Students’ Perceptions of the washback Effect of Highe-Stakes Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate English Examination on Learning
Abstract
Examining students' impressions of the High-stakes Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate English Examination's washback effect on learning was the study's main goal. It also sought to determine whether students' academic accomplishments affected how they perceived the washback effect of the exam on their learning. A mixed-approach descriptive survey research design was used to solve the problems. We collected data via a questionnaire, targeted group discussions, and document analysis. The data was collected using random sampling from two schools: Arjo and Leka Nekemte secondary schools which are found in East Wallaga zone, Oromia regional state of Ethiopia. Using the statistical package for the social sciences version 20 to survey 94 students, descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to evaluate quantitative data. The study of the data extracted from the focused group discussions of the students was qualitatively interpreted. The results demonstrated that the students' impressions of the Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate English Examination washback on the aim of learning English, textbook content, and material choices are noted. There were no statistically significant variations on the learning objective of English and students' textbook with regard to perceptual disparities among students due to their academic achievements. On the students' selection of resources, however, there were statistically significant disparities. The results suggested that the English portion of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate has a detrimental impact on pupils' learning. Teachers should therefore complete tasks on how to encourage positive washback with their students, the Ethiopian National Educational Assessment and Examination Agency, and curriculum designers for English.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Salehi, H., & Yunus, Md. (2012). The washback effect of the Iranian universities entrance exam: teachers’ insights. Jounal of Language Studies 12(2), 609-628.
Islam, M.S., Hasan M.K., Sultana, S., Karim, A., & Rahman, M. M. (2021). English language assessment in Bangladesh today: principles, practices, and problem. Language Testing in Asia, 11(1), 2-21.
Heaton, J. (1990). Classroom Testing. London: Longman.
Cheng , L., & Curtis, A. (2004). Washback or backwash: A review of the impact of testing on teaching and learning: Washback in language testing: Research contexts and methods. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Manjarres, N. B. (2005). Washback of the foreign language test of the state examinations in Colombia: A case study. Arizona Working Papers in SLAT, 12(2005), 1-19.
Cheng, L. (2005). Changing language teaching through language testing: A Washback study. Cambridge: CUP.
Beikmahdavi, N. (2016). Washback in language testing: Review of related literature first. International Journal of Modern Language Teaching and Learning, 1(4), 130-136.
Brown, J. D., & Bailey, K. M. (2008). Language testing courses: What are they in 2007? Language Testing, 25(3), 349–383.
Alderson, J. C., & Wall, D. (1993). Does washback exist? Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 115-129.
Andrews, S. (2004). Washback and Innovation. In L. Cheng Y. Watanabe and A. Curtis (Eds.), Washback in Language Testing (pp. 37-50). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Association.
Alderson, J. C., & Hamp-Lyons, L. (1996). TOEFL preparation courses: A study of washback. Language Testing, 13(3), 280-297.
Bailey, K. M. (1996). Working for washback: A review of the washback concept in language testing. Language testing, 13(3), 257-279.
Cheng, L. (2008). Washback, impact and consequences. In E. Shohamy & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education, 2nd edition, Volume 7: Language Testing and Assessment (pp. 349-364). New York: Springer.
Henning, G. (1987). A guide to language testing, development, evaluation, research. New York: Newbury House.
Hughes, A. (2003). International comparisons of intermediate skills: Learning & Skills Research Journal, 6(4) pp. 5-9.
Lumley, T., & Stoneman, B. (2000). Conflicting perspectives on the role of test preparation in relation to learning? Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 50-80.
Wall, D. (2000). The impact of high-stakes testing on teaching and learning: Can this be predicted or controlled? System, 28(2000), 499-509.
Spratt, M. (2005). Washback and the classroom: the implications for teaching and learning of studies of washback from exams, Language Teaching Research, 9(1), 5- 29.
Tsagari, D. (2007). Investigating the Washback effect of the FCE examination (Cambridge/ESOL) in Greece. Greece: UCLES.
Ghorbani, M. R. (2008). The washback effect of the university entrance examination on Iranian English teachers’ curricular planning and instruction. Iranian EFL Journal, 2.
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.
McNamara, T. (2000). Language Testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pearson, I. (1988). Tests as levers of change (or 'putting first things first'). In D. Chamberlain & R. Baumgartner (Eds.), ESP in the classroom: Practice and evaluation (pp. 98-107). London: Modem English Publications in association with the British Council.
Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of tests: A critical perspective on the use of language tests. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Cheng, L (1998). Impact of a Public English examination Change on Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Their English Learning, Studies in Educational Evaluation 24, 279–301.
Read, J. & Hayes, B. (2003). The impact of IELTS on preparation for academic study in New Zealand. IELTS International English Language Testing System Research Reports, 4, 153-206.
Shohamy, E. Donitsa-Schmidt, S., & Ferman, I. (1996). Test impact revisited: Washback effect over time. Language Testing, 13(3), 298.
Green, A. (2007). IELTS washback in context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Xie, Q. (2015). Do Component Weighting and Testing Method Affect Time Management and Approaches to test Preparation? A Study on the Washback Mechanism, System, 50, 56-68.
Taylor, L. (2005). Washback and Impact. ELT Journal, 59(2), 154-155.
Stoneman, B. W. H. (2006). The impact of an exit English test on Hong Kong undergraduates: A study investigating the effects of test status on students’ test preparation behaviours. Unpublished PhD dissertation, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Watanabe, Y. (2004). Washback effects of the English section of the Japanese university entrance examinations on instruction in pre-college level EFL. Language Testing Update, 27, 42-47.
Friska, Y., & Setiawan, I. (20018). Students’ Perceptions towards National Examination: A Washback Study. Academic Journal PERSPECTIVE: Language, Education and Literature, 6 (2), 144-158.
Oğuz, M. K., Demirogları,G., & Demirogları, B. (2020). Washback effect of higher education institution examforeign language test on university candidates’ attitudes. African Educational Research Journal, 8 (2), 121-130.
Nahdia, K., & Trisanti, N., (2019). Examining Washback of National Examination: EFL Teachers and Students’ Perceptions. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 188, 273-277.
Dejene Leta. (1990). Achievement, Washback and Proficiency in School Leaving Examination: A Case of Innovation in an Ethiopian Setting. Ph.D. Thesis. Lancaster University of Lancaster.
Dereje Negede. (2002). An Investigation of the Washback Effect of the Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate (ESLEC) English Language Examination. MA thesis. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University.
Melkamu Abate. (2007). The Washback Effect of Grade Ten English Language (EGSEC) Examination. MA thesis. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University.
Kassa Mihretie. (2007). An Exploration of the Washback Effect of the Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Certificate Examination (EHEECE) of English Language. MA thesis. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University.
Deribe Degefu (2017). The Washback Effect of Ethiopian General Secondary Education Certificate English Examination (Egsecee) On Students’ Learning Preference: The Case of Shirka Secondary School. MA thesis. Adama: Adama Science and Technology University.
Simachew Gashaye (212). Washback of the University entrance English exam (SSLCEE) on teachers’ and students’ practices: The Case of Preparatory Schools in Amhara National Regional State (PhD dissertation). Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University.
Simachew Gashaye (2020). THE WASHBACK OF THE ENGLISH NATIONAL EXAMINATION FOR GRADES 9 AND 10 ON TEACHING PRACTICES IN ETHIOPIA: A CASE STUDY OF DEBRE MARKOS SECONDARY SCHOOLS. International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 9 (2), 106-120.
Simachew Gashaye (2021). The Washback of the Ethiopian National English Examination (ENEE) for Grade 10 on Students’ Practice: Debre Markos Secondary Schools on Focus. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 11 (7), 780-787.
Cohen, L. Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.) London: Routledge.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Punch, K.F. (2005). Introduction to social research: quantitative and qualitative approaches (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v10i7.5024
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2023 International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
https://ijmmu.com
editor@ijmmu.com
facebook.com/ijmmu
Copyright © 2014-2018 IJMMU. All rights reserved.