ERIC Number: EJ1419074
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322
EISSN: EISSN-1477-0946
Language Testers and Their Place in the Policy Web
Laura Schildt; Bart Deygers; Albert Weideman
Language Testing, v41 n2 p338-356 2024
In the context of policy-driven language testing for citizenship, a growing body of research examines the political justifications and ethical implications of language requirements and test use. However, virtually no studies have looked at the role that language testers play in the evolution of language requirements. Critical gaps remain in our understanding of language testers' first-hand experiences interacting with policymakers and how they perceive the use of tests in public policy. We examined these questions using an exploratory design and semi-structured interviews with 28 test executives representing 25 exam boards in 20 European countries. The interviews were transcribed and double coded in NVivo (weighted kappa = 0.83) using a priori and inductive coding. We used a horizontal analysis to evaluate responses by participant and a vertical analysis to identify between-case themes. Findings indicate that language testers may benefit from policy literacy to form part of policy webs wherein they can influence instrumental decisions concerning language in migration policy.
Descriptors: Language Tests, Citizenship, Educational Policy, Assessment Literacy, Test Construction, Test Use, Scores, Evaluators, Foreign Countries, Policy, Decision Making, Migration
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Europe
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A