Examining washback in second language education contexts: A high stakes provincial exam and the teacher factor in classroom practice in Quebec secondary schools
Carolyn E Turner
Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University, Quebec Canada
PP: 103 - 123
Abstract
Research has helped us understand that high stakes tests can have some sort of influence at the micro level on classroom practice and activity. To date, much variation has been reported.
This paper discusses washback in second language (L2) education contexts and specifically the teacher factor in classroom activity. It draws on four areas of research: washback research in second language (L2) and general education, the teacher factor in washback, alignment of assessment internal and external to the classroom, and mixed methods research. It provides teacher case study examples from a larger study probing into teacher practice and beliefs when dealing with a new high stakes English as a second language (ESL) provincial exit exam at the high school level.
The participants are from the population of ESL secondary teachers in the French school system in the province of Quebec in Canada. The main research question is: How do teachers mediate between classroom assessment activity and preparing students for upcoming external exams?
Results indicate that teachers used common overall approaches, but that there was variation in individual practice. When first introduced to the new exam material, teachers used a formative assessment approach. As the exam time neared, their practice evolved into a summative assessment approach. This phenomenon demonstrated an interfacing or 'blurring' of formative and summative assessment in an attempt to align classroom and external exam assessment. Implications are discussed pertaining to a coherent education system across curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment.
Keywords
washback, impact of L2 high stakes exams on pedagogy and learning, teacher factor, alignment of assessment internal and external to the classroom, mixed methods research
Article Text
Research has helped us understand that high stakes tests can have some sort of influence at the micro level on classroom practice and activity (whether the test is administered as part of a curriculum innovation, whether it is administered as an exit or certification test that claims to represent a curriculum, etc.) (Cheng et al., 2004).
The specific nature of this influence still needs clarification, and it appears due to its reported variation, that there are several factors that need to be looked at closely, systematically and critically (Alderson, 2004; McNamara, 2006). Whether high stakes tests can influence teacher beliefs and student performance is even less clear. Even though there is evidence to this effect, we still need more long-term and follow-up studies to learn about the nature of such claims (Davison, 2004; Shih, 2007).
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