Differential item functioning on two tests of EFL proficiency

Ryan, Katherine E.; Bachman, Lyle F.

doi:10.1177/026553229200900103

Cited by 63 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The study revealed that both the Chinese and Japanese students performed better on the grammar component of the exam than other ESL students due to the discrete grammar teaching and testing in their educational backgrounds. Similar findings were reported by Ryan and Bachmann (1992), who investigated the FCE (First Certificate of English) and the TOEFL.…”

Section: Literature Reviewsupporting

confidence: 88%

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

Freimuth

2016

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

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This study analyzed 24 IELTS Task One (data explanation) prompts for task type, diagram type, subject matter, level of critical thought, and geographical references, in order to determine whether Emirati university students' anecdotal claims of cultural bias on the IELTS academic writing exam (as experienced by the researcher in the past decade of teaching IELTS in the United Arab Emirates) are valid. The analysis found that the majority of the task types (88%) were non-process in nature (i.e. required the description of data in the form of a chart or graph, rather than the description of a process); 40% of the non-process prompts consisted of more than one diagram. The analysis revealed that 33% of the non-process prompts included bar graphs and 29% included line graphs. Pie charts appeared in 25% of the prompts and tables in only 17%. An Emirati student English preparatory program survey indicated the pie chart as the easiest to understand -a finding that may highlight a difference between the most commonly used IELTS prompt and the students' prompt preference. A content analysis of topics found a high percentage (58%) of subject matter related to the social sciences, with 79% of the geographical references pertaining to Western contexts. An analysis of the amount of critical thought needed for graph interpretation revealed 52% of non-process prompts required some form of critical thought. The study therefore found that the cultural bias perceived by Emirati students has some validity, given the students' socio-cultural and educational background.

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Section: Literature Reviewsupporting

confidence: 88%

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

Freimuth

2016

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

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“…In the case of gender differences, according to Hansen and Stansfield (1981) a positive and significant correlation was found between students' gender and their language proficiency; females consistently performed at a higher level than males.In another study by Ryan and Bachman (1992), no significant relationship was found between gender and performance on TOEFLand the First Certificate of English (FCE).…”

Section: Cloze Test Performancementioning

confidence: 95%

Field Dependence/Independence, Impulsivity/Reflectivity, Gender, and Cloze Test Performance of Iranian EFL Learners: A Study of Relations

Rastegar¹,

Honarmand²

2016

ESJ

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This study aimed at exploring any significant relationships among field dependence/independence, impulsivity/reflectivity, and cloze test performance of Iranian EFL learners, and attempted to seek any significant differences between males and females regarding their field dependence/independence, impulsivity/reflectivity, and cloze test performance. Participants were 72 (47 females and 25 males) Iranian EFL university students in ShahidBahonar

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“…In the literature on second language DIF analysis, the commonly investigated group variables include native language (Abbott, 2007;Elder, McNamara, & Congdon, 2003;Jang & Roussos, 2009;Kim & Jang, 2009;Lee, Breland, & Muraki, 2005;Ryan & Bachman, 1992;Sasaki, 1991), gender (e.g., Breland, Lee, Najarian, & Muraki, 2004;Roznowski & Reith, 1999;Ryan & Bachman, 1992;Singh, 2005;Takala & Kaftandjieva, 2000) and ethnicity (e.g., Roznowski & Reith, 1999;Snetzler & Qualls, 2000). ( (For example, Chinese students performed better on grammar items in several studies, which was explained by their intensive training in English syntax, as in Sasaki, 1991.…”

Section: Proficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies that have investigated DIF with regard to native language or ethnicity groups have often focused on the influence of cultural background on test performance, with consideration given to linguistic background (Chen & Henning, 1985;Kim & Jang, 2009;Sasaki, 1991), language processing strategies (Abbott, 2007), test-taking purpose (Ryan & Bachman, 1992), and other sociocultural factors that may also contribute to the difference in performance. Roever (2007) reported that European test takers, mostly German speakers whose culture was grounded in Judeo-Christian tradition, scored higher on the pragmatic question "Is the Pope Catholic?"…”

Section: Proficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

IS THERE ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THAT AFFECTS TOEFL IBT^® READING PERFORMANCE?

Hill

Liu

2012

ETS Research Report Series

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This study investigated the effect of the interaction between test takers' background knowledge and language proficiency on their performance on the TOEFL iBT ® reading section. Test takers with the target content background knowledge (the focal groups) and those without (the reference groups) were identified for each of the 5 selected passages based on their selfidentified academic and cultural backgrounds. The test takers were further classified into high and low proficiency groups based on their TOEFL iBT scores. Differential functioning was investigated at the item, item bundle, and passage levels. The results suggested that background knowledge interacted with language proficiency on certain items, which could be attributed to idiosyncratic passage and item characteristics (i.e., characteristics that were specific to a particular passage or item . One constant throughout this evolution has been a continuing program of research related to the TOEFL test. From 1977 to 2005, nearly 100 research and technical reports on the early versions of TOEFL were published. In 1997, a monograph series that laid the groundwork for the development of TOEFL iBT was launched. With the release of TOEFL iBT, a TOEFL iBT report series has been introduced.Currently this research is carried out in consultation with the TOEFL Committee of Examiners. Its members include representatives of the TOEFL Board and distinguished English as a second language specialists from the academic community. The Committee advises the TOEFL program about research needs and, through the research subcommittee, solicits, reviews, and approves proposals for funding and reports for publication. Members of the Committee of Examiners serve four-year terms at the invitation of the Board; the chair of the committee serves on the Board. Current (2011Current ( -2012 To obtain more information about the TOEFL programs and services, use one of the following:

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Differential item functioning on two tests of EFL proficiency

Cited by 63 publications

References 15 publications

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

Field Dependence/Independence, Impulsivity/Reflectivity, Gender, and Cloze Test Performance of Iranian EFL Learners: A Study of Relations

IS THERE ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THAT AFFECTS TOEFL IBT^® READING PERFORMANCE?

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Differential item functioning on two tests of EFL proficiency

Cited by 63 publications

References 15 publications

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

An examination of cultural bias in IELTS Task 1 non-process writing prompts: a UAE perspective

Field Dependence/Independence, Impulsivity/Reflectivity, Gender, and Cloze Test Performance of Iranian EFL Learners: A Study of Relations

IS THERE ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THAT AFFECTS TOEFL IBT® READING PERFORMANCE?

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Product

Resources

About

IS THERE ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THAT AFFECTS TOEFL IBT^® READING PERFORMANCE?