A Systematic Review of Washback Research in China (2005–2025)

Washback refers to the impact of language tests on language teaching and learning. Though numerous empirical studies have been done on this topic, there is a lack of systematic reviews of these studies. In light of this, this study presents a review of washback research in the Chinese mainland over the past two decades. Specifically, 66 studies were included and analyzed in terms of the following aspects: test type, participant, research methodology, and research foci. The results showed that while the majority of the reviewed studies examined the washback of English tests, especially large-scale high-stakes ones, including the College English Test (CET), the National Matriculation English Test (NMET), and the Test for English Majors (TEM). Meanwhile, a few studies investigated the washback of non-English language tests, such as the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK). The reviewed studies primarily recruited university students and teachers as participants, while only a few studies included other stakeholders, like school leaders and test constructors. Quantitative and mixed-methods approaches, along with cross-sectional designs, were predominantly adopted, while qualitative research methods and longitudinal research designs were comparatively less used. Moreover, three major research themes were identified: washback effects on language learning, washback effects on language teaching, and the factors influencing these effects. This review maps the current state of washback research in the Chinese mainland and offers directions for future research.