آموزش استراتژی های مورد نیاز آزمون سرنوشت ساز به دانش آموزان دبیرستانی

نتایج آزمون های سرنوشت ساز همچون کنکور نقش مهمی در زندگی آتی امتحان دهندگان ایفا می کنند. این تحقیق به بررسی تاثیر آموزش استراتژی های مورد نیاز آزمون بر عملکرد آزمون زبان انگلیسی کنکور می پردازد. تعداد 293 دانش آموز در این تحقیق شرکت کردند که پس از بررسی اولیه، 260 نفر به دو گروه تجربی و گواه تقسیم شدند. پس از شرکت در پیش آزمون، هر دو گروه در دوره آموزشی شرکت کردند که به گروه تجربی بسته آموزشی استراتژی های مورد نیاز آزمون به همراه تمرین نمونه سئوال های کنکور آموزش داده شد اما گروه گواه فقط نمونه سئوال های کنکور را تمرین کردند. بعد از اتمام دوره، دو گروه در پس آزمون شرکت کردند و در نهایت همگی آنها یک ماه بعد در آزمون کنکور شرکت کردند. داده های این تحقیق با استفاده از آزمون نمونه های جفت شده و ضریب همبستگی پیرسون بررسی شد. نتایج، بیانگر عملکرد بهتر گروه تجربی نسبت به گروه گواه بود. بنابراین به نظر می رسد تلفیق چنین استراتژی هایی در برنامه درسی تمامی دانش آموزان نتایج ارزشمند و سازنده ای دارد .

Training Iranian High school Students to Use Testtaking Strategies in a HighStakes Test

Abstract The results of highstakes tests such as Iranian National University Entrance Examination, i.e. Konkoor may play a significant role in the test takers’ future life. Occasionally, despite the test takers'' knowledge of the language, some variables may hinder their performance (Rezaei, 2005). Some of these variables are the methods used to measure the language ability, and prior experience with the test, and individual characteristics. Two reasons other than language proficiency that may be accountable for systematic difference in language test performance are the processes and strategies used by test takers in responding to test tasksand the characteristics of the test takers (Bachman, 2000). In Iran, National University Entrance Examination is the only criterion for Iranian students’ admission into public universities; consequently, it has a crucial role in the test takers’ future field of study and their prospective jobs. However, unfortunately many students with high grade point averages are seen to have weak performance in this exam. As Scruggs and Mastropieri (1995) pointed out many students are poorly prepared for testtaking strategies and that the lack of "testwiseness" is often responsible for test scores which do not accurately reflect students'' knowledge. This paper reports on a study  which explored the effect of training testtaking strategies on English language performance of Iranian high school students. To do so, 293 students participated in this study. First, participants responded to a demographic questionnaire and Oxford Placement Test (OPT). After reviewing the demographic questionnaires completed by the participants and their performance on the OPT, 33 participants were excluded from the data analysis due to taking part in a similar testtaking training course and/or having extreme scores. Therefore, 260 participants were left for the data analysis who were randomly divided into one experimental and one control group. After taking their pretests, they participated in their workshops during which the experimental group received testtaking strategy package. After the treatment, both groups took their English language posttests. At last, they took their Konkoor. The data were analyzed using Paired samples ttest and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The findings of this study indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group. This study suggests that integrating such strategies in the teaching curriculum could be valuable for all students.