TOEFL® Young Students Series Research Program: Research Grants

Overview

The TOEFL YSS Research Grants are intended to support research related to the TOEFL YSS assessments (the TOEFL Primary® and TOEFL Junior® tests) as well as foundational research that promotes high-quality language assessment related to young English-language learners between ages 8 and 16. Priority will be given to proposals that address the topics identified in the research agenda below.

Research Topics: 

1. Construct/Content Relevance:

• Investigating test-taker performance and test-taker experience across the TOEFL YSS assessments, including paper-delivered, digital and/or remote-proctored forms.
• Investigating the use of strategies test takers deploy when engaging with different TOEFL YSS test items/tasks.
• Investigating the nature of the language produced in response to TOEFL Primary Speaking tests tasks or TOEFL Junior Speaking tests tasks.
• Exploring the relationship of the TOEFL Junior and/or TOEFL Primary tests to national and regional standards, frameworks or curricula.
• Investigating the relationship between TOEFL Junior or TOEFL Primary test performance and young learners' language use in non-testing contexts.
• Investigating the relationship between TOEFL Primary and/or TOEFL Junior tests and other assessments that measure young learners' English proficiency.
• Investigating the relationship between TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior test performance and young learners' language use in non-testing contexts.
• Investigating young learners’ language use in society from the perspective of English as a Lingua Franca, World Englishes and/or translanguaging.
• Investigating children’s perspectives (e.g., views, opinions, understanding, attitudes) about different tests or assessment materials (including but not limited to the TOEFL Primary and TOEFL Junior tests, and/or the TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior English Leaning Centers), and using a variety of participatory tools and methods.

2. Test Use and Impact

• Investigating stakeholders' language assessment literacy in relation to young learners language assessment.
• Investigating teachers' and parents' practices, experiences and needs in relation to (remote/online) assessment with young language learners.
• Investigating the use of TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior test scores and score reports (e.g., How do teachers use test scores [i.e., section and/or total scores]? How appropriate are placement and instructional decisions based on test scores?)
• Investigating the use of TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior tests and test score interpretations in different English as medium of instruction (EMI), content and language integrated learning (CLIL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional contexts.
• Investigating young learners' reactions to/perceptions of their own score reports on the TOEFL Primary and/or TOEFL Junior tests.

3. Young Learners' Language Development

• Investigating young learners' English-language progressions (e.g., scores gains on TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior tests) in various contexts (e.g., in more/less intensive language-teaching programs; with more/less English exposure outside of school; in summer camps; in study-abroad programs).
• Investigating assessment-related accessibility needs and practices for all young language learners.
• Investigating the range and depth of English vocabulary knowledge at different age and ability levels in different contexts.
• Investigating parents’ and teachers’ strategies for supporting young learners’ language development toward taking the TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior tests.

4. Innovations in Assessment

• Exploring the incorporation of machine learning into assessments for young language learners.
• Exploring multimodal tasks with young language learners, and the rating of young learners’ multimodal task performances.
• Exploring scenario-based language assessments with young learners.
• Exploring young learner language assessment practices and experiences in low-resource contexts.
• Investigating the impact of multilingual accommodations/support on test-takers’ performances and perceptions of the TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior tests.

5. Other: 

• Consideration will be given to research on other issues or innovations related to the TOEFL Primary or TOEFL Junior tests.

Studies involving the collection of new empirical data can typically be funded up to US$50,000. This amount includes institutional overhead. ETS prefers to select bids which respect its nonprofit status. We therefore request that the overhead rate not exceed 15%.

• Proposals from current members of the TOEFL COE and for-profit organizations are not eligible.

• Due to United States and European Union governmental sanctions, ETS may not be able to make payments to individuals or organizations in certain countries. The specific countries are determined by the United States and European Union governmental agencies and are subject to change.

Important dates:

• April 15, 2023 — Deadline for submission of intent forms
• July 15, 2023 — Deadline for submission of full proposals
• October 15, 2023 — Responses to proposals emailed
• April 15, 2024 — Tentative start date for funded projects

For applicants who are invited to submit full proposals, proposal materials must be submitted via email to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on July 15, 2023. Proposal submissions must include the following documents:

• two copies of the study proposal (one blind copy, one non-blind copy; see detailed requirements below)
• Principal Investigator's CV
• A completed Letter of Institutional Commitment 

All grant winners will be required to submit at least one progress report and at least one manuscript of publishable quality during their funded study.