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Abstract

Educators are concerned about the effects that tests may have on teaching, and want to know what they should do to ensure that these effects are beneficial. Some ELT specialists have offered advice on how to produce positive washback, calling for attention to test design and the communication between testers and teachers. Research in general education has pointed out the need for feedback from testers to many key players in the educational system, and for adequate resourcing and training. Innovation theory provides further insights into why attempts to introduce change in the classroom are often not as effective as their designers hoped they would be. This article reviews several key concepts in educational innovation, showing how these concepts are manifested in a case study in washback and out lining how they are being applied in recent test development projects.

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Introducing new tests into traditional systems: insights from general education and from innovation theory

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