The power of language tests In Turkish context: A critical study

Abstract

High-stakes tests are often introduced to bring about change on educational practices and thus lead to pedagogical reform. The Field Knowledge Test (FKT) for teacher candidates of English in Turkey is an example of such an attempt. This study aims to giving voice to English language teacher educators and student teachers to view the FKT critically to investigate if it has brought about the intended changes and its impact on its main stakeholders. The study, first, presents Critical Language Testing (CLT). Then, it gives information on the context of the study. Data collection for the study involved 153 test takers and 23 teacher educators working at ELT Departments in Turkey. Two open-ended questionnaires were used to survey participants’ perceptions of the FKT in terms of its impact on the nature of education they receive, their attitudes and feelings and also on their academic and personal lives. Analysis of data paved the way for further studies on how high stakes tests might or might not be efficient agents of change in various educational contexts.