ERIC Number: EJ1029234
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0969-594X
EISSN: N/A
Washback Effects from a High-Stakes Examination on Out-of-Class English Learning: Insights from Possible Self Theories
Zhan, Ying; Andrews, Stephen
Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, v21 n1 p71-89 2014
There is still limited understanding of the impact of high-stakes examinations on students' out-of-class learning. The current study attempts to fill this research gap by addressing this issue in the context of tertiary education in Mainland China. The study examines how far the revised College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) actually influenced Chinese non-English-major undergraduates' out-of-class learning by following three cases in one university from the day when they began their college English study to the day when they sat the examination. A total of 106 diary entries and 30 post-diary interview recordings were collected in the study. The data analysis shows that, under the influence of the target test, the informants were more likely to change what they learnt than how they learnt. Furthermore, the types of washback seemed to be closely related to how individuals imagined their possible CET-4 selves.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, High Stakes Tests, English (Second Language), Language Tests, College English, Undergraduate Students, Learning, Case Studies, Diaries, Interviews
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A