Creencias de los estudiantes sobre los exámenes estandarizados en el contexto de la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera en Nicaragua.

Abstract

The area of language testing in the EFL context has been severely criticized by the educational community, particularly in relation to standardized forms of evaluation. Standardized tests are tools that perpetuate segregation, discrimination and injustice, leaving aside students' experiences, lived stories, and beliefs. This thesis aimed at deepening the understanding of standardized testing in an international setting. Nicaragua, provides a new perspective to the critical language testing field, hence the importance of this study to the region. This descriptive, interpretative, qualitative, and phenomenological research study sought to reveal the essence of the lived experiences of a group of students who took the Versant English exam at a private high-level institution in Nicaragua. It also intended to unveil students’ beliefs about EFL testing. In-depth interviews along with students’ journals were used to collect data. The data analysis shows that students’ have inner visualizations of the exam that generate a constellation of feelings that impact their academic and social dimensions. The findings also reveal that students believed that the exam works as a mere instrument to measure their linguistic proficiency and it is a way to control their personal, and academic decisions. The results indicate that the EFL community must look for alternative and enriching ways to assess and evaluate students.