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Investigating Thai EFL teachers' beliefs and the washback of a national English test on pedagogical practices |
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| รหัสดีโอไอ | |
| Title | Investigating Thai EFL teachers' beliefs and the washback of a national English test on pedagogical practices |
| Creator | Chachchaya Tungtontrakoon |
| Contributor | Monthon Kanokpermpoon, Advisor |
| Publisher | Thammasat University |
| Publication Year | 2568 |
| Keyword | Washback effects, Teacher beliefs, TGAT1 (English communication), Thai EFL teachers, Pedagogical practices, High-stakes testing |
| Abstract | This study investigated Thai EFL upper-secondary teachers’ beliefs regarding the TGAT1 (English communication) and the washback effects of the test on their pedagogical practices. The study addressed two research questions: (1) What are Thai EFL upper-secondary teachers’ beliefs regarding the TGAT1 (English communication)? and (2) To what extent does the TGAT1 (English communication) have washback effects on upper-secondary pedagogical practices? A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. In the quantitative phase, 30 Thai EFL teachers from schools under the Suphan Buri Secondary Educational Service Area were selected through proportional stratified purposive sampling to complete a five- point Likert-scale questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, five teachers were purposively selected for individual semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed following thematic analysis. The results indicated that teachers held positive beliefs toward the TGAT1 in all three dimensions of purpose, validity, and pedagogical impacts. The strongest agreement was reported for the test’s role in university admissions. However, teachers consistently expressed uncertainty about the test’s capacity to reflect authentic communicative ability, identifying a perceived gap between students who perform well on the test and those who can genuinely communicate in English. Regarding washback effects, the TGAT1 was found to exert a measurable influence across all four dimensions: curriculum, materials, teaching methods, and assessment, though its intensity varied considerably across institutional contexts. Washback was most visible in extra-large schools with a dedicated test-preparation subject and least visible where most students pursue direct university admission. The findings suggest that institutional context is a more powerful mediator of washback intensity than individual teacher characteristics and that test-taking strategy instruction represents the most consistent and cross-contextual form of methodological washback identified in the study. |
