Examining Content Representativeness of a Young Learner Language Assessment: EFL Teachers’ Perspectives

Abstract

This study aims to provide content validity evidence for the new young language learner assessment—TOEFL Primary—a test designed for young learners ages 8 and above who are learning English in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. The test focuses on core communication goals and enabling language knowledge and skills represented in various EFL curricula. A panel of 17 experienced EFL teachers, representing 15 countries, participated in the study. The teachers evaluated the relevance and importance of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) assessed by the reading and listening items of TOEFL Primary. Content Validity Indices (CVIs) (Popham, Appl Meas Educ 5(4):285–301, 1992) was used to determine the degree of match between the test contents and the target constructs and the importance of the KSAs assessed for successful classroom performance. Results showed that the majority of the items had an average CVI above the cut-off value of.80, indicating that the items measured what they were intended to measure and that the KSAs assessed were important for effective classroom performance, supporting the claim about using the test scores to support language teaching and learning.