Influence of Low-Stakes Tests on English Teachers’ Teaching Methodology: A Case Study of the Washback Effect

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of low-stakes quizzes on English teachers’ pedagogy within the context of a preparatory program at a public sector university in Sindh, Pakistan. While the bulk of washback studies concern themselves with high-stakes assessments, the current research pivots toward the more frequently overlooked underside of low-stakes assessments. The research utilized a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were obtained through a Likert-scale survey on the domains of activity/time arrangement, teaching techniques, materials, and content coverage administered to fifteen English language instructors. Also, semi-structured interviews conducted with five participants offered qualitative data concerning instructors’ perceptions of the balance between institutional pressure and freedom in teaching. Both tools had undergone prior validation in other studies to enhance the trustworthiness and relevance of the instruments in the current context. The results reveal that low-stakes quizzes can greatly improve an instructor's teaching technique and methods, teaching materials, and instruction. Moreover, the results point to a more profound level of restructuring of teaching priorities than alignment of content, attributed to institutional pressure and the way quizzes are designed. These findings are placed within the context of the literature on teachers’ autonomy, curriculum, and test design.