Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan
Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

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Washback or backwash? Revisiting the status quo of washback and test impact in EFL contexts Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 8, No 3 (2021)
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | Full PDF (464.781 KB) | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v8i3.21406

Abstract

It has been argued in the literature on (language) testing that any act of testing/assessment can impact (a) educators’ curriculum design, (b) teachers’ teaching practices, and (c) students’ learning behaviors. This quality of any given testing situation or act of assessment has been called washback, or backwash if you will. Washback falls into the two categories of positive or negative—that is, beneficial or harmful. After an overview of the existing scholarly knowledge on washback, this paper argues that washback is not necessarily a test quality. Drawing on the notion of test method facets, the paper lends support to claims that see washback as a main function of teaching, learning, and policy-making situations or conditions rather than a quality of any given test. The paper also argues that the concepts of facet design and analysis including formal research designs, structural hypothesis testing, and measurement are inevitable and inescapable in any comprehensive model of washback. A possible borderline between backwash and washback is also proposed. 
Native experts and reputable journals as points of reference: A study on research-article discussions Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 10, No 2 (2023)
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v10i2.29282

Abstract

The current study sought to compare the rhetorical moves and steps that native-English-speaking and Iranian authors of research articles (RAs) employ in writing up the ‘discussion’ sections of their RAs. It was hypothesized that the latter group is not as proficient in writing RA discussions as the former group. A total of 66 (N=66) RA discussions from three reputable international academic journals and three Iranian journals were sampled from years 2009 to 2019. This corpus was then analyzed by three human coders who used Yang and Allison’s (2003) rhetorical move analysis model for scoring the sampled RA discussions. Results showed stark differences between Iranian and native RA writers; the majority of the rhetorical moves and steps that are considered obligatory or conventional by the native group are seen as options by the Iranian group. With the native group and the reputable international journals being the standard points of reference, it was concluded that Iranian authors of RAs lack the professional knowledge and expertise prerequisite to writing standard RA discussions. It is recommended (a) that non-native authors of RAs receive professional training for writing standard discussions, and (b) that journal editors be more sensitive to rhetorical moves and steps before they accept a submission for publication. 
Washback or backwash? Revisiting the status quo of washback and test impact in EFL contexts Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan
Studies in English Language and Education Vol 8, No 3 (2021)
Publisher : Universitas Syiah Kuala

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24815/siele.v8i3.21406

Abstract

It has been argued in the literature on (language) testing that any act of testing/assessment can impact (a) educators’ curriculum design, (b) teachers’ teaching practices, and (c) students’ learning behaviors. This quality of any given testing situation or act of assessment has been called washback, or backwash if you will. Washback falls into the two categories of positive or negative—that is, beneficial or harmful. After an overview of the existing scholarly knowledge on washback, this paper argues that washback is not necessarily a test quality. Drawing on the notion of test method facets, the paper lends support to claims that see washback as a main function of teaching, learning, and policy-making situations or conditions rather than a quality of any given test. The paper also argues that the concepts of facet design and analysis including formal research designs, structural hypothesis testing, and measurement are inevitable and inescapable in any comprehensive model of washback. A possible borderline between backwash and washback is also proposed.