Introduction 1.1 Rationale
Scope of study
The scope of this thesis is limited to a research on evaluating the final achievement test in terms of its content validity by comparing the objectives, the syllabus and the textbook allocation with the test contents The study provides investigated and analyzed data of the currently used test and proposes practical suggestions on the improvements of this test
Due to the limitations of time, ability and conditions, it is impossible for the writer to cover all the tests Only some suggestions for the improvements of the test are presented.
Aims of study
The study aims at checking the content validity of the final achievement test for second-year-non-major students at Phuong Dong University It places high emphasis on analyzing the contents of the final achievement test
The specific aims of this research are:
- To find out the strengths and weaknesses of the currently used test with reference to the content validity
- To suggest some improvements for the test.
Methods of study
In order to achieve the above-mentioned aims, a combination of many methodologies was utilized
Firstly, the writer based herself both on the theories and principles of language testing and major characteristics of a good test with a special focus on test content validity
From her own reading, many reference materials have been gathered and analyzed to draw out a theoretical basis to evaluate the achievement test being used for second year students in terms of its content validity Basing on what students had learnt in their first semester and the contents of this test, the writer would examine its content validity
In addition, qualitative methodologies involving data collected through survey questionnaires were employed Two sets of questionnaires were administered to both English teachers and students at Phuong Dong University to investigate their evaluative comments on the content validity of the final achievement test and some suggestions for its improvements.
Research questions
In this study, the writer tries to answer the two following questions:
Question 1: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the final achievement test with reference to the content validity for second year non major students at Phuong Dong University?
Question 2: What are some suggested solutions for the improvements of the test?
Design of study
The thesis is organized into five major chapters:
1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION presents such basic information as: the rationale, the aims, the methods, the research questions and the design of the study
2 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW presents a review of related literature that provides the theoretical basis for evaluating and building a good language test This review includes background on language testing, criteria of good tests and theoretical issues on test content validity
3 Chapter 3 THE STUDY mentions the methods used in the research and which shows its detailed results of the surveys including the questionnaires and the analysis of the final achievement test in order to find out its problems with reference to the content validity
4 Chapter 4 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Recommendations provide some suggestions for the improvements of the final achievement test basing on the mentioned theoretical and practical study Conclusions summarize the matters of research, its findings as well as its limitations.
Literature review
The roles of language testing
Language testing is a form of measurement It helps the teachers:
+ To assess the learner‟s achievement in a language program, for example, to evaluate the testee‟s language knowledge in relation to a given curriculum or material which the testee has gone through in a given course
+ To assess a learner‟s proficiency in language in relation to future language use; for example, to find out if a person‟s language is good enough for him to become a tourist guide This is the future use of the language regardless of what language programs or materials the testee went through
+ To diagnose a learner‟s strengths and weaknesses in a language and to attempt to explain why the certain problems occur and what treatments could be used to tackle these problems
+ To classify or place the testees in the appropriate language classes
+ To measure the testee‟s aptitude for learning a language
+ To evaluate the effectiveness of a language program This is often done by using experimental and control classes with the same educational objectives but using different methods and materials to achieve these objectives, Brown (2000:5)
In another way, Bebecca.M.Valette (1977:3) comments that classroom tests play three important roles in second language teaching program They are defining course objectives, stimulating student progress and evaluating class achievement
Firstly, classroom tests help us to define the course objectives Students are quick to observe types of tests given and to study accordingly Thus, much as the teacher may emphasize oral fluency in the classroom, if any tests are written tests the students will soon concentrate on perfecting the skills of reading and writing
Secondly, tests help stimulating student progress As much as possible, the time given over to classroom testing should provide a rewarding experience The test should furnish an opportunity for the students to show how well they can handle the specific elements of the target language; gone are the days when the teacher designed a test to point up the students‟ ignorance or lack of application Tests should be distinctly announced in advance to permit the students to prepare adequately If the students themselves are expected to demonstrate their abilities, it is only proper that they should learn as soon as possible after the test how well they did The test best fulfills its functions as a part of the learning process if the correct performance is immediately confirmed and the errors are pointed out
The last role of testing is evaluating class achievement Through frequent testing, the teacher can determine which aspects of the program are presenting difficulties for individual students and for the class as a whole By analyzing the mistakes made on a given test, the teacher can determine where to concentrate extra class drills and how best to assist each student At the same time, testing enables the teacher to discover whether the class objectives are being met Through tests, the teacher can evaluate the effectiveness of a new teaching method, of a different approach to a difficult pattern, or of new materials The most familiar role of the classroom test is to furnish an objective evaluation of each student‟s progress: his or her attainment of course objectives and his or her performances in relation to the rest of the class.
Relationship between testing and teaching- learning
In the past, teaching and testing used to separate both theoretically and practically
According to Williams (1983), a test is necessary imposition but outside the classroom, it is unpleasant one because of two main reasons The first one is that testing is concerned with competition rather than cooperation Thus, while classroom activities may involve pair works and group works, such cooperation during a test is condemned as copying, and the individual is expected to work alone If these are perfectly possible, the results of a group test may tell us very little about each individual in that group In the same way, testing does not admit cooperation between teachers and learners The teacher who helps and encourages the learners with their tasks and responds to their difficulties, in a test situation, withdraws cooperation The other reason followed from the first is that there should be a winner and loser in the test To be sure, those who close to win themselves do not feel too upset, but those who gain little from experience, may feel conscious
Nowadays, a new trend and development with a remarkable emphasis on integrative and communicative tests has brought about many innovations in English testing techniques
Most of the researchers comment that teaching and testing are so closely related As Brown
(1994) states: “Teaching and testing are so interwoven and interdependent that it is difficult to tear them apart” Tests are constructed primarily as the devices to reinforce learning and to motivate the students and as a means of assessing the student‟s performance in the language In the other words, a test is an extension of classroom work, providing teachers and students with the useful information that can improve both teaching and learning process In turn, teaching and learning provide a great source of language materials for testing to exploit
A good test is a valuable teaching device for some reasons Firstly, a test provides the teachers information on how effective teaching has been It helps the teaching process to find out if students are capable of performing behavior And from that, we can know the characteristics of an individual Secondly, with the aids of tests, teachers can monitor and evaluate student‟s learning and diagnose the strengths and weaknesses as they occur Last but not least, basing on the test results, the teachers can evaluate the effectiveness of the syllabus as well as the method and materials they are using
However, testing has a harmful and beneficial effect on teaching and learning For example, if a test is regarded as important, then preparation for it can come to dominate all teaching and learning activities If the end goal is to help students to pass the test or examination, many teachers will focus their teaching on the content of the test only So the teaching program may be distorted in many ways
2.3 Major characteristics of a good test
Before writing the test, it is very necessary to answer this question: “What are the major characteristics of a good test?” Harrison (1983: 10) claims that there are four basic characteristics of all good tests They are validity, reliability, practicality and discrimination
2.3.1 Test validity 2.3.1.1 What is test validity?
Validity is one of the most important characteristics of a good test It has been a controversial issue for a long time A recent trend in language testing discussion is to consider validity as a unitary concept with different types of validity and it is now considered as aspect of validity
Henning (1987:5) defines validity as follows:
“In general validity refers to the appropriateness of a given test or any of its component parts as a measure of what it is purported to measure A test is said to be valid to the extent it measures what it is supposed to measure It follows that the term valid when used to describe a test should usually be accompanied by the proposition for any test, then may be valid for some purposes, but not for others."
A test is considered valid when it specifically measures what is supposed to measure A listening test with written multiple choice options may lack validity if the printed choices are so difficult to read that the exam actually measures reading comprehension as much as it does listening comprehension It is least valid for students who are much better at listening than at reading In other words, the test results are interpreted as appropriate to the purposes of testing That is, validity can be defined as the degree to which a test actually tests what it is intended to test For example, if the purpose of a test is to test ability to communicate in English And this test is valid if it does actually test ability to communicate When considering test validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure, it has two very important aspects The first one is a matter of degree There is a degree of validity, and some tests are more valid than the others A second important aspect of this definition is that tests are only valid or invalid in terms of their intended uses If a test is intended to test reading ability, but it also tests writing, then it may not be valid for testing reading but it may test reading and writing together
Validity refers to the appropriateness or correctness of the inferences and discussions made about individuals and groups from the test results Valid must be considered in terms of the correctness of a particular inference about test takers Therefore, validity is not always easy to measure
There are many types of validity such as: face validity, content validity, construct validity, concurrent validity and predictive validity In this part, the writer will focus on only two main types: face validity and content validity
When mentioning face validity, we should concern with this questions: “Does the test on the face of it appear from the learners‟ perspective to test what it is designed to test?”
Face validity is almost always perceived in terms of content If the test samples the actual content of what the learner has achieved or expects to achieve, then face validity will be perceived According to Arthur Hughes (1989:40), a test is said to have face validity if it looks as if it measures what it is supposed to measure For example, a test which pretended to measure pronunciation ability but which did not require the candidate to speak may be thought to lack face validity Candidates, teachers and education authorities may not accept a test, which does not have face validity Face validity concerns the appeal of the test to the popular or non-expert judgment such as the candidates, the candidates‟ families, members of the public and it is calculated by asking other teachers to give their opinions about the test
However, with the advent of communicative language testing, there has been increased emphasis on face validity It is important for communicative language test to look like something one might do “in the real world” with language They attribute such appeals to “real life” to face validity While opinions of students about the test are not expert, it can be important because it is one kind of response that you can get from the people who are taking the test If a test does not appear to be valid to the test takers, they may not try their best, so the perceptions of non-experts are useful
In other words, the face validity affects the response validity of the test This critical view of face validity provides a useful method for language test validation
Face validity can provide not only a quick and reasonable guide but also a balance to a great concern with statistical analysis Moreover, students‟ motivation is maintained if a test has good face validity On the other hand, the test appears to have little of relevance in the eyes of the students, it will clearly lack face validity It is possible for a test to include all the components of a particular teaching program being followed and yet at the same time lack face validity The concept of face validity is far from now in language testing but the emphasis now placed on it is relatively new In the past, many test writers regarded face validity simply as a public relation exercise Today, most designers of communicative tests regard face validity as the most important character of all types of test validity
2.3.1.2.2 Content validity 2.3.1.2.2.1 What is content validity?
Among several kinds of validity, the simplest and most important one to the language teachers is content validity
In Read‟s opinions (1983:6), the most relevant type of validity for classroom testing is content validity, which means that the contents of the test should reflect the contents and the objectives of the syllabus that is being followed In the other words, if we want to find out students' progress of what they have learnt, the test should contain a representative sample of the items, rules, skills or functions that they are supposed to achieve Obviously, the test contents are the main concern if content validity is to be achieved
Kerlinger (1973) defines content validity is the representative or sampling adequacy of the content, the substance, the matter and the topics of a measuring instrument
In the same way, Harrison (1983: 11) defines content validity as:
Major Characteristics of a good test 1 Test validity
3.1 English learning, teaching and testing at Phuong Dong University 3.1.1 The students
At Phuong Dong University, students come from different parts of the country
Most of these students commonly did not spend much time learning English at high school as they had to devote most of their time to learning different subjects, for example: mathematics, physics, chemistry, drawing… in order to pass the u n i v e r s it y entrance examination Thus, they are real beginners of English when entering university, and of different language proficiency levels
English teachers working with 2nd year students are at different ages Half of them are at the age from 45 to 55 and the rest from 25 to 38 years old They graduated from three education institutions: Ha Noi National University, Ha Noi Foreign Language University and Phuong Dong University
3.1.3 The course book: “New Headway Elementary- The third edition”
The book “New Headway-Elementary- The third edition” has been used as the textbook to teach the second year students at Phuong Dong University This material is designed for students at elementary level
It consists of 14 units, designed in a harmonious combination with powerful lexical to increase learners‟ vocabulary and develop awareness of the English culture
Each unit is divided into three parts, and each part lays a focus on grammar, function or vocabulary Every unit provides students with opportunities to learn and develop their knowledge in categories of grammar, vocabulary, communication skills and pronunciation through practice activities of listening, speaking, reading and writing (see Appendix 1- page I)
The study 3.1 English learning, teaching and testing at Phuong Dong University 3.1.1 The students
The teachers
English teachers working with 2nd year students are at different ages Half of them are at the age from 45 to 55 and the rest from 25 to 38 years old They graduated from three education institutions: Ha Noi National University, Ha Noi Foreign Language University and Phuong Dong University.
The course book “New Headway Elementary- The third edition”
The book “New Headway-Elementary- The third edition” has been used as the textbook to teach the second year students at Phuong Dong University This material is designed for students at elementary level
It consists of 14 units, designed in a harmonious combination with powerful lexical to increase learners‟ vocabulary and develop awareness of the English culture
Each unit is divided into three parts, and each part lays a focus on grammar, function or vocabulary Every unit provides students with opportunities to learn and develop their knowledge in categories of grammar, vocabulary, communication skills and pronunciation through practice activities of listening, speaking, reading and writing (see Appendix 1- page I)
Syllabus and its objectives
For the first semester of second year students, seven units from unit 7 to 14 are taught in 45 periods (50 minutes per period) and delivered within about 9 weeks
Students still work on four areas of grammar, v o c a bu la r y, communication skills, and pronunciation a n d t h e y h a v e c h a n c e o f dealing with different topics The aims of the course are to help increase students‟ basic knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and also practice of four basic language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing in social situations.
The final achievement test
The final achievement test consists of the following parts: types, items, tasks
Part Types Items Tasks Marks
Part 1 Rewrite the sentences 5 Rewrite sentences so that there is no change of meanings
5 Use the following sets of words to write complete sentences
Part 3 Correct mistakes 5 Find and correct one mistake in each sentence
Part 4 Write a paragraph 1 Write a paragraph of 100-120 words about your capital city
Table 3: The components of the final achievement test
Looking at the marking criteria for the test, we can see that it has confused many teachers and worried students It is very difficult for teachers to mark part 4 as there are no detailed marking criteria such as: language, content, grammar, etc….
Research method
In this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods are used They are survey questionnaires and document analysis However, with the scope and purposes of this study, document analysis is taken as the main method to find out the strengths and the weaknesses of the final achievement test regarding to content validity In addition, survey questionnaires help the writer collect more information of both teachers and students about this test Obviously, although each method helps to collect and confirm different kinds of data, it has its own unavoidable shortcomings
There are many ways to collect data and survey questionnaire is one effective way because of some reasons Firstly, they can be used to gather information about teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes, views and thoughts to the content validity of the end-of-term 1 test
Secondly, there are no confrontations between the persons who do the surveys and the informants because it is often a list of questions Therefore, the informants can feel free to express their thoughts Thirdly, most of the answers for the questions are closed ones so it is easier for the writer to collect and analyze the data Finally, it can gather a large numbers of responses
Besides survey questionnaires, document analysis is considered as the main method to evaluate the final achievement test in terms of the content validity
Firstly, the writer will analyze the “The New Headway- Elementary- The third edition” to find out what the teachers have to teach, what the students ought to learn
Because the purpose of this study is investigating into the content validity of the final achievement test for second year students at Phuong Dong University, analyzing this test is one effective way to get this purpose Basing on the theories about testing, designing a test and characteristics of a good test, the writer will analyze this test by comparing the course objectives and what the students had learnt with the test contents in order to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the test and then give some suggested solutions for its improvements
Last but not least, the writer will analyze the data of survey questionnaires from both teachers and students to see how their comments about this test are
Evidently, it is important to use several methodologies to compare the results received and to ensure the authenticity of the results Of course, the informants‟ real feelings and full views are expressed Besides, document analysis is a rich source of the information as the writer captures what the teachers and students, in fact, do Therefore, using document analysis in combination with survey questionnaires helps the writer give the objective and reliable results.
Data analysis
In this part, basing on the final achievement test, the writer will compare the content of this test with what the students had learnt in the first semester in order to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the currently used test with reference to the content validity In addition, the students and teacher‟s opinions through survey questionnaires is also analyzed in order to evaluate the test content validity more in depth
3.3.1 Analysis of the final achievement test
It is necessary to examine the layout as well as the content of the final achievement test for second year non major students The test includes 4 main parts which can be represented as follows:
The final achievement test - No1
Time allowed: 60 minutes Total score Marker’s signature1:
I Rewrite each sentence, beginning as shown, so that the meaning stays the same
1 My watch is cheaper than yours
2 Mick is a very careful driver
3 What are your favorite things at the weekend?
4 No one is more intelligent than Anna in her class
5 Do you want some fish and chips?
II Guided sentence building: use the following sets of words and phrases to write complete sentences
1 I‟d/ chicken/and chips/main course
2 Everest/highest/mountain/the world?
3 You/been/Machu Pichu/before?
4 Alice/tall/long black hair/blue eyes
5 My sister/have/new car/but/drive/it
III Find and correct ONE mistake in each of the following sentences
1 My brother can play badminton when he was five years old
2 Who‟s is this jacket on your chair?
3 This morning, I had breakfast quick because I was late for school
4 It is good to see you Where have you gone?
5 Martin is very good at badminton He won the game easy
IV Writing topic: Write a paragraph of 100-120 words about your capital city
The final achievement test is more formal than progress tests and is intended to measure achievement on a larger scale for all students In addition, final achievement tests are based on what the students are presumed to have learnt not necessarily on what they have actually learnt nor on what have actually been taught And the contents of these tests must be closely related to the teaching contents and the objectives concerned Now let‟s see what students had been taught about grammar and vocabulary in this semester and what they had been checked in part 1, 2 and 3
Unit What they have been taught What they have been tested Unit 7 Past simple tense
Regular verbs Irregular verbs Time expression
Negative- ago Time expression Unit 9 Count and uncount nouns
A and some Much and many
Question1, 4 (part 1) Question 2 (part 2) Question 5 (part 2)
Infinitive of purpose Unit 13 Question forms
Question 2(part 1) Question 3 (part 3) Question 5 (part 3) Unit 14 Present perfect
Present perfect and past simple Question 3 (part 2)
Table 4: What students had been taught and what they had been checked in part I, II, III of the test
And what students have been taught in writing part
Unit 7 Describing a holiday Unit 8 Writing about a friend Unit 9 Filling in forms Unit 10 Describing a place
Unit 11 Describing people Unit 12 Writing a postcard Unit 13 Writing a story Unit 14 Writing an email
Table 5: What students had been taught and checked in the writing part
When analyzing the content of the test, you can see that the test is quite sufficient with clear instructions and format There are no new words and new grammar structures to students All of them have been taught in the semester However, there are some problems here When looking at the charts above, it is clear that some grammars have not been checked in the test, for example, grammar part in Unit 8 (negative form of past simple), Unit 11 (going to) In the writing part, this topic was closely related to what the students had been taught in unit 10 Yet, students would have many difficulties in writing their own paragraphs without any suggestions and they did not know how to express their ideas in English The writing part reflected what the students had learnt However, the test did not show the students‟ progress in writing Therefore, the content validity of this part was not satisfactory In addition, the marking of this part was difficult for the teachers because that was a subjective test.
3.3.2 Analysis of survey questionnaire for the second year students
The survey questionnaire consists of 7 questions, whose contents are concerned with students‟ comments on such characteristics of the final achievement test as time, content, format, etc…Its purpose is to develop the ideas for the next chapter so the final achievement test can obtain high content validity
I delivered the survey questionnaire (see in Appendix 3) to 65 students; the results of the survey questionnaire are analyzed as follows: a Question 1: Does the test measure what you have been taught?
Chart 1: Students' comment on the validity of the test
As shown in the chart, 80% students agree that the test items designed for the current achievement test can measure what they have been taught They think that their language ability can be reflected Whereas, 20% disagree, they think that most of test items designed for the final achievement test are originated from course book and work book, so it can reflect nothing They claim that any one who revise the course book and do exercises in the work book carefully can get high mark What they hope from test is that it should include something outside the materials to classify students exactly, and to motivate them to learn harder as well It is obvious that the final achievement test is appropriate to all student populations Yet, the problem is that it should be restructured to have a few more difficult items to motivate good students b Question 2: In your opinion, time allowance for the test?
Chart 2: Students' comment on time allowance of the test
17 % 3 % enough not enough too much
Approximately, 3% of students determined that time allowance for the test is so much for them and they have plenty of time for the test, 80% determined that they hadn‟t got any problems in time management, while the rest (17%) required more time to perform the test
This means that most of the students have enough time complete the test c Question 3: What do you think about the difficult level of the test?
Chart 3: Students' comment on difficult level of the test
14 % very difficult difficult average easy
When students were asked about the difficult level of the test, they give different opinions, 23% of student share the same point of view that the test is difficult, so it is not easy for them to get high mark, while 58% think that the test is of average level because they can get high mark in English test There are 14% of the students considering test as easy These students say that they can complete the test in 2/3 of time allowance And a small number, about 5% feel very hard to fulfill the test However, all student population has the same idea that writing a paragraph is also one of the hardest parts for them They always spend a lot of time doing this part, finding out the ideas and arranging them in a logical order, especially without skeleton or suggested ideas
In short, the test is at the average level of difficulty so most of the students can do it with the time allowance, this means that the test is suitable for students d Question 4: Are all types of the test familiar with you?
When asked this question, nearly 100% of students said that they find it very easy to understand the instruction and they have practiced these types of the test a few times at class and also do exercises at home e Question 5: Have you been taught grammar structures and words in part 1, 2 and 3 of the test?
58% of students showed the grammar structure and vocabulary was appropriate and relevant and the remains (42%) stated that this part was not related to what they had been taught and they said that may be they didn‟t pay attention enough to study and revise all the knowledge they had been taught As a result, they don‟t remember they have learnt this grammar structure and vocabulary or not f Question 6 asks about the topic of the writing part
Most of the asked students (85%) agreed that the topic of the writing part is related and appropriate to what they have been taught and 15% of the students chose the answer:
“Not related to what they have been taught.” However, the students would have many difficulties in writing their own paragraphs without any suggestions because they did not know how to express their ideas in English and how to arrange them in the right order so as to write the complete paragraph
The writing part reflected what the students had learnt However, the test did not show the students‟ progress in writing Therefore, the content validity of this part was not satisfactory g Question7: The result of the test
Chart 4: Result of the test
As can be seen from the chart above, the results of this test were very low
69% of the students had marks from 1.5 to 5 The rest 31% had marks from 5 to 8 Students said that they did not understand what the teachers taught or if they understood, they forgot them very easily because they did not spend much time practicing and revising the lesson teachers taught
3.3.3 Analysis of the survey questionnaire for teachers
Results
To sum up, by comparing what the students had learnt with what they had been tested, the test has reflected some contents of the “New Headway Elementary- The third edition” and some objectives of the new textbook had been achieved Through questionnaires most students agreed with these points Most of the teacher informants stated that all the grammar structure and vocabulary completely related to what students had been taught
The analysis of the final achievement test helped the writer examine the test in terms of its content validity In addition, questionnaires were an effective instrument for evaluating this test The opinions of both teachers and students were the basis for the writer to evaluate the test more in depth so as to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the currently used test
Firstly, in terms of test format, the test is valid with clear instructions, Secondly, in terms of test contents, the test had examined students what they had learnt including grammar structures, vocabulary, the knowledge about the capital city
In the other words, this test reflected the contents and the objectives of the syllabus that was given in the “New Headway Elementary- The third edition” So as can be seen, the test content validity was achieved in some parts
However, when looking back the course book, we can easily realize that the content of the test did not check all the grammar and vocabulary in the course book, for example, the grammar negative form of past simple tense in unit 8, structure going to in Unit 12
Some questions were too easy for students to do so these questions did not show the students‟ achievement of what they had learnt, only checked their memories Also, in the writing part, there were not any guided sentences, or suggestions to help students have a general idea
In the syllabus and the content of the text book, they also mentioned four language skills
However, in the final achievement test, only writing skill was checked here so that is why lack of checking listening and reading skills was another problem of this test Because of this, the test was not valid in some cases
Through survey questionnaires of teachers here, the writer found one important problem of this test was that the test designers did not have the specifications of the skills and structures that it was meant to cover So writing a test specification grid is another suggestion for improving the final achievement test.
Recommendations and conclusions 4.1 Recommendations
Conclusion
This study has investigated the content validity of the final achievement test for second year students at Phuong Dong University By meticulous analysis of the data collected via the two sets of survey questionnaires with the teachers and students at this university and then analysis of the final achievement test, two research questions have been answered
Those above analysis point out that the test did not ensure the content validity The test only checked some grammatical structures and vocabulary It did not check reading and listening skill In some sentences, they miss some grammars students have been taught such as negative form of past simple tense, the grammar going to Moreover, in the writing part, the hardest one in the test, there is no suggested sentences or questions to guide students It is so difficult for them to finish the part Therefore, it can be said that the content validity of this test was not satisfactory
Basing both on the documentation of literature review and document analysis, the writer presents some suggestions for test improvements in how to design the final term test with the focus on writing a suggested test specification for teachers to design the final term test in order to make it more valid.
Limitations
This study, despite the utmost efforts of the writer, remains some limitations First of all, the study can not cover all the final achievement tests for second year students
Secondly, the scope of this study is limited to second year students at Phuong Dong University
Finally, the data collections of the students and teachers such as the survey questionnaires also have some shortcomings as presented in chapter three Due to the limit of time and ability, the study is unable to examine other qualities of the test Thus, this is suggested for further research
The writer hopes that this minor thesis will be welcome by the teachers and students at Phuong Dong University and contribute, however a bit to improving the teaching and learning of English here
In this chapter, the writer has presented her suggestions for improvements of the test, with the focus on how to design the final term test Basing on it, the teachers may design the final test in order to make the test more valid than the previous one
1 Alderson, J.C., C Clapham & D Wall (1995) Language test construction and evaluation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2 Anastasi, A (1982) Psychological Testing London: Macmillan
3 Allen, J.P.B and Corden, Pit, S (1974) Techniques in Applied Linguistics, Oxford:
4 Bachman, L.F (1990) Fundamental considerations in Language testing Oxford:
5 Bachman, L.F., and Palmer, A.S (1996) Language testing in practice: designing and developing useful language tests Oxford: Oxford University Press
6 Bachman, L.F.et al (1995) An investigation into the comparability of two tests of English as a foreign language Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7 Brown, H D (1994) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 3rd edn,
8 Brown, H D (2000) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching New York:
9 Brown, J D (1997) Statistics Corner: Questions and answers about language testing statistics: Reliability of surveys Shiken: JALT Testing & Evaluation SIG
Newsletter, 1(2), 17-19 Also retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.jalt.org/test/bro_2.htm
10 Brown, J D (1990) Where do tests fit into language programs? JALT Journal, 12(1), 121-140
11 Carroll, J.B (1968) The psychology of language testing (In) A David (Ed)
Language Testing Symposium A psycholinguistic Perspective London: Oxford University Press
12 Guilford, J.P (1965) Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education, 4th Edn
13 Harrison, A (N.D) A Language Testing Handbook Modern English Publications
14 Henning, G (1987) A guide to Language testing Cambridge: Newbury House Publisher
15 Hughes, A (1988) Writing English Tess (2 nd Edition) London: Longman
16 Hughes, A (1989) Testing for Language Teachers Cambridge: Cambridge
17 Ibe, M D (1981) Language test analysis beyond the validity and reliability criteria (In) Papers on Language Testing Occasional Papers Read J.A.S (Ed)
No 18.pp1 Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Center
18 Kelly, R (1978) On the construct validity of comprehensive tests: an exercise in applied linguistics University of Queensland PhD thesis
19 Kerlinger, F N (1973) Foundations of behavioral research New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston
20 Moller, A.D (1982) A study in the validation of proficiency tests of English as a Foreign Language Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh
21 Moore, G E (1992) The significance of research in vocational education: 1992
AVERA presidential address The Journal of Vocational Education Research, 17(4),
22 Oller, J.W Jr (1979) Language tests at school London: Longman
23 Read, J.A.S (1983) What is a good classroom test? (In) Guidelines A Periodical for Classroom Language Teachers Classroom tests Crabbe, D (Ed.) Volume 5
No.1.pp1-7.Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Center
24 http://www.cis.doshisha.ac.jp/kkitao/library/article/test/design2.htm
Appendix 1 The content of the course book
Contents Language Input Skills development
Verbs to be Possessive adjectives
Using a bilingual dictionary Plural nouns
Verb to be Negative and short answers Possessive ‘s
The family Opposite adjectives Food and drink
In a cafe An email from England
Present simple 1 Questions and negatives
Verbs help, make, serve Jobs
Seumas Mc sopporran – the man with 13 jobs
Asking about a friend and relatives
Verbs: relax, go out, play Leisure activities
Leisure activities What is your favorite season?
A questionnaire – Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
My favorite season Where are they?
What is in your picture?
Preposition of place Some and any
What is in your bag?
Can/ can’t Was/were Could Was born
Countries and language Verbs Words that sound the same
Formal letters Applying for a job
Regular verbs Irregular verbs Time expression
Verb Words that go together
The year I was born What did it happen?
Past simple 2 Negative- ago Time expression
Relationships Spelling and silent letters Phonetic symbols
How did you two meet?
Three inventions How did you two meet
Food you like Role play- shopping Meals in your country
A and some Much and many
Comparative and superlatives Have got
City and country adjectives City and country words
Directions 2 Viva la danza- Havana/
I have got more than you
A walk in the country/city
Comparing life in the city and country
Present continuous Whose is it?
Clothes Describing people Words that rhyme
Describing a person/ scene Getting information- who is at the party?
Who is at the party?
Going to Infinitive of purpose
Born free Dangerous sports Interviews World weather
Question forms Adjectives and adverbs
Present perfect Present perfect and past simple
We’ ve never learnt to drive
Cities you have been to Things have been done
This questionnaire is designed with the aim of improving the quality of the final achievement test for non- major students Your true and accurate information will be of at most
1 Does the test measure what you have been taught? a Yes b No
2 In your opinion, time allowance for this test is… a Not enough b Enough c Too much d Your own ideas
3 What do you think about the difficulty level of each part in the test? a very difficult b difficult c average d easy
4 Are all types of the test familiar with you? a Yes b No
5 Have you been taught grammatical structures and vocabulary in part 1,2 and 3 of the test? a Yes b No
6 The topic of the writing part is a Appropriate and relevant b Not related to what you have been taught
7 Which mark did you get for the final achievement test?
1 In your opinion, what is the purpose of the test? a To assess teachers’ teaching effectiveness c To classify or rank the students b To measure the students’ ability d To evaluate the effectiveness of a book
2 What did the teacher base on when designing the final achievement test for second year non major students? a Level of the students b The teaching and learning syllabus c The teacher’ book
3 Does the test measure what students have been taught? a Yes b No
4 Are all types of the test similar to what the students have been taught? a Yes b No
5 Have all the grammatical structures and words in the test been taught? a Yes b No (If not, what grammatical structures and words aren’t taught?………
6 Is the topic of the writing part relevant to what students have been taught? a Yes b No
7 Please evaluate the difficulty level of each part in the test to the level of students
8 In your opinion, time allowance for this test is… a Not enough b Enough c Too much (If too much or not enough, how much time do you think is appropriate for the test?
9 Before giving the test to students, was it discussed among teachers to find out its content validity? a Yes b No
Appendix 4 Answer key for reading task
1 Because he played cards for hours and got very hungry
2 in the oven of a stove
5 The cook cut some very thin pieces of potatoes and fried in oil Then he put salt on them
II Decide the following sentences true (T) or false (F)
Appendix 5 Answer key for new final achievement test
C: Our house is quite old, bout fifty years old It is in the centre of the village near the church All the houses here are white We have a living room, quite a big kitchen, and three bedrooms, and a big verandah all around the house
B: Our children are not at home now They both have jobs in the city so most of the time it is just Candy and me
C: Yes, so in summer we do bed and breakfast for tourists We have lovely visitors from all over the world
When I grow up, I am going to be a footballer- a really good one I am in the school team and I play three times a week But I am going to train very hard, everyday so I can be really, really good First, I am going to play for Manchester United, then Inter Milan, and then Real Madrid Those are my favorite teams I am going to travel all over the world and I am going to be famous I am not going to marry until I am very old- about
25 Then I want to have two sons I am going to play football until I am 35- that is very long time And I am going to teach my sons to play I want them to be famous footballers, too