D. Formulation of the Study
Based on the background of the study, the writer formulated the problem whether each test items of the summative test for the second grade students of
Junior High School of “Al-Amanah” represent the indicators as suggested its syllabus as an indicator of the content validity.
1. Is the English final test in line with the syllabus that is constructed by Al-
Amanah school? a.
How appropriate is the English final test with the indicator of the syllabus?
b. How is the distribution of the indicator of the syllabus in the test?
E. Objective of the Study
The objective of this study is to find out whether each test items of the summative test for the second grade students of Junior High School of Al-
Amanah represent the indicators as suggested its syllabus as an indicator of the content validity.
F. Significance of the Study
The result of this study is expected to give a description for the readers about an analysis of the content validity toward the summative test. It also can be
used as an input for the readers; especially for the English teachers, the headmaster, and all people who are involved and responsible in developing
quality of education. In other word, it is useful for all people to know the characteristics of a good test and for the researchers as the basic for conducting
further research.
6
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Language Test
1. The Definition of Test
In order to know how well the result of teaching learning processes is
,
a teacher must evaluate it accurately. One of the evaluation instruments in teaching
learning process is a test. There are many definitions of test, Gronlund and Linn defined a test as a device or regular procedure for meting a sample of behavior.
1
While Reynolds stated that test is an instrument or steps in which a sample of an individual action is got, and scored using the basic standard.
2
While, Nitko stated in his book, Educational test and measurement an Introduction, Test is systematic procedure for observing and describing one or
more characteristics of person with the aid of either a numerical of category system.
3
This definition gives an understanding that the test is the procedure or manner which systematic used by teacher for describing the characteristic or
behavior of students with the aid numerical system or score. Tinambunan stated that a test is a set of questions, each of which has a correct
answer, that examinees usually answer orally or in writing.
4
It can be understood that test is a means of measuring and scoring which carried out through oral or
written to know the progress of the student after they got some lessons in the class. Test also conducted to know the student’s achievement in specific
materials.
1
Norman E. Gronlund and Robert L. Linn, Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching 6
Th
Edition, New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, 1990, p. 5.
2
Cecil R. Reynolds. et al, Measurement and Assesment in Education, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2009, p. 3.
3
Anthony J. Nitko, Educational Test and Measurement An Introduction , NewYork: Harcourt Brace Jovanovic, Inc.,1983, p. 6.
4
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluataion of Student Achievement, Jakarta: Depdiknas, 1988, p. 3.
Based on the definitions above, the writer can conclude that test is a set of
questions in many forms Such as; multiple choice, true false, fill in the blank, essay, etc. It is made by a teacher to measure
student’s ability in a lot of skills where a test that produced in line with the procedure in making a test with
consider of standarized and score.
2. The Type of Test
There are some ways that used for testing or to determine the person’s ability
in the learning process. Wilmar Tinambunan stated that there are two types of tests used in determining a person’s ability: aptitude test and achievement test.
5
Basically, both of test types give the same understanding, an aptitude test is constructed to measure or to predict succes in some future learning activity in the
classroom or other, while the achievement test designed to know level of success in the learning activity that have learned.
In the language learning process there are many types of the test that used to measure student
’s ability. According to Arthur Hughes in his book testing for Language teacher, stated that there are four basic types of language tests:
proficiency tests, achievement tests, diagnostic tests, and placement tests.
6
1. Proficiency test
Proficieny tests are designed to measure people’s ability in a language,
regardless of any training they may have had in that language. While, McNamara assumes that proficiency test is a test which is designed to see
language use in the future, it is not related to any training they may have had in that language.
7
Furthermore, according to Lado, proficiency tests measure how much of a foreign language a person not necessarily a student knows.
8
5
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Student Achievement, Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1988, p. 7.
6
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, P. 11.
7
Tim McNamara, Language Testing, Hongkong: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 7.
8
Robert Lado, Language Testing: The Construction and Use of Foreign Language Tests, Hongkong: Wing Tai Cheung Printing Co Ltd,p. 369.
From some opinion above, the writer conclude that proficiency test is designed to measure individual’s general ability in a language. it usually used
English for specific purposes. 2.
Achievement test Achievement test are directly related to language course, their purpose
being to establish how succesful individual student, groups of students, or the course themselves have been in achieving objectives. While, Cecil Reynolds
stated that achievement test are designed to assess the knowledge or skills of an individual in a content domain in which her or she has received
instruction.
9
From the statement mentioned clearly states that the achievement test is tested after the examinee received the course.
A test that used by the teacher to measure a success level of student in learning teaching proccess is the achievement test. Arthur Hughes divided
the achievement test in two parts, final achievement test and progress achievement test
10
. 1.
Final achievement test Final achievement tests are those administered at the end of a course of
study. The content of final achievement test should be based directly on a detiled course syllabus or on the books and other materials used, this has
been reffered to as the syllabus content approach 2.
Progress achievement test Progress achievement test as their name suggest are intended to
measure the progress that students are making. Final achievement and progressachievement test basically have a same
understanding that is to measure student’s ability about the materials that learned, but the diference between final and progress are the final
9
Cecil R. Reynolds. et al, Measurement and Assesment in Education, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2009, p. 5.
10
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, P. 13
achievement examined in the end of the course but the progress achievement examined in the part of the course.
3. Diagnostic test
A diagnostic test is used to identify learners’ strengths and weakness.
According to Wilmar Tinambunan a diagnostic test is intended to diagnose learning
difficulties during
instruction.
11
This definition
gives an
understanding that the diagnostic test is constructed to know the learning difficulties of the student during the instruction, usually this test used in the
first sections before the course is began. 4.
The placement test Placement tests intended to provide information that will help to place
student at the stage or in the part of the teaching programme most appropriate to their abilities. While, JB. Heaton said that a placement test
enables us to sort students into groups according to their language ability at the begining of the course.
12
It can be understood that this test describes someone to entered in the group based their ability or competence in the
begining of the course.
3. The Characteristic of a Good Test
A test can be regarded as a good one, if it fulfills some of characteristic of a good test. Harris in his book Testing english as a second language stated all good
test possess three qualities; validity, reliability, practicality.
13
Therefore, the test will be good if the test contains three elements, they are validity, reliability, and
practicality, if in the test lack of them means the test need observed again.
11
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Student Achievement, Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1988, p. 8.
12
JB. Heaton, Classroom Testing, New York: Longman Inc., 1990, p. 15
13
David P. Harris, Testing English as a second Language, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company P. 13.
The first characteristic of a good test is validity. Validity is the extent to which a test measure what is intended to measure.
14
It means that a test which made by teacher is valid if the content of test representing an images on the
indicator and syllabus as a basis reference in learning activity. From the definition above, the writer concludes that validity of the test
means that the test really measure what actually wished to measure. For example if the test is conducted to measure student’s grammar, the test really measure
student’s grammar without concern in another aspect.
Test validity is the most critical factor to be judged in the total program of foreign language testing. A test is valid when it measures effectively what is
intended to measure. For example, if a test is designed by teacher to measure aural comprehension, it must do exactly this and not attempt to measure another skill
such as reading comprehension. The second characteristic of a good test is reliability. According to Douglas
statement a reliable test consistent dependable.
15
It means the test that given to the student when it examined more two times its score must consistent. For
example if the same group of students took the same test twice within two days- without reflecting on the first test before they sat it again-they should get the same
results on each occasion. If they took another similar test, the results should be consistent. Therefore, to be considered reliable, a language test must obtain
consistent result and give consistent information. The third characteristic of a good test is practicality. The test practicality
means that test should be practical in administrating it. Douglas stated that a good test is practical. It is within the means of financial limitations, time
constraints, ease of administration, and scoring and interpretation.
16
The case can be understood that when the teacher design a test, there are a lot of considerations
14
William Wiersma and Stephent G Juts, Educational Measurement and Testing , Boston:Allyn and Bacon, 1990, p. 183.
15
H.Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principle an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 2001, p. 86.
16
Ibid
that need to thought, like financial, time, scoring administration so the teacher will be ease in testing. David P. Harris said about characteristic of practicality,a test
may be highly reliable and valid instrument but still be beyond our means or facilities.
17
It indicates that there are a lot of important consideration that must be thought the teachers when they want to design a test. Economy, ease of
administration and scoring, ease of interpretation be a consideration poits to make a test be practical, so that the test that designed be a valid, consist, and practical
tests.
B. Validity
From the previous explanation that one of characteristics of a good test is validity. David P. Haris in relating with the validity stated that There are two
questione must always be considered : 1 What precisely does the test measure? And 2 How well does the test measure?. If the test is found to be based upon a
sound analysis of the skill or skills we wish to measure, and if there is sufficient evidence that test score correlate fairly highly with actual ability in the skills area
being tested resionably safe in assuming that the test is valid for our purposes.
18
Test validity is the most critical factor to be judged and considered in the total of a foreign language testing. A test is valid when it measures effectively what it
is intended to measure.
Validity really is not a simple concept; however, the concept of validity reveals a number or aspect, each of which deserves our attention. Arthur Hughes
classifies validity into four: content validity, face validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity.
19
1. Content Validity
Content validity is concerned with the extent to which the test is representative of a defined body of content consisting of topics and
17
David P. Harris, Testing English as a second Language, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, p. 21.
18
Ibid., p.19
19
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers 2
nd
Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 22
processes.
20
Moreover, the test should reflect instructional objectives or subject matters. But it is not expected that every knowledge or skill will
always appear in the test; there may simply be too many things for all of them to appear in a single test.
Wiersma divided content validity into two parts, content validity of teacher-constructed tests and content validity of published tests.
21
Content validity of teacher-constructed test essentially depends on the sampling of
items. If the test items adequately represent the domain of possible items, the test has adequate content validity. When a test is not content valid, there are
two consequences. First, the students cannot demonstrate skills that they possess if they are not tested. Second, irrelevant items are presented that the
students will likely answer incorrectly only because the content was not taught. Both of these consequences tend to lower the test scores; as a result,
the test score is not an adequate measure of student performance relative to the content covered by instruction.
Most teachers are quite familiar with the content they cover during instruction, and, to a large extent, teacher-constructed tests have an inherent
content validity. However, in planning a test, teachers can use a straightforward procedure that tends to improve content validity.
The second part is content validity of published tests. Teachers may, at least on occasion, use published tests, some of which accompany curriculum
materials. The tests constructed for a specified textbook or set of materials usually have high content validity if the materials are used as intended for
instruction. Sometimes materials are used as supplementary and are only partially covered, in which case any accompanying tests would at least need to
be reviewed for content validity.
20
William Wiersma and Stephent G Juts, Educational Measurement and Testing, Boston: Allyn Bacon, 1990, p.184
21
Ibid p.p. 185-186
According to Wilmar, content validity may be defined as the extent to which a test measures a representative sample of the subject matter content
and the behavioral changes under consideration.
22
It can be understood, that in this case the content of the test which interpretated through the test is the
important thing and must be able measure what it is intended to measured. There are two importance of content validity. First, the greater test’s
content validity, the more likely it is to be an accurate measure of what it is supposed to measure. Secondly, such a test is likely to have a harmful
backwash effect. Areas which are not tested are likely become areas ignored in teaching and learning. The best a safeguard against this is to construct full test
specification and to ensure that the test content is a fair reflection of these.
23
2. Face Validity
Face validity is a surface or appearance of test. As Alderson stated, face validity refers to the test
’s surface credibility or public acceptability.
24
It is mean the test’s surface that will be examined to the students must describe or
show the good construct test and it can be acceptability by the examinee. While Arthur stated, Face Validity refers to the appropriateness of test items.
25
It is mean the form of test that given to the examinee should be appropriate and complete instructions.
Substantially, there is no different view among definition above. They would like to elaborate that a test is regarded as having face validity, if its
appearance is acceptable, it is clearly readable, and it has a clear instruction in answering the test.
3. Construct Validity
22
Wilmar Tinambunan, Evaluation of Student Achievement, Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1988, p. 12.
23
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers 2
nd
Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, pp. 22-23.
24
J. Charles Alderson, et. al. Language Test Construction Evaluation , Cambridge: Cambridge University,1995, p. 172.
25
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers Second Edition, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 27.
William said that construct validity is concerned with the psychological constructs that are reflected in the scores of a measure or test.
26
It means, the result of testing which has done will be desribed in the form of scores.
Construct validity deals with construct and underlying theory of the language learning and testing. J.B. Heaton states that if the test has construct
validity it is capable of measuring certain specific characteristics in accordance with a theory of language and behavior and learning.
27
The statment mentioned gives a describing that the test made by teacher where it
has construct validity otomaticaly it can measure certain specific characteristic accordence theory language.
While, Kenneth said that construct validity is the systematic analysis of tests score designed to assess whether there is a basis for validity.
28
This statment explain that it should be basis, in this case the theory of language and
behavior that sistematic in designing the construct validity 4.
Criterion-Related Validity William and Stephen stated that criterion validity is based on the
correlation between scores on the test and scores on a criterion. The corelation coeficient is the criterion validity coefficient.
29
It can be understood, in the criterion validity there is a relation between scores on the test which resulted
by the students and the scores that standarized and both can be influence one to another.
According to Arthur there are two kinds of criterion related validity: concurent validity and last is predictive validity. Concurent validity is
constanted when the test and standarisation are arranged at about same time,
26
William Wiersma and Stephent G Juts, Educational Measurement and Testing, Boston: Allyn Bacon, 1990, p.193
27
JB. Heaton, Writing English Language test, London and New York, Longman1998, p. 161.
28
Kenneth D. Hopkuns, Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluaton, Boston: Allyn Bacon, 1998, p. 99.
29
William Wiersma and Stephent G Juts, Educational Measurement and Testing, Boston: Allyn Bacon, 1990, p.189
while the predictive validity is focuss the level when a test can guess exami
nee’s future action.
30
C. Material, Syllabus and Curriculum
Kategori