Teachers' Perspectives on Assessing English Speaking Skills: A Post-New Exam Model Investigation

Sep 2, 2026

This qualitative study examines secondary school EFL teachers’ perspectives on assessing English speaking skills after Turkey’s Ministry of National Education introduced new testing regulations for the 2023–2024 academic year. Teachers began taking English speaking exams for the first time in secondary schools. Data from 11 teachers’ one-on-one semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically. Findings show speaking exams are viewed as significant, necessary, and useful, with increased motivation to use English in class. At the same time, abrupt implementation triggered unpreparedness, stress, burnout, fatigue, and hopelessness, alongside challenges such as adaptation difficulties, ineffective procedures, heavier teacher workload, e-school grading impracticality, and demanding educator schedules.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Themes

Teachers' Overall Thoughts

Experiences and Observations

Future Thoughts

| Research Article
Teachers' Perspectives on Assessing English Speaking Skills: A Post-New
Exam Model Investigation
Merve Nur Dinçer1, Ministry of National Education
[22281174@stu.omu.edu.tr](22281174@stu.omu.edu.tr)
Betül Bal Gezegin2, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Education
[betul.balgezegin@omu.edu.tr](betul.balgezegin@omu.edu.tr)
Recommended citation: Dinçer, M. N. & Bal Gezegin, B. (2024) . Teachers' Perspectives on Assessing English Speaking Skills: A Post-New Exam Model Investigation. Journal of Language Research (JLR), 8(2), 30-43.
DOI: [https://doi.org/10.51726/jlr.1566625](https://doi.org/10.51726/jlr.1566625) | | --- | | Abstract: This study investigates the secondary school English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers'perspectives on assessing English speaking skills after the new testing regulations introduced in the 2023- 2024 academic year by the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MoNE) . With the new regulations, students started to take English speaking exams for the first time in secondary schools in Türkiye. The study focuses on EFL teachers' perspectives, feelings, experiences, and thoughts regarding pre-, during, and postexam situations in this adaptation process. In this qualitative study, data was gathered from 11 teachers via one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis revealed that EFL teachers find the speaking exams significant, necessary, and useful. In addition, the teachers reported feeling more motivated to use English in speaking activities in class after the new regulations. While teachers generally expressed positive sentiments regarding the introduction of speaking exams in secondary schools and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues during the adaptation process, they also reported experiencing negative emotions, including feelings of unpreparedness, stress, burnout, fatigue, and hopelessness, largely due to the abrupt timing of the change. Several challenges were reported, including difficulties with adaptation, ineffective exam procedures, increased workloads for teachers, impractical grading procedures within the e-school system, and the overall demanding schedules faced by educators. For the future of speaking exams, teachers advocated for the continuation and sustainability of these exams, but they asked for improvement in the current situation. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable resource for English testing and evaluation, curriculum development, educational planning and programming, material development, inservice teacher training, and the preparation of pre-service EFL teachers, particularly in relation to speaking exams in secondary schools.
Keywords: English speaking exam, Speaking skills, Assessment of speaking skills, Teachers’ perspectives, English language teachers | | Themes | Categories | | --- | --- | | Theme 1
Teachers' Overall Thoughts | Positive thoughts related to the recent speaking exams | | | Negative thoughts related to the recent speaking exams | | Themes | Categories | | Themes | Categories | | --- | --- | | Theme 3
Experiences and Observations | Problems and limitations of the recent speaking exams | | | Procedural observations of the new speaking exams | | Themes | Categories | | Theme 4
Future Thoughts | Expectations, beliefs, and requests for speaking exams | | | Recommendations to improve the speaking exams |

FAQs

What prompted the study on assessing English speaking skills?

The study was triggered by new testing regulations introduced in the 2023–2024 academic year, when secondary schools in Türkiye began administering English speaking exams for the first time.

How was the data collected for the research?

Data were gathered from 11 EFL teachers through one-on-one semi-structured interviews.

What benefits and challenges did teachers report about the new speaking exams?

Teachers largely viewed the speaking exams as significant, necessary, and useful and reported greater motivation to use English in speaking activities. They also reported negative emotions such as stress and burnout, plus challenges including adaptation difficulties, ineffective exam procedures, increased workload, and impractical grading in the e-school system.

Sep 2, 2026

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