Designing and Validating a Model for Successful English Learning: How Socially-Mediated Testing Can Make a Difference

Research in English Language Pedagogy

مقالات آماده انتشار، پذیرفته شده، انتشار آنلاین از تاریخ 21 اسفند 1402

نوع مقاله: Original Article

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.30486/relp.2023.1994315.1494

نویسندگان

fatemeh sadat alamdar^{* 1}؛ Shahram Afraz²؛ Fazlollah Samimi³

¹PhD Candidate, Department of English, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm Iran

²Assistant Professor Department of English Language, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran

³Dept. of English Language, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran.

چکیده

In this study, the investigator sought to explore the perceptions and attitudes of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners towards the use of Socially Mediated Testing (SMT) in their English learning process. The primary aim was to identify the factors that significantly influence their learning experience when using SMT. The research process began with in-depth interviews of 50 EFL learners, aiming to gain a qualitative understanding of their thoughts and experiences with SMT. Based on the insights obtained from these interviews, the researcher developed a questionnaire tailored to capture the nuances of these learners' experiences. This questionnaire, consisting of 25 items, was then distributed to a larger sample of 475 EFL students. In the end, the researcher was able to identify four variables after using exploratory factor analysis to identify the factors. The 25-item questionnaire was then given to 785 EFL students, who graded each item on a Likert scale. The factor structure of the instrument was verified by the researcher using structural equation modeling (SEM). To determine if the suggested model matched the data, the researcher used the measurement with the best fit. The fit indices were estimated using the original EFA structure, which contained four factors and 25 elements. As a result, the researcher created a model that can be used as a respectable foundation for SMT research that will take place in Iran in the future, where such specific insights are unavailable in this politically distinct EFL setting.

کلیدواژه‌ها

learning؛ testing؛ Socially-Mediated؛ student؛ Vygotsky