Morphological awareness in TOEIC word-form questions: an item-type analysis of EFL learners’ performance and perceptions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Morphological awareness plays an important role in second and foreign language reading and vocabulary development. However, relatively little empirical research has examined how learners perform on different types of morphological items in standardized English proficiency tests such as the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The present study investigates EFL learners' performance across morphological item types on a TOEIC-style word-form test and examines the relationship between test performance and self-reported reading confidence. A total of 277 university students in South Korea completed a 30-item TOEIC-style morphological test alongside a background survey. The test demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .882). Results showed that noun items yielded the highest accuracy rate (66.3%), while participial and comparative forms were most difficult (44.4%). A one-way ANOVA confirmed significant differences across item types, F(4, 1380) = 40.05, p < .001. Spearman's rank-order correlation revealed a significant positive association between reading confidence and test scores (ρ = .278, p < .001). The findings underscore the importance of explicit morphological instruction in TOEIC preparation and EFL pedagogy more broadly.
Source: Language Testing in Asia
Authors: Seongeun Cho, Dongmie Kim, Jeeeun Lee
Institutions: Sejong University, Daeshin University, Woosong University
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,790
OpenAlex ID: W7170855488