Relationship of TOEFL iBT® scores to academic performance: Some evidence from American universities

Cho, Yeonsuk; Bridgeman, Brent

doi:10.1177/0265532211430368

Cited by 109 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…As there is little if any research to suggest otherwise (e.g. Lee & Greene, 2007;Cho & Bridgeman, 2012), the strong interpretation was not a hypothesis this study was designed to test. The weak interpretation however is at the basis of many university entrance policies, including the Flemish one.…”

Section: Claim 3: Using Itna and Strt As Gatekeepers To University Admentioning

confidence: 99%

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

2017

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University entrance language tests are often administered under the assumption that even if language proficiency does not determine academic success, a certain proficiency level is still required. Nevertheless, little research has focused on how well L2 students cope with the linguistic demands of their studies in the first months after passing an entrance test. Even fewer studies have taken a longitudinal perspective.Set in Flanders, Belgium, this study examines the opinions and experiences of 24 university staff members and 31 international L2 students, of whom 20 were tracked longitudinally. Attention is also given to test/retest results, academic score sheets, and class recordings. To investigate the validity of inferences made on the basis of L2 students' scores, Kane's (2013) Interpretation/ Use Argument approach is adopted, and principles from political philosophy are applied to investigate whether a policy that discriminates among students based on language test results can be considered just. It is concluded that the receptive language requirements of university studies exceed the expected B2 level and that the Flemish entrance tests include language tasks that are of little importance for first-year students. Furthermore, some of the students who failed the entrance test actually managed quite well in their studies -a result that entails broad implications concerning validation and justice even outside the study's localized setting.

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Section: Claim 3: Using Itna and Strt As Gatekeepers To University Admentioning

confidence: 99%

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

2017

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“…More recently, Cho and Bridgeman (2012) examined the relationship between the newly introduced TOEFL iBT scores and GPA of both undergraduate and graduate international students in the United States. A total of 2594 students, including 744 undergraduate and 1850 graduate students, were represented in the data.…”

Section: Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the relationship between language proficiency and international students' academic success is complex and difficult to demonstrate, and the results from previous studies are mixed and highly inconclusive (Cho & Bridgeman, 2012). This study addresses this relationship in a unique context, investigating how language proficiency contributes to Chinese students' academic success in South Korean universities.…”

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confidence: 96%

How language proficiency contributes to Chinese students’ academic success in Korean universities

Cheng

2015

Language Testing in Asia

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The present study investigated the key determinants of Chinese students' academic success in terms of GPA and the number of credit hours earned in Korean Universities. The determinants investigated included gender, age, prior academic performance, academic self-efficacy, the TOPIK score, self-perceived Korean and English proficiency, and the previous length of Korean and English study. This study specifically focused on three research questions concerning the prediction of Chinese students' academic success in Korean universities, the additional contribution of Korean and English language proficiency, and the examination of prediction patterns for undergraduate and graduate students. A questionnaire was issued and collected from 138 undergraduate and 63 graduate Chinese students studying in 27 different Korean universities. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: demographic information, academic background, language proficiency and psychological factors. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to address the proposed research questions. The findings demonstrated that traditional factors, including gender and prior academic performance, were effective predictors of academic success. However, academic self-efficacy did not play an influential role in participants' academic success. Language proficiency had a moderate effect on Chinese students' academic success, which is consistent with previous studies that reported a positive statistically significant relationship between language proficiency and academic success. The different natures of undergraduate and graduate studies determined that the predictors of undergraduate and graduate students' academic success were different. The present study addressed the research gap by integrating theoretical constructs from both psychology and language education, and also by exploring the relationships between language proficiency and academic success in a less researched test, TOPIK, and in two second languages, Korean and English, at the same time. The findings of this study contribute to the overall understanding of international students' academic success, in particular the success of Chinese students studying in Korean universities.Keywords: Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK); Language proficiency; Academic success; Academic self-efficacy; Chinese students Current research on international students has focused on the relationship between language proficiency and academic success. Academic success is typically measured by Grade Point Average (GPA) whereas language proficiency is most often evaluated using international tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). As more and more

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“…of the variance of GPA. (Also see Cho & Bridgeman, 2012;Feast, 2002;Woodrow, 2006). Perhaps it is not surprising that language test scores are not very useful predictors of students' future academic performance.…”

Section: Standardized Test Use and Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

English for Academic Purposes: A need for remodelling

Leung

Lewkowicz

Jenkins

2016

Englishes in Practice

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English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is an established domain of research, teaching, and assessment within additional/second language education. In this article we examine the conceptualisation of English that underpins much of its current thinking and pedagogic practice, and raise questions of validity and claims of 'fit-for-purpose'. In particular we explore issues underpinning EAP assessment and argue that there is a need to reconceptualise the basis of the language model. We propose that given the complex and changing practices in academic communication, there is a good case for broadening the established understanding of Academic English to better reflect target language use. The principles and arguments underlying this discussion are relevant to assessment as well as to EAP more broadly.

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Relationship of TOEFL iBT® scores to academic performance: Some evidence from American universities

Cited by 109 publications

References 17 publications

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

University entrance language tests: A matter of justice

How language proficiency contributes to Chinese students’ academic success in Korean universities

English for Academic Purposes: A need for remodelling

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