The Washback Effect

This article aimed at presenting a comprehensive overview of three interrelated concepts of washback, impact and validity in language testing and a myriad of studies conducted at different places to investigate the influence of testing on teachers and teaching, textbooks, learners and learning, attitudes toward testing, test preparation behaviors, etc.. Some of these studies present the results of various investigations on the influence of a national English examination on the local English language teaching and learning due to its high-stakes nature in particular countries such as Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Japan, Romania, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. Some others cover a wide range of worldwide investigation on English testing such as the IELTS, TOEFL, and MECC. Moreover, there is a complete report of several important projects appointed by major testing agencies such as Cambridge ESOL and Educational Testing Services (ETS) on washback and impact studies. The article proceeds by reviewing the relevant literature on test validation which is a key concept in language testing domain since it is concerned with test interpretation and use. This domain is characterized and enriched by studies of washback and impact.

Given that the Omani government has undertaken in recent decades a massive education reform to improve, among other things, the English level of Omani students, it is now time to evaluate how the system is faring, where it is failing and why. Under the new Education system enacted in 1998, Omani students begin learning English from grade one with the aim that, by grade twelve, students know enough English to be able to study at a university level in English. Unfortunately, a vast majority of students who enter university in Oman are forced to enroll in one to three semesters of intensive English classes, simply to get them up to a functional English level before starting credit courses. This study sought to investigate why, with all the control that the government exerts over the education of its students, and, with the twelve years of English education that Omani students undergo, Omani students still struggle with the English language. 
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The new trends in language testing towards the effect of testing in language learning and teaching helped in emerging a new concept ''washback'' or ''backwash'' to reflect the vital role that tests play, positively or negatively, in language learning and teaching. This study aims to investigate the washback effect of Yemeni General Secondary School Certificate English Examination (YGSSCEE) on teachers' teaching practices and classroom testing. The research methodology was quantitative approach design. Interview was used as a research instrument. The population of this study was 21 of English language teachers at Yemeni secondary schools namely: Aden, Abyan and Lahj. The study used purposive sampling method. The findings of the study revealed that teachers' teaching practices and classroom testing were, negatively, influenced by YGSSCEE. Most of the teachers used grammar translation method instead of implementation of communicative language teaching that was emphasized by Crescent English Course 6 for Yemen (CEC6Ym). Most of the teachers adapted the classroom tests from the past YGSSCEE papers. Reading, writing and grammar were given more emphasis; while listening skill was totally skipped in language teaching and testing. Most of the teachers considered the YGSSCEE as a role model in language teaching and testing in classrooms.

A teacher’s self-perception and identity are shaped by the test accountability context where they teach. Although research on washback effect and teacher-related factors is not an uncharted territory, investigating the nexus of high-stakes tests and teachers’ professional identity has been kept at the margins. In response to this gap, the present study examined the washback effect of IELTS examination on Iranian EFL instructors’ professional identity. To this end, at the beginning of the study, a professional identity questionnaire was administered on 120 IELTS instructors to determine the relationship between EFL teachers’ IELTS Related Experiences and their Professional Identity. Likewise, 15 IELTS instructors were closely examined at the outset of their IELTS course and at its end to examine the change in their perceptions. Regarding the qualitative phase, the researchers carried out a semi-structured interview with all 15 instructors. The results of t-test and Wilcoxon Signed Ra...