The Power Of Tests

Language in Social Life is a major series which highlights the importance of language to an understanding of issues of social and professional concern. It will be of practical relevance to all those wanting to understand how the ways we communicate both influence and are influenced by the structures and forces of contemporary social institutions. In all modern societies individuals are subject to tests, whether to enter educational programs, to pass from one level to the next or to grant certificates to practice. Yet, tests are powerful tools which are often introduced in undemocratic and unethical ways as disciplinary tools for carrying out various policy agendas. Tests can be detrimental to people's lives as they are capable of affecting and defining the knowledge and behaviour of those who are being tested. The Power of Tests applies a critical perspective of language tests by examining their uses and consequences in education and society and by viewing tests not as isolated events but rather as embedded in social, educational and political contexts. The book is divided into four parts: the first part establishes the power of tests through echoing the voices of test takers, describing the features of the power of tests, and the temptations that tests offer to bureaucrats who use them for power and control. The second part reports on studies that provide empirical evidence about intentions and effects of a number of large scale language tests. The third part interprets the results by examining their consequences on education and society, arriving at a model of tests' use. The final section of the book offers strategies for controlling and minimising the misuses of tests by introducing the notion of Critical Language Testing which calls for the examination of the consequences and misuses of tests, monitoring of power and pointing to their unethical uses. It also provides a comprehensive discussion of the responsibilities of language testers, including a new Code of Ethics, as well as strategies for guarding and protecting the rights of test takers.

Language in Social Life is a major series which highlights the importance of language to an understanding of issues of social and professional concern. It will be of practical relevance to all those wanting to understand how the ways we communicate both influence and are influenced by the structures and forces of contemporary social institutions. In all modern societies individuals are subject to tests, whether to enter educational programs, to pass from one level to the next or to grant certificates to practice. Yet, tests are powerful tools which are often introduced in undemocratic and unethical ways as disciplinary tools for carrying out various policy agendas. Tests can be detrimental to people's lives as they are capable of affecting and defining the knowledge and behaviour of those who are being tested. The Power of Tests applies a critical perspective of language tests by examining their uses and consequences in education and society and by viewing tests not as isolated events but rather as embedded in social, educational and political contexts. The book is divided into four parts: the first part establishes the power of tests through echoing the voices of test takers, describing the features of the power of tests, and the temptations that tests offer to bureaucrats who use them for power and control. The second part reports on studies that provide empirical evidence about intentions and effects of a number of large scale language tests. The third part interprets the results by examining their consequences on education and society, arriving at a model of tests' use. The final section of the book offers strategies for controlling and minimising the misuses of tests by introducing the notion of Critical Language Testing which calls for the examination of the consequences and misuses of tests, monitoring of power and pointing to their unethical uses. It also provides a comprehensive discussion of the responsibilities of language testers, including a new Code of Ethics, as well as strategies for guarding and protecting the rights of test takers.

Statistical Power Analysis is a nontechnical guide to power analysis in research planning that provides users of applied statistics with the tools they need for more effective analysis. The Second Edition includes: * a chapter covering power analysis in set correlation and multivariate methods; * a chapter considering effect size, psychometric reliability, and the efficacy of "qualifying" dependent variables and; * expanded power and sample size tables for multiple regression/correlation.

This book presents a simple and general method for conducting statistical power analysis based on the widely used F statistic. The book illustrates how these analyses work and how they can be applied to problems of studying design, to evaluate others' research, and to choose the appropriate criterion for defining "statistically significant" outcomes. Statistical Power Analysis examines the four major applications of power analysis, concentrating on how to determine: *the sample size needed to achieve desired levels of power; *the level of power that is needed in a study; *the size of effect that can be reliably detected by a study; and *sensible criteria for statistical significance. Highlights of the second edition include: a CD with an easy-to-use statistical power analysis program; a new chapter on power analysis in multi-factor ANOVA, including repeated-measures designs; and a new One-Stop PV Table to serve as a quick reference guide. The book discusses the application of power analysis to both traditional null hypothesis tests and to minimum-effect testing. It demonstrates how the same basic model applies to both types of testing and explains how some relatively simple procedures allow researchers to ask a series of important questions about their research. Drawing from the behavioral and social sciences, the authors present the material in a nontechnical way so that readers with little expertise in statistical analysis can quickly obtain the values needed to carry out the power analysis. Ideal for students and researchers of statistical and research methodology in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who want to know how to apply methods of power analysis to their research.

This two volume handbook provides a comprehensive examination of policy, practice, research and theory related to English Language Teaching in international contexts. More than 70 chapters highlight the research foundation for best practices, frameworks for policy decisions, and areas of consensus and controversy in second language acquisition and pedagogy. The Handbook provides a unique resource for policy makers, educational administrators, and researchers concerned with meeting the increasing demand for effective English language teaching. It offers a strongly socio-cultural view of language learning and teaching. It is comprehensive and global in perspective with a range of fresh new voices in English language teaching research.

"Learning Statistics with R" covers the contents of an introductory statistics class, as typically taught to undergraduate psychology students, focusing on the use of the R statistical software and adopting a light, conversational style throughout. The book discusses how to get started in R, and gives an introduction to data manipulation and writing scripts. From a statistical perspective, the book discusses descriptive statistics and graphing first, followed by chapters on probability theory, sampling and estimation, and null hypothesis testing. After introducing the theory, the book covers the analysis of contingency tables, t-tests, ANOVAs and regression. Bayesian statistics are covered at the end of the book. For more information (and the opportunity to check the book out before you buy!) visit http://ua.edu.au/ccs/teaching/lsr or http://learningstatisticswithr.com

Noted for its accessible approach, this bestseller applies power analysis to both null hypothesis and minimum-effect testing using the same basic model. Through the use of a few relatively simple procedures and examples from the behavioral and social sciences, the authors show readers with little expertise in statistical analysis how to quickly obtain the values needed to carry out the power analysis for their research. Illustrations of how these analyses work and how they can be used to understand problems of study design, to evaluate research, and to choose the appropriate criterion for defining "statistically significant" outcomes are sprinkled throughout. The book presents a simple and general model for statistical power analysis that is based on the F statistic. Statistical Power Analysis reviews how to determine: The sample size needed to achieve desired levels of power The level of power needed in a study The size of effect that can be reliably detected by a study Sensible criteria for statistical significance. The third edition features: Re-designed, user-friendly software at www.psypress.com/statistical-power-analysis that allows users to perform all of the book's analyses on a wider range of tests and conduct significance tests, power analyses, and assessments of N and alpha A new chapter on Complex ANOVA Designs that demonstrates the use of power analysis in split-plot and randomized block factorial designs New boxed sections that provide examples of power analysis in action and unique issues that arise when applying power analyses Expanded coverage of minimum-effect tests, the fundamentals of power analysis and the application of these concepts to correlational studies. Ideal for students and researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences, business, and education, this valuable resource helps readers apply methods of power analysis to their research. PV and F tables serve as a quick reference. More details - plus a link to download the One Stop F Calculator - can be found at http: //www.psypress.com/statistical-power-analysis/ .