3
motivated, they will prepare themselves better compared to those who are very anxious about the test. Bachman and Palmer mention some factors that affect the
test- takers‟ performance, including their experiences in the process of preparing
for the test and taking the test, the feedback they receive about their performance on the test, the result of the test, the decisions they make related to the test, and
their perceptions on the test 1996, p. 32. These factors will considerably dete
rmine students‟ success. Considering the potential effects that a test can bring to the students, the
test should be evaluated in terms of the impacts to the students. The test should be evaluated from its impacts on students‟ goals and values, the educational system,
the potential outcomes, and influence of tests on the process. One way to evaluate the test is by gathering information from the students. Bachman and Palmer
suggest that students should be included in all phases of test development because they can share as much information about their opinions, perceptions, and
attitudes for better outcomes 1996, p. 19. By involving the test takers in the design and development processes, the stakeholders can promote the positive
impacts because the test takers will perceive the test itself as more interactive, meaningful and authentic, and will be more motivated, which could lead to
enhanced preparation and better performance Bachman Palmer, 1996, p. 133.
B. PROBLEM LIMITATION
The research deals with the students‟ attitudes towards TKBI test. Students‟ attitudes commonly present as the results of test preparation or learning. Therefore,
4 the study is conducted during the students‟ preparation to take TKBI test.
Furthermore, attitudes on the test are observable during the test preparation. The researcher can identify whether the students have positive or negative attitudes
towards the test during the learning process . These attitudes will affect students‟
performance on the test. This research will limit the study on the attitudes during the test preparation. However, some students who have taken the test will be
interviewed for further reference to support the data analysis. Although the participants come from various departments in Sanata
Dharma University, this research does not identify students‟ attitudes based on the departments. Since the research is survey research, the result of data analysis
cannot describe causal and effect relationship. This research does not aim to identify the effects of attitudes on performance. Moreover, the test results are also
confidential, so that the data related to the scores or students‟ language proficiency is limited. Instead of examining the effects of attitudes on test
performance, this survey research focuses on describing the attitudes of the students which are found during the test preparation and explaining the
relationship between the components.
C. PROBLEM FORMULATION
The study aims to answer questions related to the students‟ attitudes towards TKBI test. The problem is formulated into a question.
What are the test takers‟ attitudes towards TKBI?
5
D. RESEARCH GOALS
According to Visser 2008, attitudes affect language performance. Based on the observation as well as the information from the examiners, TKBI
coordinator, and the students as the test takers, the number of students failing on the test is considerably high, more than 50 of the test takers in each period. The
same condition is also experienced by students who always perform well on the class. Reflecting from the situation, they perceive other factors that influence
students ‟ performance other than language performance and skills. According to
Bandura 1993, ability is not a fixed attribute of behavior. It is a generative capability which involves several important factors such as cognitive, behavioral,
affective, social, and motivational factors. These factors are summarized into one concept noted as students
‟ attitudes Gardner Lambert, 1972. Attitudes towards test can refer to what students think, feel, and do about certain test. These
attitudes can enhance or impair quality of action or performance. Therefore, the research aims to
identify students‟ attitudes towards TKBI test. This will be the first study which is conducted around the area of students‟ attitudes towards the
test during its six years of implementation by the university. The research is conducted to identify students
‟ attitudes on the test, including the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. It aims to gather
information regarding students‟ confidence about their knowledge to pass the test.
In this context, confidence refers to students ‟ belief or personal judgement about
their academic capabilities Zimmerman, 2000; Bandura, 1993. Confidence related to ability is highly related to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy builds the
6
cognitive components of attitudes because it is considered as self-appraisal forms on cognitive process when students think about their academic capabilities
Bandura, 1993. This makes self-efficacy becomes better predictor of performance than actual ability. This research also deals with students
‟ affective attitudes or their feelings during the test preparation and test taking which include
anxiety, motivation, and success expectancy. In addition, the research will identify students‟ actions or learning strategies to prepare for the test which are
responsible to build students ‟ learning motivation. The data will be useful to
describe students ‟ attitudes which bring potential effects on their performance.
Since i dentifying students‟ attitudes also includes identifying students‟
learning goals and perceptions on the test, the research will gather information about students‟ learning goals and motives that direct them during the learning
process. Then, statistical technique will be used to analyze the relation between the components of attitudes. Hence, the teachers and the students can anticipate
the negative effects of attitudes on learning process and learning performance. As a result, they can improve and optimize their preparation process to achieve better
outcomes. Students‟ perceptions towards the test are also identified to find out their
opinions about the implementation of the test. Li, Zhong, and Suen 2012 mention that test can influence students‟ perceptions because it affects the way the
students perceive or think about the test they are taking or going to take. Perceptions towards test are described as personal beliefs on the impact of test in
the future for academic or professional lives Klinger Luce-Kapler, 2007. This
7
research will gather information about students‟ opinions or how the test is
perceived, whether the test is effective, relevant, purposeful, beneficial, and meaningful for the students or not. Perceptions are highly related to learning
performance because they drive learning motivation and determine how the students learn Struyven, Dochy, Janssens, 2005. Therefore, positive
perceptions can enhance learning, while negative perceptions can deteriorate learning. In addition to perceptions, the students are also expected to evaluate
their preparation and their performance on the test. The data obtained from the participants will be used to give references for better policy making. Therefore,
the research can contribute to improve the implementation of the test and students‟ performance.
E. BENEFITS OF THE STUDY
