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Showing 2 results for Language Testing
Volume 0, Issue 0 (2-2024)
Abstract
One of the challenges and important dimensions of assessment and evaluation in language teaching is test fairness, a broad concept that includes several factors and components. In the standards of educational and psychological assessment, test fairness means that there is no bias and advocacy and the same treatment with all subjects regardless of their race, religion, gender and age. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and attitude of Persian language instructors to non-Persian speakers about the definition of the concept of test fairness, essential components for a fair test and the general concept of test fairness. This research has been done by field and combined methods (quantitative and qualitative). 58 Persian language instructors for non-Persian speakers were selected by available sampling and participated as a statistical sample from the Persian language instructor’s community. Homayouni standard questionnaire (2015) was used to collect data, and SPSS version 23 were used for analysis of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. In the qualitative part of the research, 9 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the instructors and the opinions of the instructors were extracted based on the content analysis of Krippendorff (2004). The analysis of descriptive statistics findings showed that experienced instructors have a better and deeper understanding of the general concept of test fairness, the definition of the concept of test fairness and the components necessary to conduct
Nafiseh Lashgari, Samad Mirzasuzani, Mohammad Javad Riasati,
Volume 31, Issue 2 (5-2024)
Abstract
This explanatory sequential mixed-method study aimed to investigate the washback effect of a local English Proficiency Exam (the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology Test (MSRT)) on Iranian Ph.D. candidates' English language learning skills. The study also examined the changes Iranian Ph.D. candidates perceive as essential to make the MSRT module implementation more useful for English learning. To this end, a sample of 150 Ph.D. candidates with differences in gender, age, and major were invited from Islamic Azad universities of Shiraz and Marvdasht to complete a questionnaire designed in terms of MSRT washback. The participants were chosen through a combination of stratified and convenience sampling methods. Furthermore, a sample of 20 PhD candidates from the same population was selected based on purposeful sampling and participated in the semi-structured interview sessions. The results of the data analysis represented some positive and negative washback effects on MSRT. Moreover, the participants suggested some recommendations on necessary changes and alterations for the MSRT test to facilitate university English learning further. Their feedback was in line with their viewpoints on why MSRT preparation had not satisfactorily prepared them to manage university workloads. The pedagogical implications will be discussed.
