THE POWERFUL USE OF AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER RECRUITMENT EXAM IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT: AN INTERACTIVE QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY FROM EXAMINEES’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

In the face of a growing population in the world, an increase in the number of large-scale or standardized testing practices in various contexts has been observed not only to measure individuals’ achievement and proficiency but also to serve political, social, economic and ideological functions. In Turkey, English language teacher recruitment is one of such contexts that utilizes large scale testing. This study provides an in-depth exploration of the powerful use of the English Language Teacher Recruitment Exam (KPSS) with specific reference to its origin of power, effects and consequences. Based on the Interactive Qualitative Analysis Methodology, this case study presents the voice of four test takers of the KPSS on its powerful use in the Turkish context. Firstly, the factors comprising the participants’ shared perception of the powerful use of the KPSS were identified. Then, the relationships among these elements in their shared perceptual system were presented, and the findings indicate that the KPSS has led to a set of unintended effects and consequences.