VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES **** ĐINH MINH THU WASHBACK OF AN ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT TEST TO TEACHERS: A STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM (Nghiên cứu tác động dội ngược của bài thi tiếng Anh hết học phần lên giảng viên tại một trường Đại học ở Việt Nam) MAJOR: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 9140231.01 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching Supervisors: 1. DƯƠNG THU MAI HANOI, 2021 i ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work. To the best of my knowledge and belief it contains no materials published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at University of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University or any other educational institutions, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis.
I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed: Date: 05 January, 2021 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of this thesis, I am indebted and owe gratitude to many people whose names cannot all be mentioned here. Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the following individuals and organisations for their direct contributions. First, my heartfelt appreciation goes to my supervisors, Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen Van Trao and Doctor Duong Thu Mai, for their continuous and valuable support and guidance throughout these years of challenging academic work. They are really caring and inspiring supervisors.
They have generously been sharing their wisdom, expertise, time with me since my first day with my research. Their inspiration, constructive comments and strictness build me strongly in my academic life. Second, I am grateful to Doctor Huynh Anh Tuan, Dean of Postgraduate School for his instant, continuous and generous support. He has listened to my problems carefully and patiently and helped me solve them out.
Thanks were sent to the staff in the Post-graduate School, especially to Ms. Nguyen Ai Anh, for their valuable helps. Third, my special gratitude was expressed to four teacher participants at the researched university, who I do not mention their names here for the ethical considerations. Without their willingness, generosity, kind-heartedness and patience, I could not be able to enjoy comfortable classroom observations and interviews for the rich data sources of the thesis.
Fourthly, I owe thanks to my leaders, my colleagues and my students at my university. They gave me time, encouragement and understanding during the time I conducted this research. Finally, my wholehearted appreciation goes to my beloved family, especially my parents, my mother-in-law, my brother, my husband and my two children, for their endless unconditional love and sacrifices for me not only in the hard research time, but also in all my life. Without their emotional and material support, I had no anchors to complete this thesis.
iii ABSTRACT Premised in the field of language testing and assessment, this thesis examined the washback of an English achievement test on the teachers at a Vietnamese university. Washback was selected to research for its contribution to the fairness to students (Messick, 1996) and the education for language teachers (Cheng, 1999; Watanabe, 2004, etc. An English achievement test (EAT) in the research context was designed in the Vietnamese MoET's demand of innovating language testing and assessment at the tertiary level in the epoch of globalisation. The teachers became the informants for their key role in generating positive washback to promote students' learning (Antineskul & Sheveleva, 2015; Bailey, 1996, 1999; etc.
Two research questions were raised on the washback effects on the teachers' perceptions and practices correspondingly. The thesis conceptual framework was built up from the literature review, particularly from six washback theories proposed by Alderson and Wall (1993), Hughes (2003,) Bailey (1996), Bachman and Palmer (1996), Green (2007) and Shih (2009). Three major aspects with detailed sub- aspects were sketched out, which included washback on teachers’ perceptions and practices of the teaching contents, teaching methodology and professional development. The newly-developed framework was used to review the empirical research on washback on tertiary English language teachers.
The current research underwent a qualitative single case involving four teacher participants. A baseline study was conducted to shed light on the background factors for the research, which were contextual factors, test factors and teacher factors. The present study mainly exploited interviews, observations and follow- up interviews as the data collection instruments. Braun and Clarke (2006)’s six steps of thematic analysis were applied to the data analysis.
Findings and discussion were presented in terms of four aspects: (1) the teaching objectives, (2) teaching contents, (3) teaching methodology and (4) professional development under the EAT washback. With regards the teaching objectives, all the participants revealed their awareness of a dual target of support of the students’ test pass in accordance with improvement of their communicative ability. Their instructions in the first lessons were coherent with those iv stated in the perceptions interviews. In terms of the teaching contents, the core book “Complete PET” showed its pivotal significance in both teachers’ perceptions and practices.
In addition, the teaching methodology was changed when the EAT comprised the four language skills rather than two skills of the previous TOEIC test. The teachers stated their appreciation of the communicative language teaching while their practice was shaped with more features of the grammar-translation. In terms of the last aspect in concern, i.e, the teachers’ career development, while the teachers expected more training and sharing regarding the new test, few professional activities were witnessed throughout the research time. Positive washback was found in the teachers' alignment between the test contents and the taught contents, their positive feeling toward the textbook, and their motivator role, etc.
Negative washback evidence lay in the teachers' teaching-to-the-test, teacher-centred classes, etc. Most findings supported previous washback studies. New findings emerged, such as the relation between the teachers’ professional status and their perceptions and practices under the EAT. The thesis has made new contributions to the washback research area both theoretically and empirically.
Implications for classroom pedagogy, teacher education and further research have been provided in the conclusion. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ORIGINALITY STATEMENT. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.
x LIST OF FIGURES. xi LIST OF TABLES. Rationale for the Study. Why language testing and assessment?.
Why washback research?. Why Vietnamese teachers at the tertiary level in washback research?. Significance of the Study. Context of the Study in Vietnam.
Scope of the Study. Structure of the Study. Basic Testing-and-Assessment Concepts. Concepts of language testing and assessment.
Washback, Teachers’ Perceptions and Teachers’ Practices. Conceptualization of washback. Conditions for washback existence. The relationship between teachers’ perceptions and practices.
Proposed conceptual framework for the present study. Empirical Research on Washback on EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices at the Tertiary Level. An overview of the washback research on EFL tertiary teachers. Washback of tests on teachers’ perceptions of teaching at the tertiary level.
Washback of tests on teachers’ practices of teaching at the tertiary level. Rationales for the research design. Selection of the Case. Settings for the Case Study.
The Researcher’s Role. Data Collection Instruments. The review of documents. Semi-structured interviews.
Semi-structured classroom observations. Follow-up interviews. Data Analysis Procedures. Analysis of the interview data.
Analysis of the observation data and the post interview data. EAT Washback on the Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching at a University in Vietnam. The teaching objectives in the teachers’ perceptions of teaching. The necessity of supporting students’ success in the EAT.
The requirement of enhancing students’ communication ability. The teaching contents in the teachers’ perceptions of teaching. An appreciation of the textbook for students’ success in the EAT. The practicality of reducing the topics in the textbook to those in the EAT.
The teaching methodology in the teachers’ perceptions of teaching. The consolidation of communicative language teaching. More efforts in lesson planning in the presence of the EAT. A mix between English and Vietnamese as means of instruction.
The necessity of supplying EAT skills and format and linguistic input in teaching four language skills. The supportive role of in-class assessment for the EAT. An EAT orientation in homework but a limited homework amount. The professional development in the teachers’ perceptions of teaching.
Positive self-reflection. The need of more professional socialization. EAT Washback on the Teachers’ Practices of Teaching at a Vietnamese University. The teaching objectives in the teachers’ practices of teaching.
The teaching contents in the teachers’ practices of teaching. The teaching methodology in the teachers’ practices of teaching. Teaching four language skills. Prioritising the speaking skill.
Teaching the speaking skill. Teaching the listening skill, reading skill and writing skill. Treating the mock test. The professional development in the teachers’ practices of teaching.
The Relationship between the Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Teaching under the Washback of the EAT at a University in Vietnam. EAT Washback on the Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Teaching. EAT washback on the teachers’ perceptions of teaching of teaching. EAT washback on the teachers’ practices of teaching.
Factors Affecting the EAT Washback on Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Teaching. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS. Summary of Key Findings. EAT washback on the teachers’ perceptions of teaching at a university in Vietnam 169 6.
EAT washback on the teachers’ practices of teaching at a university in Vietnam. Implications for Classroom Pedagogy, Teacher Education and Research. Implications for classroom pedagogy. Implications for teacher education.
Implications for research. A SUMMARY TABLE OF EMPIRICAL WASHBACK RESEARCH. INTERVIEW GUIDLINE FOR TEACHER FACTORS. THE EAT FORMAT IN COMPARISON WITH THE PET FORMAT.
A SAMPLE OF THE EAT. A SAMPLE OF THE TEXTBOOK CONTENTS. A SAMPLE OF TEACHERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS. THE SYLLABUS FOR COURSE ENGLISH 2.
INFORMED LETTER OF CONSENT. WORKING SCHEDULES WITH PARTICIPATING TEACHERS. THE FIRST INTERVIEW GUIDELINE FOR TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS. THE SECOND INTERVIEW GUIDELINE FOR TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS.
A SAMPLE OF PERCEPTION INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. A SAMPLE OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATION TRANSCRIPTS. A SAMPLE OF FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. 250 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS B : Both perceptions and practices BEC Business English Certificate CEFR : Common European Framework for Reference CET : College English Test CO : Classroom Observation EAT : English achievement test EEE : Exit English Examination EEU : Entrance Exam of the Universities FI : Follow-up Interview HEIs : Higher education institutions HKCEE : Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination IELTS : International English Language Testing System Int : Interview INUEE : Iranian National University Entrance Exam MCQs : Multiple choice questions MoET : Ministry of Education and Training NMET : National Matriculation English Test Per : Perception(s) PD : Professional Development PET : Preliminary English Test Pra : Practice(s) QĐ-TTg : Quyết định của Thủ tướng Chính phủ SFRLV Six-Scale Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment for Vietnam Ss : Students TACS : Tiếng Anh cơ sở TOEIC : Test of English for International Communication UEEs : University entrance examinations VCEE.
: Vietnam’s College English Entrance Exam VSTEP : Vietnamese Standardised Test of English Proficiency xi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. Correspondence among test, assessment and teaching (Brown, 2004, p. Test usefulness (Bachman & Palmer, 1996, p. Bailey (1996)’s washback model.
Green (2007)’s washback model. Shih (2009)’s washback model .