A Study of the Validity of English Language Testing at the Higher Secondary Level in Bangladesh

Abstract

Validity is considered to be of paramount importance in language testing, and therefore, remains the central concept to all designs and research activities in the field of testing and assessment. Arguably, all researches in language testing are in some senses about validity and the process of validation. In this regard, it is the intent of the present research to investigate the validity of the English language tests employed at the Higher Secondary level in Bangladesh. The research questions addressed concern finding out whether the tests are valid in terms of content and construct. The tests administered at this level are 'achievement tests', designed to measure the extent of learning in a prescribed content domain in accordance with explicitly stated objectives of a learning program. The first objective of the study is, therefore, to examine how far the course objectives are reflected in the contents of the existing tests. Secondly, the study makes an assessment of how well these tests measure the abilities they are intended to measure. The findings reveal a great mismatch between what the tests aim at testing and what they actually test. A wide gap is found between the curriculum goals and the existing test format. The study also finds that the Higher Secondary language tests are largely unable to measure the constructs they are based on. The key recommendations to increase the content and construct validity of these tests include developing test specifications and designing syllabus in accordance with course objectives, using direct tests and authentic tasks, sampling widely and unpredictably, arranging training programs for the language teachers, etc.

A Study of Construct Validity of English Language Reading Test of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination in Bangladesh

“…The secondary school and higher secondary certificate examination is a highly memorizing based test (Al Amin & Greenwood, 2018). Selecting the reading passages for the reading test is inappropriate because the passages have been selected from previous examination questions (Ali & Sultana, 2016). In National Curriculum (2012), the reading strategies have been stressed on measuring the reading ability.…”

“…These types of behavior of learners and inability of test developers might build poor construct validation of a test. The implication in order to judge learners' reading ability will not be meaningful or appropriate if all the stakeholders are not concerned about the reading strategies (Ali & Sultana, 2016).…”

Exploring the Status of Teaching Listening and Speaking Skills after the Introduction of their Tests in Secondary Level Education

“…Teaching in one method and testing by another frustrates the students as happens in our examination system which measures something else rather than communicative competence (Akter, 1999;Rahman & Pandian 2018). In Bangladesh, testing is dependent on rote learning; language tests are tests of memory, not tests of language proficiency or communicative competence (Ali & Sultana, 2016;Shahidullah, 1999). Though the syllabus objectives demand that students' ability to use the language skills for communication be tested, in reality, students' ability to memorize and copy the textbook contents is what is required to acquire high marks in the examination ( (Ali & Sultana, 2016;Shahidullh, 1999).…”

“…In Bangladesh, testing is dependent on rote learning; language tests are tests of memory, not tests of language proficiency or communicative competence (Ali & Sultana, 2016;Shahidullah, 1999). Though the syllabus objectives demand that students' ability to use the language skills for communication be tested, in reality, students' ability to memorize and copy the textbook contents is what is required to acquire high marks in the examination ( (Ali & Sultana, 2016;Shahidullh, 1999). In the textbook, all the four English language skills are integrated and equally emphasized, but in the testing system, both internal and public examinations, only reading and writing skills are tested while speaking and listening skills are completely ignored (Ali, Hamid & Hardy, 2020;Barman et al, 2006).…”