Factor Structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) Test in Relation to the TOEFL iBT® Test

Autor/inn/en	In'nami, Yo; Koizumi, Rie; Nakamura, Keita
Titel	Factor Structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) Test in Relation to the TOEFL iBT® Test
Quelle	In: Language Testing in Asia, 6 (2016), Artikel 3 (23 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2229-0443
DOI	10.1186/s40468-016-0025-9
Schlagwörter	English (Second Language); Language Tests; Second Language Learning; English for Academic Purposes; Internet; Factor Structure; Goodness of Fit; Reading Skills; Listening Skills; Writing Skills; Speech Skills; Language Proficiency; Construct Validity; Foreign Countries; Japan; Test of English as a Foreign Language + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Language test; Sprachtest; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Faktorenstruktur; Reading skill; Lesefertigkeit; Writing skill; Schreibfertigkeit; Mündliche Leistung; Sprachfertigkeit; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Ausland
Abstract	Background: This study examined the factor structure of the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP®) test--a recently developed academic English test measuring four skills among Japanese university applicants--and compared the structure to that of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT®), to investigate the extent towhich the TEAP test is related to the TOEFL iBT test. Methods: Using confirmatory item-level factor analysis and scores on both tests, obtained from 100 students, we tested four models (unitary, correlated, receptive-productive, andhigher-order) for the TEAP test. Results: We found that the higher-order model fit the data best. This suggests that the TEAP measures the four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking well and that they could be conceptualized as reflecting a single academic proficiency. This supports the appropriateness of the constructs, as defined and operationalized in the specifications of the TEAP test. Further, we found a close relationship between the TEAP and the TOEFL iBT tests (1.005). This suggests that both tests measure a very similar construct. This provides positive evidence of the concurrent validity of the TEAP test, as an indicator of academic English skills. These results were also supported by a follow-up analysis using item-parceled data. Conclusions: The close relationship between the TEAP and TOEFL iBT tests suggests that the TEAP test measures the intended construct of the four skills in academic settings very well. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01