A Review of the Washback of English Language Tests on Classroom Teaching

Abstract

Scholars have long recognized the Washback effect of English language tests on English teaching inside the classroom. However, the lack of scholarly reports in this area is also nonnegligible. Therefore, the present study intends to review some empirical researches that focus on the washback of some English language tests on different aspects of classroom teaching, including the washback on course content, teaching materials, and teaching activities. Both positive and negative washback are found on these aspects and can be attributed to a number of factors, including differences in features of the test content, differences in tests’ coordination to course syllabus, differences in teachers’ adoption of teaching methods, etc. The final discussion recognizes the complicated mechanism of washback of the English language test on classroom teaching and serves to bring out some scholarly and pedagogical implications. On the one hand, future studies could focus more on how to bring out positive washback of English language tests on classroom teaching. On the other hand, pedagogical practices could take advantage of the latest scholarly findings to maximize the efficacy of the aforementioned positive washback.

Using Bloom’s taxonomy to evaluate the cognitive levels of Primary Leaving English Exam questions in Rwandan schools

“…Additionally, when teachers are more concerned with national exams their students will take, teachers will adjust their instruction to cover specific exam items instead of considering the entire curriculum or at least the priority domains from which those exam questions come from (Darling-Hammond & Rustique-Forrester, 2005 ; Kuang, 2020 ). In this vein, when decision-makers use student scores for student promotions and teacher evaluation purposes, “teachers feel pressured to use test formats in their instruction and to teach in ways that contradict their ideas of sound instructional practice” (Darling-Hammond & Rustique-Forrester, 2005 , p. 13).…”

Washback of Microteaching Test on EFL Students’ Overseas Teaching Practice

“…Based on that opinion, an assessment is not only to measure the learning process and learning outcomes, but it is also to improve the learning process, motivate students, and diagnose students' weaknesses. To add, assessment for learning is implemented correctly in the learning process and used to assess anything related to the learning process, including to facilitate students to learn (Hung & Huang, 2019;Kuang, 2020;Thi & Hoa, 2020;Wiyaka et al, 2016).…”

Washback Effects of English Reading Test in UTBK: Students’ Insights

“…Many researchers have long recognized that high-stakes tests have washback effects on the teaching and learning process in the classroom (Kuang, 2020), and so does with Ujian Tulis Berbasis Komputer (UTBK), a national-scale state university entrance examination in Indonesia. Students strive to pass the test and be accepted in their targeted institution.…”

“…As one of the high-stake tests, UTBK includes an English test. It surely influenced not only the feelings and attitudes (Pizarro, 2009) but also the learners' learning and strategic behaviors (Babaii & Damankesh, 2015), as well as the course content, teaching materials, and teaching activities (Kuang, 2020).…”