Reforming Language Teaching Through Learner Portfolios: The Complexity of "Washback"

• In Event: Toward Educational Responsibility in Language Education Curriculum and Assessments

Abstract

Portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) is mandatory in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC), but its impact remains under-researched. Tracing PBLA goals achievement, this mixed methods study examined PBLA experiences by three stakeholder groups: teachers (N=247), PBLA Leads (N=45), and LINC program administrators (N=31). Examined through the lens of complexity theory, responses to online surveys (N=323) and semi-structured interviews (N=68) revealed that the impact of PBLA on language teaching and learning is more complex than the presumed assessment ‘washback’ model. Important contextual factors contributed to the complexity of stakeholder response, which resulted in unintended consequences overshadowing projected benefits of PBLA implementation. The findings should be of interest to policy-makers and administrators aiming at achieving system improvements through assessment ‘washback.’

Author

• Yuliya Desyatova, University of Toronto