ERIC Number: EJ1247265
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2229-0443
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Factor Structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) Test in Relation to the TOEFL iBT® Test
In'nami, Yo; Koizumi, Rie; Nakamura, Keita
Language Testing in Asia, v6 Article 3 2016
Background: This study examined the factor structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) test--a recently developed academic English test measuring four skills among Japanese university applicants--and compared the structure to that of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT®), to investigate the extent towhich the TEAP test is related to the TOEFL iBT test. Methods: Using confirmatory item-level factor analysis and scores on both tests, obtained from 100 students, we tested four models (unitary, correlated, receptive-productive, andhigher-order) for the TEAP test. Results: We found that the higher-order model fit the data best. This suggests that the TEAP measures the four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking well and that they could be conceptualized as reflecting a single academic proficiency. This supports the appropriateness of the constructs, as defined and operationalized in the specifications of the TEAP test. Further, we found a close relationship between the TEAP and the TOEFL iBT tests (1.005). This suggests that both tests measure a very similar construct. This provides positive evidence of the concurrent validity of the TEAP test, as an indicator of academic English skills. These results were also supported by a follow-up analysis using item-parceled data. Conclusions: The close relationship between the TEAP and TOEFL iBT tests suggests that the TEAP test measures the intended construct of the four skills in academic settings very well.
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Language Tests, Second Language Learning, English for Academic Purposes, Internet, Factor Structure, Goodness of Fit, Reading Skills, Listening Skills, Writing Skills, Speech Skills, Language Proficiency, Construct Validity, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A