This web page lists articles in general applied linguistics and educational research journals that may be related to language testing and assessment, or use language tests as part of their methodology. Over thirty widely used journals are currently scanned for relevant articles. Content of the specialist language testing journals can be found here.

Note that articles without a date stamp appear at the top of the page. As you scroll down you will discover that dates begin to appear below titles and above authors. When this starts the articles are arranged in chronological order of publication starting with the most recent.

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• EFFECTS OF FORM-FOCUSED PRACTICE AND FEEDBACK ON CHINESE EFL LEARNERS? ACQUIS...
  
  Research Articles
  Yingli Yang, Roy Lyster,
  Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Volume 32 Special Issue 02 , pp 235-263
  
  Abstract
  Conducted in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms at the ... (show all)
  Research Articles
  Yingli Yang, Roy Lyster,
  Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Volume 32 Special Issue 02 , pp 235-263
  
  Abstract
  Conducted in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms at the university level in China, this quasi-experimental study compared the effects of three different corrective feedback treatments on 72 Chinese learners errors during the activities, whereas in the control group, the teacher provided feedback only on content. Pretests, immediate posttests, and delayed posttests administered 2 weeks after the treatment assessed participants acquisition of regular and irregular past tense forms in both oral and written production. Comparisons of group means across testing sessions using a repeated-measures ANOVA consistently revealed large effects for time. Post hoc within-group analyses of the eight immediate- and delayed-posttest measures revealed significant gains by the prompt group on all eight measures, the recast group on four, and the control group on three. The effects of prompts were larger than those of recasts for increasing accuracy in the use of regular past tense forms, whereas prompts and recasts had similar effects on improving accuracy in the use of irregular past tense forms.
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• Meta-analysis in Second Language Research: Choices and Challenges
  
  Research Articles
  Frederick L. Oswald, Luke Plonsky,
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 30 , pp 85-110
  
  Abstract
  Applied linguists are increasingly conducting meta-analysis in their substant... (show all)
  Research Articles
  Frederick L. Oswald, Luke Plonsky,
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 30 , pp 85-110
  
  Abstract
  Applied linguists are increasingly conducting meta-analysis in their substantive domains, because as a quantitative approach for averaging effect sizes across studies, it is more systematic and replicable than traditional, qualitative literature reviews. Additional strengths, such as increased statistical power, moderator analyses, and model testing, have also contributed to its appeal. The current review describes typical stages of a meta-analysis in second language acquisition (SLA) research: (a) defining the research domain, (b) developing a reliable coding scheme, (c) analyzing data, and (d) interpreting results. Each stage has a host of equally reasonable decisions that can be made; each decision will influence the conduct of the meta-analysis, the nature of the results, and the substantive implications of findings for SLA. We highlight a number of benefits and challenges that inform these decisions. In general, when a meta-analysis in applied linguistics is well planned, employs sound statistical methods, and is based on a thorough understanding of relevant theory, it can provide critical information that informs theory as well as future research, practice, and policy.
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• Individual learner profiles from word association tests: The effect of word f...
  24 Jul 2010 at 3:00pm
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: System, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 23 July 2010
  George, Higginbotham
  Following over 30 years of conflicting research into how second language learners r... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: System, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 23 July 2010
  George, Higginbotham
  Following over 30 years of conflicting research into how second language learners respond to word association tests this paper examines an alternative approach to analyse the data, individual profiling. In contrast to previous studies this paper argues that word association studies should be focusing on individuals, as opposed to attempting to create group norms. This paper demonstrates how such profiles can be created using data collected from a study of 50 low level Japanese college students. To exemplify this approach five profiles are compared. The results of this study suggest that learners should not be analysed as homogenous groups. The...
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• Guiding principles for language assessment reform: A model for collaboration
  24 Jul 2010 at 2:45pm
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Journal of English for Academic Purposes, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 24 July 2010
  Brent A., Green , Maureen Snow, Andrade
  Traditionally, practitioners ... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Journal of English for Academic Purposes, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 24 July 2010
  Brent A., Green , Maureen Snow, Andrade
  Traditionally, practitioners interested in language test reform have focused on the qualities within an examination which result in either positive or negative impacts on participants, institutions, and society. Recent views suggest a multifaceted interaction among factors affecting language test reform. We introduce a model for test reform that guides practitioners to examine the relationships and interactions among contexts, test development processes, stakeholder agency and the desire for change, and the agents promoting the reform. The model encourages stakeholders to examine their current assessment practices and implement needed change through collaborative processes. Using case study methodology, we focus on the implementation...
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• Listening to students? voices: A curriculum renewal project for an EFL gradua...
  23 Jul 2010 at 2:59pm
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: System, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 22 July 2010
  Iris, Elisha-Primo , Simone, Sandler , Keren, Goldfrad , Orna, Ferenz , Hadara, Perpignan
  This paper... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: System, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 22 July 2010
  Iris, Elisha-Primo , Simone, Sandler , Keren, Goldfrad , Orna, Ferenz , Hadara, Perpignan
  This paper presents the results of the first phase of a needs analysis aiming at re-evaluating a graduate level EFL academic curriculum. Based on a self-reporting questionnaire, the responses of a graduate student population (n=469) were analyzed. The questionnaire addressed three issues: attitude toward English language and EFL studies, self-assessment of success in performing academic tasks in English, and ranking the importance of knowledge of English language areas. These issues were examined across the sample?s background variables (gender, academic department, thesis/non-thesis track, native language) and student proficiency level. The results showed that students? attitude toward English and studying English was...
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• Factor Structure of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Clinical Form in ...
  16 Jul 2010 at 6:14am
  by Oades-Sese, G. V., Kaliski, P. K., Weiss, K.
  

  The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Clinical Form (DECA-C) is the first instrument to measure the social-emotional resilience of young children from ages 2 to 5 years. This study is an importan...

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  The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Clinical Form (DECA-C) is the first instrument to measure the social-emotional resilience of young children from ages 2 to 5 years. This study is an important step toward gathering validity evidence for the teacher-rated DECA-C. This is the first study to investigate the DECA-C factor structure and the first to examine its use with low-income Hispanic American bilingual preschoolers. The one-factor, three-factor, and higher-order three-factor models were tested for the Total Protective Factors domain and the one-, four-, and higher-order four-factor models for the Total Behavioral Concerns domain. Participants comprised 471 low-income bilingual children of Hispanic backgrounds in an urban public school district in the Northeast. Findings from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that all models tested had poor model fit with this sample; however, future research replicating these findings would be necessary for implementation of modifications. In the meantime, the DECA-C shows promise for use in practice with this particular population. Implications for further research are discussed.

  
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• Shipibo-Spanish: Differences in residual transfer at the syntax-morphology an...
  9 Jul 2010 at 11:36am
  by Sanchez, L., Camacho, J., Ulloa, J. E.
  

  In this article, we present a study that tests the Interface Hypothesis (Sorace and Filiaci, 2006) at the syntax—pragmatics interface and its possible extension to the syntax—morphology interface i...

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  In this article, we present a study that tests the Interface Hypothesis (Sorace and Filiaci, 2006) at the syntax—pragmatics interface and its possible extension to the syntax—morphology interface in two groups of first language (L1) speakers of Shipibo with different levels of formal instruction in Spanish as a second language (L2). Shipibo is a mixed null subject language that only allows third person null subjects and has no person morphology on the verb. Spanish is a null subject language with rich person morphology on the verb. Evidence of acquisition of a core syntactic property (the extension of null subject licensing from third to first person subjects) was found in the speech of both groups of Shipibo speakers. No significant evidence of residual non-native patterns at the syntax—morphology interface was found (subject—verb mismatches in person) in the group with higher levels of formal instruction. At the syntax—pragmatics interface, we found non-native distribution of first person null subjects in both groups of Shipibo speakers that indicates residual transfer of discourse organization properties concerning topics from Shipibo into Spanish.

  
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• Language needs analysis from a perspective of international professional mobi...
  6 Jul 2010 at 2:49pm
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: English for Specific Purposes, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 July 2010
  Séverine, Wozniak
  This paper gives a detailed account of an analysis carried out a... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: English for Specific Purposes, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 July 2010
  Séverine, Wozniak
  This paper gives a detailed account of an analysis carried out at the French National Skiing and Mountaineering School from August 2008 to June 2009 to assess the language needs of French mountain guides. A targeted literature review highlighted two main points to be taken into account in the design of this language needs analysis: target situations and insiders? expert knowledge. Then, one hypothesis and two research questions were identified. Data gathering methods ? including unstructured interviews, non-participant observation of the foreign language certification process and a questionnaire ? allowed testing of the questions via triangulation (by sources and methods)...
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• Documenting the language demands of mainstream content-area assessment for En...
  by Geaney, Edward R.
  
  
• Competency-based assessment, employment and immigrant background: an explorat...
  by Ficorilli, Laura
  
  
• Contesting heritage: language, legitimacy, and schooling at a weekend Japanes...
  by Lee, Kiri
  
  
• A Review of ?Teaching Chinese, Japanese, and Korean heritage language student...
  by Sung, Ko-Yin
  
  
• Cheating in the first, second, and third degree: Educators' responses to high...
  29 Jun 2010 at 11:16am
  by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, David C. Berliner, Sharon Rideau
  

  Educators are under tremendous pressure to ensure that their students perform well on tests.  Unfortunately, this pressure has caused some educators to cheat.  The purpose of this study was to inve...

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  Educators are under tremendous pressure to ensure that their students perform well on tests.  Unfortunately, this pressure has caused some educators to cheat.  The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of, and degrees to which, a sample of teachers in Arizona were aware of, or had themselves engaged in test-related cheating practices as a function of the high-stakes testing policies of No Child Left Behind. A near census sample of teachers was surveyed, with valid responses obtained from about 5 percent, totaling just over 3,000 teachers. In addition, one small convenience sample of teachers was interviewed, and another participated in a focus group. Data revealed that cheating occurs and that educators can be quite clever when doing so. But how one defines cheating makes it difficult to quantify the frequency with which educators engage in such practices. Our analysis thus required us to think about a taxonomy of cheating based on the definitions of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree offenses in the field of law. These categories were analyzed to help educators better define, and be more aware of others' and their own cheating practices, in an attempt to inform local testing policies and procedures.

  
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• Pre-service teacher beliefs about language learning: The second language acqu...
  25 Jun 2010 at 8:23am
  by Busch, D.
  

  This large mixed methods study investigated the effects of the introductory second language acquisition (SLA) course on the beliefs of pre-service teachers (n = 381) enrolled over a three-year peri...

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  This large mixed methods study investigated the effects of the introductory second language acquisition (SLA) course on the beliefs of pre-service teachers (n = 381) enrolled over a three-year period at a state university in California. Pre- to post-course paired sample t-tests that were run on 23 beliefs statements from a widely used survey revealed significant changes in beliefs in several areas including the length of time for acquisition, difficulty of language acquisition, the role of culture, the role of error correction, the importance of grammar, and the efficacy of audiolingual learning strategies. In extensive written post-course explanations, the pre-service teachers attributed their pre-course beliefs to language learning experience in high school and post-course changes in their beliefs to the SLA course content and experiential activities, most notably tutoring an ESL student (the first contact for some teachers). Depth of knowledge was revealed in the teacher comments; this included information that could not have been gleaned from the beliefs surveys alone. The findings, which demonstrated how pre-service teacher beliefs evolve within the context of a professional education course, have practical implications for course design and evaluation in teacher education programs.

  
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• Dissent From Within: How Educational Insiders Use Protest to Create Policy Ch...
  21 Jun 2010 at 6:40am
  by Grossman, F. D.
  

  This article utilizes social movement theory to analyze policy change created by site-based educators. The author uses a qualitative case study to examine how an organization comprised of teachers ...

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  This article utilizes social movement theory to analyze policy change created by site-based educators. The author uses a qualitative case study to examine how an organization comprised of teachers and administrators in New York State used protest to protect a waiver, which exempted students in their schools from having to pass statewide graduation exams. The author finds that the educators’ ability to mobilize resources and to strategically frame their struggle in a manner that resonated with policymakers allowed the educator activists to capitalize on emerging controversies surrounding the state’s assessment system and create policy change. This article provides a framework to understand how marginalized actors within systems of schooling organize to create change. Such a framework is becoming increasingly relevant as educators attempt to create space for local practice in the current top-down policy environment.

  
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• Reviewing Policy: Challenging One's Own Orthodoxy: Diane Ravitch and the Fate...
  21 Jun 2010 at 6:40am
  by Apple, M. W.
  
  
• Mathematics Reform and Teacher Quality in Elementary Grades: Assessments, Tea...
  20 Jun 2010 at 5:19pm
  by Annie Georges, Kathryn M. Borman, Reginald S. Lee
  
  We analyzed the gap in mathematics standards, assessments and accountability, and teacher licensure and certification requirements in mathematics for elementary grades. We found states delineated m... (show all)
  We analyzed the gap in mathematics standards, assessments and accountability, and teacher licensure and certification requirements in mathematics for elementary grades. We found states delineated mathematics academic standards in specific content areas. Licensure and certification requirements were weak indicators since they lacked the specificity of conceptual and procedural knowledge that could strengthen mathematics content knowledge and inform instructional practices. The most recent changes in licensure and certification requirements intended to affect teacher quality are not reaching a large proportion of elementary teachers; thus, their overall impact on teacher quality is likely to be limited. We discuss policy strategies for licensure and certification requirements likely to have a broader reach in addressing teacher quality at the elementary grades.
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• Recent Research on Human Learning Challenges Conventional Instructional Strat...
  17 Jun 2010 at 5:00pm
  by Rohrer, D., Pashler, H.
  

  There has been a recent upsurge of interest in exploring how choices of methods and timing of instruction affect the rate and persistence of learning. The authors review three lines of experimentat...

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  There has been a recent upsurge of interest in exploring how choices of methods and timing of instruction affect the rate and persistence of learning. The authors review three lines of experimentation—all conducted using educationally relevant materials and time intervals—that call into question important aspects of common instructional practices. First, research reveals that testing, although typically used merely as an assessment device, directly potentiates learning and does so more effectively than other modes of study. Second, recent analysis of the temporal dynamics of learning show that learning is most durable when study time is distributed over much greater periods of time than is customary in educational settings. Third, the interleaving of different types of practice problems (which is quite rare in math and science texts) markedly improves learning. The authors conclude by discussing the frequently observed dissociation between people’s perceptions of which learning procedures are most effective and which procedures actually promote durable learning.

  
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• A Review of the "Digital Turn" in the New Literacy Studies
  17 Jun 2010 at 3:51pm
  by Mills, K. A.
  

  Digital communication has transformed literacy practices and assumed great importance in the functioning of workplace, recreational, and community contexts. This article reviews a decade of empiric...

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  Digital communication has transformed literacy practices and assumed great importance in the functioning of workplace, recreational, and community contexts. This article reviews a decade of empirical work of the New Literacy Studies, identifying the shift toward research of digital literacy applications. The article engages with the central theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic challenges in the tradition of New Literacy Studies, while highlighting the distinctive trends in the digital strand. It identifies common patterns across new literacy practices through cross-comparisons of ethnographic research in digital media environments. It examines ways in which this research is taking into account power and pedagogy in normative contexts of literacy learning using the new media. Recommendations are given to strengthen the links between New Literacy Studies research and literacy curriculum, assessment, and accountability in the 21st century.

  
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• Class Attendance in College: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship of Cl...
  17 Jun 2010 at 3:51pm
  by Crede, M., Roch, S. G., Kieszczynka, U. M.
  

  A meta-analysis of the relationship between class attendance in college and college grades reveals that attendance has strong relationships with both class grades (k = 69, N = 21,195, = .44) and G...

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  A meta-analysis of the relationship between class attendance in college and college grades reveals that attendance has strong relationships with both class grades (k = 69, N = 21,195, = .44) and GPA (k = 33, N = 9,243, = .41). These relationships make class attendance a better predictor of college grades than any other known predictor of academic performance, including scores on standardized admissions tests such as the SAT, high school GPA, study habits, and study skills. Results also show that class attendance explains large amounts of unique variance in college grades because of its relative independence from SAT scores and high school GPA and weak relationship with student characteristics such as conscientiousness and motivation. Mandatory attendance policies appear to have a small positive impact on average grades (k = 3, N = 1,421, d = .21). Implications for theoretical frameworks of student academic performance and educational policy are discussed.

  
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• A critical investigation of test use: Language testing, the social dimension
  14 Jun 2010 at 2:31pm
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Linguistics and Education, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 11 June 2010
  Jamie L., Schissel
  
  
• M. East, Dictionary use in foreign language writing exams (impact and implica...
  10 Jun 2010 at 2:31am
  by monash@literatumonline.com (Brian Ridge)
  Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 33, Issue 1, Page 8.1-8.3, June 2010.
  
  
• Determining validity in national curriculum assessments
  by Stobart, Gordon
  
  
• The reliability of results from national curriculum testing in England
  by Newton, Paul E.
  
  
• The English national curriculum assessment system: a commentary from Northern...
  by Elwood, Jannette
  
  
• The English national curriculum assessment system: a commentary from Italy
  by Nardi, Emma
  
  
• English national curriculum assessment: a commentary from the USA - or exhibi...
  by Popham, W. James
  
  
• Girl friendly? Investigating the gender gap in national reading tests at age 11
  by Sainsbury, Marian
  
  
• What variables condition syntactic transfer? A look at the L3 initial state
  28 May 2010 at 10:39am
  by Rothman, J., Cabrelli Amaro, J.
  

  This study investigates transfer at the third-language (L3) initial state, testing between the following possibilities: (1) the first language (L1) transfer hypothesis (an L1 effect for all adult a...

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  This study investigates transfer at the third-language (L3) initial state, testing between the following possibilities: (1) the first language (L1) transfer hypothesis (an L1 effect for all adult acquisition), (2) the second language (L2) transfer hypothesis, where the L2 blocks L1 transfer (often referred to in the recent literature as the ‘L2 status factor’; Williams and Hammarberg, 1998), and (3) the Cumulative Enhancement Model (Flynn et al., 2004), which proposes selective transfer from all previous linguistic knowledge. We provide data from successful English-speaking learners of L2 Spanish at the initial state of acquiring L3 French and L3 Italian relating to properties of the Null-Subject Parameter (e.g. Chomsky, 1981; Rizzi, 1982). We compare these groups to each other, as well as to groups of English learners of L2 French and L2 Italian at the initial state, and conclude that the data are consistent with the predictions of the ‘L2 status factor’. However, we discuss an alternative possible interpretation based on (psycho)typologically-motivated transfer (borrowing from Kellerman, 1983), providing a methodology for future research in this domain to meaningfully tease apart the ‘L2 status factor’ from this alternative account.

  
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• Toward Automated Multi-trait Scoring of Essays: Investigating Links among Hol...
  24 May 2010 at 1:45am
  by Lee, Y. W., Gentile, C., Kantor, R.
  

  The main purpose of the study was to investigate the distinctness and reliability of analytic (or multi-trait) rating dimensions and their relationships to holistic scores and e-rater® essay featur...

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  The main purpose of the study was to investigate the distinctness and reliability of analytic (or multi-trait) rating dimensions and their relationships to holistic scores and e-rater® essay feature variables in the context of the TOEFL® computer-based test (TOEFL CBT) writing assessment. Data analyzed in the study were holistic and multi-trait essay scores provided by human raters and essay feature variable scores computed by e-rater® (version 2.0) for two TOEFL CBT writing prompts. It was found that (i) all of the six multi-trait scores were not only correlated among themselves but also correlated with the holistic score, (ii) high correlations obtained among holistic and multi-trait scores were largely attributable to the impact of essay length on both holistic and multi-trait scoring, and (iii) some strong associations were confirmed between several e-rater variables and multi-trait rating dimensions. Implications are discussed for improving the multi-trait scoring of essays, refining e-rater essay feature variables, and validating automated essay scores.

  
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• Discrepancy Score Reliabilities in the WAIS-IV Standardization Sample
  19 May 2010 at 12:58am
  by Glass, L. A., Ryan, J. J., Charter, R. A.
  

  In the present investigation, the authors provide internal consistency reliabilities for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) subtest and Index discrepancy scores using the st...

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  In the present investigation, the authors provide internal consistency reliabilities for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) subtest and Index discrepancy scores using the standardization sample as the data source. Reliabilities ranged from .55 to .88 for subtest discrepancy scores and .80 to .91for Index discrepancy scores. Thus, the reliabilities of the WAIS-IV subtest discrepancy scores did not reach the ≥ .90 criterion recommended for clinical decision-making, whereas four Index score coefficients reached this reliability standard. If the purpose is to generate hypotheses based on discrepancy scores, 23 of the 66 subtests and all of the Index reliabilities are ≥ .80.

  
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• Concurrent and Predictive Validity of the Raven Progressive Matrices and the ...
  19 May 2010 at 12:58am
  by Balboni, G., Naglieri, J. A., Cubelli, R.
  

  The concurrent and predictive validities of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) were investigated in a large group of Italian third-and fifth-g...

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  The concurrent and predictive validities of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) were investigated in a large group of Italian third-and fifth-grade students with different sociocultural levels evaluated at the beginning and end of the school year. CPM and NNAT scores were related to math and reading comprehension tests. The CPM and NNAT concurrent and predictive validity coefficients were moderate, and there were no differences between concurrent and predictive validities with reading scores. The mutual incremental concurrent validity of the NNAT with the math test was significantly higher than the corresponding CPM validity. Finally, via step-down hierarchical regression analysis, the authors found that the predictive validity of both nonverbal tests is independent from the participants’ sociocultural level. These two relatively simple nonverbal tests are commonly used to assess general ability; however, the present study shows that they can also provide useful information for predicting the academic performance of students with different sociocultural levels.

  
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• Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents: Factorial Validity Generaliza...
  19 May 2010 at 12:58am
  by Canivez, G. L., Sprouls, K.
  

  Replication of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) core syndrome factor structure with a sample of 124 randomly selected Hispanic/Latino youths is reported. The six ASCA core ...

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  Replication of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) core syndrome factor structure with a sample of 124 randomly selected Hispanic/Latino youths is reported. The six ASCA core syndromes produced the identical two-factor solution observed in other samples. Principal-axis exploratory factor analysis using multiple factor extraction criteria and varimax, direct oblimin, and promax rotations produced nearly identical factor structure coefficients. Consistent with earlier studies, the ASCA was observed to measure two independent dimensions of youth psychopathology (Overactivity and Underactivity) that are similar to the conduct problems/ externalizing and withdrawal/internalizing dimensions typically found in the child psychopathology assessment literature.

  
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• Perceptual Learning Style Matching and L2 Vocabulary Acquisition
  14 May 2010 at 7:45am
  by Daniel G. Tight
  
  This study explored learning and retention of concrete nouns in second language Spanish by first language English undergraduates (N= 128). Each completed a learning style (visual, auditory, tactile... (show all)
  This study explored learning and retention of concrete nouns in second language Spanish by first language English undergraduates (N= 128). Each completed a learning style (visual, auditory, tactile/kinesthetic, mixed) assessment, took a vocabulary pretest, and then studied 12 words each through three conditions (matching, mismatching, mixed modality). After two learning sessions, participants took posttests immediately, after 1 week, and after 1 month. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed significant ( p < .05) effects for condition, with mixed-modality instruction stimulating the greatest learning and the best retention. Style matching also promoted significantly greater retention than mismatching. Findings indicate learners of different style preferences are equally successful at L2 vocabulary acquisition and that instruction through multiple modalities may be even more beneficial than matching individual preferences.
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• A Componential Approach for Bilingual Reading and Comparative Writing System ...
  14 May 2010 at 7:40am
  by Norbert Francis
  
  The special circumstances of bilingual and second language literacy learning offer investigators an important additional vantage point from which to better understand the components of reading abil... (show all)
  The special circumstances of bilingual and second language literacy learning offer investigators an important additional vantage point from which to better understand the components of reading ability. Cross-writing system comparisons complement this perspective. Comparing writing systems and how children learn to read through the medium of each system provides for tests of a number of hypotheses currently under discussion. One particularly instructive series of tests involves the contrast between alphabetic and nonalphabetic writing systems. This review of the research will examine proposals related to the role of phonology in word identification with a special focus on the morphosyllabic/logographic Chinese orthography. A componential, or modular, approach to the study of reading ability will be evaluated in relation to claims made from different perspectives on the question of the activation of phonological representations in reading. In particular, is the Universal Phonological Principle, proposed by C. Perfetti, compatible with a modular approach to the study of reading ability?
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• Volume 22 Issue 02
  30 Apr 2010 at 6:00pm
  
  ReCALL, Volume 22 Issue 02
  
  
  The primary focus of ReCALL is the use of technologies for language learning and teaching, including all relevant aspects of research and development. Typical subjects... (show all)
  ReCALL, Volume 22 Issue 02
  
  
  The primary focus of ReCALL is the use of technologies for language learning and teaching, including all relevant aspects of research and development. Typical subjects for submissions include theoretical debate on language learning strategies and their influence on courseware design; research and development of practical applications; evaluative studies of courseware used in the teaching and learning process; exploitation and assessment of the potential of technological advances in the delivery of language learning materials; discussions of policy and strategy at institutional and discipline levels. ReCALL aims to appeal to researchers and practitioners in the area of computer-assisted and technology-enhanced language learning, normally but not exclusively operating in universities. It is also of interest to language teachers in secondary and tertiary education who may be considering the introduction of technologies into their teaching practice Forthcoming ReCALL Special Issues The editors of ReCALL are pleased to announce that two special issues of the journal are now scheduled: September 2011 CALL and CMC Teacher Education research: enduring questions, emerging methodologies. Guest editors: Mirjam Hauck, The Open University, UK; Nicolas Guichon, Université de Lyon 2, France. Call for papers to be issued May 2010. September 2012 Digital games for language learning: challenges and opportunities Guest editors: Steven L Thorne, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Piet Desmet, KU Leuven & KU Leuven Campus Kortrijk, Belgium; Frederik Cornillie, KU Leuven Campus Kortrijk, Belgium Call for papers to be issued Sept/Oct 2010.
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• Computer game play as an imaginary stage for reading: implicit spatial effect...
  19 Apr 2010 at 5:37am
  by Glenn Gordon Smith
  
  This study compared books with embedded computer games (via pentop computers with microdot paper and audio feedback) with regular books with maps, in terms of fifth graders' comprehension and reten... (show all)
  This study compared books with embedded computer games (via pentop computers with microdot paper and audio feedback) with regular books with maps, in terms of fifth graders' comprehension and retention of spatial details from stories. One group read a story in hard copy with embedded computer games, the other group read it in regular book format with a map. Students received no reading directions, or notification of upcoming post-tests. Dependent measures included a post-test of spatial questions about the story. Some questions addressed story items in both text and games. Other questions addressed spatial items in the text, but not in games. Participants who read books with embedded games scored significantly higher on all the post-test questions, including spatial questions not addressed in games. This suggests that game play helped readers to create a mental model of the story setting, used in subsequent reading to visualise spatial propositions.
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• Sprechfertigkeitstest: Lernzielgerechte leistungskontrolle im sprachlabor und...
  15 Apr 2010 at 2:26pm
  
  Publication year: 1974
  Source: System, Volume 2, Issue 3, October 1974, Pages 10-20
  Peter, Nübold
  Oral productive ability is accepted to be the major teaching aim of foreign language instruction at th... (show all)
  Publication year: 1974
  Source: System, Volume 2, Issue 3, October 1974, Pages 10-20
  Peter, Nübold
  Oral productive ability is accepted to be the major teaching aim of foreign language instruction at the level of Sekundarstufe I in West German schools. It is usually by means of written tests, however, that a pupil's progress is judged. The reason for this contradiction is not so much a lack of oral production tests as the fact that such tests can be carried out adequately only in an AAC-language laboratory and that the expense of carrying them out is enormous.The application of a new recording device would reduce this expense to a reasonable amount. As the oral production of...
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• Improving the Classroom Language Proficiency of Non-native Teachers of Englis...
  7 Apr 2010 at 9:06am
  by Nakata, Y.
  

  The present paper attempts to examine the possibilities of the Classroom Language Assessment Benchmark (CLAB) as a professional development tool for EFL teachers in Japan. Two questionnaire surveys...

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  The present paper attempts to examine the possibilities of the Classroom Language Assessment Benchmark (CLAB) as a professional development tool for EFL teachers in Japan. Two questionnaire surveys were carried out several months after the last day of the graduate course (both in 2006 and 2007) where CLAB was used as a self- and peer-assessment tool of teachers’ classroom English in their trial lesson.The questionnaire results show that the Classroom English Observation Program (CEOP) using CLAB and the Classroom Language Assessment Sheet (CLAS) is a useful approach for raising trainees’ awareness of their classroom English and helping them to strive for improved classroom language proficiency, suggesting that CLAB should be used not as a tool for their qualification assessment but as a tool for their professional development. The paper concludes that an improved, simplified benchmark and assessment sheet should be developed so that when used together they would serve as an important means for language teachers’ professional development.

  
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• Progression and assessment in foreign languages at Key Stage 2
  by Hunt, Marilyn
  
  
• School Climate: Historical Review, Instrument Development, and School Assessment
  21 Mar 2010 at 11:59pm
  by Zullig, K. J., Koopman, T. M., Patton, J. M., Ubbes, V. A.
  

  This study’s purpose is to examine the existing school climate literature in an attempt to constitute its definition from a historical context and to create a valid and reliable student-reported sc...

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  This study’s purpose is to examine the existing school climate literature in an attempt to constitute its definition from a historical context and to create a valid and reliable student-reported school climate instrument. Five historically common school climate domains and five measurement tools were identified, combined, and previewed by the target audience to determine face validity. The final student sample (N = 2,049) was randomly split into exploratory and confirmatory samples and subjected to factor analytic and structural equation modeling techniques. Factor analysis results confirmed an eight-factor solution (loadings with absolute values > .40). Item factor loadings ranged from .42 to .87. Coefficient alphas ranged from .65 to .91. Preliminary analyses support the reliability and validity of the instrument. This is the first study to balance historical precedent (what to measure) and modern scale development procedures (e.g., structural equation modeling) into a single attempt to measure school climate. Implications and potential uses are discussed.

  
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• Book Review: Haywood, H. C., & Lidz, C. S. (2007). Dynamic Assessment in Prac...
  21 Mar 2010 at 11:59pm
  by Karpov, Y. V.
  
  
• Measuring Early Literacy Skills: A Latent Variable Investigation of the Phono...
  21 Mar 2010 at 11:59pm
  by Townsend, M., Konold, T. R.
  

  Psychometric properties of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Preschool (PALSPreK) instrument were investigated in a sample of 4,518 children. PALS-PreK figures prominently in state ...

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  Psychometric properties of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Preschool (PALSPreK) instrument were investigated in a sample of 4,518 children. PALS-PreK figures prominently in state and federal early literacy programs as an assessment of emergent literacy skills in preschool-aged children. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and multigroup CFA were employed to evaluate the underlying factor structure and determine whether the identified structure was invariant across boys and girls. Results suggest that PALSPreK effectively measures the most important precursors to successful literacy acquisition: alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and print concepts, with generally the same degree of accuracy for boys and girls. These results, combined with the instructional transparency of the instrument, support the educational utility of PALS-PreK as a tool for guiding instruction in preschool literacy.

  
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• Bilingual Children's Acquisition of English Verb Morphology: Effects of Langu...
  19 Mar 2010 at 1:15am
  by Johanne Paradis
  
  This study investigated whether bilingual-monolingual differences would be apparent in school-age children's use and knowledge of English verb morphology and whether differences would be influenced... (show all)
  This study investigated whether bilingual-monolingual differences would be apparent in school-age children's use and knowledge of English verb morphology and whether differences would be influenced by amount of exposure to English, complexity of the morphological structure, or the type of task given. French-English bilinguals (mean age = 6;10) were given a standardized test with two production probes and a grammaticality judgment probe for English verb morphology. Results indicated that all three factors[mdash]exposure, complexity, and task type[mdash]influenced how closely bilinguals approached monolingual norms. These results are consistent with Gathercole's (2007) constructivist model of bilingual acquisition for the exposure and complexity effects. The task effects can be explained in view of cognitive differences in processing between bilinguals and monolinguals and, thus, are also argued to be compatible with a constructivist model. The implications of bilingual-monolingual differences for language assessment are discussed.
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• Data-Driven Learning: Taking the Computer Out of the Equation
  19 Mar 2010 at 1:14am
  by Alex Boulton
  
  Despite considerable research interest, data-driven learning (DDL) has not become part of mainstream teaching practice. It may be that technical aspects are too daunting for teachers and students, ... (show all)
  Despite considerable research interest, data-driven learning (DDL) has not become part of mainstream teaching practice. It may be that technical aspects are too daunting for teachers and students, but there seems to be no reason why DDL in its early stages should not eliminate the computer from the equation by using prepared materials on paper[mdash]considerably easier for the novice learner to handle. This article reports on an experiment to see how lower level learners cope with such paper-based corpus materials and a DDL approach compared to more traditional teaching materials and practices. Pretests and posttests show that both are effective compared to control items, with the DDL items showing the greatest improvement, and questionnaire responses are more favorable to the DDL activities. The results are argued to show that printed materials can counter a number of potential barriers and may thus enable DDL to reach a wider audience.
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• Test-Based Grade Retention: Does It Stand Up to Professional Standards for Fa...
  17 Mar 2010 at 5:35pm
  by Penfield, R. D.
  

  A growing body of research showing that grade retention serves as an educationally low-quality placement has raised increasing concerns about whether the use of standardized tests in making decisio...

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  A growing body of research showing that grade retention serves as an educationally low-quality placement has raised increasing concerns about whether the use of standardized tests in making decisions concerning grade retention conforms to current standards for appropriate and nondiscriminatory test use. This article examines the extent to which test-based grade retention policies comply with standards for fair and appropriate test use based on norms established by the professional testing community. The results of the investigation indicate that test-based retention policies potentially violate several of the professional standards. The points of violation are presented, and the implications for test-based retention policies are discussed.

  
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• International Large-Scale Assessment Data: Issues in Secondary Analysis and R...
  17 Mar 2010 at 5:35pm
  by Rutkowski, L., Gonzalez, E., Joncas, M., von Davier, M.
  

  The technical complexities and sheer size of international large-scale assessment (LSA) databases often cause hesitation on the part of the applied researcher interested in analyzing them. Further,...

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  The technical complexities and sheer size of international large-scale assessment (LSA) databases often cause hesitation on the part of the applied researcher interested in analyzing them. Further, inappropriate choice or application of statistical methods is a common problem in applied research using these databases. This article serves as a primer for researchers on the issues and methods necessary for obtaining unbiased results from LSA data. The authors outline the issues surrounding the analysis and reporting of LSA data, with a particular focus on three prominent international surveys. In addition, they make recommendations targeted at applied researchers regarding best analysis and reporting practices when using these databases.

  
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• The MATCH corpus: a corpus of older and younger users? interactions with spok...
  15 Mar 2010 at 12:32am
  

  Abstract  We present the MATCH corpus, a unique data set of 447 dialogues in which 26 older and 24 younger adults interact with nine different spoken dialogue systems. The systems varied in the nu...

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  Abstract  We present the MATCH corpus, a unique data set of 447 dialogues in which 26 older and 24 younger adults interact with nine different spoken dialogue systems. The systems varied in the number of options presented and the confirmation strategy used. The corpus also contains information about the users? cognitive abilities and detailed usability assessments of each dialogue system. The corpus, which was collected using a Wizard-of-Oz methodology, has been fully transcribed and annotated with dialogue acts and ?Information State Update? (ISU) representations of dialogue context. Dialogue act and ISU annotations were performed semi-automatically. In addition to describing the corpus collection and annotation, we present a quantitative analysis of the interaction behaviour of older and younger users and discuss further applications of the corpus. We expect that the corpus will provide a key resource for modelling older people?s interaction with spoken dialogue systems.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10579-010-9118-8Authors Kallirroi Georgila, University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies 13274 Fiji Way Marina del Rey CA 90292 USAMaria Wolters, University of Edinburgh Human Communication Research Centre 10 Crichton Street Edinburgh EH8 9AB UKJohanna D. Moore, University of Edinburgh Human Communication Research Centre 10 Crichton Street Edinburgh EH8 9AB UKRobert H. Logie, University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology 7 George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ UK Journal Language Resources and EvaluationOnline ISSN 1574-0218Print ISSN 1574-020X Journal Volume Volume 44 Journal Issue Volume 44, Number 3 / September, 2010
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• Gabrielle Hogan-Brun, Clare Molinero, and Patrick Stevenson (Eds.): Discourse...
  10 Mar 2010 at 9:31am
  

  Gabrielle Hogan-Brun, Clare Molinero, and Patrick Stevenson (Eds.): Discourses on Language and Integration: Critical Perspectives on Language Testing Regimes in Europe

  Content Type Journal Articl... (show all)

  Gabrielle Hogan-Brun, Clare Molinero, and Patrick Stevenson (Eds.): Discourses on Language and Integration: Critical Perspectives on Language Testing Regimes in Europe

  Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Book ReviewDOI 10.1007/s10993-010-9164-5Authors Ester J. de Jong, University of Florida Gainesville FL USA Journal Language PolicyOnline ISSN 1573-1863Print ISSN 1568-4555 Journal Volume Volume 9 Journal Issue Volume 9, Number 3 / August, 2010
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• Volume 30
  28 Feb 2010 at 6:00pm
  
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 30
  
  
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics reviews research in key areas in the broad field of applied linguistics. Each issue is thematic, covering the t... (show all)
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, Volume 30
  
  
  Annual Review of Applied Linguistics reviews research in key areas in the broad field of applied linguistics. Each issue is thematic, covering the topic by means of critical summaries, overviews and bibliographic citations. Every fourth or fifth issue surveys applied linguistics broadly, offering timely essays on language learning and pedagogy, discourse analysis, teaching innovations, second language acquisition, computer-assisted instruction, language use in professional contexts, sociolinguistics, language policy, and language assessment, to name just a few of the areas reviewed. It provides over 500 new citations each year. The theme for Volume 26 (2006) is 'Lingua franca languages'.
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• Alternative assessment in higher education: An experience in descriptive stat...
  12 Feb 2010 at 2:53pm
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Studies In Educational Evaluation, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 12 February 2010
  Zipora, Libman
  Assessment-led reform is now one of the most widely favore... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Studies In Educational Evaluation, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 12 February 2010
  Zipora, Libman
  Assessment-led reform is now one of the most widely favored strategies to promote higher standards of teaching, more powerful learning and more credible forms of public accountability. Within this context of change, higher education in many countries is increasingly subjected to demands to implement alternative assessment strategies that provide outcome measures of both student and program effectiveness. This article examines a process of integrating real-life data investigation in a course on descriptive statistics at a teachers college. The article describes this process and considers implications of this experience in terms of its potential to improve the quality of learning and...
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• Survey Measures of Classroom Instruction: Comparing Student and Teacher Reports
  11 Feb 2010 at 3:13am
  by Desimone, L. M., Smith, T. M., Frisvold, D. E.
  

  This analysis contributes to efforts to improve the use and understanding of survey data in education policy research by asking: How different are student and teacher reports of classroom instructi...

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  This analysis contributes to efforts to improve the use and understanding of survey data in education policy research by asking: How different are student and teacher reports of classroom instruction? Do student, class, or teacher characteristics account for any of the differences? Using National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) data, we compare the responses of middle-school students and their teachers to the same questions about mathematics instruction. We found low correlations and small significant mean differences between student and teacher reports; we also found that student reports are sensitive to key student and class variables, most notably to individual and class achievement, student race/ethnicity, income, parent education, and motivation. Implications for using student survey data in policy research are discussed.

  
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• Reviewing Policy: Testing, Accountability and the Politics of Education: Rich...
  11 Feb 2010 at 3:13am
  by Au, W., Apple, M. W.
  
  
• Cycles of inquiry: Formative assessment in service of learning in classrooms ...
  6 Feb 2010 at 1:53am
  
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Studies In Educational Evaluation, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 February 2010
  Menucha, Birenbaum , Helena, Kimron , Hany, Shilton , Rinat, Shahaf-Ba... (show all)
  Publication year: 2010
  Source: Studies In Educational Evaluation, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 February 2010
  Menucha, Birenbaum , Helena, Kimron , Hany, Shilton , Rinat, Shahaf-Barzilay
  The paper reports results of three studies that used a formative assessment (FA) framework to compare schools that vary in their level of functioning as professional learning communities with respect to three processes: classroom assessment (study 1), development and implementation of school-based curriculum (study 2), and pedagogical conversations at teachers? lounge professional meetings (study 3). When performed at their best, these three are inquiry processes that follow the phases of formative assessment cycles. Results supported the conclusion that school-based professional learning communities (SBPLC) make a difference in terms of FA practices enacted at both classroom and organizational levels. Moreover, classroom...
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• Cross-language plagiarism detection
  29 Jan 2010 at 11:59am
  

  Abstract  Cross-language plagiarism detection deals with the automatic identification and extraction of plagiarism in a multilingual setting. In this setting, a suspicious document is given, and t...

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  Abstract  Cross-language plagiarism detection deals with the automatic identification and extraction of plagiarism in a multilingual setting. In this setting, a suspicious document is given, and the task is to retrieve all sections from the document that originate from a large, multilingual document collection. Our contributions in this field are as follows: (1) a comprehensive retrieval process for cross-language plagiarism detection is introduced, highlighting the differences to monolingual plagiarism detection, (2) state-of-the-art solutions for two important subtasks are reviewed, (3) retrieval models for the assessment of cross-language similarity are surveyed, and, (4) the three models CL-CNG, CL-ESA and CL-ASA are compared. Our evaluation is of realistic scale: it relies on 120,000 test documents which are selected from the corpora JRC-Acquis and Wikipedia, so that for each test document highly similar documents are available in all of the six languages English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Polish. The models are employed in a series of ranking tasks, and more than 100 million similarities are computed with each model. The results of our evaluation indicate that CL-CNG, despite its simple approach, is the best choice to rank and compare texts across languages if they are syntactically related. CL-ESA almost matches the performance of CL-CNG, but on arbitrary pairs of languages. CL-ASA works best on ?exact? translations but does not generalize well.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10579-009-9114-zAuthors Martin Potthast, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Web Technology and Information Systems (Webis) Weimar GermanyAlberto Barrón-Cedeño, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Natural Language Engineering Lab, ELiRF Valencia SpainBenno Stein, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Web Technology and Information Systems (Webis) Weimar GermanyPaolo Rosso, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Natural Language Engineering Lab, ELiRF Valencia Spain Journal Language Resources and EvaluationOnline ISSN 1574-0218Print ISSN 1574-020X
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• Applying the Multiple Dimensions of Reading Fluency to Assessment and Instruc...
  13 Jan 2010 at 10:45pm
  by Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Trivedi, P., Olson, E., Gould, L., Hiramatsu, S., Holsinger, M., McShane, M., Murphy, H., Norton, J., Scuilli Boyd, A., York Westhaggen, S.
  

  In Study 1 we evaluated whether each of three kinds of reading fluency (oral, silent—sentences, silent—passages) contributed uniquely to reading comprehension when children were in second grade (wh...

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  In Study 1 we evaluated whether each of three kinds of reading fluency (oral, silent—sentences, silent—passages) contributed uniquely to reading comprehension when children were in second grade (when oral reading is emphasized) and again when they were in fourth grade (when silent reading is emphasized). In Study 2 we evaluated the relationship of comprehension and other reading (automatic real word and pseudoword reading) and oral language (vocabulary) skills to each of the three kinds of fluency (oral passage, silent passage rate, and silent timed sentence comprehension) at the same grade levels. Results of both studies showed that contributions vary with the three kinds of fluency, as predictors or outcomes, and grade level, consistent with the view that fluency is a multidimensional construct that has bidirectional relationships with other language skills. Implications of multidimensional fluency for assessment and instruction are discussed.

  
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• Using Generalized Mantel-Haenszel Statistics to Assess DIF Among Multiple Groups
  13 Jan 2010 at 10:45pm
  by Fidalgo, A. M., Scalon, J. D.
  

  In spite of the growing interest in cross-cultural research and assessment, there is little research on statistical procedures that can be used to simultaneously assess the differential item functi...

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  In spite of the growing interest in cross-cultural research and assessment, there is little research on statistical procedures that can be used to simultaneously assess the differential item functioning (DIF) across multiple groups. The chief objective of this work is to show a unified framework for the analysis of DIF in multiple groups using one of the most popular methodologies for DIF assessment: the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) methods. The MH statistics proposed to date with this purpose only permitted analysis of the DIF for dichotomous items. In contrast, the statistics presented here permit, through a single significance test, simultaneous evaluation of the DIF in several groups, being applicable to both dichotomous and polytomous items. Specific software to detect DIF using this methodology is available free of charge.

  
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• Concurrent Validity of the TONI-3
  13 Jan 2010 at 10:45pm
  by Banks, S. H., Franzen, M. D.
  

  The literature pertaining to intelligence assessment reveals an ongoing discussion about the areas of intelligence captured by nonverbal tests. To date, few studies have investigated the criterion ...

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  The literature pertaining to intelligence assessment reveals an ongoing discussion about the areas of intelligence captured by nonverbal tests. To date, few studies have investigated the criterion validity of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Third Edition (TONI-3). The present study investigates the concurrent validity of the TONI-3 in a sample of children at an outpatient medical facility. Scores from the TONI-3 are moderately positively correlated with the Full Scale IQ of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). The TONI-3 demonstrates a strong positive correlation with the Matrix Reasoning subtest of the WISC-IV. The results indicate positive relationships between the TONI-3 and measures that tap into other areas of intelligence, such as verbal abilities and processing speed. Relationships among the variables are not distinct enough to suggest specificity in terms of testing a particular ability area. Limitations and implications for intelligence assessment are discussed.

  
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• Evaluating Alignment Between Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction
  18 Dec 2009 at 2:02pm
  by Martone, A., Sireci, S. G.
  

  The authors (a) discuss the importance of alignment for facilitating proper assessment and instruction, (b) describe the three most common methods for evaluating the alignment between state content...

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  The authors (a) discuss the importance of alignment for facilitating proper assessment and instruction, (b) describe the three most common methods for evaluating the alignment between state content standards and assessments, (c) discuss the relative strengths and limitations of these methods, and (d) discuss examples of applications of each method. They conclude that choice of alignment method depends on the specific goals of a state or district and that alignment research is critical for ensuring the standards-assessment-instruction cycle facilitates student learning. Additional potential benefits of alignment research include valuable professional development for teachers and better understanding of the results from standardized assessments.

  
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• Effective Reading Programs for the Elementary Grades: A Best-Evidence Synthesis
  18 Dec 2009 at 2:02pm
  by Slavin, R. E., Lake, C., Chambers, B., Cheung, A., Davis, S.
  

  This article systematically reviews research on the achievement outcomes of four types of approaches to improving the reading success of children in the elementary grades: reading curricula, instru...

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  This article systematically reviews research on the achievement outcomes of four types of approaches to improving the reading success of children in the elementary grades: reading curricula, instructional technology, instructional process programs, and combinations of curricula and instructional process. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or matched control groups, a study duration of at least 12 weeks, valid achievement measures independent of the experimental treatments, and a final assessment at the end of Grade 1 or later. A total of 63 beginning reading (starting in Grades K or 1) and 79 upper elementary (Grades 2 through 5) reading studies met these criteria. The review concludes that instructional process programs designed to change daily teaching practices have substantially greater research support than programs that focus on curriculum or technology alone.

  
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• Designing and Delivering an English for Hospitality Syllabus: A Taiwanese Cas...
  7 Dec 2009 at 9:49am
  by Su, S.-W.
  

  The paper illustrates an English for Specific Purposes design for English listening and speaking for students in hospitality fields, accompanied by an educational inquiry into its implementation in...

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  The paper illustrates an English for Specific Purposes design for English listening and speaking for students in hospitality fields, accompanied by an educational inquiry into its implementation in a bid to hold accountability to the course takers. The subject was 82 juniors and seniors at a national hospitality college in Southern Taiwan. Questionnaires, achievement tests and classroom observation were research instruments in the inquiry. The statistical evidences of the study have demonstrated the effectiveness of the ESP listening and speaking course. This ESP class, characterized by a synthesis of language-oriented, skills-oriented and learning-oriented approaches to ESP syllabus design is harvested with fruitful achievements: incremental gain in their ESP content knowledge and skills (the outcome of the language-oriented syllabus), strengthening the ability of searching for and organizing information for conducting English presentations (the outcome of the skills-oriented syllabus) and, above all, the achievement in cooperative team spirit build up (the outcome of the learning-oriented syllabus).

  The study also provides valuable reference for subsequent design and implementation of related ESP courses in the future.

  
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• The Effects of Receptive and Productive Learning of Word Pairs on Vocabulary ...
  7 Dec 2009 at 9:49am
  by Webb, S.
  

  English as a foreign language students in Japan learned target words in word pairs receptively and productively. Five aspects of vocabulary knowledge — orthography, association, syntax, grammatica...

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  English as a foreign language students in Japan learned target words in word pairs receptively and productively. Five aspects of vocabulary knowledge — orthography, association, syntax, grammatical functions, and meaning and form — were each measured by receptive and productive tests. The study uses an innovative methodology in that each target word was tested in ten different ways. The results showed that the direction of learning had a significant effect on the type and amount of knowledge gained. Productive learning led to larger gains in both receptive and productive knowledge of orthography, and productive knowledge of meaning, syntax, and grammatical functions. In contrast, receptive learning led to larger gains in receptive knowledge of meaning. The findings suggest that if only one method is used, productive learning of word pairs might be more effective. The effects of each learning task on the different aspects of vocabulary knowledge are discussed in detail.

  
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• Peer assessment in a test-dominated setting: empowering, boring or facilitati...
  6 Nov 2009 at 1:35pm
  

  Abstract  The literature suggests that peer assessment contributes to the development of student learning and promotes ownership of assessment processes. These claims emerge from research conducte...

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  Abstract  The literature suggests that peer assessment contributes to the development of student learning and promotes ownership of assessment processes. These claims emerge from research conducted primarily in Western contexts. This exploratory paper reports on the perspectives that a class of Hong Kong primary school students and their teachers have on their engagement with peer assessment. It draws on data collected through extensive interviews and classroom observations from a 2-year case study. The findings indicate that student perceptions about the usefulness of peer assessment follow from their perspectives on quality of peer feedback, peer language proficiency, and the novelty or repetitiveness of its processes. Teachers and students also viewed peer assessment as assuming a wider role in preparing for examinations and future secondary schooling. A key implication is that assessment practices are deeply cultural and, in test-dominated settings, peer assessment may have most potential when explicit links are drawn with preparation for summative assessment.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10671-009-9077-2Authors Darren A. Bryant, The University of Hong Kong Pok Fu Lam Hong KongDavid R. Carless, The University of Hong Kong Pok Fu Lam Hong Kong Journal Educational Research for Policy and PracticeOnline ISSN 1573-1723Print ISSN 1570-2081 Journal Volume Volume 9 Journal Issue Volume 9, Number 1 / February, 2010
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• The effect of keeping vocabulary notebooks on vocabulary acquisition
  5 Oct 2009 at 9:21am
  by Walters, J., Bozkurt, N.
  

  Vocabulary notebooks are frequently advocated as a way for students to take control of their vocabulary learning (Fowle, 2002), with the added benefit of improvements in vocabulary learning (Schmit...

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  Vocabulary notebooks are frequently advocated as a way for students to take control of their vocabulary learning (Fowle, 2002), with the added benefit of improvements in vocabulary learning (Schmitt and Schmitt, 1995; Laufer and Nation, 1999). The study described in this article attempts to lend empirical support to these claims, by investigating the effect of vocabulary notebooks on EFL students’ vocabulary acquisition. Students in three lower intermediate EFL classes participated in the study. A vocabulary notebook program was implemented in one class over a 4-week period, with the remaining two classes acting as control groups, following the same curriculum with the same materials but without keeping vocabulary notebooks. Receptive and controlled productive vocabulary tests revealed significantly greater learning of the target words in the treatment group. In addition, students in the treatment group demonstrated a greater tendency to use the target words in free writing compositions. However, a positive impact on learner autonomy — as has been reported in previous studies (McCarthy, 1990) — was not observed. These findings lead the authors to conclude that vocabulary notebooks can be an effective learning tool in EFL classrooms, but positive impacts on learner autonomy may not be seen in the absence of appropriate motivation for language learning.

  
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• Listening to our learners' voices: what demotivates Japanese high school stud...
  5 Oct 2009 at 9:21am
  by Kikuchi, K.
  

  Interview guides and a questionnaire were developed in order to find what f actors demotivated students in Japanese high school English classrooms. Five college students who were attending two priv...

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  Interview guides and a questionnaire were developed in order to find what f actors demotivated students in Japanese high school English classrooms. Five college students who were attending two private universities and one public university shared their views about demotivation in the interviews. Forty-two students at a public university responded to a questionnaire consisting of mainly open-ended response questions. Through qualitative analysis five factors were found: (1) individual teacher behavior in classroom; (2) the grammar—translation method used in instruction; (3) tests and university entrance examinations; (4) the memorization nature of vocabulary learning; and (5) textbook/reference book-related issues. It is hoped that these learners’ stories will help Japanese and other teachers to realize what pitfalls to avoid in their instruction.

  
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• Accommodations for English Language Learners Taking Large-Scale Assessments: ...
  29 Sep 2009 at 4:38pm
  by Kieffer, M. J., Lesaux, N. K., Rivera, M., Francis, D. J.
  

  Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce th...

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  Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce the impact of limited English proficiency on the assessment of the target construct, most often mathematic or science proficiency. This meta-analysis synthesizes research on the effectiveness and validity of such accommodations for ELLs. Findings indicate that none of the seven accommodations studied threaten the validity of inferences. However, only one accommodation—providing English dictionaries or glossaries—has a statistically significant effect on ELLs’ performance, and this effect equates to only a small reduction in the achievement score gap between ELLs and native English speakers. Findings suggest that accommodations to reduce the impact of limited language proficiency on academic skill assessment are not particularly effective. Given this, we posit a hypothesis about the necessary role of academic language skills in mathematics and science assessments.

  
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• Mathematics Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analy...
  29 Sep 2009 at 4:38pm
  by Gersten, R., Chard, D. J., Jayanthi, M., Baker, S. K., Morphy, P., Flojo, J.
  

  The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize findings from 42 interventions (randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies) on instructional approaches that enhance the mathematic...

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  The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize findings from 42 interventions (randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies) on instructional approaches that enhance the mathematics proficiency of students with learning disabilities. We examined the impact of four categories of instructional components: (a) approaches to instruction and/or curriculum design, (b) formative assessment data and feedback to teachers on students' mathematics performance, (c) formative data and feedback to students with LD on their performance, and (d) peer-assisted mathematics instruction. All instructional components except for student feedback with goal-setting and peer-assisted learning within a class resulted in significant mean effects ranging from 0.21 to 1.56. We also examined the effectiveness of these components conditionally, using hierarchical multiple regressions. Two instructional components provided practically and statistically important increases in effect size–teaching students to use heuristics and explicit instruction. Limitations of the study, suggestions for future research, and applications for improvement of current practice are discussed.

  
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• Transferability of norms and its implication in cross-cultural gifted educati...
  24 Mar 2009 at 1:55am
  

  Abstract  This is a normative study to investigate the transferability of norms from western-based intelligence tests to Filipino students. More than 2,700 Filipino sixth graders were sampled acro...

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  Abstract  This is a normative study to investigate the transferability of norms from western-based intelligence tests to Filipino students. More than 2,700 Filipino sixth graders were sampled across the country and administered the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). Scores were then compared to the US normative sample. The results showed no significant differences in mean scores and the standardized mean difference is small when scaled scores are used in comparison. However, in situations where the test needs to be used for specific portions of the population such as in the context of gifted education, further analysis revealed that the distribution of scores for the Philippine sample differed significantly from the expected values based on the US norms, particularly in the tail ends of the distribution. In these cases, it may not be valid to transfer the US norms directly to Filipino students without any modification.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10671-009-9065-6Authors Alvin Vista, The University of Georgia Athens, GA USATarek Grantham, The University of Georgia Athens, GA USA Journal Educational Research for Policy and PracticeOnline ISSN 1573-1723Print ISSN 1570-2081 Journal Volume Volume 8 Journal Issue Volume 8, Number 2 / July, 2009
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• IELTS Preparation Course and Student IELTS Performance: A Case Study in Hong ...
  10 Mar 2009 at 10:35am
  by Gan Zhengdong,
  

  Since the University Grants Committee (UGC) selected the academic module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as the common English proficiency assessment for graduating un...

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  Since the University Grants Committee (UGC) selected the academic module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as the common English proficiency assessment for graduating undergraduate degree students in 2002, almost all the tertiary institutions in Hong Kong have offered IELTS preparation courses that aim at providing students training in IELTS taking strategies and giving them practice with IELTS tasks under exam conditions. This study examines the potential impact of IELTS preparation course on IELTS test performance. A web-based questionnaire designed to collect information about students' IELTS preparation experience and performance was distributed to the students who had applied to take the common English proficiency assessment in the 2003/2004 academic year in one university in Hong Kong. The findings showed no significant differences in exit IELTS test scores between students who had taken an IELTS preparation course prior to the test and those who had not taken such a preparation course. However, significant differences were found between the two groups in their university entrance English exam scores. Our findings indicate that students who scored lower in the university entrance exam were more likely to take the later test preparation course prior to the exit IELTS test. The lack of statistically significant differences between the two groups in the exit IELTS test scores also points to the fact that the gap in English language proficiency between the two groups reflected in the entrance exam scores appeared to have narrowed by the time they took the exit test, which is apparently the result of the university English learning experiences, of which participation in IELTS preparation courses should be an important part. Implications for the issue of `homogenous IELTS scores' in Hong Kong, as well as the learning/motivational effects of IELTS preparation courses are discussed.

  
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• Developing an Integrated Diagnostic Test of Vocabulary Size and Depth
  10 Mar 2009 at 10:35am
  by Ishii, T., Schmitt, N.
  

  Following growing interest in vocabulary acquisition, a number of researchers have proposed how learners' vocabulary knowledge can be measured both in terms of how many words they know (vocabulary...

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  Following growing interest in vocabulary acquisition, a number of researchers have proposed how learners' vocabulary knowledge can be measured both in terms of how many words they know (vocabulary size) and how well they know those words (depth of knowledge). However, most of the depth measures have addressed only a single depth aspect (often for research purposes), and not many researchers have investigated how size and depth approaches can be combined in a test battery suitable for pedagogical purposes. Furthermore, there is little advice available on how the scores of size and depth measures can be appropriately interpreted. This article describes how one size-depth vocabulary test battery was developed for a specific student group (Japanese university students), and proposes a scoring scheme that combines size and depth scores in a principled way. It also suggests a method of making the resulting scores accessible to the students. It is hoped that the test battery and procedure described can act as a useful guide for teachers and test writers in other countries and contexts who wish to develop a more comprehensive vocabulary assessment approach.

  
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• Infusing assessment into mathematics content courses for pre-service elementa...
  8 Oct 2008 at 7:09am
  

  Abstract  The present study aims to explore the use of assessment in mathematics content courses for future elementary school teachers. Analysis of self assessment data on mathematical understandi...

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  Abstract  The present study aims to explore the use of assessment in mathematics content courses for future elementary school teachers. Analysis of self assessment data on mathematical understanding and peer assessment data on oral mathematical presentation showed that pre-service teachers had a balanced understanding of procedural knowledge and problem solving. Conceptual understanding was not in the structure of pre-service teachers? mathematical knowledge. Understandings of conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and problem solving had no meaningful effects on gains in mathematics performance. Aspects of oral mathematical presentation were associated with improved understanding of procedural knowledge and in particular conceptual knowledge. The result of the study calls for a conceptual approach to mathematical knowledge and sufficient mathematical problem solving in college-level mathematics content courses and in particular the infusion of assessment into college-level mathematics education for pre-service teachers.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10671-008-9050-5Authors Xin Ma, University of Kentucky 335 Dickey Hall Lexington KY 40506 USARichard Millman, University of Kentucky 335 Dickey Hall Lexington KY 40506 USAMatt Wells, University of Kentucky 335 Dickey Hall Lexington KY 40506 USA Journal Educational Research for Policy and PracticeOnline ISSN 1573-1723Print ISSN 1570-2081 Journal Volume Volume 7 Journal Issue Volume 7, Number 3 / October, 2008
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• Forms of assessment and their potential for enhancing learning: conceptual an...
  1 Oct 2008 at 4:28am
  

  Abstract  Assessment has become an important topic of debate and even reform in many Western countries. It is equally important in other regions of the world, although less subject to reform. Yet ...

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  Abstract  Assessment has become an important topic of debate and even reform in many Western countries. It is equally important in other regions of the world, although less subject to reform. Yet discussions of assessment across cultural boundaries are not frequent and in a globalizing world this can be problematic. The purposes of this article, therefore, are to review concepts such as ?formative? and ?summative? assessment and how they have developed over time. A focus of this review will be to identify the implications of different kinds of assessment for student learning, especially in relation to the cultural contexts in which they take place. The article will argue that different forms of assessment can be directed towards different learning purposes, especially where cultural pressures dictate certain kinds of assessment practices. Valorizing one form of assessment over another may well be counterproductive in particular cultural contexts.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10671-008-9052-3Authors Kerry John Kennedy, The Hong Kong Institute of Education 10 Lo Ping Road Tai Po Hong Kong SARJacqueline Kin Sang Chan, The Hong Kong Institute of Education 10 Lo Ping Road Tai Po Hong Kong SARPing Kwan Fok, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin Hong Kong SARWai Ming Yu, The Hong Kong Institute of Education 10 Lo Ping Road Tai Po Hong Kong SAR Journal Educational Research for Policy and PracticeOnline ISSN 1573-1723Print ISSN 1570-2081 Journal Volume Volume 7 Journal Issue Volume 7, Number 3 / October, 2008
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• Quality assurance and assessment in education in Papua New Guinea
  21 Aug 2007 at 1:48am
  

  Abstract  Education in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has experienced major shifts and changes over the last decade or so under the National Education Reform. In that context there is recognition for scho...

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  Abstract  Education in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has experienced major shifts and changes over the last decade or so under the National Education Reform. In that context there is recognition for schools to appreciate their local contexts and conditions regarding assessment. The National Educational Department is also aware of the fact that there is need for some level of control from the national perspective to ensure a level playing field for assessment. Along with school?based assessment and national assessment processes, teacher inspections and appraisal, school and curriculum observations and appraisal are also recognized as elemental in ensuring quality control across the country. This article represents the modes and methods of assessment and quality assurance in PNG within the context of the current policy debates and policy development on education reform.

  Content Type Journal ArticleDOI 10.1007/s10671-007-9032-zAuthors Michael A. Mel, University of Goroka Expressive Arts and Religious Education P. O. Box 1078 Goroka, E. H. P. Papua New Guinea 441 Journal Educational Research for Policy and PracticeOnline ISSN 1573-1723Print ISSN 1570-2081 Journal Volume Volume 6 Journal Issue Volume 6, Number 3 / October, 2007
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