Teaching to the Test in the English Language Classroom: Development of a Measurement Instrument

Description

Standardized tests are increasingly used to compare test results between students, schools, and countries (Maag Merki, 2015; Copp, 2018). Consequently, studies report washback or backwash effects (Alderson & Wall, 1993; Spratt, 2005): influences of the implementation of standardized tests on the whole learning environment (e.g., teachers, classrooms, and students; Cheng et al., 2004). Current research examining washback effects reported teachers feeling obliged to teach more authoritarian and focus on test preparation strategies to increase their students’ scores, especially in high-stakes tests (Clarke et al., 2003; Stecher, 2002). Even though scoring high might be beneficial for students’ nearer future, many educators fear that this so-called “teaching to the test” (TTT) approach might bring negative consequences for students’ learning behavior and skill acquisition (Lobascher, 2011; Welsh et al., 2014). However, the impacts of TTT on student variables remain an under-examined aspect, especially in language learning, and the concept itself lacks clear conceptualization, as, in current literature, there is wide variation as to what practices TTT consists of. Further, studies on TTT have merely focused on teacher statements, ignoring students’ perspectives, and neglecting the possibility that students perceive TTT as a helpful strategy for language acquisition rather than negative and monotonous. The current study therefore had two objectives: first, to comprehensively define TTT via an extensive literature review and confirmation through empirical testing, while focusing on students’ perceptions. Second, to provide researchers with a tool to assess TTT practices within the context of foreign language learning. To do so, we developed a comprehensive measurement instrument for the students’ perspective.