Washback Effects of the New English Assessment System on Secondary Schools in Bhutan
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Volume two, Issue four
October 2012
Washback Effects of the New English Assessment System on Secondary Schools in Bhutan ROBERT KIRKPATRICK Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait KINLEY GYEM Thailand Bio Data: Robert Kirkpatrick has a Phd from Curtin University, and has spent over 17 years lecturing at universities in Asia. For the last five years he has been lecturing on the Master of Teaching as an International Language at Shinawatra Univeristy, and has now joined the English program at Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait. Kinley Gyem is a high school teacher from Bhutan and is now studying a Masters in education in Thailand. Abstract In 2006, Bhutan changed the secondary school curriculum. This study examines the washback effect of the English assessment system associated with this new curriculum. Based on questionnaire responses from 56 EFL secondary school teachers in Bhutan, the study suggests the new curriculum produces both positive and also negative washback. In order for the new curriculum’s benefit to outweigh any harm it may cause, teachers should receive proper guidance and support during this transition. Introduction The Bhutan government champions the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index (Ura & Galay, 2004) as being a cornerstone in Bhutan’s development, and education embodies an essential path to the realization of that vision. In order to improve the quality of English education, which ostensibly increases happiness, a new curriculum was introduced in 2006 which offered new approaches of assessing students’ language abilities. This paper discusses the effects of the new education system, its curriculum, and the assessment systems and includes: (1) the history of Bhutanese education system and its policy goals, (2) a summary of the new English curriculum for secondary schools in Bhutan, (3) the washback effects of the new English assessment system on Bhutan secondary schools, and (4) recommendations on how to make the assessment more effective.
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Language Testing in Asia
Volume two, Issue four
October 2012
Background of the Bhutanese Education System Bhutan introduced Western-style education during the reign of the first king Ugyen Wangchuk (1907 – 1926). Since then, this approach remains the basis of most, if not all, developments and education reforms. During the First Development Plan (19611966), the most significant education reform was building additional schools. Doing so established a system offering free and modern education up to 10th grade, and offering scholarships to top-performing studies to continue their studies. Though Dzongkha is the national language, there is a trend toward using English and its usage in every domain is on the rise. In Bhutan, English is used in teaching for all subjects except for Dzongkha. Students undergo an examination to move from primary school to junior high, and another to graduate from high school. The Bhutan Board of Examination (BBE) is responsible for organizing and monitoring national examinations (i.e., All Bhut
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