case study

1. Teachers’ Perception of
Test Construction in English
Language Assessments
Presented by: Nurin Auni Syauqina binti Azhan
Matric ID: 2021959609
Presented for: Dr. Geethanjali Narayanan

3. Introduction
Assessment is generally defined as
the collection and interpretation of
information through a process of
synthesising, evaluating and passing
judgement in decision making
(Airasian, 2005). It may also be seen
as an everyday, on-going part of
teaching and learning in the
classroom. Smith (2001) stated that
assessment is the set of processes
through which inferences are made
about learner’s learning process,
skills, knowledge and achievements.
Assessment practices cover the
steps and procedures taken by
teachers throughout an
assessment. These steps include
preparing, administering and
grading of an assessment as well
as the recording and reporting of
assessment results. Previous
studies on teachers’ assessment
practices have been mostly
directed toward identifying the
important steps involved in
forming effective assessments.

4. This case study examines what the teachers are currently practising in school
when it comes to test preparation. Assessment preparation is a very
important step in ensuring that the assessment can achieve its intended goal
or purpose. The teachers were required to explain in detail on the process
that they took or went through in preparing a test or an assessment. This
covers the process from the initial stages of task delegation to finalisation
and endorsement. It is the time to gain a clear and overall understanding of
what assessment practices are implemented by Malaysian English language
teachers in schools.
The findings from this study revealed that a majority of the teachers
conducted formal assessments mainly due to the requirements of the school
and ministry. Furthermore, the findings also revealed teachers’ reliance on
commercial reference books in constructing exam questions and sample
answers. The outcome of the study provides an insight on the nature of
English language teachers’ assessment practices in relation to the classroom
teaching and learning at the secondary level. This could help inform the
Ministry of Education in providing necessary support for the teachers
particularly assessment practices in ESL context as well as in formulating a
better assessment policy for schools.

6. In preparing English language assessments,
teachers will go through five main stages:
Stage 1
Task delegation
Stage 2
Content decision
Stage 3
Guidelines selection
Stage 4
Resource selection
Stage 5
Finalization
STAGES

7. Delegation of
assessment
preparation task
Mode of test
preparation
Parts or sections
assigned
Task delegation
Teachers stated that they
were assigned by a relevant
authority such as head of
English panel.
Teachers normally prepare a
particular test individually
however they also did any
informal discussions to gain
more ideas and resources.
They were assigned to
prepare the whole test
paper such as topical test
or monthly tests.

8. Decision on
test content
Types of test
content included
Content decision
Teachers stated that they
decided on the test content
based on their own judgement.
The test content was
derived from school’s
scheme of work.

9. Reference used
when preparing a
test
Knowledge
sources when
preparing a test
Guidelines selection
Teachers stated that they relied heavily
on their own experience and knowledge
in teaching and test construction when
preparing for a test paper.
They relied on the
knowledge they gained
from previous study in
college and also any
training provided.

10. Resource used in
test preparation
Reason for
choosing a
resource
Resource selection
Commercial books especially by well-
known authors were the most used
resources by the teachers to generate
questions.
Teachers’ own preference
and also the resource
recommended by head of
English panel and colleagues.

11. Level of strictness
in finalizing a test
paper
Finalization
Process of finalizing a test paper was
stricter for final, mid-term and trial
tests. This is because the results from
these tests would be used as the
indicators of school’s performance.

13. Problems and solutions
Teachers were assigned to prepare
assessment even without their willingness
Instead of being directly assigned, the
teachers should have the liberty to
decide if they want to volunteer to
prepare a certain test.
As most teachers prepare the assessment
individually, they might be clueless
Teachers should be encouraged to
prepare a test paper in groups so that
they can change insights. But they can
still be given the choice.
Teachers were assigned to prepare whole
test paper, it can be too much for them
Few teachers can be assigned to prepare
parts of the paper. Division of sections
should be done and tasks should be
divided among the teachers.
The content decision is not strict
enough and it is up to the teachers
A stricter and clearer guideline should
be given to the teachers so that they
can follow that instead of deciding test
content based on their own judgement
Teachers’ knowledge and awareness in
constructing assessment
Eventhough the teachers stated that they
rely heavily on their experience, it should
also be encouraged for them to take more
assessment related trainings and courses.
The resources used might not be on the
par to measure students’ performance
Teachers mostly use commercial books as
their resource as it is convenient and they
don’t have to crack their head generating
questions. However, this should be revised
and replaced with a more trustable sources
like official question bank or past-year paper.

15. As a summary, what can be concluded:
2
The teachers has the
tendency of following the
school’s syllabus and
scheme of work.
3
Teachers also relied on
the own experience in
deciding how a test
should be constructed.
1
Teachers were essentially
assigned to prepare a test
individually with minimal
interference from the English
panel or other parties.

17. It is recommended that:
Teacher development in
assessment should be taken
more seriously with more
courses and so on.
03
A more comprehensive
guideline covering assessment
is urgently needed.
02
Professional development is
crucial in ensuring that teachers
are well-equipped with related
knowledge that would assist them
in constructing assessment.
The Ministry of Education can
devise an assessment framework in
line with the curriculum framework.
04
01

18. In preparing English language assessments,
teachers will go through five main stages:
Stage 1
Task delegation
Stage 2
Content decision
Stage 3
Guidelines selection
Stage 4
Resource selection
Stage 5
Finalization
STAGES

19. In preparing English language assessments,
teachers will go through five main stages:
Stage 1
Task delegation
Stage 2
Content decision
Stage 3
Guidelines selection
Stage 4
Resource selection
Stage 5
Finalization
STAGES

20. Thank you!