Variation of Scores in Language Achievement Tests according to Gender, Item

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Language learners are assessed with a variety of ways with the aim of collecting information on their language ability and/or achievement (Brindley, 2006). The time and type of assessment may change depending on several factors such as the aim of the assessment, the objectives of the course and/or student profile. Among different assessment types, achievement tests are defined as tests which gather information during, or at the end of, a course of study in order to examine if and in which aspects progress has been made in terms of teaching objectives (McNamara, 2000). Some other factors as well as students’ proficiency level may play a role in achievement scores such as gender, item format or the skill being tested such as macro skills (e.g., reading, writing, listening, or grammar) or micro skills (e.g. organizing ideas or developing arguments) (Jordan, 1997). Variables such as proficiency level, students’ testing strategies, and personal factors such as motivation or anxiety have been researched several times in language teaching (Dörnyei, 2001; MacIntyre, 1995) and testing literature. However, the effects of gender, item format and the skill areas tested seem to be an area which could be recognized more, and analyzed more deeply since they could affect the results of the tests, hence affecting the decisions made through these tests. These decisions include classifying test takers into appropriate proficiency levels, assigning grades, and accepting or rejecting test takers (Shohamy, 2001).
The aim of this study is twofold. First, it attempts to analyze whether language learners’ scores in language achievement tests show any difference

according to gender, item format (matching, fill in the blanks, find the correct form, multiple choice, open ended, paragraph writing) and skill areas (reading, writing, listening, grammar, and vocabulary); second, to reveal whether male and females’ scores show any difference according to item format and skill areas tested.