The Monthly-test Washback Effect On English Teaching And Learning

The effect of testing on teaching and learning is known as washback. Washback or impact of language testing has become a major area of study within language testing field. Numerous studies have been made on the washback on large-scale or high-stakes tests, yet few empirical studies have been conducted to find out what washback a monthly-test has on teachers' teaching and students' learning in senior high school.Due to the scanty of empirical studies into the washback effect small tests like the monthly test have on teaching and learning, the purpose of the present study is to investigate what washback a monthly-test has on teachers' teaching and students' learning and the extent of that washback. This is the reason for the present research which addresses the following questions: Q 1 Does monthly-test have washback on teachers' teaching and students' learning? Q 2 If it has, what washback does it have?With questionnaires, interviews and classroom observation used as methodologies, the present study involves 278 students, 20 teachers, and 58 parents in total. With all the dimensions available studied in depth, this study arrives at some major findings. One is that the monthly-test exerts both positive effects and negative effects on the teaching and learning in senior high school. And the washback is stronger on those students who have better academic performance.Moreover, the result of the present study indicates that monthly-test has an impact on teachers' teaching as well. Monthly-test urge teachers to draw conclusions on every test on a regular basis, which helps teachers to grow mature in their teaching and gain more experience.In regards of the relationship between teachers' teaching and students' learning, teachers would make adjustment in the teaching contents, time allocation, and classroom activities for the purpose of making preparations for the monthly-test. Meanwhile, on the other hand, teacher has an impact on the students, whose instruction may affect students' learning as well. From another angle, students' performance may exert an influence on the design of the test and teachers' teaching. That is, if the average students do well in English, the difficulty of a test will be higher, otherwise, it will be lower so as to ensure that most of the student would not perform too badly in the test.The washback of a monthly-test on parents indicates that due to the importance they attach to the scores, parents would transfer the pressure of the test to their children, the test-takers, thus adding to their stress.