Teaching English to the Test: Why Does Negative Washback Exist within Secondary Education in Bangladesh?

Ali, Md. Maksud; Hamid, M. Obaidul

doi:10.1080/15434303.2020.1717495

Cited by 39 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Beyond this linear simplistic causal relationship between washback and instruction, washback also has socio-political, economic, and psychological effects (Al Amin & Greenwood, 2018aAli & Hamid, 2020). Examinations in Bangladesh have powerful impacts on teachers, students, parents, and the overall society (Al Amin & Greenwood, 2018a.…”

Section: Washback: a Trajectory Of Backward Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From this evidence, we can figure out how much power tests hold in Bangladesh. Coupled with this, the washback effects are also aggravated by the political agenda of the governments since to fulfill their electoral commitment of improving education in the country, demonstrating enhanced passing rate through the standardized tests is a common practice (Ali & Hamid, 2020). This practice has implications in English language teaching in Bangladesh since the English teachers often feel obligated to prepare the students for the test.…”

Section: Washback: a Trajectory Of Backward Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Challenges In English Language Assessment: Hurdles To Crossmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worst of all, the assessment practices compromise with the social expectations of the parents and students, such as their expectation of high grades (Ali & Hamid, 2020). According to Ali and Hamid (2020), these social expectations influence the schools and the teachers, and therefore, they adopt assessment methods compatible with "teaching to the test" at the cost of "teaching to the students" (Volante, 2004). This kind of compromise poses threat to the ethics in educational assessment, a significant principle that establishes fairness in assessment (Green, Johnson, Kim, & Pope, 2007;Johnson, Green, Kim, & Pope, 2008;Pope, Green, Johnson, & Mitchell, 2009;Ryan, 1997).…”

Section: Challenges In English Language Assessment: Hurdles To Crossmentioning

confidence: 99%

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English language assessment in Bangladesh today: principles, practices, and problems

et al. 2021

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The achievement of curriculum goals and objectives, to a large extent, depends on how assessment methods are designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. English language learning in Bangladesh has miserably failed, and ineffective assessment methods may be largely attributed to this failure. This paper attempts to address various aspects and issues of English language assessment in Bangladesh in relation to English language learning as a curricular reform and the education policy of the country. The analysis revealed that there was always a gap between the principles of assessment embedded into the curriculum and the actual assessment practices. Furthermore, heavily hard hit by the high-stakes testing, the curriculum, the learners, and the instructors need to be liberated from this vicious policy. The review concluded with a recommendation that teachers need to develop assessment literacy through teacher education programs that are essential to helping teachers to acquire knowledge, skills, professionalism, and assessment expertise.

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Section: Washback: a Trajectory Of Backward Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Washback: a Trajectory Of Backward Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Challenges In English Language Assessment: Hurdles To Crossmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Challenges In English Language Assessment: Hurdles To Crossmentioning

confidence: 99%

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English language assessment in Bangladesh today: principles, practices, and problems

et al. 2021

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“…Besides, there is a lack of sufficient evidence to confirm its existence and especially the nature of its effect in the context of the current study (Nuby et al, 2019;Nur & Islam, 2018;Sultana, 2019). Literature indicates that there are certain shortcomings in the field of language testing in Bangladesh with regard to washback: paucity of empirical studies and lack of students' perspectives in the washback studies (Ali & Hamid, 2020;Nuby et al, 2019;Rahman et al, 2019Sultana, 2019). Moreover, previous researchers of the current context suggested future researchers to evaluate the contents of the tests while studying washback (see Rahman et al, 2019;Sultana, 2018).…”

Section: Research Gapmentioning

confidence: 86%

Washback of assessment on English teaching-learning practice at secondary schools

et al. 2021

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This paper presents the findings of a study which aimed at exploring the washback of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) English examinations on English teaching and learning practice at secondary schools in Bangladesh. For this purpose, a qualitative research (employing interviews with English teachers, FGDs with students and classroom observations protocol) was conducted in 12 secondary schools. The results from data analysis indicate that the SSC English tests had strong negative washback on English teaching-learning practice at secondary schools resulting from a lack of a congruence between the objectives of the curriculum and the format of the tests, teachers’ lack of adequate understanding about the curriculum and present assessment system, respondents’ negative attitudes towards the test, and pressure from the schools and the parents to ensure good grades in the final examination. Consequently, teachers and learners adopted such teaching and learning approaches which are highly examination-oriented. The study puts forward some suggestions on how positive washback could be generated. The findings of the study have implications for the decision makers, designers of curricula, assessment and testing, teachers, and teacher trainers involved in the Bangladeshi educational system and elsewhere.

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Datafication, Teachers' Dispositions and English Language Teaching in Bangladesh: A Bourdieuian Analysis

Ali

2022

TESOL Quarterly

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The use of (test) performance data for governing school and teachers' work, defined as datafication, has emerged as a global trend in education. However, how this trend plays out in relation to English language education in the local context, particularly in developing societies, has not received notable attention. Taking Bangladesh secondary education as a case, and drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual resources, this study highlights how datafication unfolds in schooling contexts and examines the “relations” between this trend and English language teachers' dispositions and pedagogical practices. The study employs a qualitative case study and draws on principal and teacher interviews, and classroom observation as data sources. Findings reveal that datafication has emerged as a practical logic of the schooling field, guiding schools and teachers' dispositions in specific ways, which contribute to reductive practices. Data also indicate teachers' capacity to mediate between competing logics and innovate practices, which are situated and “local.” Based on these findings, this article argues that understanding the interplay between the specific logics of schooling, language education policy and teachers' structuring dispositions is key not only to understanding the nature of pedagogical practices, but also to establishing meaningful “relations” between policy and schooling practices amid growing datafication.

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Teaching English to the Test: Why Does Negative Washback Exist within Secondary Education in Bangladesh?

Cited by 39 publications

References 24 publications

English language assessment in Bangladesh today: principles, practices, and problems

English language assessment in Bangladesh today: principles, practices, and problems

Washback of assessment on English teaching-learning practice at secondary schools

Datafication, Teachers' Dispositions and English Language Teaching in Bangladesh: A Bourdieuian Analysis

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