A Context-Based Perspective to Investigating the Construct Validity of Reading Assessments

The paper examines the construct validity of a high stake multiple-choice reading test from a context-based perspective that proposes to link the different reading processes examinees engage in answering the test items to the actual context of reading activity. Using two questionnaires administered to the 126 student-participants and 29 teacher-participants in order to investigate the context of the DR Congo English state examination (ESE) and results from a mixed-methods study that has comprehensively investigated the construct validity of the same test, the results indicate that the ESE appears to have low validity as the test tasks do not appear to grip with the ESE context. The paper then suggests that the ESE tasks be adjusted so as to reflect the actual context of reading activity. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p847