Heaton states that content validity measures whether the items on the test are representative and relevant examples of whatever content or abilities have been
designed to measure.
14
Therefore, to know whether the test has content validity, the teacher should look the content standard SI of the curriculum
which is reflected in syllabus. Concerning to the important of content validity in question items test, the
writer assumes that summative test should also reflect on the standard competence standar kompetensi, the minimum competencekompetensi
dasar, and the indicators for one semester in the syllabus as a reflection of curriculum KTSP for vocational schools; it is supposed to have a good
content validity. The following are the standard competence and the minimum competence based on KTSP curriculum which is revealed by the ministry of
education number 222006 for second grade major in English subject at vocational school:
Table 1.1 Standard Competenceand Minimum Standard
Competence based on KTSP curriculum for vocational school SMK
15
Standard Competence Minimum Standard Competence
English Communication for Elementary Level
a To understand a daily conversation whether proffesionally or personnaly with non
native speaker. b
To take simple messages whether direct or indirect interaction.
c To describe the background knowledge and
the job whether written or spoken. d
To tell the past working experience and the
14
Heaton, op.cit, p. 160.
15
Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan, loc.cit., p. 385.
planning of work in the future. e
To express kinds of feelings expression. f
To understand the simple instructions. g
To create the simple messages, the instructions and the lists by the specific
vocabularies, the spellings and the correct writing.
Based on the standard competence and the minimum standard competence for second grade of vocational schools students above, thetest
should have the test items which contain those points that include in the English syllabus.By having the conformity between the test and the syllabus,
the test will have a good content validity.As Khodirin stated in his research thatthe test designer should concern more to the content validity in arranging a
good test. To arrange a test should be based on the curriculum and syllabus.
16
Thus, the writer assumed that a test that has a good content validity if the test has conformed to the syllabus.
In a typical Indonesian school, the ones who are responsible in designing a test for students are teachers. However, it is not easy for them to construct a
good test . Based on the writer’s experience in Praktek Profesi Keguruan
TerpaduPPKT at one of vocational school in South Tangerang, the writer found that the English summative test was carelessly constructed by the
teacher. Some of test items were not appropriate with the indicators of the English syllabus. The teachers still did not concern on the conformity of the
test items with the indicators in the English syllabus. They created the questions which were not in line with the syllabus and they created the
question based on the material taught in a text book. For instance: there is a
16
Khodirin, “Content Validity of the English Summative Test in the First Year of SMK Lingga Kencana Depok
”, Skripsi of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta: UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2013, p. 39, unpublished.
question test item which talks about “preposition of place”, however, there is
not in line with the syllabus. Regarding this problem, the writer is curious with some English
summative tests of three vocational schools in Tangerang that has been accredited from A up to C whether they have a good content validity;
especially for the second grade technology major. The writer will take three English summative tests in three vocational schools which have been
accredited. Moreover, the writer wants to analyze how far the content validity in each
vocational school and the teacher’s ability is as a test designer in constructing the English summative test that has a content validity. At the final
of this research, the writer presents the conformity attainment of English summative test items for each vocational school in Tangerang.
Based on the description of the problem above, the writer is interested in having a further research under the
title “Analyzing the Content Validity of English Summative Tests in Vocational Schools
”.
B. The Identification of the Problem
The writer identifies some common problems which appear, like: 1. The English test items are not in line with the indicators in syllabus and the
standard competence and the minimum standard competence in curriculum.
2. The teachers are still concern in making tests based on the material given which is not in line with the syllabus.
3. The inappropriate English syllabus is used by the teachers, because they just took the syllabus from many sources. They do not pay attention
whether it has been appropriate with their students’ needs, the aims and objectives of the school. It makes the test do not measure what should be
measured.
C. The Limitation of the Problem
The writer limits this research on the analysis of English summative tests in three vocational schools that have been accredited from A up to C;
especially in terms of content validity because as the writer has explained in the background of the study that the test should measured what should be
measured. The content validity has an aim for measuring whether the indicators in syllabus has been covered in the test items. Therefore, the writer analyzed
the content validity of English summative test in vocational schools which is based on the English syllabus for second grade technology major.
D. The Formulation of the Problem
Based on the limitation of problem above, the writer formulates the problem as follow:
1. Which vocational school whose summative test having a good content validity?
2. Do the English summative tests for Second Grade Technology major at three vocational schools in Tangerang that has been accredited
from A up to C have a content validity? 3. Have the English teachers in the three vocational schools been able to
construct the English summative test items that have a good content validity?
E. The Objective of the Study
The objectives of the study are to describe whose vocational school has a good content validity, to describe how many percents the English summative
test of vocational schools for second grade technology major in Tangerang conform the syllabus, and to describe whether the English teachers in the three
vocational schools have been able to construct the English summative test items that have a content validity.
F. The Significance of the Study
There are results of this study which are expected to contribute to three important elements in education and the next researcher, they are:
First, the English teachers will know how to develop the English summative test items that have a good content validity and to enrich their
knowledge in arranging a good summative test. Second, the writer hopes this paper can enhance the school principal in
managing, controlling, and evaluating the teaching and learning process that can lead the success of the students at school. It can be achieved in making an
evaluation confirms to a syllabus and a curriculum, because a syllabus and a curriculum is a guideline in teaching-learning process.
Third, the students as the object and subject in teaching-learning process will have the appropriate ability which relates to their own major after
graduated from school based on what they have achieved in teaching and learning process.
The last, the writer also hopes this paper can be a reference for the next researchers who are interesting in developing similar study.
9
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Language Test
1. The Definition of Test
Actually, there are many ways to evaluate the student s’ ability in teaching-
learning process which has an aim for evaluating the progress of students’
ability and measuring the students’ achievement. One of the ways to evaluate is
a test. In education, test is very important because it is one of devices in education to get the information about students’ achievement and to know how
far learning objectives have been achieved. By conducting the test, the teachers will know how deep the pupils acquire
the materials that have been taught, and know the form of students’ behavior and characteristic.
As Bachman defined, “A test is a procedure designed to elicit certain behavior from which one can make inferences about certain
characteristics of an individual or a test is a particular type of measurement that focuses on eliciting a specific sample of performance
”.
1
Regarding this, Airasian and Russell also explain “Tests are composed of short communications called questions or items”.
2
It means that tests are a device for communication which has been arranged in test items. Moreover,
Desmond Allison defines test in narrow sense that test is a kind of formal assessment which has been arranged and scheduled officially and has been
limited by the available guidance.
3
Based on some definitions above, the writer can conclude the test into three definitions. First, the test is a means or a procedure or a standardized
device to measure the studen ts’ achievement in acquiring knowledge about the
1
Lyle. F. Bachman, Statistical Analyses for Language Assessment, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,2004, p. 9.
2
Peter W. Airasian and Michael K. Russell, Classroom Assessment, New York: McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc, 2008, p. 145.
3
Desmond Allison, Language Testing and Evaluation An Introductory Course, Kent Ridge Crescent: Singapore University Press, 1999, p. 5.