Examining Patterns of Omitted Responses in a Large-Scale English Language Proficiency Test

Autor/inn/en	Sarac, Merve; Loken, Eric
Titel	Examining Patterns of Omitted Responses in a Large-Scale English Language Proficiency Test
Quelle	In: International Journal of Testing, 23 (2023) 1, S.56-72 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Sarac, Merve)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1530-5058
DOI	10.1080/15305058.2022.2070756
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Language Proficiency; Language Tests; Second Language Learning; English Language Learners; Guessing (Tests); Item Response Theory; Scoring; Testing Problems; Gender Differences; Age Differences; Timed Tests; Multiple Choice Tests; College Students; Foreign Countries; Texas; Turkey + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Language test; Sprachtest; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Erraten; Item-Response-Theorie; Bewertung; Geschlechterkonflikt; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Multiple choice examinations; Multiple-choice tests, Multiple-choice examinations; Multiple-Choice-Verfahren; Collegestudent; Ausland; Türkei
Abstract	This study is an exploratory analysis of examinee behavior in a large-scale language proficiency test. Despite a number-right scoring system with no penalty for guessing, we found that 16% of examinees omitted at least one answer and that women were more likely than men to omit answers. Item-response theory analyses treating the omitted responses as missing rather than wrong showed that examinees had underperformed by skipping the answers, with a greater underperformance among more able participants. An analysis of omitted answer patterns showed that reading passage items were most likely to be omitted, and that native language-translation items were least likely to be omitted. We hypothesized that since reading passage items were most tempting to skip, then among examinees who did answer every question there might be a tendency to guess at these items. Using cluster analyses, we found that underperformance on the reading items was more likely than underperformance on the non-reading passage items. In large-scale operational tests, examinees must know the optimal strategy for taking the test. Test developers must also understand how examinee behavior might impact the validity of score interpretations. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01