Book contents
- Validity Argument in Language Testing
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Validity Argument in Language Testing
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Series Editor’s Preface
- 1Introduction to Validity Argument in Language Testing and Assessment
- Part IBasic Concepts and Uses of Validity Argument in Language Testing and Assessment
- Part IIInvestigating Score Interpretations
- Part IIIInvestigating Score Uses and Consequences
- 10Justifying the Interpretation and Use of an ESL Writing Final Examination
- 11An Argument for Use of a Test of Productive Grammatical Ability for Placement into Writing Classes
- 12Investigating the Consequences of an ESL Placement Test
- Part IVConclusion
- Index
- References
11 - An Argument for Use of a Test of Productive Grammatical Ability for Placement into Writing Classes
from Part III - Investigating Score Uses and Consequences
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2021
Book contents
- Validity Argument in Language Testing
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Validity Argument in Language Testing
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Series Editor’s Preface
- 1Introduction to Validity Argument in Language Testing and Assessment
- Part IBasic Concepts and Uses of Validity Argument in Language Testing and Assessment
- Part IIInvestigating Score Interpretations
- Part IIIInvestigating Score Uses and Consequences
- 10Justifying the Interpretation and Use of an ESL Writing Final Examination
- 11An Argument for Use of a Test of Productive Grammatical Ability for Placement into Writing Classes
- 12Investigating the Consequences of an ESL Placement Test
- Part IVConclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter demonstrates the construction of a validity argument for use of a new test of productive academic grammar test as one source of data for placement of students into academic writing classes. Drawing upon an argument-based approach, warrants and assumptions for the utilization and consequence implication inferences were developed to guide the investigation. Mixed methods were used to investigate hypothetical placement outcomes and impacts of academic grammar test score use on the program, test takers, and ESL writing instructors. Findings supported the assumptions by showing that (a) the value of grammatical writing ability is appreciated by all stakeholder groups; (b) academic grammar test scores can identify false positives identified as qualifying for ESL writing exemption; and (c) both test takers and ESL writing instructors would benefit from the use of academic grammar test scores for ESL writing placement and diagnostic feedback that could be generated. This study demonstrates that prospective test use and consequences can be investigated even at a pilot testing stage, when test developers should identify and minimize potential negative impact on stakeholders to improve the quality of the test and the compose appropriate advice about its use.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Validity Argument in Language TestingCase Studies of Validation Research, pp. 264 - 293Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
References
Bachman, L. F. (2005). Building and supporting a case for test use. Language Assessment Quarterly, 2(1), 1–34.Google Scholar
Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. (2010). Language assessment in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Cheng, L. (2014). Consequences, impact, and washback. In Kunnan, A. J. (Ed.), The companion to language assessment (pp. 1130–1146). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118411360.wbcla071Google Scholar
Chapelle, C. A., Chung, Y.-R., Hegelheimer, V., Pendar, N., & Xu, J. (2010). Towards a computer-delivered test of productive grammatical ability. Language Testing, 27(4), 443–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532210367633Google Scholar
Chung, Y.-R. (2014). A test of productive English grammatical ability in academic writing: Development and validation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Cronbach, L. J. (1988). Five perspectives on validity argument. In Wainer, H. (Ed.), Test validity (pp. 3–17). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Kane, M. (2016). Explicating validity. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 23(2), 198–211.Google Scholar
McNamara, T. (2006). Validity in language testing: The challenge of Sam Messick’s legacy. Language Assessment Quarterly, 3(1), 31–51.Google Scholar
Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In Linn, R. L (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd ed., pp. 13–103). New York: American Council on Education/Macmillan Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Messick, S. (1996). Validity of performance assessments. In Phillips, G. W. (Ed.), Technical issues in large-scale performance assessment (pp. 1–18). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.Google Scholar
Moss, P. A. (1998). The role of consequences in validity theory. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 17(2), 6–12.Google Scholar
Sireci, S. G. (2016). On the validity of useless tests. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 23(2), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2015.1072084Google Scholar
Thompson, J. B. (1990). Ideology and modern culture. In Thompson, J. B. (Ed.), The methodology of interpretation (pp. 272–327). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Accessibility standard: Unknown
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
Accessibility compliance for the HTML of this chapter is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.