ABSTRACT

One of the many education reforms in Thailand is a policy aimed at improving English language proficiency among university students. One direction in this policy requires that each university administer a standardized English language test to their students before they graduate, and that the students’ scores should be aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or other standards. This research study examined the English exit examination systems in Thailand by analyzing how all 81 public universities have implemented this policy. Secondary sources of data, including official documents, government statistical reports, and related research studies, were collected, and semi-structured interviews via phone were also conducted. Summative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results showed six approaches for creation and selection of tests for policy implementation. Among these universities, different benchmarks were established. These approaches and benchmarks were developed appropriate to their management readiness and academic contexts. Also, although the policy allows for different standards to be followed, the CEFR is the only one being used. In summary, English exit examinations policy and practice might raise awareness of the importance of English and motivate students to improve their ability, but it is not likely to guarantee expected English proficiency levels.

摘要

泰国的众多教育改革之一是一项旨在提高大学生英语语言能力的政策。该政策的一个方向是要求每所大学在学生毕业前对其进行标准化英语语言测试，并且学生的成绩应符合欧洲共同语言参考框架 (CEFR) 或其他标准。本研究通过分析所有 81 所公立大学如何实施这一政策，对泰国的英语毕业考试系统进行了调查。收集了官方文件、政府统计报告和相关研究等二级数据来源，并进行了电话半结构化访谈。总结性内容分析用于分析数据。结果显示了用于创建和选择政策实施测试的六种方法。在这些大学中，建立了不同的基准。这些方法和基准是根据他们的管理准备和学术环境制定的。此外，尽管该政策允许遵循不同的标准，但 CEFR 是唯一使用的标准。总之，英语结业考试政策和实践可能会提高对英语重要性的认识并激励学生提高能力，但不太可能保证预期的英语水平。尽管该政策允许遵循不同的标准，但 CEFR 是唯一使用的标准。总之，英语结业考试政策和实践可能会提高对英语重要性的认识并激励学生提高能力，但不太可能保证预期的英语水平。尽管该政策允许遵循不同的标准，但 CEFR 是唯一使用的标准。总之，英语结业考试政策和实践可能会提高对英语重要性的认识并激励学生提高能力，但不太可能保证预期的英语水平。