Role of Background Knowledge in Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Test Performance
- سال انتشار: 1396
- محل انتشار: مجله بین المللی آزمون سازی زبان، دوره: 7، شماره: 1
- کد COI اختصاصی: JR_IJLT-7-1_002
- زبان مقاله: انگلیسی
- تعداد مشاهده: 246
نویسندگان
English Department, Shahrekord University, Iran.
English Department, Shahrekord University, Iran.
English Department, Shahrekord University, Iran.
چکیده
As far as reading comprehension is concerned, background knowledge bears significance for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners who take high-stake tests such as M.A. University Entrance Examination. The reading part of this test can pose a challenge for Iranian EFL test takers, some of whom may have enough background knowledge to enhance their performance on the reading comprehension test, which may question the validity of the test. To fill the gap in the related literature, this study examined the effect of EFL test takers’ background knowledge on their performance on the reading part of English M.A. University Entrance Examination. To this end, ۵۸ undergraduate students of English, aged ۲۰-۲۵, at Shahrekord University participated in the study. First, Topic Familiarity Ranking Measure and Topic Familiarity Rating Measure were employed to measure the participants’ background knowledge. Then, the participants were asked to answer the reading comprehension items of ۴ English M.A. University Entrance Examinations. The results of correlational procedures indicated that background knowledge had a positive correlation with reading comprehension performance for two passages, indicating that some test items were a little biased in favor of some test takers with relevant background knowledge. However, the results from multiple regression analysis revealed no statistically significant contribution of the test takers’ background knowledge to their reading comprehension performance. The findings imply no serious threat to validity of the test from the construct-irrelevant variance due to the test takers’ background knowledge, and offer implications for high-stake test developers in Iran.کلیدواژه ها
Background knowledge, English M.A. university entrance examination, reading comprehension, EFL learners, Testsاطلاعات بیشتر در مورد COI
COI مخفف عبارت CIVILICA Object Identifier به معنی شناسه سیویلیکا برای اسناد است. COI کدی است که مطابق محل انتشار، به مقالات کنفرانسها و ژورنالهای داخل کشور به هنگام نمایه سازی بر روی پایگاه استنادی سیویلیکا اختصاص می یابد.
کد COI به مفهوم کد ملی اسناد نمایه شده در سیویلیکا است و کدی یکتا و ثابت است و به همین دلیل همواره قابلیت استناد و پیگیری دارد.