| Project/Area Number |
21K13083
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
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| Research Institution | Tezukayama University |
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Principal Investigator |
Bower Jack 帝塚山大学, 全学教育開発センター, 准教授 (90406687)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥260,000 (Direct Cost: ¥200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥60,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥130,000 (Direct Cost: ¥100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥30,000)
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| Keywords | placement testing / CEFR / CEFR-J / language testing / assessment / course placement / Moodle / Language testing / Placement test / Test validation / English proficiency test |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
This research is a validation study of an online, CEFR-informed, English course placement test designed for Japanese university students. Results of this research will be of benefit to language educators seeking to make their own online, CEFR-informed or CEFR-linked language tests.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In 2023, I presented analyses of my 2022 data at the JALT2023 International Conference in Tsukuba, Japan. At the conference, I had conversations with experts in the fields of language testing and vocabulary, which helped me plan the design of test items that will more validly separate test takers by CEFR level. I also continued the analysis of test results obtained in 2022 and began planning and designing better test item types, which should be able to overcome the problem of items based on the CEFR-J vocabulary list that were misordered when ranked by item difficulty level. Additionally, I made a submission to present the results of the 2022 data at the International Association of Applied Linguistics conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in August 2024, and my application was accepted.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
4: Progress in research has been delayed.
Reason
Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain further results from trialing the placement test in 2023. Although the placement test was used to stream 2024 entering students from four departments at the university where I worked, my application to use the test results for research was rejected. Additionally, although I submitted an analysis of the 2022 results to an international journal, feedback from the journal referees indicated that my research was better suited for another journal.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In 2024, I plan to redesign the pilot test by updating item types and vocabulary selection based on the 2022 data analysis to address problems with items not ranking by CEFR level. I will also create a new pilot version to expand the proficiency range from CEFR A1 to B2, making the test more widely applicable. At my new research institution, I'll apply for permission to run this revised pilot test with my classes. Additionally, I will seek research collaborators to help administer the test at other Japanese universities. Furthermore, I will present my 2022 data results at the AILA conference for expert feedback and attend the Japan Language Testing Association conference for further consultation. Lastly, I will revise my article and submit it to a more suitable international journal.
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