Luke Prodromou (1993) points out in his overview of the washback effect that the
issue has not been fully explored in second language research in spite of playing such
a dominant role in classrooms. He believes that many assumptions about washback
are simplistic and untested with little observation to back them up. This is confirmed
by Alderson and Wall (1991) who have conducted extensive research into the area.
They argue convincingly that washback is a far more complex issue than simply the
effect of testing on teaching. They believe that there is not an automatic relationship
between tests and their impact. Rather, specific areas such as teaching content and
methodology, teacher competence, assessment methods and resources available need
to be investigated as well as the extent of the impact and whether or not it is positive
or negative. Their findings also include the potential effect of washback on the whole
education system.
Washback is