43 and reliable and valid research instruments to find the existing law. Thus, a
positivist researcher’s agenda is to find such law. The instruments widely rely on statistical method and quantitative steps.
Interpretive research, where most qualitative researches are often located, believes that reality is socially constructed Merriam, 2009. An interpretivist is so
context-bound, that there is no such objective reality. Interpretive research includes phenomenology, ethnomethodology, and ethnography. This research aims to an
escalation of comprehension toward experiences from the subjects in the study. Afterward, an interpretivist makes a description or picture from the studied
phenomenon. Critical research goes beyond uncovering the interpretation of people’s
understandings of their world Merriam, 2009, p. 9. This research aims to critique and challenge or transform and empower the object of study. It is the opposite of
the interpretive stream. Postmodernism stream is very contradictory with positivism. A
postmodernist questions the validity of a claim instead of giving an objective fact value. Besides, this research is no longer hold rationality, scientific method, and
certainties of the modern world. Thus, postmodern research is playful, creative, and highly experimental Merriam, 2009.
In this study, the researcher places himself as an interpretivist. Hence, interpretive research framework is used to present the discussion and analysis.
Discussion and analysis are presented deductively based on inductive inquiry.
44
B. Washback Occurs to the Parties
Although NE served only at one basic consideration to graduation, which was worth 40, the parties all that involved in NE: students, teachers, and the
school demonstrated some degree of anxieties. The government had divided the basis decision for NE graduation into two aspects, NE and school score. NE score
was the score obtained from NE. Meanwhile, school score was the score obtained from school examination and the result accumulation score obtained from academic
reports of the entire semesters. The NE score was worth 40 and school score was worth 60. Then, the decision would be based on the final mark resulted from the
calculation of those two aspects. The aim was clear that the government wanted to decrease the anxieties caused by the NE and promote better NE result. However, in
fact, the anxieties were still found widely in situations created by NE. It was interesting then to examine what actually happened in NE practices.
Anxiety as washback led some fraudulent practices that indicated the parties could not engage with the situation affected by the anxiety. Whether the parties
were success or not in NE, all depended on how they together collaborated to maintain the anxiety kept in manageable impacts. In fact, the school was in a
problematic position. On one hand, the school was demanded to result good students through qualified educational system. On the other hand, the school was
demanded to perform 100 graduation of their students to defend the ISO certificate and keep its prestige. It was important for the school since the school
r ealized that it was only a small private religion school. It needed to keep society’s
45 trust by performing such achievement to keep getting students to struggle. Thus,
some schools chose to cut the way out by doing fraudulent practices. The fraudulent practices was not only involved students but also the whole
parties in many cases. The researcher found that the fraudulent practices occurred in the school resulted from the calculated decision as an anticipation to maintain the
targeted result. On the other hand, it encouraged dilemma experienced by teachers whose authority lesser than the school. The teacher disagreed with such policy since
it did not promote good education. However, after all, the teacher just followed the instruction. In addition, these fraudulent practices had disclosed to the students. As
a result, it made them relied on the school for the school needed to graduate them. Thus, it showed that the parties played role on what happened in response to prepare
the NE.
1. Students
Four students agreed that NE was a very important test. They still saw NE as important deterministic test for their graduation and future even though NE, in
the current NE regulation, was only worth 40 to decide their graduation. One interview excerpt said:
“… NE is so-called the last hurdle we must encounter to graduate in this three years in the high school… it is so deterministic for our graduation and future…” – S2
…UN itu bisa dibilang penentuan terakhir setelah tiga tahun menuntut ilmu… menentukan kelulusan dan
masa depan…
It appeared that NE score would still give impact to their final graduation score. They considered that the better mark they got would ease them to get better job.
Besides, by getting good final mark, they considered to have wider chance to get a scholarship to go to a university. As most of them come from the middle to low
46 society financially, getting a scholarship was the only chance for them to get higher
education. The other students considered NE was no more like a formality test. It was
shown by this excerpt:
“…NE is just like an ordinary examination, but it is more aimed to formality purpose…” – S1
…UN itu kayak ulangan biasa tapi lebih ke formalitas…
It meant they only considered NE as an instrument brought them to their aim-legally graduated. They considered that being legally graduated was more important than
achieving good mark. In short, it showed that these students neglected the education.
NE had put the students in a forced situation. It was interesting when the researcher asked about their readiness to NE. All of them answered:
“…whether we are ready or not, we must be ready…” – S3 …ya siap gak siap harus siap…
Their answer showed that they were doubtful about their readiness. In fact, whether they are ready or not, in time, they were forced to be ready to face the NE. Besides,
the researcher figured out that all the students who participated in this study still got scores under the standard graduate competence in the entire tryout tests they had
passed.
2. Teachers
The teacher pointed out that NE gave her short preparation time. In the two previous years of study, she informed that she got 10 months for each. However,
this year she said that she only had 8 months. In an excerpt, she said:
