Event Title
The School of Arts and Sciences
Event Website
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHw7sFQ-n6Xz2fVTqsaU1Q
Start Date
4-19-2022 3:30 PM
End Date
4-19-2022 3:55 PM
Description
Presentation
Title: The predictive validity of TOEFL: A Relationship Between TOEFL Scores and students’ academic success
Principal Investigator: Dr. Roman Lesnov
Biography
Biography
Dr. Roman Lesnov is an Associate Professor of English at Oakwood University, Alabama. He teaches Linguistics, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Freshman Composition. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Northern Arizona University (2018) and has several years of experience teaching English and linguistics in the US and Russia. His research interests include second language listening assessment and research methods for applied linguistics.
Recommended Citation
Lesnov, Roman, "The School of Arts and Sciences" (2022). Annual Faculty Research Symposium. 5.
https://ouscholars.oakwood.edu/annual_faculty_research_symposium/2022/schedule/5
The School of Arts and Sciences
Presentation
Title: The predictive validity of TOEFL: A Relationship Between TOEFL Scores and students’ academic success
Principal Investigator: Dr. Roman Lesnov
https://ouscholars.oakwood.edu/annual_faculty_research_symposium/2022/schedule/5
Comments
Abstract
The test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) is a well-known English proficiency measure used by U.S.-based educational institutions, including Oakwood University (OU), for admission and placement purposes. Since it is a high-stakes test, its validity is of primary importance to test stakeholders (e.g., international students, professors, parents, test developers). While many studies have generated validity evidence for the TOEFL, few of them were conducted within the context of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The present study aimed to bridge this gap by investigating the relationship between incoming international students’ performance on the TOEFL iBT and their subsequent academic success at an HBCU, as measured by grade point average (GPA), final grades for freshman composition courses, and the number of credit hours completed. The data from fourteen OU students were analyzed using Spearman correlation analyses. The findings revealed a meaningful positive relationship between students’ TOEFL iBT scores and final grades for Freshman Composition I. The other indicators of academic success (i.e., GPA and credit hours completed) did not correlate with TOEFL scores. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the validity of the TOEFL iBT and for the success of international students at OU.