Testers' perceptions of the test development process and teachers' and testers' attitudes towards the resulting achievement tests at Muğla University School of Foreign Languages

Abstract

This study investigated testers’ perceptions of test development process at Muğla University School of Foreign Languages and teachers’ and testers’ attitudes towards the resulting achievement tests. 30 English teachers and five testers who currently work at Muğla University School of Foreign Languages participated in this study. Two data collection instruments were employed in this study. First, the teachers and testers were given a questionnaire. Second, interviews with five testers and five randomly chosen teachers were carried out after the analysis of the questionnaires. Analysis of data revealed that both teachers and testers working for Muğla University School of Foreign Languages have positive attitudes towards the tests used in the institution. Participants stated that the tests closely match with teaching practices and provide useful feedback on the learning process. The data also pointed to weaknesses such as the lack of explicit learning objectives in the curriculum, the possible negative effects of the tests on teaching and learning, the lack of test specifications for the test design process and the limited use of authentic tasks in the tests. The data gained from the interviews indicated that there is no active cooperation between the teachers and testers in the test preparation process. The findings of the questionnaires showed that most of the teachers do not want to work in the test unit, and the testers have complaints about having excessive working hours, and not being rewarded for their work in the testing unit. The results of this study suggest that explicit curriculum objectives are needed at Muğla University School of Foreign Languages in order to achieve better testing practices. The testing work may be more attractive in the institution if the testers are given financial support or their teaching hours are reduced.