Assessment of the Construct-irrelevant Factors that Affect Students’ Reading English Comprehension Test

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the construct-irrelevant factors affecting students’ performance in reading English comprehension test at Ano and Sire Preparatory Schools of Grade 11. Specifically, it was designed to address the major construct-irrelevant factors, the adverse effects of those factors and its strategies to overcome it. Therefore, the Mixed Research Design method was used in conducting this study. In order to gather accessible data, 44 students were selected by systematic random sampling and they filled and answered the checklist questionnaire and test respectively. Moreover, to crosscheck the data obtained via test and questionnaire, 5 English teachers were selected by purposive sampling technique and were interviewed. In addition, the document analysis from the exam-bank that was prepared in 2014/15 by the subject teachers was analyzed qualitatively. The quantitative data obtained through tests were analyzed using SPSS version 20 to compute the descriptive statistics like mean, range, standard deviation, percentage, correlation, inter-rater reliability (Kappa) and the inferential statistics like the paired sampled T-test. On the other hand, the qualitative data obtained via students’ suggestion from checklist questionnaire was analyzed qualitatively. Finally, the findings of the study indicated that students’ performance on reading comprehension test found to be affected by unfamiliar languages, ineffective use of test-accommodations, and unfamiliarity of students to test items, and the badly written texts and test questions which in turn have an adverse effect of test-anxiety, feeling of getting panic and worry for low test scores, loss of interest and hatred of the subject teacher. Eventually, sufficient allocation and provision of test materials, careful test preparation and the usage of computer skilled persons were suggested as the major strategies used to overcome the construct-irrelevant factors in reading English comprehension classroom test.