A moderated mediation analysis of the relationship between a high-stakes English test and test takers’ extracurricular English learning activities

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between a large-scale and high-stakes English test and test takers’ learning behavior. Specifically, it explored whether and how the National Matriculation English Test (NMET) influenced test takers’ extracurricular English learning activities under the Chinese Mainland educational context. Based on Bandura’s triadic reciprocal determinism theory, this study proposed a distal mediation model and employed covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling to test the model. The data were collected via a cross-sectional survey with 470 test takers. The results showed that test takers’ perceptions of the examination exerted direct and indirect effects on their extracurricular English learning activities, and that test takers’ perceived self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and academic achievement were two important factors mediating the relationship between their perceptions of the test and extracurricular learning. Furthermore, test takers’ perceptions of the exam-approaching have diverse moderating effects on different mediation effects. This study suggests that introducing the triadic reciprocal determinism theory helps understand how an examination influences learning. It also highlights the role of test takers’ perceptions of an examination and their perceived self-efficacy in predicting a test’s impact on learning.