Do you know washback?

Definition of washback

The way in which examinations influence teaching and learning is commonly described as “washback” or “backwash”.  According to Likewise Anderews (1994a) comments on the backwash versus washbacknomenclature, Based on his own review of the literature, he comments that “In general education  literature, the favoured  term to describe this phenomenon is ‘backwash’, while in language education there seems to be preference for ‘washback’”.

Type of wasback

	Classroom Settings	Educational / Societal System
(+)	Test induce teachers to cover their subjects more thoroughly, making them complete their syllabi within the prescribed time limits.       Test motivate students to work harder to have a sense of accomplishment and thus enhance learning.       Good test can be utilized and designed as beneficial teaching – learning processes.	Decision makers use the authority power of high – stakes testing to achieve the goals of teaching and learning, such as the introduction of new textbooks and new curricula.
(- )	Test encourage teachers to narrow the curriculum and lose instructional time, leading to “teaching to the test.”       Test bring anxiety both to teachers and students and distort their performance.       Student may not be able to learn real life knowledge, but instead learn discrete points of knowledge that are tested.       Cramming will lead students to have a negative positive toward tests and accordingly alter learning motivation.	Decision makers overwhelmingly use tests to promote their political agendas and to seize influence and control of educational systems.