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Washback of High Stakes Testing on Senior English Teaching and Teachers’ Professional Development

Author: ZhuShuYan
Tutor: QuMingWen
School: Shandong Normal University
Course: Subject Teaching
Keywords: washback high stakes test Senior English teaching Senior English Curriculum Standards teacher’s professional development
CLC: G633.41
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2006
Downloads: 367
Quote: 3
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Abstract

The phenomenon of how high-stakes test influences teaching and curriculum iscommonly described as “washback” in language instruction. Literature indicates thattest washback is a very complex concept that becomes even more complex under avariety of interpretations of the washback phenomenon on teaching and teachers.Some studies conclude that washback of high-stakes test has much positive impact,while others find much more negative impact on EFL teaching and teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how EFL teachers of senior middleschools in Shandong perceive the influence of high stakes test on their teaching(including the NMET) and how washback of high stakes test affects theimplementation of the new Senior English Curriculum Standards and the promotion ofteachers’ professional development in senior middle school setting. This study isexpected to add to the existing literature on high stakes test impact, to draw manymore focuses on this topic and to lead to further empirical research. The surveymethod, such as questionnaires and individual interview, was used in this study. Thetarget samples were 89 senior English teachers of Shandong, and 392 senior middleschool students. Data were collected through a survey and an individual interview.Findings from the investigation suggest that high-stakes test in senior Englishsetting has an impact on teachers’ curriculum and instruction. So “teaching to test” isa common phenomenon in senior English teaching, which is more serious thanexpected. Though the new Senior English Curriculum Standards and teachers’professional development may solve the problem of “teaching to test”, yet washbackof high stakes test blocks the implementation of the two, either because of teachers’much attention on “preparing for test” or due to their lack of in-service teachers’training and to the lack of the understanding of new Curriculum Standards andteachers’ professional development. As a result, they lack knowledge of how toimprove their teaching to align with the new English Curriculum Standards, whereas“teaching to test” can’t be decreased in EFL teaching. On the other hand, teachers’professional development can’t be promoted, for most teachers still lack theawareness of the “new term” and correlative knowledge. As data suggest, teachers’monitoring or evaluation policy is the key factor leading to “teaching to test”, their“neglecting” new Curriculum Standards and the little awareness of teachers’professional development.This empirical study consists of five chapters. Chapter one reviews the theoreticaland empirical researches on washback in literature. Chapter two introduces thecontext of the present research: senior English Curriculum Standards and EFLteaching;high stakes test and EFL teaching;EFL teachers’ professional development.Chapter three states research questions, research method, instruments and dataprocedures. Chapter four describes the results of investigation. Chapter five discussesthe findings and puts forward some suggestions. Findings offer implications thatmany more people or administrative authority concerned need to pay attention to“teaching to test” and its effect on teaching and teachers. The reform of the currentNMET is put forward in order to provide positive impact and decrease negativeimpact of high stakes test. At the same time, advocating students’ performanceassessment and abolishing blocking factors to promote the implementation of newSenior English Curriculum Standards have been recommended. Furtherrecommendations for teachers’ professional development mechanism and innovatingteachers’ evaluation policy are raised in this thesis. At last, this study points out thelimitations and its needing further empirical researches.

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CLC: > Culture, science,education, sports > Education > Secondary education > Subjects teaching methods, teaching aids > Foreign language > English
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