The use of course grades as metrics in L2 research: A systematic review

Much of applied linguistics research has been concerned with classroom‐based second language (L2) development as it offers an ideal setting for examining the institutional ecology of L2 learning and teaching. However, scholars have continued to call for greater attention to the operationalization of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foreign language annals 2018-12, Vol.51 (4), p.763-778
Main Authors: Brown, Alan V., Plonsky, Luke, Teimouri, Yasser
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic achievement
Achievement tests
Anxiety
Applied linguistics
assessment
Correlation
course grades
Evaluation Methods
Grade Point Average
Grades (Scholastic)
Language acquisition
Language Proficiency
Language Research
Language Tests
Literacy
Meta Analysis
Periodicals
Researchers
Second Language Instruction
Second Language Learning
Second language teachers
Student Evaluation
Students
Study abroad
Systematic review
Teaching
Test Validity
Validation studies
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Summary:Much of applied linguistics research has been concerned with classroom‐based second language (L2) development as it offers an ideal setting for examining the institutional ecology of L2 learning and teaching. However, scholars have continued to call for greater attention to the operationalization of constructs, selection of valid assessments, and use of appropriate statistical analyses. One cause for concern is the use of instructor‐constructed evaluations for research purposes, commonly found both as single assessments and, in their composite form, as course grades. The present study examined justifications for and uses of course grades in L2 research by systematically searching, coding, and analyzing course grades as variables in a sample of published L2 research in four prominent L2 journals: Foreign Language Annals, Language Learning, Modern Language Journal, and TESOL Quarterly. To provide a concrete example, this meta‐analysis investigated the relationship between L2 grades and anxiety. A number of suggestions for the use of grades and other assessment tools in educationally oriented L2 research are offered. The Challenge The composition and calculation of course grades vary across instructors. Given this diversity, is it appropriate to include them in published research and, if so, how have they been incorporated? This article presents a synthesis of course grades in research articles published over 20 years in four applied linguistics journals.
ISSN:0015-718X
1944-9720
DOI:10.1111/flan.12370