Abstract:
Examining the effect of high-stakes tests on learners’ perceptions has been one of the strands of washback-related research. The present study purported to investigate the washback effect of the English section of the Iranian National University Entrance Exam (henceforth INUEE) on the pre-university students’ perceptions about the high-stakes test. The participants of the study were 218 female students at two pre-university schools in the city of Ahwaz, Iran. The data were collected through a validated questionnaire. Responses and reactions to the questions were found to be mixed: a sizeable segment of the students were positive about the INUEE, considering it a valid evaluator of academic knowledge and viewing the test as a factor which at least 'forced' them to study English. However, those with negative perceptions criticized the test for mainly being an evaluator of rote-memorization ability (rather than academic knowledge) and a major source of anxiety, and its multiple-choice testing format etc. The findings could be of pedagogic help and significance to policy makers, language testing scholars and teachers.
Machine summary:
Iranian Pre-university Students’ Perceptions towards the English Section of the Iranian National University Entrance Exam (INUEE): A Washback Study* Parviz Ajideh Professor, Tabriz University Leila Mahmoudi** Assistant Professor, Shahid Rajayee Teacher Training University, Tehran (Corresponding Author) Abstract Examining the effect of high-stakes tests on learners’ perceptions has been one of the strands of washback-related research.
The present study purported to investigate the washback effect of the English section of the Iranian National University Entrance Exam (henceforth INUEE) on the pre-university students’ perceptions about the high-stakes test.
Responses and reactions to the questions were found to be mixed: a sizeable segment of the students were positive about the INUEE, considering it a valid evaluator of academic knowledge and viewing the test as a factor which at least 'forced' them to study English.
In positive washback students are usually encouraged and motivated to work harder, teachers and learners fulfill their teaching and learning goals and teachers pay more attention to students’ interests and needs (Alderson &Wall, 1993).
Given the objective of the present study which is to investigate the washback effect of the INUEE on the pre-university students’ perceptions about the English section of the high-stakes test, a brief review of the studies dealing with learners’ perceptions towards the high-stakes tests is provided below.
The present study aims to be a step in this direction: to investigate the washback effect of the INUEE on the pre-university students’ perceptions about the high-stakes test.
The study, in fact, seeks to find the answer to the following research question: How does the INUEE affect students' perceptions towards English language learning?