previewed question stems; while-listening, in which participants simultaneously listened to the recording and filled in their answers; and post-listening, in which they had time to review their answers and make necessary amendments. Following the listening tests, participants filled up a posttest questionnaire that asked about their strategy use in each of the three stages. Rasch measurement, t-test, and path analysis were performed on test scores, questionnaire results, and gaze patterns. Results suggest that gaze measures (visit duration and fixation frequency) predicted participants’ final test performance, while self-reports had moderate predicting power. The findings of this study have implications for the cognitive validity of listening tests, listening test design and pedagogical approaches in building listening competence.

Differences in the Use of Test-taking Strategies in English Part of the CSAT according to Their Status and Gender

Differences in the Use of Test-taking Strategies in English Part of the CSAT according to Their Status and Gender

Test-Taking Strategies and Reading Comprehension: A Correlational Investigation

There is an increasing interest of studies investigating the correlation between Test-Taking Strategies (TTSs) and reading comprehension achievement among EFL learners. The relationship between the aforementioned variables is still unclear and more studies are needed on this area. The major concern of this study is to examine the correlational relationship between the use of test-taking strategies and reading comprehension. The sample of this study included 64 undergraduate students majoring in English language in King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The present research employed three instruments for data collection process; English Language Placement Test was used to distribute students according to their proficiency level, two reading passages taken from TOEFL reading comprehension tests, and a questionnaire adapted from Cohen and Upton (2007) asking about TTSs. The results of the present study illustrated that Saudi EFL students used test-taking strategies at a moderate level. There was no statistically significant correlation between test-taking strategies use and students’ achievement in reading comprehension test. There was also no significant differences between test-taking strategies and students; achievement in reading comprehension attributed to language proficiency level. Some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers were presented and discussed.

Exploring strategy use in L2 speaking assessment

In a bid to expand the body of research on test-taking strategy use for L2 speaking tests, this study investigated the test-taking strategies and their relationship with the performance on the speaking component of a large-scale standardized English proficiency measure in Taiwan, namely, the General English Proficiency Test – Intermediate (GEPTI-S). A total of 244 Taiwanese EFL learners participated in the official study by sitting for two sets of GEPTI-S and completing a custom-designed survey inventory. Exploratory factor analyses and two-step structural equation modeling performed on the collected data led to three primary findings. First, the GEPTI-S test-taking strategy use comprised three sets of strategic behaviors: cognitive strategy use, communication strategy use, and affective strategy use. Second, the GEPTI-S did induce construct-relevant strategic behaviors, which offered evidence to bolster the validity argument for its score interpretations. Third, communication strategy use influenced GEPTI-S performance in a direct manner, while cognitive strategy use and affective strategy use both did so indirectly. In light of these findings, the researcher proposes implications for L2 speaking assessment theory, methods, and practice.

Test-Taking Strategies in L2 Assessment: The Test of English for International Communication Speaking Test.

This research explored the test-taking strategies associated with the Test of English for International Communication Speaking Test (TOEIC-S) and their relationship with test performance. Capitalizing on two sets of TOEIC-S and a custom-made strategy inventory, the researcher collected data from a total of 215 Taiwanese English learners consisting of 84 males and 131 females with an average age of 20.1 years (SD = 2.6). Quantitative data analysis gave rise to three major findings. First, TOEIC-S test-taking strategy use constituted a multi-faceted construct that involved multiple types of strategic behaviors. Second, these strategic behaviors matched those allowing test-takers to communicate both in real life and in the workplace. Third, communication strategy use and cognitive strategy use both contributed significantly to TOEIC-S performance.

Group differences in test-taking behaviour: an example from a high-stakes testing program

This study investigated whether different groups of test-takers vary in their reported test-taking behaviour in a high-stakes test situation. A between-group design (N = 1129) was used to examine whether high and low achievers, as well as females and males, differ in their use of test-taking strategies, and in level of reported test anxiety and motivation. The results showed differences between high and low achievers on a number of test-taking strategies, where high achievers reported using successful strategies to a higher extent. There were also gender differences: females, for example, reported using random guessing to a higher extent than males. Further, low achievers, especially females, reported significantly higher levels of test anxiety than high achievers, and high achievers reported slightly higher levels of motivation when compared to low achievers. To conclude, test-taking behaviour might bring additional variance to test scores, whether or not this is irrelevant variance is discussed.

Development and Evaluation of the Diagnostic Power for a Computer-Based Two-Tier Assessment

This study adopted a quasi-experimental design with follow-up interview to develop a computer-based two-tier assessment (CBA) regarding the science topic of electric circuits and to evaluate the diagnostic power of the assessment. Three assessment formats (i.e., paper-and-pencil, static computer-based, and dynamic computer-based tests) using two-tier items were conducted on Grade 4 (n = 90) and Grade 5 (n = 86) students, respectively. One-way ANCOVA was conducted to investigate whether the different assessment formats affected these students’ posttest scores on both the phenomenon and reason tiers, and confidence rating for an answer was assessed to diagnose the nature of students’ responses (i.e., scientific answer, guessing, alternative conceptions, or knowledge deficiency). Follow-up interview was adopted to explore whether and how the various CBA representations influenced both graders’ responses. Results showed that the CBA, in particular the dynamic representation format, allowed students who lacked prior knowledge (Grade 4) to easily understand the question stems. The various CBA representations also potentially encouraged students who already had learning experience (Grade 5) to enhance the metacognitive judgment of their responses. Therefore, CBA could reduce students’ use of test-taking strategies and provide better diagnostic power for a two-tier instrument than the traditional paper-based version.

Korean EFL Students’ Strategy Use in Gap-Filling Inference Items

This paper explores Korean EFL students’ test-taking strategy use in gap-filling inference items of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) through retrospective think-aloud protocols. Eight college freshmen participated in this study, and verbally reported the process of answering three gap-filling inference items in their L1. Students with higher proficiency levels tended to use language learner strategies with more variety, while students of lower levels often relied on familiar words and distractors as avoidance strategies. Also, the position of the gap in each item had an effect on the order and portions of reading. Unusual reading patterns were more frequently found from those who checked the gap first, when the gap was located in the middle or at the end of the passage. To foster positive washback effect of the test items on learning, this paper suggests that teachers encourage students to effectively employ language learner strategies in order to comprehend the text rather than rely on test-wiseness.

Motivational and cognitive test-taking strategies and their influence on test performance in mathematics

A structural equation model of relationships among testing-related motivation variables (test value, effort, self-efficacy, and test anxiety), test-taking strategies (test tactics and metacognitive strategies), gender, and math test performance were examined with a sample of 10th graders (N = 438; 182 males and 256 females). In general, motivation variables influenced the use of test-taking strategies and demonstrated stronger impacts on math performance than did test-taking strategies. Gender differences were found in self-efficacy and test anxiety. With a few surprising but culturally relevant results that warrant further investigation, the current study extended previous works on antecedents of academic achievement to testing situations within the self-regulated learning theory.

The Intensity and Direction of CET Washback on Chinese College Students’ Test-taking Strategy Use

Test-taking strategies are the test-taking processes which the students have consciously selected, and can be regarded as the strategies used in test context. The College English Test (CET) is a large-scale high-stakes education test for college non-English majors in China, which conducts impact on College English teaching and learning, namely “washback”. Although researches concerning the washback on test-taking strategy use has been conducted in different cultural backgrounds, few studies are focused on Chinese college students. This paper analyzes questionnaire data from 284 Chinese non-English majors, in order to explore the characteristics of their test-taking strategy use, as well as the intensity and direction of CET washback on it. The findings show that the students’ test-taking strategy use is test-oriented rather than focusing on language learning and use. CET washback on test-taking strategy use is not intense, moderately promoting cognitive strategy use and weakly promoting test management and test-wiseness strategy use, and the direction CET washback on test-taking strategy use tends to be positive.

TEST-TAKING STRATEGICNESS IN OPEN BOOK TESTS

Perception about testing and preparation to take a test is usually actualized in what the students do before, during, and after testing. This research involves 50 students and 17 lecturers as respondents, and uses structured questionnaire as its instrument. The results of the analysis show that: 1) the test-taking strategy used by the students of Education Department, the University of Muria Kudus (EED UMK) in open book tests is fair; 2) in α .01 and df 15, there is a significant dependency relationship between students’ grade and test-taking strategy use in open book tests, although there is no exact relationship nature between these two variables.

Assessing Study Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities

tudents with learning disabilities who are integrated into general education classrooms at the secondary school level need effective learning and study skills in order to be successful. They must be prepared to organize, interpret, and comprehend information involving varied subject areas. Further, they must employ individual study approaches that enable them to demonstrate their knowledge on examinations; hence, an expertise in the use of test-taking strategies is also necessary.