Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement

Language being a measure of test construct inhibits limited English proficiency (LEP) students’ performance. This study examined the effects of using bilingual (English and Malay) and English-only test booklets among Malaysian LEP students. Their mathematics achievement was investigated by examining...

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Main Authors: S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam, Ong, Saw Lan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: penerbit ukm 2013
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/7999/1/2s.kanageswari.pdf
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author S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam,
Ong, Saw Lan
author_facet S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam,
Ong, Saw Lan
author_sort S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam,
collection UKM
description Language being a measure of test construct inhibits limited English proficiency (LEP) students’ performance. This study examined the effects of using bilingual (English and Malay) and English-only test booklets among Malaysian LEP students. Their mathematics achievement was investigated by examining the equivalence of the two test booklets by linking the scores using RAGE-RGEQUATE Version 3.22. The 2,021 students came from 34 schools from the states of Penang and Perak. 1049 sat for the bilingual test while 972 for the English-only test which were spirally administered using random group design. Both booklets contain the same 40 multiple-choice Mathematics items obtained from timss 1999 and 2003 released items. Results indicated that a score difference of one unit between the two tests was due to equating error and therefore the bilingual test was not easier for the LEP students, but helpful as they still used the adapted language version to ease understanding. However, they still preferred to answer in English as they were more familiar with the mathematical terminologies that were used. A better alternative is to simplify the linguistic complexity so that language of instruction matched language of assessment.
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spelling ukm.eprints-79992016-12-14T06:45:53Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/7999/ Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam, Ong, Saw Lan Language being a measure of test construct inhibits limited English proficiency (LEP) students’ performance. This study examined the effects of using bilingual (English and Malay) and English-only test booklets among Malaysian LEP students. Their mathematics achievement was investigated by examining the equivalence of the two test booklets by linking the scores using RAGE-RGEQUATE Version 3.22. The 2,021 students came from 34 schools from the states of Penang and Perak. 1049 sat for the bilingual test while 972 for the English-only test which were spirally administered using random group design. Both booklets contain the same 40 multiple-choice Mathematics items obtained from timss 1999 and 2003 released items. Results indicated that a score difference of one unit between the two tests was due to equating error and therefore the bilingual test was not easier for the LEP students, but helpful as they still used the adapted language version to ease understanding. However, they still preferred to answer in English as they were more familiar with the mathematical terminologies that were used. A better alternative is to simplify the linguistic complexity so that language of instruction matched language of assessment. penerbit ukm 2013 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/7999/1/2s.kanageswari.pdf S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam, and Ong, Saw Lan (2013) Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement. Jurnal Pendidikan Malaysia, 38 (2). pp. 11-22. ISSN 0126-6020 / 2180-0782 http://www.ukm.my/jurfpend/index.html
spellingShingle S.Kanageswari d/o Suppiah Shanmugam,
Ong, Saw Lan
Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title_full Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title_fullStr Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title_full_unstemmed Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title_short Using bilingual test to assess Malaysian limited English proficient students’ mathematics achievement
title_sort using bilingual test to assess malaysian limited english proficient students mathematics achievement
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/7999/1/2s.kanageswari.pdf
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