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61THE ROLE OF TESTS IN STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE
ASSESSMENT 1 "2 "l Yusupov I.I. , Usmonov D.I. , Akramova N.M.
1Yusupov Ilhomjohn Ibrohimjohn o 'g'li - Student;
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT; Usmonov Dilshodbek Ilhamatjohn o'g'li - Student, DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND A UDIT;
Akramova Nozima Muzaffarovna - Senior Teacher of English, DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING LANGUAGES, MANAGEMENT IN PRODUCTION FACULTY, FERGANA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, FERGANA, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: the present article attempts to investigate various types of tests and their application to assess students' knowledge. The authors of the article tried to promote the understanding of theoretical principles of language testing and assessment, and the improvement and sharing of testing and assessment practices in Uzbekistan.
Keywords: classroom, tests, TOEFL, to assess, level of knowledge, skills, designed, common, structure.
Among all words used in a classroom there is the only word that usually makes the students shudder: "test". There is hardly a person who would claim that a learner favours tests and finds them very motivating. However, tests cannot be avoided completely, for they are inevitable elements of learning process. They are included into curriculum at schools and are to check the students' level of knowledge and what they are able to do; they could be accomplished at the beginning of the study year and at the end of it; the students could be tested after working on new topics and acquiring new vocabulary. Moreover, the students are to face the tests in order to enter any foreign university or reveal the level of their English language skills for themselves. For that purpose they take specially designed tests that are Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL test and CFC, or Cambridge First Certificate. Although, these tests can sometimes serve for
different purposes and are unrelated, they are sometimes quite common in their design and structure.
The role of tests is very useful and important, especially in language learning, for they indicates how much the learners have learnt during a course, as well as display the strength and weaknesses of the teaching process and help the teacher improve it [1, p.p. 36-43 ]. Hopkins considers that the role of tests is very useful and important, especially in language learning. It is a means to show both the students and the teacher how much the learners have learnt during a course. The authors of the article agree with the statement, for they believe that in order to see whether the students have acquired the material and are making constant progress, the teacher will inevitably have to test his/her learners. It does not mean that a usual test format with a set of activities will be used all the time. To check the students' knowledge the teacher can apply a great range of assessment techniques, including even the self-evaluation technique that is so beloved and favoured by the students. Moreover, according to Hopkins, tests could be used to display the strength and weaknesses of the teaching process and help the teacher improve it. They can demonstrate what should be paid more attention to, should be worked on and practiced. Furthermore, the tests results will display the students their weak points, and if carefully guided by the teacher, the students will be even able to take any remedial actions [1, p.p. 36-43].
Allwright believes that students learn more when they have tests [2, p.p. 78-89]. Here we can both agree and disagree. Certainly, preparing for a test, the student has to study the material that is supposed to be tested, but often it does not mean that such type of learning will obligatory lead to acquisition and full understanding of it. On the opposite, it could often lead to the pure cramming. That, consequently, will result in a stressful situation the student will find her/himself before or during the test, and the final outcome will be a complete deletion of the studied material. We can base that previous statement on our own experience: when working at school, the author of the present research had encountered such examples for many times.
However, very often the tests can facilitate the students' acquisition process, i.e.: the students are to be checked the knowledge of the irregular verbs forms. Being constantly tested by means of a small test, they can learn them successfully and transfer them to their long-term memory, as well. Although, tests decrease practice and instruction time. It means that the students are as if limited; they are exposed to practice of a new material, however, very often the time implied for it is strictly recommended and observed by a syllabus. That denotes that there will be certain requirements when to use a test. Thus, the students find themselves in definite frames that the teacher will employ. Nevertheless, there could be advantages that tests can offer: they increase learning, for the students are supposed to study harder during the preparation time before a test.
Tests should be valid and reliable. They should test what was taught, taking the learner's individual pace into account. Moreover, the instructions of the test should be unambiguous. Validity deals with what is tested and degree to which a test measures what is supposed to measure. Reliability shows that the test's results will be similar and will not change if one and the same test will be given on various days. Both notions are very crucial elements of testing. However, according to Oxford there can be validity without reliability, or sometimes the border between these two notions can just blur. Although, apart from those elements, a good test should be efficient as well [3, p.p. 188-205].
According to Oxford, validity deals with what is tested and degree to which a test measures what is supposed to measure (Longman Dictionary, LTAL). For example, if we test the students writing skills giving them a composition test on Ways of Cooking, we cannot denote such test as valid, for it can be argued that it tests not our abilities to write, but the knowledge of cooking as a skill. Definitely, it is very difficult to design a proper test with a good validity, therefore, the authors of the article believe that it is very essential for the teacher to know and understand what validity really is. Often a negative backwash may be caused by inappropriate test design.
To summarize, we can say that for a good test possessing validity and reliability is not enough. The test should be practical, or in other words, efficient. It should be easily understood by the examinee, ease scored and administered, and, certainly, rather cheap. It should not last for eternity, for both examiner and examinee could become tired during five hours non-stop testing process. Moreover, testing the students the teachers should be aware of the fact that together with checking their knowledge the test can influence the students negatively. Therefore, the teachers ought to design such a test that it could encourage the students, but not to make them reassure in their own abilities. The test should be a friend, not an enemy. Thus, the issue of validity and reliability is very essential in creating a good test. The test should measure what it is supposed to measure, but not the knowledge beyond the students' abilities. Moreover, the test will be a true indicator whether the learning process and the teacher's work is effective.
References
1. Hopkins C.D. and Antes R.L. Classroom measurement and evaluation. Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers, 1995. Pp. 36-43.
2. Allwright D. Observation in the language classroom. London. Longman, 1998. Pp. 78-89.
3. Oxford R. and Ehrman M. Second language research on individual differences. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 1993. Pp. 188-205.
