An Assessment of the Content Validity of English Language Tests: The Case of Awassa College of Health Sciences
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Date
2008-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess if the coverage of English language
tests administered in Awassa College of Health Sciences (ACHS) fairly
represent the coverage of the coursebook. Hence, to meet the purpose of the
study, English tests for third year students were selected. The main data
sources, therefore, were the English coursebook for third year students and
sample test papers administered for the same group of students in the
academic years 2006-2008. From each year, one progress test and one final
classroom achievement tests were included in the study. Then, the contents
of the coursebook and sample test papers were analyzed in order to get the
required data for the study. Besides, unstructured interview was
administered to all English language teachers in the college.
After the necessary data had been obtained, Siegel’s formula was used to
determine the extent to which the two observations (Coursebook and sample
test contents) are related. The result of the study shows that the content of
sample test papers does not adequately represent the coverage of the
coursebook. Some content areas, for example, grammar pronunciation,
listening in the coursebook were not proportionally incorporated in the
sample test papers. That is, there was a problem in allocating the
percentages in tests from each content area in the teaching material
coursebook. The degree of relationship between the coursebook and sample
test papers was found to be 0.13. Thus, it was concluded that English
language tests in Awassa College of Health Sciences were poor at content
validity since they were unrepresentative.
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The Case of Awassa College of Health Sciences