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ERIC Number: EJ976430
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jul
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322
EISSN: N/A
Relationship of TOEFL iBT[R] Scores to Academic Performance: Some Evidence from American Universities
Cho, Yeonsuk; Bridgeman, Brent
Language Testing, v29 n3 p421-442 Jul 2012
This study examined the relationship between scores on the TOEFL Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT[R]) and academic performance in higher education, defined here in terms of grade point average (GPA). The academic records for 2594 undergraduate and graduate students were collected from 10 universities in the United States. The data consisted of students' GPA, detailed course information, and admissions-related test scores including TOEFL iBT, GRE, GMAT, and SAT scores. Correlation-based analyses were conducted for subgroups by academic status and disciplines. Expectancy graphs were also used to complement the correlation-based analyses by presenting the predictive validity in terms of individuals in one of the TOEFL iBT score subgroups belonging to one of the GPA subgroups. The predictive validity expressed in terms of correlation did not appear to be strong. Nevertheless, the general pattern shown in the expectancy graphs indicated that students with higher TOEFL iBT scores tended to earn higher GPAs and that the TOEFL iBT provided information about the future academic performance of non-native English speaking students beyond that provided by other admissions tests. These observations led us to conclude that even a small correlation might indicate a meaningful relationship between TOEFL iBT scores and GPA. Limitations and implications are discussed. (Contains 1 note, 7 tables and 6 figures.)
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A