Do beliefs about NCEA and its washback effects vary depending on subject?

Abstract

This study investigates how curriculum subject may influence perceived washback (i.e., the impact of assessment on teaching and learning) of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), and teacher and student beliefs about the assessment. Four subjects were chosen for the purpose of comparison: Japanese, French, History and Mathematics. Questionnaires were used to tap into washback effects of NCEA on teachers and students and their beliefs about NCEA. The study uncovered a more universal nature ofwashback effects of NCEA across the four subjects. Where variability was identified, it lay between the verbal subjects (i.e., Japanese, French and History) and the predominantly num..