由于作者陈建林曾多次参加了英语专业四、八级考试的作文评分工作，在与同仁的交流过程中，对上述问题有了更加浓厚的兴趣。在2011年、2012年专业八级作文阅卷期间，作者通过深人访谈、有声思维、问卷调查等方式对几十位评分员的评分过程进行了调查，并收集他们评分的详细数据，在经过几年的整理、分析和探究后，终于形成此书。

《外语教学测试构念研究--以TEM-8作文评分员为例》以英语专业八级考试作文评分员为研究对象，对评分员的认知结构进行了描述，对评分过程的本质进行了理论概括，并就提高评分员评分一致性问题提出了看法和见解。

陈建林著的《外语教学测试构念研究--以TEM-8作文评分员为例》以TEM-8作文评分员为研究对象，对有声思维法、问卷法和深入访谈法以及SPSS、Nvivo、Rasch模型和结构方程模型等数据分析软件和分析方法进行了详细说明，对评分员在作文评分中建构的三个认知结构(即作文结构、评分结构、情景结构)进行了描述，探究了上述三个结构的建构过程及其影响因素，在此基础上提出了评分过程本质的框架模型。本书对于外语写作能力测试研究具有一定的启示和借鉴意义。

List of Acronyms

Tables and Figures

Table of Contents 

Chapter One Introduction

  1.1 Rationale for the study

  1.2 Research background

  1.2.1 The TEM general introduction

  1,2,2 The TEM-8 and its writing component

  1.2.3 Studies on the TEM-8 essay rating

  1.3 Brief description of the research

  1.4 Significance of the research

  1.5 Outline of the research

Chapter Two Literature Review

  2.1 Studies on raters and rating

  2.1.1 Rating in writing assessment

  2.1.2 Factors influencing rating process

  2.1.3 Process of rating

  2.2 Problem-solving and cognitive constructivism

  2.2.1 Problem-solving

  2.2.2 Piaget's cognitive constructivism

  2.2.3 Rating process: a problem-solving process

  2.2.4 Raters' cognitive construction

  2.2.5 Summary

2.3 Research hypothesis and research questions

  2.3.1 Research hypothesis

  2.3.2 Research questions

Chapter Three Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Data collection

  3.2.1 Scores assigned to 25 essays by 17 raters

  3.2.2 Questionnaire data

  3.2.3 Think-aloud Protocols: 6 raters' rating 10 essays 

  3.2.4 Interview data

3.3 Data analysis

  3.3.1 MFRM analysis of rating performance

  3.3.2 Factor analysis of questionnaire data

  3.3.3 TAPs data analysis

  3.3.4 Interview data analysis

  3.3.5 Instruments

3.4 Summary

Chapter Four Results

  4.1 Rating quality: MFRM analysis

  4.1.1 The vertical rulers

  4.1.2 Examinee measurement report

  4.1.3 Raters' rating quality

  4.1.4 Bias/Interaction analysis specified by examinee and rater

  4.1.5 Summary

  4.2 Factors affecting rating: questionnaire data analysis ..

  4.2.1 Frequencies

  4.2.2 Exploratory factor analysis

  4.2.3 Confirmatory factor analysis

  4.2.4 Frequencies of the six factors

  4.2.5 Interaction among factors

  4.2.6 Summary

  4.3 The writing structure

  4.3.1 Aspects of the writing structure

  4.3.2 Aspects elaboration

  4.3.3 The framework of the writing structure

  4.4 The contextual structure

  4.4.1 Aspects of the contextual structure

  4.4.2 Aspects elaboration

  4.4.3 The contextual structure

  4.4.4 Summary

  4.5 TAPs usefulness and the rating structure

  4.5.1 TAPs performance

  4.5.2 The rating structure

  4.6 Summary of the chapter

Chapter Five Discussion

  5.1 Construction of the writing structure

  5.1.1 Factors contributing to the construction

  5.1.2 Defining the construction

  5.2 Construction of the rating structure

  5.2.1 Orientation of the writing structure

  5.2.2 Contribution of other factors

  5.2.3 Summarizing the construction

  5.3 Construction of the contextual structure

  5.3.1 Factors contributing to the construction

  5.3.2 Summarizing the construction

  5.4 Nature of human essay rating

  5.5 Summary

Chapter Six Implications

  6.1 Construct of essay assessment

  6.2 Validity and reliability and rater characteristics

  6.3 Rule of rating scale and its development

  6.4 Purpose and methods of rater training

  6.5 Rating supervision and feedback

  6.6 TAPs in cognitive process research

  6.7 Future research

Chapter Seven Conclusion and Limitations

  7.1 Answer to research Question One

  7.2 Answer to research Question Two

  7.3 Answer to research Question Three

  7.4 Limitations

References

Appendix