L. Cheng, Y. Watanabe, and A. Curtis (eds): Washback in Language Testing: Research Contexts and Methods. Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates, 2004

Abstract

Cheng, Watanabe, and Curtis have in this compact edited volume consolidated an up-to-date international sampling of studies addressing current patterns of influence that language tests exert on teaching and learning practices, as well as on societal values. The book is made up of eleven short chapters arranged in two thematic areas describing methodological issues and case studies on washback. The book also speaks to issues of test ethics and good practice. Chapter 1 by Liying Cheng and Andy Curtis reviews the short history of washback in the field of language testing. This review outlines the connection between the notion of washback and issues of curriculum alignment. It also examines the potential influence of washback on systemic validity when there is a mismatch between what is taught and what is tested. This key chapter introduces the idea that washback may exert negative effects on pedagogical practices, but also that tests can in some cases create a catalyst for beneficial changes. In Chapter 2, Yoshinori Watanabe reviews qualitative research methodologies useful for washback studies. Early in the chapter, Watanabe calls for the standard for washback studies to be grounded in some form of observed data. Watanabe further points out the multi-dimensional complexity of the washback phenomenon. For each putative dimension, he outlines a componential taxonomy with sub-factors that are likely to influence how washback can be observed in context. Central in this methodological scheme is the need for verification through ‘member checking’ as a qualitative analogue to cross-validation. Stephen Andrews addresses in Chapter 3 the relation between washback and innovation. Readers are introduced to the notion of ‘measurement-directed instruction’. Andrews shows how different ideological assumptions interact with views on washback. For instance, tests may be seen as a beneficial tool for inducing external accountability by educational policy makers, while the same tests may be interpreted as a threat to advocates of teacher autonomy. Andrews’ overview chapter also suggests that when all stakeholders are canvassed, a possible net null washback effect may be the result. This chapter underscores the fact that washback can be a political issue that needs to be assessed from a number of perspectives.

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