Stakeholders' Perceptions of the Consequences of an English Test

• In Event: AERA Virtual Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: Test Validity Research and Evaluation

Abstract

While various facets of test validity are measured statistically, there has been a call to investigate test consequences qualitatively by examining stakeholders’ attitudes towards the test (Bachman & Palmer, 2010; Kane, 2011). Therefore, this study was conducted. It researched stakeholders’ perceptions of an ESL placement test at a US university to evaluate the consequences of that test.

Data of this study are program documents, class syllabi and semi-structured interviews with four graduate students, two teachers and two administrators. They were analyzed via Nvivo based on the two-cycle coding scheme established by Saldaña (2016).

Results showed the test was negatively perceived by most stakeholders. They thought that it has negative consequences on students’ placement, teachers’ instruction, and administrators’ test evaluation.

Author

• Dung (Davy) Tran, The University of Texas - San Antonio