Suchergebnisse

This study investigates to what extend do teachers of English as a school subject
(ESS) in Saudi schools follow recommendations and guidelines suggested by
language testing specialists in developing tables of specifications and preparing
blueprints to their formative and summative language tests. To answer the study
questions, a thirteen-statement Likert-scale questionnaire was developed and
validated. The questionnaire was completed by 199 female and male ESS teachers
in Saudi schools with different years of experience who teach ESS in public and
private schools to intermediate and high school level students. The results
indicated that the study participants rarely follow the recommended guidelines in
preparing their test specifications and blueprints. It was also found that the
participants usually prepare their tests without prior planning. They do not specify
in advance language skills and elements they are going to include in their tests or
the scoring methods they are going to follow. Language elements that lend
themselves to be tested have the priority. Significant differences among the
participants according to gender, years of experience, school types the participants
work for and the level they teach were found and reported. The study is concluded
with recommendations that might be helpful to in-service ESS teachers.