Vol. 43 in the Studies in Language Testing series.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Test developers have a responsibility to ensure that the assessments they develop meet the needs of test users and provide a fair assessment in educational and social contexts. Mixed methods research plays an important role in providing a set of different but complementary research tools which can be used to underpin the assessment validation process and add value to assessment research.

The purpose of this volume is to create a deeper understanding of the role of mixed methods in language assessment, and to provide essential information needed to conduct and publish mixed methods research within the context of language assessment. Mixed methods language assessment studies on topics such as community-based participatory test development, investigating test impact, developing new test tasks and rating scales, illustrate first-hand the benefits and addded value of mixed methods to the language testing and assessment field.

Key features of the volume include: theoretical insights and practical guidance on the use of mixed methods research
advise on the essential components for conducting and publishing mixed methods research
case studies from language assessment to demonstrate how mixed methods research can be rigorously and systematically applied in a specific context.

This is the first volume of its kind to comprehensively illustrate the application of the principles of mixed methods research in language assessment and to combine theoretical insights and practical illustrations of good practice. As such, it is a valuable reference work for academics, post graduate students and practitioners, and anyone seeking to understand the purpose, design and application of mixed methods research." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Series Editors' Note

Notes on contributors

Section 1 - LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT AND MIXED METHODS RESEARCH: FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SYMBIOSIS 1. The confluence of language assessment and mixed methods / Aleidine J Moeller
2. Managing language assessment systems and mixed methods /
Nick Saville

Section 2 - CONDUCTING MIXED METHODS RESEARCH: KEY ELEMENTS, STEPS AND CONSIDERATIONS 3. What is mixed methods research? / John W Creswell and Yuchun Zhou

4. Mixed methods designs /

Nick Ziegler and Le Kang
5. Drawing mixed methods procedural diagrams /

Debra R Miller and Carolina Bustamante
6. Writing and publishing mixed methods studies in second language learning and assessment: Ten essential elements /
Sheri Hurlbut

Section 3 - MIXED METHODS RESEARCH IN LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: CASE STUDIES 7. Enhancing test validation through rigorous mixed methods components /
Timothy C Guetterman and Angeliki Salamoura
8. A community-based participatory approach to test development: The International Legal English Certificate /
Ivana Vidakovic and Martin Robinson
9. Rating scale development: A multistage exploratory sequential design /
Evelina Galaczi and Nahal Khabbazbashi
10. The development of a new Reading task: A mixed methods approach / Mark Elliott and Gad S Lim
11. Investigating the impact of international assessment: A convergent parallel mixed methods approach / Hanan Khalifa and Coreen Docherty

Section 4 - FROM IDEAS TO ACTION 12. Ideas to action: A framework for the design and implementation of a mixed methods study /

Andrew Hustad and Sarah McElwee

References

Author index