Exploration of vocational high school students experiencing difficulty in cloze test performances: a mixed-methods study in Taiwan

This study addressed a gap in existing research on Multiple-Choice (MC) cloze tests by focusing on the learners’ perspective, specifically examining the difficulties faced by vocational high school students (VHSs). A nationwide sample of 293 VHSs participated, providing both quantitative and qualitative data through a self-developed questionnaire. The results revealed that vocabulary and grammar posed the greatest challenges in the MC cloze test, while sentence patterns were perceived as the least difficult by VHSs. Factors contributing to these difficulties included the need for increased focus on vocabulary and grammar learning. Some participants attributed challenges to personal perceptions of intellectual capability, while others highlighted the influential role of teachers’ attitudes on their learning motivations and outcomes. The study suggested implications for test designs and teaching approaches. Despite these contributions, the study acknowledged limitations and offered suggestions for future research directions.