VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGLAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES: NGUYEN THI HOA CONCLRRENT VALIDITY OF THE ENGLISH TESTS IN THE NATIONAL. SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVING EXAMINATION, SCITOOL YEARS 2008-2009, 2009-2010 (Tính giá trị so sảnh của bài thí tốt nghiệp trung học phé thing (THPT) mén. tiếng Ảnh năm hoc 2008-2009 va nim hoc 2109-2010) M. Minor Programme Thesis Major: Methodology Cade : 601410 HANOL 2010 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES: NGUYEN THI HOA CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE ENGLISII TESTS IN THE NATIONAL SECONDARY SCIIGOL LEAVING EXAMINATION, SCHOOL YEARS 2008-2009, 2009-2010 (Tính giá trị su sánh của hải thi 100 nghiép trung hoe phé thang (THPT) min Tiếng Anh năm học 2008-2009 va nim hoc 2009-2010) M.
Minor Programme Thesis Major : Methodology Code — :601410 - Supervisor: IIGANG THI XUAN IIOA, Ph. HANOI, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration Acknowledgements Abstract iii Table of contents List of abbreviations viii List of tables and charts PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Scope of study 1 3. Aims of study 4, Methods of study 5.
Research questions ne 6. Design of study PARI B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.2 Rinds of aehievernent tests 1.3 Benefits of achievement testing LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES: TABLES Table 1.1: Test specification 25 ‘Table 2.2: Students” grade in English, school year 2009-2010 26 Table 3.1: Descriptive statistics of the two tests 29 FIGURES Figure 1.1: Factors that affect language test scores Figure 1.2: Practicality Figure 1,3: Construct validity of score interpretations Tigtưe 3.977 Figure 3,2: Desctiptive stafatistios of test one (2008-2009) Figure 3.3: Desctiptive statatistios of test two (2009-2010) Figure 3.4: Distribution of scores on test one 32 Figure 3.5: Distribution of scores on test two 33 English 10, English 11, and Linglish 12 which ran officially in 2004; therefore, they can make necessary amendrients in the school years aller This paper is the wriler’s allempl to evaluate the Concmmrent Validily of the Tinglish Tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 by establishing the correlation between the scores of the two tests, showing how widely the scores are spread out, presenting how closely they cluster and illustrating how well the Lesls have separated students ftom cack other. It is hoped that the results of the study can raise the awareness of English teachers in general and those interested in making better English ‘Tests in the NSSLL in particular. 2, Scape of the stuily ‘This research will focus on the concurrent validity of the English ‘Tests in the > LE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 only.
Thercfore, other aspecls in ovaluating an achievement language test will be beyond the scope of this study. Also, due to the fact that the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009- 2010 were multiple choice tests mazked by a scoring machine which only gives out final test scores, a carefill analysis of scare pattems on each of the test items is out of the question. In addition, due to limitations in time, ability and conditions, it is impossible tor the author to take a sample population that includes representatives fiom different geographical areas (ei urban, rural, island and mountainous) as well as those fom a variety of ethnic groups (Kirh, Chan, H’Mong, Kh’Mc.), Therefore, this study ix gales the concurrent validity of the English Tests in the NSSLE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 in Gia Lam Long Bien Districts, where the writer is currently working only. Aims of the study This study is intended to examine the concurrent validity of the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010.
It places high emphasis on investigating and anlying test scores in order lo scl up tho correlation coofficient hetwoon the lwo sels of test results reveal the spread of score and determine the tests’ ability to discriminate students. English 10, English 11, and Linglish 12 which ran officially in 2004; therefore, they can make necessary amendrients in the school years aller This paper is the wriler’s allempl to evaluate the Concmmrent Validily of the Tinglish Tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 by establishing the correlation between the scores of the two tests, showing how widely the scores are spread out, presenting how closely they cluster and illustrating how well the Lesls have separated students ftom cack other. It is hoped that the results of the study can raise the awareness of English teachers in general and those interested in making better English ‘Tests in the NSSLL in particular. 2, Scape of the stuily ‘This research will focus on the concurrent validity of the English ‘Tests in the > LE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 only.
Thercfore, other aspecls in ovaluating an achievement language test will be beyond the scope of this study. Also, due to the fact that the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009- 2010 were multiple choice tests mazked by a scoring machine which only gives out final test scores, a carefill analysis of scare pattems on each of the test items is out of the question. In addition, due to limitations in time, ability and conditions, it is impossible tor the author to take a sample population that includes representatives fiom different geographical areas (ei urban, rural, island and mountainous) as well as those fom a variety of ethnic groups (Kirh, Chan, H’Mong, Kh’Mc.), Therefore, this study ix gales the concurrent validity of the English Tests in the NSSLE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 in Gia Lam Long Bien Districts, where the writer is currently working only. Aims of the study This study is intended to examine the concurrent validity of the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010.
It places high emphasis on investigating and anlying test scores in order lo scl up tho correlation coofficient hetwoon the lwo sels of test results reveal the spread of score and determine the tests’ ability to discriminate students. English 10, English 11, and Linglish 12 which ran officially in 2004; therefore, they can make necessary amendrients in the school years aller This paper is the wriler’s allempl to evaluate the Concmmrent Validily of the Tinglish Tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 by establishing the correlation between the scores of the two tests, showing how widely the scores are spread out, presenting how closely they cluster and illustrating how well the Lesls have separated students ftom cack other. It is hoped that the results of the study can raise the awareness of English teachers in general and those interested in making better English ‘Tests in the NSSLL in particular. 2, Scape of the stuily ‘This research will focus on the concurrent validity of the English ‘Tests in the > LE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 only.
Thercfore, other aspecls in ovaluating an achievement language test will be beyond the scope of this study. Also, due to the fact that the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009- 2010 were multiple choice tests mazked by a scoring machine which only gives out final test scores, a carefill analysis of scare pattems on each of the test items is out of the question. In addition, due to limitations in time, ability and conditions, it is impossible tor the author to take a sample population that includes representatives fiom different geographical areas (ei urban, rural, island and mountainous) as well as those fom a variety of ethnic groups (Kirh, Chan, H’Mong, Kh’Mc.), Therefore, this study ix gales the concurrent validity of the English Tests in the NSSLE, school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 in Gia Lam Long Bien Districts, where the writer is currently working only. Aims of the study This study is intended to examine the concurrent validity of the English tests in the NSSLE school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010.
It places high emphasis on investigating and anlying test scores in order lo scl up tho correlation coofficient hetwoon the lwo sels of test results reveal the spread of score and determine the tests’ ability to discriminate students.5 The standard deviation 1.3 Classical item analysis 1.2 Item discrimination CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1 Setting of the study 2.1 Education in Vietnam 2.2 Cao Ba Quat Gia Lam Iligh School 2.3 Nguyen Gia Thieu High School 2.4 The National secondary schol leaving examination 24 2.4 Data Analysis 27 CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS 3.1 Analysis of data 28 3.1 Correlation coefficient 28 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES: TABLES Table 1.1: Test specification 25 ‘Table 2.2: Students” grade in English, school year 2009-2010 26 Table 3.1: Descriptive statistics of the two tests 29 FIGURES Figure 1.1: Factors that affect language test scores Figure 1.2: Practicality Figure 1,3: Construct validity of score interpretations Tigtưe 3.977 Figure 3,2: Desctiptive stafatistios of test one (2008-2009) Figure 3.3: Desctiptive statatistios of test two (2009-2010) Figure 3.4: Distribution of scores on test one 32 Figure 3.5: Distribution of scores on test two 33 PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Education has always played an important part in people’s life. Now, in the conditions of the world economic erisis, solid knowledge and skills will help people to save their present job or will make it easier to find a new one. However, it 1s said that effective education is impossible without an effective management and that knowledge and skills must be checked and controlled effectively.
Therefore, testing in education, an attempt to measure a person's knowledge, intelligence, or other charactensstics in a systematic way, is of great significance. Ever sinec the English language boganto be taught in formal scttings, the development of tests to assess learner’s performance has been an integral part of the language learning and leaching process. Language testing, then, is centrat to language teaching, Il provides goals for language teaching and monitors success in reaching those goals. In Vietnam, the English test in the National Secondary School I.eaving Examination (NSSLE) plays an important role in English language teaching (ELT): it stinmulates student progress and evaluates students’ acluevement in aoquiring English throughout 7 years from junior to upper secondary school.
Failure or pass this test is a matter of great concems as it decid whether a stulent ean procccd to higher cdncation or not, Basides, through this test teachers can also evaluate the effectiveness ofa new teaching method or of new materials (Valette, 1977). The Lnglish tests in the NSSLL school years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 were particularly significant because high school English teachers tid chance to look back al their success as well as their failure in implementing the new English textbook series: PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale Education has always played an important part in people’s life. Now, in the conditions of the world economic erisis, solid knowledge and skills will help people to save their present job or will make it easier to find a new one.
However, it 1s said that effective education is impossible without an effective management and that knowledge and skills must be checked and controlled effectively. Therefore, testing in education, an attempt to measure a person's knowledge, intelligence, or other charactensstics in a systematic way, is of great significance. Ever sinec the English language boganto be taught in formal scttings, the development of tests to assess learner’s performance has been an integral part of the language learning and leaching process. Language testing, then, is centrat to language teaching, Il provides goals for language teaching and monitors success in reaching those goals.
In Vietnam, the English test in the National Secondary School I.eaving Examination (NSSLE) plays an important role in English language teaching (ELT): it stinmulates student progress and evaluates students’ acluevement in aoquiring English throughout 7 years from junior to upper secondary school. Failure or pass this test is a matter of great concems as it decid whether a stulent ean procccd to higher cdncation or not, Basides, through this test teachers can also evaluate the effectiveness ofa new teaching method or of new materials (Valette, 1977).
