ERIC Number: EJ1116420
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jul
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0313-5373
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Washback of the TOEFL iBT in Vietnam
Barnes, Melissa
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v41 n7 Article 10 p158-174 Jul 2016
Washback, or the influence of testing on teaching and learning, has received considerable attention in language testing research over the past twenty years. It is widely argued that testing, particularly high-stakes testing, exerts a powerful influence, whether intended or unintended, positive or negative, on both teachers and learners. This article investigates the washback effects of a high-stakes English language proficiency test, the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT), in Vietnam. Vietnam, a developing country whose educational philosophies differ from those underpinning the TOEFL iBT, provided a unique context to explore the test's washback. In the course of this study, four teachers were observed and teaching materials were collected from educational institutions in Vietnam. The study revealed that the TOEFL iBT influenced both what the teachers taught and how they taught but its effects were mediated by the use of test preparation materials.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Language Tests, Language Proficiency, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Online Courses, Observation, Language Teachers, Instructional Materials, Internet, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Program Effectiveness, Curriculum, Teaching Methods, Second Language Learning, Case Studies
Edith Cowan University. Bradford Street, Mount Lawley, West Australia 6050, Australia. Web site: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Vietnam
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Test of English as a Foreign Language
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A