Washback effects of a high-stakes exam on lower secondary school English teachers’ practices in the classroom

Ferit Kılıçkaya

Abstract


The aim of the article is to investigate of the foreign language section of TEOG (Transition Examination from Primary to Secondary Education) on language teacher practices in the classroom. The participants of the study include 32 English language teachers working at lower secondary schools in Turkey. The results of the study indicate that language teacher practices in the classroom are greatly affected by several factors such as the style and content of the language exam. The main harmful washback of this exam is found to be the neglect of teaching several skills such as listening, speaking, and writing as these skills are not assessed, and stakeholders such as students and parents require reasonable level of success on these texts. Some other factors negatively affected have been found to be the selection of course books, the medium of instruction, classroom assessment as well as anxiety.


Keywords


washback, English language teachers, exam, tests, lower secondary schools

Full Text:

PDF

References


Akpınar, K. D., & Çakıldere, B. (2013): Washback effects of high-stakes language tests of Turkey (KPDS and ÜDS) on productive and receptive skills of academic personnel. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 9(2), 81-94. Retrieved from http://dergipark.ulakbim.gov.tr/jlls/article/download/5000084297/5000078394

Amengual-Pizarro, M. (2009): Does the English test in the Spanish university entrance examination influence the teaching of English? English Studies, 90(5), 582-598. doi: 10.1080/00138380903181031

Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996): Language testing in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2010): Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Chapelle, C. A, & Brindley, G. (2010): Assessment. In N. Schmitt (Ed.), An introduction to applied linguistics (2nd ed., pp. 247-267): Abingdon, Oxon: Hodder Education.

Choi, I.-C. (2008): The impact of EFL testing on EFL education in Korea. Language Testing, 25(1), 39-62. doi: 10.1177/0265532207083744

Dağtan, E. (2012): An examination on the washback effect of the interuniversity board foreign language test (the example of Dicle University). (Master’s thesis, Dicle University, Diyarbakır). Retrieved from http://acikerisim.dicle.edu.tr/xmlui/handle/11468/862?show=full

Ferman, I. (2004): The washback of an EFL national oral matriculation test to teaching and learning. In L. Cheng, Y. Watanabe, & A. Curtis (Eds.), Washback in language testing: Research contexts and methods (pp. 191-210). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hughes, A. (2003): Testing for language teachers (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Karabulut, A. (2007): Micro level impacts of foreign language test (university entrance examination) in Turkey: a washback study (Master’s thesis, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa). Retrieved from http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/14884/

Kırkgöz, Y. (2007): English language teaching in Turkey: Policy changes and their implementations. RELC Journal, 38(2), 216-228. doi: 10.1177/0033688207079696

Korkmazgil, S., & Seferoğlu, G. (2013): Exploring non-native English teachers’ professional development practices. Boğaziçi University Journal of Education, 30(1), 1-10. Retrieved from http://dergipark.ulakbim.gov.tr/buje/article/view/5000140041

MoNE. (2015):English exam questions for grade 8 in the second semester. Retrieved from http://www.meb.gov.tr/sinavlar/dokumanlar/2015/soru/Teog2Donem/YabanciDil.zip

MoNE. (2006): English language curriculum for primary education (Grades 4,5,6,7 and 8). Retrieved from http://ttkb.meb.gov.tr/program2.aspx?islem=2&kno=31

Özmen, K. S. (2011): Washback effects of the inter-university foreign language examination on foreign language competences of candidate academics. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 5(2), 215-228. Retrieved from http://www.novitasroyal.org/Vol_5_2/OzmenKS.pdf

Pan, Y., & Newfields, T. (2011): Teacher and student washback on test preparation evidenced from Taiwan’s English certification exit requirements. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 6(3), 260-272. doi:10.5172/ijpl.2011.6.3.260

Qi, L. (2004): Has a high-stakes test produced the intended changes? In L. Cheng, Y. Watanabe, & A. Curtis (Eds.), Washback in language testing: Research contexts and methods (pp. 171-189). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Sevimli, S. E. (2007): The washback effects of foreign language component of the university entrance examination on the teaching and learning context of English language groups in secondary education: a case study (Master’s thesis, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep). Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/

Sukyadi, D. & R. Mardiani (2011): The washback effect of the English National Examination (ENE) on English teachers’ classroom teaching and students’ learning. Kata, 13(1), 96-111. Retrieved from http://kata.petra.ac.id/index.php/ing/article/view/18214/18090

Şentürk, F. (2013): Washback effect of KET exam in learning English as a foreign language (Master’s thesis, Çağ University, Mersin). Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/

Turner, C. E. (2009): Examining washback in second language education contexts: A high stakes provincial exam and the teacher factor in classroom practice in Quebec secondary schools. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning, 5(1), 103-123. doi: 10.5172/ijpl.5.1.103

Yıldırım, Ö. (2010): Washback effects of a high-stakes university entrance exam: Effects of the English section of the university entrance exam on future language teachers in Turkey. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 12(2), 92-116. Retrieved from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/PDF/June-2010.pdf

Zhan, Y., & Andrews, S. (2014): Washback effects from a high-stakes examination on out-of-class English learning: Insights from possible self theories. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 21(1), 71-89. doi: 10.1080/0969594X.2012.757546




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2016.40.1.116
Date of publication: 2016-07-27 14:58:00
Date of submission: 2015-11-22 02:45:07


Statistics


Total abstract view - 1146
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 541

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2016 Ferit Kilickaya

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.