MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES TONG THI LAN CHI WASHBACK EFFECTS OF HIGH-STAKES ENGLISH TESTS ON VIETNAMESE EFL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ TEACHING DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING HUE, 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES TONG THI LAN CHI WASHBACK EFFECTS OF HIGH-STAKES ENGLISH TESTS ON VIETNAMESE EFL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ TEACHING DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THESIS IN THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CODE: 9140111 SUPERVISOR: Assoc. PHAM THI HONG NHUNG HUE, 2024 DELCLARATION I certify that the present dissertation submitted entitled “Washback effects of high-stakes English tests on Vietnamese EFL high school teachers’ teaching” for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in theory and methodology of English language teaching, is the result of my own research and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree in any institute, college, or university, and previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the dissertation. Signature Tong Thi Lan Chi i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This PhD journey has profoundly transformed me. Returning to academic study after a decade since earning my MA degree in English linguistics from Hogskolan Dalarna (Sweden) and immersing myself in the realm of English language teaching theory and methodology has been both challenging and immensely rewarding.
While I relished acquiring valuable knowledge, personal hardships often clouded my path, tempting me to give up on several occasions. However, overcoming these struggles has made reaching the completion of this thesis a deeply emotional experience. I am immensely grateful to the numerous individuals who have taught me invaluable lessons of resilience and supported me along this journey. Though it is impossible to name them all, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to those whose encouragement and support made this journey possible.
First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my supervisor, Associate Professor Doctor Pham Thi Hong Nhung, for her unwavering guidance and invaluable support throughout this challenging journey. I am deeply grateful to her for not only sharing her expertise and wisdom but also for her empathy and encouragement. Without her guidance, this work would not have reached its final form. Also, I would like to extend my gratitude to the lecturers and professors at the University of Foreign Languages and International Studies (Hue University) for their patient and supportive guidance throughout my learning journey.
Their knowledge and insightful comments during lessons and seminars have been invaluable to me. Special thanks are also due to the high school teachers in Buon Ma Thuot City, whose names I refrain from mentioning here due to ethical considerations. Without their willingness and patience, I would not have been able to gather such valuable data for this study. ii Finally, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my colleagues and friends for their unwavering encouragement in my educational pursuits.
I am especially grateful to my two compassionate and supportive children, who have been my anchors during some of the stormiest moments of my life. iii ABSTRACT The study investigates the washback effects of high-stakes English tests, specifically within the framework of the National High School Graduation Exam (NHSGE), on the teaching practices of Vietnamese EFL high school teachers. Employing a mixed-method research design grounded in washback theory, the research explores three key dimensions of EFL teaching influenced by these tests: content coverage, instructional methods, and in-class assessment techniques. Data collection methods, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and teaching artifacts, provided comprehensive quantitative and qualitative insights from fifty-eight EFL teachers in Buon Ma Thuot city (Dak Lak province, Vietnam).
Firstly, the findings reveal significant negative washback effects, indicating that teachers closely align their instructional content and practices with NHSGE specifications. This alignment, driven by adherence to program distribution plans and the provision of test-oriented materials, highlights the pervasive influence of high-stakes testing on instructional decision-making. Secondly, teachers predominantly employ direct instruction and activities like grammar review and language games, reflecting a tendency to align teaching practices with NHSGE formats. Furthermore, assessment tasks are tailored to mirror NHSGE content, emphasizing vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills through limited test types such as multiple-choice quizzes and mini written tests.
These findings underscore the adverse washback effects of the NHSGE English tests on EFL teaching practices, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach to curriculum development and pedagogical training to mitigate these impacts. The study's insights are crucial for policymakers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, and test designers, advocating for the implementation of contextually relevant strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of high stakes testing and promote effective EFL teaching practices. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CLT Communicative language teaching DOET Department of Education and Training EFL English as a foreign language ESL English as a second language HW homework MOET Ministry of Education and Training NHSGE National high school graduation exam TLU Target language use v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.
v TABLE OF CONTENTS. vi LIST OF FIGURES. x LIST OF TABLES. Background of the study.
Rationale for the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study. Organization of the study.
Washback effects: definitions, dimensions, factors, and models. Definitions of washback effects. Factors generating test washback. EFL teaching: definition and aspects of teaching.
Definitions of EFL teaching. Common EFL teaching principle, methods, strategies, and aspects of EFL teaching. Empirical research on washback of high-stakes tests. Empirical insights into teacher factors contributing to washback effects.
Empirical insights into aspects of EFL teaching under the washback of high stakes tests. Conceptual framework for washback effects of the NHSGE English high- stakes tests on Vietnamese EFL teachers’ teaching. Review of the test factors of the NHSGE English tests. Conceptual framework for analyzing the washback effects of the NHSGE English tests on teaching.
Research settings and participants. The researcher’s roles. Follow-up semi-structured interviews. EFL teaching artifacts.
Data gathering and analysis procedures. Data gathering procedures. Validity and reliability. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
The teacher factors that are affected by the NHSGE English tests and related contextual factors. The teachers’ perceptions of contextual factors. The teachers’ perception of the NHSGE English test factors. The teachers’ perspective of effective teaching and test preparation.
Washback effects of the NHSGE English tests on EFL teaching aspects as perceived by the teachers. Washback effects on what teachers teach. Washback effects on how teachers teach. Washback effects on how teachers conduct in-class assessment.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS. Summary of key findings. Teacher factors contributing to the washback effects of the NHGSE English tests. Washback effects of the NHSGE English tests on EFL teaching.
Limitations of the study and recommendation for further research. 134 viii LIST OF AUTHOR’S WORK. Hoang’s et al. (2020) English 12 book map.
The official interview protocol. A sample interview transcript. The English 12 Program Distribution Plan Used in School X. A sample lesson plan.
170 ix LIST OF GRIDS Grid 2. Contextual Factors Generating Test Washback (Shih, 2009). Hughes’s (1993) Washback Model. Bailey’s (1996) Washback Model.
Washback Model by Shih (2009). Conceptual Framework for Washback Effects of the NHSGE English Tests on EFL Teaching. Research Design of the Current Study. Stages For Data Gathering and Analysis.
72 x LIST OF TABLES Table 2. Test Factors That Generate Washback (Shih, 2009). Teacher Factors That Generate Washback (Shih, 2009). Alderson and Wall’s (1993) Washback Hypothesis.
The Format of the English Tests in the NHSGE from 2015- 2022. Writing Task Sample in the 2015- 2016 and 2017-2022 Versions of the NHSGE. Test Tasks in the 2017-2022 NHSGE English Tests (MOET, 2017-2022). The Content of the 2017 NHSGE English Tests (MOET, 2017).
Demographic Information of the Participants (n=58). Descriptions of the Questionnaire. Predetermined Interview Themes and Tentative Questions. Summary of the Teachers’ Responses on Perception of Contextual Factors.
Content Prescription for Teaching and Learning English 12 (MOET, 2018). A Part of the English 12 Program Distribution Plan Used in School X. Summary of the Teachers’ Overall Evaluation of their 12th Graders’ English Competence. Summary of the Participants’ Responses on their Perception of the NHSGE Factors.
Summary of Teachers’ Viewpoint on Effective Teaching and Test Preparation. Summary of the Participants’ Responses on “What to Teach”. Summary of the Teachers’ Responses on “How Teachers Teach”. Summary of Teachers’ Responses on “How Teachers Conduct In-Class Assessment Tasks”.
A Mini Test Used in School Y. A Quiz used in School Z. INTRODUCTION This chapter serves as an introduction to the current thesis, providing an overview of the study's background and rationale to elucidate the motivations behind its undertaking. It articulates the study's purpose and research questions, offering a thorough overview of the study's scope, contribution, and organizational structure.
Background of the study In Vietnam, the educational system operates under a centralized structure, where national-level educational policies are formulated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The Ministry is tasked with setting standards, compiling, editing, and determining official textbooks used across general education nationwide. Moreover, the Ministry exercises supervision on teaching content and methodologies for each subject within the educational program. This supervision is facilitated through the issuance of a secondary educational program (referred to as "chương trình giáo dục phổ thông" in Vietnamese) for each subject, with the current program established in 2018 (MOET, 2018).
These programs outline educational objectives, content (themes, topics), teaching methods, and assessment criteria to be adhered to by schools nationwide. Within the general education program, particular emphasis has been placed on foreign languages among the various subjects that students are required to learn. Ministry regulations stipulate five foreign languages—English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese—are officially introduced to Vietnamese students, beginning from grade 3 (or grade 1 under specific conditions). Additionally, in 2021, two more foreign languages, Korean and German, were incorporated into the options for students, allowing for a more diverse range of choices.
This inclusion was experimentally implemented in accordance with Decision no. 712/ BGD&ĐT, issued on February 9, 2021, by the Ministry of Education and Training. 1 Despite the Ministry's endeavors to introduce a variety of foreign languages at the general education level, English remains the predominant foreign language taught and learned in Vietnamese schools. Several factors contribute to the widespread interest in English, notably its role as a language for global integration and business transactions.
However, it is apparent that the English proficiency of Vietnamese individuals, particularly the younger demographic, falls short of the expectations and requirements of the labor market, in contrast to neighboring countries such as Thailand or the Philippines. As outlined by Nguyen (2013), the experts involved in Project 2020 identified that 98% of Vietnamese students, having undergone seven years of English education (from grade 6 to grade 12, aged 11–18), were unable to utilize the language for basic communication. These findings served as the impetus for the issuance of the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1400/QĐ-TTg, titled "Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System, Period 2008 to 2020" (commonly referred to as the National Foreign Language Project 2020 by the public).
The objectives of the National Foreign Language Project were as follows: by the year 2015, to achieve significant progress in professional skills and language proficiency among human resources, particularly in prioritized sectors; by 2020, to ensure that the majority of Vietnamese students graduating from secondary, vocational schools, colleges, and universities can confidently use a foreign language in their daily communication, studies, and work within an integrated, multicultural, and multilingual environment.