Targeting washback - A case-study

Abstract

The paper focuses on the effects of changes to high-stakes tests on the performance of those who take them. These effects are explored within the specific context of the Hong Kong Advanced Supplementary (AS) 'Use of English' (UE) oral examination. The UE is taken in students' final year of schooling (Secondary 7), and a pass is a prerequisite for admission to university. A two-phase study was set up to shed light on two questions: 1. Is the addition of an oral component to the UE exam influencing students' spoken English performance at the end of Secondary 7? 2. Is the impact of the test innovation on student performance immediate, or delayed? The results of the study seem to indicate that the introduction of the UE Oral is exerting some influence on students' performance in spoken English, and that the impact of the test on student performance is delayed. However, the precise nature of the washback seems to vary from student to student. In some cases, the test may have led to improved performance, but in others only to superficial learning outcomes, such as the ability to conform to the requirements of the exam format, or to produce memorised phrases. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.