Washback of Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP.3-5) on Undergraduate Students' Learning Strategies

Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn

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31

Foreign Countries; Vietnamese; Testing Problems; Language Tests; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Standardized Tests; Majors (Students); Student Attitudes; Undergraduate Students; Language Skills; Metacognition; Preferences; Learning Strategies

2630-0672
2672-9431

Studies on washback of not only international standardized proficiency tests, but also localized high-stakes tests have been increasingly attracting considerable interest. The current study explores the washback effects of a Vietnam-made localized English proficiency test named "Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency, level 3-5" (VSTEP.3-5) on undergraduate students' learning strategies. This research employed a mixed-methods design featuring two major research instruments labeled as questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected from the survey questionnaires delivered to 600 English-majored sophomores at a public university in Central Vietnam. Additionally, qualitative data were obtained and analyzed from semi-structured interviews with 12 student participants through a prudent coding process. The findings indicated that a majority of undergraduate students claimed that VSTEP.3-5 affected their learning strategies in a positive way, especially "cognitive and metacognitive strategies". Besides, preferences for distinct strategies utilized in specific English skills were particularly evident in such productive skills as Speaking and Writing.

As Provided

2025

EJ1471038