Validating TOEFL® iBT Speaking and Setting Score Requirements for ITA Screening  

Oleh:

Xi, Xiaoming

Jenis: Article from Journal - e-Journal
Dalam koleksi: Language Assessment Quarterly vol. 4 no. 4 (2007), page 318-351.
Fulltext: LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT QUARTERLY, 4(4), 318–351.pdf (212.51KB)

Isi artikel

Although the primary use of the speaking section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL® iBT Speaking) is to inform admissions decisions at English medium universities, it may also be useful as an initial screening measure for international teaching assistants (ITAs). This study provides criterion-related validity evidence for the TOEFL iBT Speaking as an instrument for ITA screening and evaluates the effectiveness of using the scores for teaching assistantship (TA) assignments. Three universities participated in this study. Local ITA screening tests were used as the criterion measures. Relationships between the TOEFL iBT Speaking and local ITA tests were explored. These relationships were moderately strong, supporting the use of the TOEFL iBT Speaking for ITA screenings. However, the strengths of the relationship between the TOEFL iBT Speaking and the local ITA tests were somewhat different across schools depending on the extent to which the local test engages and evaluates nonlanguage abilities. Binary and ordinal logistic regression were used to investigate how effective the TOEFL iBT Speaking scores were in separating students into distinct TA assignment categories. At all three schools, the TOEFL iBT Speaking scores were significant predictors of students’ TA assignments and were fairly accurate in classifying students for TA assignments. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the TOEFL iBT Speaking cut scores for TA assignments at each school that would minimize false positives (i.e., nonpasses classified as passes). The results have considerable potential value in providing guidance on using the TOEFL iBT Speaking scores for ITA screening.

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