A Comparative Investigation of Iran's NUEE Washback Effects on English Language Education at High Schools: A Cross Socio-Cultural Survey

Subject Areas : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English

Farhad Fathinejad ¹ , Behdokht Mall-Amiri ² , Hamid Marashi ³ , Mohaddeseh Amini Harsini ⁴

1 - Department of English, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of English, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of English, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Department of English, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2023-09-17 Accepted : 2023-09-30 Published : 2023-12-01

Keywords: Socio-cultural Perspective, Washback Effects, National University Entrance Exam,

Abstract :

This study aimed at investigating the washback effects of the English module of Iran's National University Entrance Exam (NUEE) on English language education at high schools of privileged and under-privileged areas as perceived by high school teachers and students. To this end, 472 high school students and 260 teachers from Tehran, Qom (privileged), Gharchak, and Varamin (under-privileged) were selected on a convenience sampling technique and were given a washback effects questionnaire to seek and compare their perspectives about NUEE washback effects. Utilizing t-tests on respondents' obtained scores, it was shown that the overall mean score obtained by teachers from privileged areas is significantly higher than that obtained by teachers from the under-privileged areas. In contrast, it was revealed that students from the under-privileged areas obtained a significantly higher mean score than those from the privileged areas. Further frequency counts and detailed content analyses revealed similarities and differences among the participants' perceptions regarding the diverse aspects of the washback effect.

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