Uppeldi og menntun - 01.01.2001, Page 128

NAMSARANGUR
FRAMHALDSSKÓLANEMA
ENSKU
ABSTRACT
A test of English skills was carried out on two groups of students at all Icelandic
upper secondary schools. The first group consisted of students who had finished one
year of upper secondary schooling (n = 1973, grade 11) and the second group con-
sisted of students who had finished three years of upper secondary schooling (n =
1539, grade 13). In addition, an extensive questionnaire was administered to all of
the students in order to determine their educational background and extra-curricu-
lar use of English.
Males in both groups performed better on the test than females. Physics stu-
dents showed the most proficiency and students in Physical education the least.
Performance in English in most upper secondary schools is in line with a prediction
from their National Examination English scores at the end of comprehensive school
(grade 10). A high correlation was observed between National Examination English
scores at the end of grade 10 and scores on the test in the second (r = 0,78) and fourth
(r = 0,78) year of upper secondary school.
Regression analysis on student background variables was used to examine the
effect of these variables on English achievement scores. An eight step explanatory
model of students' English achievement scores is presented in the paper. The model
explains 70,5% of the English test score variance for students in their second year in
upper secondary school and 67,8% for those at the end of upper secondary school.
National Examination scores in English at the end of comprehensive school (grade
10) explain the greatest part of the variance in upper secondary English scores -
58,4% (second year) and 57,3% (fourth year) respectively in the two student groups.
Time spent in classes in upper secondary schools explains a rather meagre part
of the achievement variance in English - 7,1% (second year) and 2,2% (fourth year)
in the two student groups. Thus, it does not seem to be an important factor in which
upper secondary school Icelandic students learn their English. A stay in an English
speaking country and reading and writing of English outside school have positive
effects on English proficiency.
Robert Berman er dósent
við Háskólann í Alberta
Einar Guðmundsson er dósent
við Háskóla íslands
Ragnar F. Ólafsson er sérfræðingur
við Námsmatsstofnun
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