Internal and external factors influence teachers' daily assessment decisions. The purposes of teachers' assessments are crucial, as these purposes guide the assessment process. Still, little is known about teachers' assessment purposes. The aim of this study is to identify and describe the different purposes of assessments that Civics teachers…

This article examines the role and pedagogical implications of supportive assessment strategies at the interface where curriculum, general "Didaktik" and pedagogy meet; theoretically, the article draws upon concepts from research in each of those domains. This interplay is examined in relation to the performance-orientation on two…

In the present study we investigate one 7th-grade mathematics teacher's eight-month long implementation of a comprehensive multi-approach formative assessment practice. Based on an analysis of classroom observations, interviews and written teacher logbooks, this classroom practice is described in detail to illustrate how multi-approach formative…

Teachers' feedback via Learning Management Systems (LMSs) is studied within the subject of social studies at upper secondary school in Sweden. A qualitative study involved classroom observations within LMSs, gathering teachers' feedback on pupils' submitted assignments, and semi-structured interviews with six teachers. With the support of activity…

In technology education, assessment is challenging and underdeveloped as it is a nascent practice and teachers do not have a well-defined subject tradition to lean on when assessing students. The aim of this study is to explore Swedish secondary technology teachers' cognitive beliefs about assessing students' learning of technological systems, in…

Peer assessment has been proven to improve learning for both the observer and the observed. One dimension of peer assessment that has been given little attention in the context of physical education teacher education (PETE) is the tension that exists when peers give feedback on each other's work. In this paper, we report on Swedish preservice…

The overall aim of this study was to explore how upper secondary school students (age 16-19) in Sweden perceive physical education and health (PEH) through the assessment practices they experience in this subject. In particular, the study aimed to examine the students' experiences of what can be considered as valid knowledge and what the students…

Purpose: The aim is to qualitatively explore Civics teachers' assessment decisions regarding content, skills, and methods in Swedish upper secondary schools. Methodology: Thematic analyses of assignments and interviews of thirteen Civics teachers in Swedish upper secondary school. Findings: The open Swedish curriculum and Civics syllabus enables…

Drawing on convention theory and sociology of critique, this article examines how teachers at a Swedish folk high school coordinate students' activities through tests. Through ethnographic descriptions of exercises, assignments, presentations, and exhibitions that test students' engagement, it is shown how the teachers seek to depart from the…

In Sweden, grades are used for selection to upper-secondary school and higher education, even though agreement in teachers' grading is low and the selection therefore potentially unfair. Furthermore, measures taken to increase the agreement have not been successful. This study has explored how to increase agreement in teachers' grading by…

Research has revealed that teachers find teaching and assessing socioscientific argumentation (SSA) to be challenging. In this study, ten pre-service science teachers (PSTs) tested a new Practical Assessment of Socioscientific Argumentation Model (PASM) that was developed to enhance skills in assessing SSA. The models' design is based on the…

'Quality' in education has become a global phenomenon, and is frequently discussed in transnational and national policy. In such discussions, 'quality' seems to be both worthwhile and demanded, but at the same time, the concept has also been criticised in previous research as it seems to have attained a 'common sense' status. In this context, the…

The objective of this study is to expand teachers' knowledge base of assessment in teaching by exploring pre-service language teachers' construct of grading literacy during their pedagogical studies and immediately after. We conceptualize pre-service language teachers' grading literacy with a literature-based flow model of decision-making…

The current paper draws on data generated through group interviews with students who were involved in a larger ethnographic research project performed in three science classrooms. The purpose of the study from which this data was generated, was to understand science teachers' assessment practices in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. During…

The purpose of this intervention study was to develop and evaluate a support model for teachers, designed to assist them in diagnosing students' (age 16-19 years) difficulties and providing feedback to support students' mathematical problem solving. Reporting on an iteration in a design research project, the results showed that the support helped…