This book adopts a multi-method and multi-phase approach to investigate
the washback effects of Test for English Majors (TEM) on program
administrators, teachers and students, shedding new light on TEM reform
and the reform of English teaching and learning in China. TEM, a
nationwide test used to measure the language proficiency of
undergraduate English majors in China, is a major standardized test
taken by nearly 400,000 students every year. The book's key features
include: an in-depth discussion of the nature of washback and a
framework for investigating it; a multi-method and multi-phase approach,
employing both the quantitative method of questionnaire surveys and the
qualitative methods of interviews and classroom observations;
large-scale questionnaire surveys conducted among experts, program
administrators, teachers and students, and involving over 30,000
participants; detailed assessments of TEM's washback effects on
stakeholders' perceptions, classroom teaching practice, students
learning activities, etc.; and essential insights into testing and
teaching reforms.
