Test-Taking Strategies and Students' Achievement in EFL Reading Tests

Y

11

Test Wiseness; Reading Tests; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Reading Achievement; Test Coaching; Instructional Effectiveness; Electronic Learning; Independent Study; College Students; Foreign Countries; Student Attitudes

1305-578X

This research aims at investigating the effects of reading test-taking strategy training on EFL students' performance in English reading tests. The participants of the research were 90 prep-class students chosen randomly and divided into three groups of 30 students as face-to-face training group, online self-training group, and control group. The first group was involved in strategy training sessions for six weeks in school context (face-to-face) whereas the second group was only informed about the contend of the training sessions and directed to study through online strategy videos (online self-training). The last group was the control group the who were excluded from strategy training sessions. The reading test scores of the participants were analyzed via SPSS 16 with the aim of revealing whether or not there is an impact of strategy training. Moreover, semi-structured interviews were carried out with the participants, and the findings were analyzed through content analysis. Results of the research revealed that (a) the students' awareness of test taking strategies are in parallel with their test scores; (b) face-to-face strategy training was found to be more effective than online strategy training; (c) strategies related to 'drawing inference' and 'guessing the meaning from the context' were found to be the most effective ones while strategies such as detecting the question types, finding the main idea, skimming and scanning were other important strategies. The results suggested that strategy training on test taking might be included in the regular curriculums; students' awareness of test taking strategies should be fostered starting from the early stages of formal education; reading theories and strategies might be integrated into current reading courses with an inter-disciplinary model.

As Provided

2019

EJ1212107