The lockdowns that began during the spring of 2020 changed the conditions for teaching and assessment across the globe. In Norway, schools were closed, and all school activities took place online. Moreover, all final exams were canceled, and all student grading was based on final grading by the individual teacher. Because of this, teachers'…

This article reports on a qualitative study investigating how perceptions of feedback and feedback practice developed over the course of a seven-month development project with students and teachers in ten lower secondary schools. The aim of the study was to contribute to the knowledge about how a development project with teachers can contribute to…

Teacher quality, or 'the good teacher' is not clearly defined in Norway, nor are there specific standards for measuring teacher quality. Everybody has an opinion about the good teacher, and teacher quality is frequently debated. Moreover, in Norway there is no systematic evaluation of teachers. Nevertheless, numerous reforms and popular discourses…

By following a professional development project focusing on enhancing assessment competence amongst teachers, the current study examines how teachers use reflective writing and systematic discussions as tools for developing competence in assessment. More specifically, the article aims at identifying conditions that influence and facilitate…

Feedback to students has been identified as a key strategy in learning and teaching, but we know less about how feedback is understood by students. The purpose of this study is to gain more insight into lower secondary students' perceptions of when and how they find classroom feedback useful. This article draws on data generated through individual…

Vocational education, as part of the Norwegian upper secondary education, includes both school-based learning and workplace learning. While school-based learning is characterized by formal structures and guided by aims in the curricula, workplace learning is often informal, incidental and directed by the daily work-tasks. Assessment in workplace…

This paper discusses the emergence of assessment for learning (AfL) across the globe with particular attention given to Western educational jurisdictions. Authors from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, and the USA explain the genesis of AfL, its evolution and impact on school systems, and discuss current trends in policy…

A prerequisite for AfL to be successfully implemented in the classroom is the teachers' assessment practice. In many contexts, including the Norwegian, AfL has not been successfully dealt with during initial teacher education, and there is a need for qualified teachers to engage in professional development in AfL. This article first discusses…

This study reflects the voice of school leaders (principals) in a Norwegian school development project focusing on assessment for learning (AfL). The central role of the principal in school improvement is well documented, however, less is written about how the principals themselves see their roles. The voices presented belong to two experienced…

The study explores how assessment information is received and attended to. The research is linked to a 2-year intervention project involving six Norwegian upper secondary schools, and with a particular focus on vocational training and the three core subjects: English, Norwegian and Mathematics. Survey data was collected from five schools,…

How is the quality of teaching portfolios being assessed in summative assessment contexts? This question is of special importance in the growing debate on standards and criteria in assessment. In our study we looked for contexts in which portfolios are used for summative assessment purposes and gauge the issues raised by assessors with respect to…

Both national and international evaluation studies have criticised Norwegian teachers for not being sufficiently specific and learning-oriented in their feedback practice. The feedback is largely characterised by general comments such as "Excellent" and "Good work", and less by feed-forward-oriented messages informing students…

School principals in Israel (n=35) took a course on portfolio assessment for student evaluation. They practiced the method by creating their own portfolios. The majority wanted to use the approach in their schools but were not confident of support from other stakeholders. (SK)

This article examines teacher educators' attitudes to standardised student feedback on the quality of their teaching in a teacher education college in Israel. It is part of a comprehensive study initiated by the management of the institution, and the focus in this writing is on teacher educators' attitudes to student feedback: the way they…

Studied the long-term influences of portfolios on professional development with three samples: (1) 15 Israeli school principals; (2) 26 senior nurses in The Netherlands; and (3) 33 nurses from the staffs of the senior nurses. Findings show that portfolios are used mainly for documentation, but have high potential as mirrors of competence when used…