Effects of Test-Taking Strategy and Lexico-Grammatical Ability on L2 Local-Level Reading Comprehension

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Effects of Test-Taking Strategy and Lexico-Grammatical Ability on L2 Local-Level Reading Comprehension
Language: English
Authors: Hang Li, Shuting Zhang, Ximeng Tang
Source: Reading in a Foreign Language. 2024 36(1).
Availability: National Foreign Language Resource Center at University of Hawaii. 1859 East-West Road #106, Honolulu, HI 96822. e-mail: readfl@hawaii.edu; Web site: https://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 37
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Test Wiseness, Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Second Language Learning, Academic Achievement, Chinese, English (Second Language), Foreign Countries, Vocabulary, Universities, College Students, Cloze Procedure
Geographic Terms: China
ISSN: 1539-0578
Abstract: While the effect of reading strategies on L2 test performance has been extensively researched, the effect of test-taking strategies remains underexplored, with mixed results due to varying contextual factors. This study, therefore, investigated the latent structure of test-taking strategies and the relationships among test-taking strategies, lexico-grammatical ability, and test performance in a test of local-level reading comprehension questions (LRCQs) by 217 Chinese EFL learners. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed test-taking strategies could be composed of test-management and test-wiseness strategies. Structural equation modeling provided further empirical evidence for this conceptual distinction, as only test-management strategies were significantly affected by lexico-grammatical ability. However, while lexico-grammatical ability had a large effect on test performance, neither test-management nor test-wiseness strategies had a significant impact on test performance. This study helps researchers and teachers better understand the test-taking strategies at play in LRCQs and their impact on test performance and carries implications for L2 reading pedagogy.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Access URL: https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/10d12dd9-c2fc-4535-941c-8c2d80e2d2e6/content
Accession Number: EJ1444093
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:While the effect of reading strategies on L2 test performance has been extensively researched, the effect of test-taking strategies remains underexplored, with mixed results due to varying contextual factors. This study, therefore, investigated the latent structure of test-taking strategies and the relationships among test-taking strategies, lexico-grammatical ability, and test performance in a test of local-level reading comprehension questions (LRCQs) by 217 Chinese EFL learners. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed test-taking strategies could be composed of test-management and test-wiseness strategies. Structural equation modeling provided further empirical evidence for this conceptual distinction, as only test-management strategies were significantly affected by lexico-grammatical ability. However, while lexico-grammatical ability had a large effect on test performance, neither test-management nor test-wiseness strategies had a significant impact on test performance. This study helps researchers and teachers better understand the test-taking strategies at play in LRCQs and their impact on test performance and carries implications for L2 reading pedagogy.
ISSN:1539-0578