Research proposalAn Investigation of test- taking strategies

among Uitm students in an online test.

SITI NASUHA ABU HASSAN P61632

Introduction: background of the study

Test is considered as an indicator in evaluating students’ performance.

Language testing is used to achieve teaching objectives.

strategy used reflected the score of the test.

Test-taking strategy in an online test.

Statement of problem number of previous research on test-

taking strategy in an online test are quite limited -local studies.

It is crucial to figure out the differences and similarities of test-taking strategy – paper-pen vs computer-based.

students need new comprehension strategies to read and learn from text on the Internet. (Pianfetti, 2001)

Purpose of the study The aim of the study is to investigate

test-taking strategy that students used in an online test.

Research question 1) What are the types of strategy

used by the students in taking an online test?

2) What are the similarities and differences in the usage of test taking strategy between paper- pen test and computer-based test?

Significance of the study useful platform for further research in

this area of interest. help students in deciding the most

suitable strategies in taking an online test.

Perform better. language tester in constructing the

questions for online test educators

Literature review Tsagari’s (1994)

test-takers tended to utilise more than one mental processing strategy depending on the individual.

Cont… Cohen and Upton (2006)

reported in their research that more than one strategy is used to respond to a question which they call, strategy “naturally grouped together”.

Framework of the study Bachman’s (1990) and Canale and Swain’s

(1980) strategic competence. 3 components: assessment component,

planning component and execution component.

Bachman and Palmer (1996) refined Bachman’s (1990)- 4 components- goal-setting component.

to explore students’ thoughts processes in terms of test-taking strategies in a test situation.

Methodology Qualitative study. Think aloud protocol. The multiple-choice reading

comprehension test (online quiz) – I-Learn portal.

Selection of sample 6 participants ( Uitm’s students) Purposive sampling will be able to provide information

related to the strategies the students use in an online test situation.

Merriam (1998)

Data collection Retrospective think aloud protocols. a participant carries out the task,

produces his verbalization. (Green, 1998; Ericsson and Simon, 1984).

Verbal report is one of the popular tool used in test-taking strategy. (Cohen & Upton, 2006)

References Bachman, L.F. and Palmer, A. 1981: The construct validation of the FSI oral

interview. Language Learning 31, 67–86. 1996: Language testing in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tsagari, C. (1994). Method effect on testing reading comprehension: How far can we go? Unpublished M.A. thesis. University of Lancaster, U.K.

Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Green, A. (1998). Verbal protocol analysis in language testing research: A handbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ericsson, K. A. & Simon, H. A. (1984). Protocol analysis: Verbal reports as data. London: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, Cambridge.

Cohen, A. D. & Upton, T. A. (2006). Strategies in responding to the new TOEFL reading tasks. TOEFL Monograph Series. ETS TOEFL.

Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.