ERIC Number: EJ1318850
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2476-5880
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Mokken Scale Analysis of the Reading Comprehension Section of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Firoozi, Fatemeh
International Journal of Language Testing, v11 n2 p91-108 Oct 2021
Large-scale standardized ESL tests such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are widely used around the world to measure the language proficiency of test-takers and make different decisions based on their scores. Reading comprehension is an integral part of such tests which requires test-takers to read passages and answer a set of questions. Although IELTS is a popular standardized test and is used for making critical decisions about test-takers, very few attempts have been made to explore the validity of the exam and especially the reading part of the General Training Module. With this in mind, the purpose of the present study was to use a nonparametric item response theory model, called Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA), to examine the validity of the reading part of the General Training module of IELTS. To this end, item responses of 352 test-takers to the reading comprehension test were analyzed. The results of item scalability, total scalability, and item-pair scalability showed that the reading part is a weak unidimensional scale. Using Monotone Homogeneity Model (MHM), the monotonicity results also indicated that there are some items which violate the monotonicity assumption, although their values are insignificant. The analysis of unidimensionality using the AISP revealed that there are two scales and four unscalable items in the reading part. Therefore, the Mokken scale analysis did not support the unidimensional structure of the reading part of the General Training module of IELTS.
Descriptors: Language Tests, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Standardized Tests, Reading Tests, Reading Comprehension, Nonparametric Statistics, Item Response Theory, Scaling, Test Validity, Test Items, Undergraduate Students, Foreign Countries
Tabaran Institute of Higher Education. Shariati 60, Shariati Blvd, Ghasem Abad, Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi, Iran. Tel: +98 (51) 35227215; e-mail: ijlt@tabaran.ac.ir; Web site: http://www.ijlt.ir/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: International English Language Testing System
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A