國中教育會考英語科聽力測驗實施的回沖效應初探

A Pilot Study of the Washback Effect of the Incorporation of English Listening Test in the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students

本研究探討國中教育會考實施英語科聽力測驗如何改變國中英語教學，並透過訪談近年來大幅減少英語聽力「待加強」能力等級學生人數比例之學校教師，歸納其提升學生英語聽力學習效益的教學方式。首先，透過問卷調查國中英語教師的教學是否根據國中教育會考英語科聽力測驗試題的命題方式進行調整，並比較國中英語教師在國中基本學力測驗時期與國中教育會考時期的教學方式，調查結果顯示：一、兩時期的課程教材仍以課內教材為主，但國中教育會考時期教師的教學素材更趨向多元，課外教材的使用比例增加，教材電子書的使用比例大幅提升；二、兩時期教學時間仍以單字、文法、閱讀最多，但國中教育會考時期閱讀、聽力、口說的授課時間均增加；三、國中教育會考時期定期評量中含聽力的比例比國中基本學力測驗時期高約近10%。由此可知，國中教育會考英語科聽力測驗實施確實對國中英語教學產生回沖效應。接著篩選2015～2017年國中教育會考英語科聽力測驗「待加強」能力等級學生比例下降最多的學校，透過訪談這些學校的英語科教師，歸納其共同教學策略，如分組合作學習、英語聽力理解策略教學、差異化教學、精熟學習、注重發音與口說等，並予以介述，以提供其他國中英語科教師參考。

This study investigates the effects of the incorporation of English listening test in the comprehensive assessment program for junior high school students (CAP henceforth) on the teaching in junior high school classrooms. Attention is also given to the teaching strategies or methods that the interviewed teachers believe to help improve students’ listening comprehension. Through questionnaires, this study explores the differences of high school English teachers’ overall approaches to teaching, and further compares their teaching strategies and assessment approaches in the period of the basic competence test for junior high school students with those in the period of the CAP. The main findings are as follows: First, teachers employed textbooks as the main source for instruction for both periods, with more additional extracurricular and electronic materials in the period of CAP. Secondly, for both periods, teachers spent most time in the instruction of vocabulary, grammar, and reading; however, the overall time allocation for the teaching of reading, listening, and speaking is increased with the incorporation of the listening comprehension test. Thirdly, listening comprehension assessment was included as part of the regular midterms and finals more than 10% in the period of CAP. The findings of our study indicated there was positive washback effect with the incorporation of English listening test. The above findings are further complemented with the interviews with the high school English teachers of the 14 selected schools whose students’ scores for the CAP English listening test have significantly improved from 2015 to 2017. By presenting several common teaching strategies that are shared by the interviewed teachers of the sampled schools, this study offers some suggestions for effective approaches to teaching English listening.