The purpose of this action research is to discover how self-evaluation training affects students’ knowledge and understanding about their writing and needs for improvement. In this study of 46 fifth and sixth graders, students underwent a four-stage self-evaluation training process. This involved students in defining criteria for their stories, teaching them how to apply the criteria using a variety of samples, giving students feedback about their self-evaluations, and developing action plans The study showed that after the self-evaluation process was set into place, students had an increased awareness of what made a good fictional writing piece. The self-evaluation process helped students become more aware of writing practices and of themselves as a writer. The study also found that the self-evaluation process set clear guidelines for students, focused student attention on important writing criteria, and opened up the conversation between students and teachers about evaluation, goal setting and the writing process.

The purpose of this action research is to discover how self-evaluation training affects students’ knowledge and understanding about their writing and needs for improvement. In this study of 46 fifth and sixth graders, students underwent a four-stage self-evaluation training process. This involved students in defining criteria for their stories, teaching them how to apply the criteria using a variety of samples, giving students feedback about their self-evaluations, and developing action plans The study showed that after the self-evaluation process was set into place, students had an increased awareness of what made a good fictional writing piece. The self-evaluation process helped students become more aware of writing practices and of themselves as a writer. The study also found that the self-evaluation process set clear guidelines for students, focused student attention on important writing criteria, and opened up the conversation between students and teachers about evaluation, goal setting and the writing process.

Sedan 1990-talet har Sverige ett kunskaps- och målrelaterat bedömningssystem i skolan där eleverna blir bedömda och betygsatta utifrån ämnesplan och kunskapskrav. I samband med den nya skolreformen 2011 reviderades innehållet i dessa styrdokument. Studiens syfte är att belysa hur engelsklärare resonerar i sitt val av bedömningsformer för underlag vid bedömning och betygssättning i förhållande till ämnesplan och kunskapskrav i Gy11, samt att undersöka om det finns skillnader i lärarnas bedömningsarbete i jämförelse med Lpf94. Undersökningen har genomförts vid en gymnasieskola där kvalitativa intervjuer har hållits med fem engelsklärare som undervisar i kursen Engelska 5. Studien visar att bedömning sker kontinuerligt av lärarna, men att de har olika sätt att bedöma, dokumentera och använda sig av bedömning i lärandet. De fem olika lärarna väljer att använda ämnesplan och kunskapskrav på olika sätt men med konkreta, tydliga och individuella synsätt. Elevdelaktighet är mycket viktigt utifrån motivation och engagemang i ämnet, och lärarens syn på bedömning är central såväl som hur både ämnesplan och kunskapskrav används i undervisning och bedömning. Lärarnas intentioner är att få eleverna motiverade och att känna lusten att lära sig något som de kan använda i praktiken. Slutsatsen är att Gy11, med ny ämnesplan och kunskapskrav i Engelska 5, ger lärarna en utmaning med ett nytt sätt att tänka. Utifrån den formativa bedömningen behövs tydlighet, kommunikation, strategier, återkoppling, elevaktivitet med ett kvalitativt tänkande som en röd tråd. / Since the 1990s, Sweden has a knowledge and goal-related grading system in schools, where students are assessed and graded according to the syllabus and grading criteria. In conjunction with the educational reform in 2011 the contents of these documents was revised. This study aims to show how English teachers reason when choosing which assessment forms for assessment and grading to use in relation to the syllabus and grading criteria of Gy11. It also aims to investigate whether there are differences in teachers’ assessments in comparison with Lpf94. The survey was conducted at an upper secondary school where qualitative interviews were held with five English teachers who teach the course English 5. The study shows that the teachers do assessment continuously, but that they have different ways to assess, document and use assessment in the learning process. The five different teachers choose to use the syllabus and grading criteria in different ways but with concrete, distinct and individual approaches. Student participation is very important as regards motivation and engagement in the subject, and the teacher’s approach to assessment is central as well as how both substance level and knowledge is used in teaching and assessment. The teachers’ intentions are to get the students motivated and feel the urge to learn something they can use in practice. In conclusion, the Gy11 reform, with a new syllabus and grading criteria in English 5, gives teachers a challenge with a new way of thinking. Based on the formative assessment, clarity, communication, strategies, feedback and student activity, with a qualitative approach is needed.

The purpose of this study was to explore how school leaders address both the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment in every classroom, an initiative that is often implemented as a means of gathering the data needed to support the academic needs of all learners (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Bolman & Deal, 2008; Heath & Heath, 2010; Leithwood & Seashore Louis, 2011; Wiliam, 2010). In order to determine school leadership considerations for addressing the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the implementation of student formative assessment in every classroom, two research questions guided the study: 1. What do teachers perceive to be their technical and professional socialization needs experienced during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment and how are these met? 2. What are the school principals’ perceptions of how they address the technical and professional socialization needs of teachers during the planning and implementation of student formative assessment? Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study examined the perceptions of both teachers and principals through a multi-site case study design (Miles & Huberman, 1994). This design was chosen in order to gather insight regarding the perceptions and experiences of principals and teachers at three elementary campuses that have implemented student formative assessment in every classroom. The sites and participants for this study were purposefully selected. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups. In order to confirm emerging theoretical explanations, the researcher gathered additional data through a review of relevant documents, such as district and campus improvement plans. The prominent technical needs identified by teachers in this study were the development of a campus-wide common terminology, participation in vertical teaming, and the maintenance of the support role of a campus instructional specialist. Furthermore, teacher participants identified their professional socialization needs as reassurance from the principal with new professional learning, a gradual pace of implementation for the student formative assessment initiatives, meaningful teacher-to-teacher interaction, open and transparent communication with the principal, and opportunities to participate in building cohesive grade-level teams. Principals perceived their technical supports as facilitating vertical teaming, providing a campus instructional specialist, embedding time for collaborative professional development, and setting clear expectations for implementation. Additionally, principals perceived their professional socialization supports for teachers as facilitating the building of cohesive grade-level teams, providing reassurance with new implementation, promoting open and transparent communication, promoting a gradual implementation pace and facilitating meaningful teacher-to-teacher interactions. / text

The aim of this thesis was to describe teenage girls’ experiences and perceptions of participation and influence during learning processes. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the view that children are social actors with their own agency were central to the study. The girls, who were 13 years old when the study began, and 16 when it ended, were interviewed once per semester for three years. Classroom observations formed the basis of the interviews, which provided insight into the learning environment and its working methods. These, in turn, were discussed during the interviews. Nine girls were selected through the IEPs that the school had established for them. They attended regular classes for most of the school day, but received at least one session of special education in smaller groups each week. Their special needs were due to reading and writing difficulties. All of them received special support in English, while seven of the girls also received special support in mathematics. The girls described current events in their life, regarding both school and their spare time, as well as their thoughts about the future, and how efforts to accommodate their special educational needs have affected their schooling. In addition to the girls’ narratives, the IEPs and grades provided the school’s narrative about the girls. The theoretical basis of the thesis comprises cultural-historical ideas of teaching and learning, and the importance of relationships to group-based learning. Descriptive qualitative analyses were based on the teenage girls’ narratives and resulted in five themes; a sixth theme discussed the school’s assessment of the girls through the IEPs and their grades from lower secondary school. Feeling included or not in the group was the overarching theme of all the stories, which involved the girls’ perceptions of how they were treated by the people around them. The results indicate that the girls needed to have instructions repeated to them. There was also a need for continuous encouragement and affirmation in order for them to dare to take on assignments. When it came to collaborative learning together with classmates, the girls preferred to hide their perceived weaknesses, which only made them more dependent on the teacher’s aid. In addition, the girls felt that the teachers were unhappy with the way they handled their school work, and felt overlooked rather than “seen”. In both the stories and the IEPs, concentration difficulties were highlighted as a consistent problem. The analyses show that it is not possible to speak of concentration difficulties without further specification. Since the girls also explained that they were able to maintain concentration, it is necessary to identify which conditions allow pupils to maintain their skills, and when these skills are lost. One finding was that experiences of playing sports created unexpected development opportunities for performing under pressure, even in test situations. According to the girls, visual strengths could compensate for difficulties remembering comprehensive information. The teaching provided opportunities to demonstrate an understanding of facts through visual expression, but creative elements were not included in graded assessments. The study shows that the girls’ leisure-time experiences created opportunities for generalisation regarding learning strategies in school situations.

ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of Aboriginal student achievement in six Saskatchewan public community schools in urban, rural, and Northern settings. Three of the schools were elementary schools, and three were high schools. Data for the study were obtained by means of teacher semi-structured interviews, and a teacher survey designed expressly for this research. The research opportunity sought to “explore in the context of selected Saskatchewan community schools, teachers’ perceptions of Aboriginal achievement, the unique and contextualized features that govern Aboriginal learning, and the efforts of teachers to enhance Aboriginal student learning.” Historically, Aboriginal student achievement has been viewed through a deficit lens. To gain a positive perspective of this phenomenon, a constructivist paradigm, a social justice theory of change governed by an ethos of appreciative inquiry were employed using a Mixed Methods Research design. Specifically, a two phase exploratory methodology where a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative one was used to best inform the research perspective. A multi-case study approach for each school and division was deemed the most effective means of exploring teacher conceptualizations of the manner and conditions under which Aboriginal students best learn. A total of nine teachers were interviewed and 28 responded to the teacher survey instrument. Member checks of the interview data were undertaken and statistical data using both Excel for Windows as well as SPSS statistical programs were employed for survey data analysis. Owing to the small survey sample, the author advises that caution be used when considering the survey results. However, it is hoped that refinement of the survey tool and its use in later research will prove to be of benefit in understanding the phenomenon of Aboriginal student achievement. A peer data analysis panel was convened to thematically analyse the four open-ended questions contained in the survey. Findings for this study indicated teachers valued the work of collaborative teams, supportive school learning environments, differentiated instruction, assessment for learning, professional development, and culturally responsive instruction and curriculum and school/division alignment to enhance Aboriginal student achievement. The study found that perceptions of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal teachers differed where Aboriginal student achievement was concerned. As well, participants felt that heightened Aboriginal student achievement could be fashioned by determined student engagement in their academic work. Finally, participants believed that parent and community engagement in schools and the academic life of their children would also enhance Aboriginal student learning outcomes. It is hoped that this study will serve as a point of initiation for more research into the phenomenon on a wider basis in order to generate greater understanding of the means by which Aboriginal students may flourish within public schools in Saskatchewan and potentially elsewhere.

Guided reading is a common component of literacy instruction in elementary classrooms. The purpose of this research was to examine multiple areas of guided reading from the perspective of teachers who were using guided reading in their classrooms. Knowledge and beliefs, grouping, management and organization, dialogue, and assessment issues were the five instructional topics of guided reading that were investigated using a mixed methods approach. The research was carried out in a single school division located in northern Alberta and involved Kindergarten – Grade 3 language arts teachers. Survey data collected from 27 respondents were analyzed using an interpretational focus. The data were coded and categorized using the five identified instructional topics as a framework. Common themes and patterns of response were identified for each instructional topic. The survey findings were then used to generate a focus group agenda. The transcripts of three focus group sessions that involved 16 teacher participants were also analyzed using an interpretational focus. The findings of the study suggested that guided reading is an important component of early language arts instruction for the teachers who participated in this research. Two types of guided reading instruction were identified: a small group guided reading approach (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996) and a Four Blocks approach to guided reading (Cunningham, Hall, & Defee, 1991). The teacher participants identified a wide variety of goals and purposes in using guided reading. The grouping practices of the teachers shared some similarities and many teachers indicated that they used a variety of sources of information to determine students’ placement in guided reading groups. Repeatedly, the survey and focus group participants communicated how their guided reading instruction was affected by their perceptions of differences among students and classes as affecting their guided reading instruction. The teachers indicated that their continuous attempts to maintain balance and focus during guided reading instruction also affected their organization and management. The teachers’ responses to survey items and focus group questions that addressed dialogue also focused on maintaining balance and focus during guided reading instruction. The teachers also discussed how they used dialogue for instructional purposes and commented on their ability to maintain balance and focus during the discussions during guided reading lessons. Many teachers indicated that they used running records to inform their guided reading instruction. Various other assessment tools that are consistent with an assessment for learning focus were also identified by the teacher participants. Overall, many of the findings suggested that individual teachers have adapted their guided reading practices to such an extent that they are no longer consistent with a single guided reading approach. The findings of the research indicated a need for teachers the have opportunities to engage in reflective activities with respect to their guided reading practices.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att söka svar på om och hur formativ bedömning påverkar elevers resultat inom geometri, samt hur elever beskriver formativ bedömning. För att få svar på elevers resultat har en intervention genomförts med 21 elever i årskurs 6 där tio elever ingick i två testgrupper och elvaelever ingick i två kontrollgrupper. Elever från testgrupperna blev även intervjuade i fokusgrupper där de beskrev sitt lärande i geometri kring formativ bedömning. Den teoretiska bakgrunden som studien utgått ifrån samt studiens analysverktyg är ett begreppsligt ramverk för formativ bedömning där fem nyckelstrategier har varit i fokus både i interventionen och fokusgrupperna. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av eleverna i de två testgrupperna fick ett positivt resultat efter ha mött formativ bedömning som stöd, medan majoriteten av kontrollgruppernas resultat visade ett sämre resultat efter ha haft ordinarie stöd i matematik. Efter avslutad intervention beskrev eleverna i fokusgrupperna att de inte är vana vid formativ bedömning, utan att bedömning för dem är en samlad bedömning från lärare med betyg efter avslutande prov. Sammanfattade beskrivningar efter elevernas nya erfarenheter av formativ bedömning var att: de tydligt förstod målen med arbetet, de var positiva till öppna uppgifter som skapar diskussioner, önskade att få både återkoppling från lärare och klasskamrater samt stöd av lärare vid självbedömning. / The purpose of this study is to investigate if and how formative assessment affect pupils’ results within the area of geometry; as well look in to how pupils describes formative assessment. To answer this, an intervention was made with 21 pupils in grade 6 where ten of them was a part of two test groups and the other eleven was a part of two control groups. The pupils in the test group, was also a part of two focus groups where they described their thoughts about formative assessment in geometry. The theoretical background from which the study was based as well as the study’s analytical tools is a conceptual framework about formative assessment where five key strategies been in focus, both in the intervention and the focus groups. The result showed that most of the pupils in the two test groups had a positive result after the experience of formative assessment as support, while most of the control group showed a negative result after ordinary support in mathematics. After closed intervention, the focus groups said they´re not used to formative assessment. They are used to a summed-up assessment from their teachers consisting of grades, given after tests. To summarise the pupils’ thoughts about their new experiences of formative assessment: it was clear they understood the purpose with their work, they were open minded to tasks that lead to discussions, wanted feedback from teachers and classmates as well as support from teachers when it comes to self-assessment.

Syftet med studien är att synliggöra lärares perspektiv på hur feedback görs föratt stödja elevens lärande i grundsärskolans undervisning. Två frågeställningarhar formulerats utifrån syftet: Med vilka olika verbala och icke-verbala uttryckkommunicerar lärare feedback till eleverna i undervisningen? och Hur beskriverlärare i grundsärskolan den feedback de ger sina elever? Studien har enkvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer där 10 intervjuer med lärareinom grundsärskolan har genomförts. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten är detsociokulturella perspektivet, där vi använt oss av sociokulturella begrepp somkommunikation och interaktion, proximal utvecklingszon och scaffolding i våranalys. Det insamlade datamaterialet har sedan transkriberats och analyserats. Ivår argumentation har vi tolkat det analyserade datamaterialet utifrån detsociokulturella perspektivet.Studiens resultat visar att feedback i grundsärskolan är beroende av att lärarehittar sätt att kommunicera och interagera med eleverna för att kunna gefeedback. För att lyckas med detta behöver lärarna börja med att bygga relationtill sina elever. Både lärare och elever kommunicerar på olika sätt medvarandra. Utöver verbal kommunikation används ofta bildstöd, tecken som stödoch kroppsspråk. Lärarna i studien beskriver sin feedback som individuelltanpassad utifrån varje elevs personlighet, kommunikationssätt ochutvecklingsnivå. De menar vidare att feedback ges som ett strukturellt stödunder elevens hela skoldag och som en motor för att orka jobba lite till. Mångaav lärarna menar att feedback i grundsärskolan ska utformas så att denfokuserar på och förstärker positiva beteenden eller goda prestationer. / The purpose of this study is to describe teachers' perspectives on how to offerfeedback to students with intellectual disability. Two questions have beenformulated based on this objective: What different verbal and nonverbalresources does the teacher use to communicate feedback to the students duringteaching? And how do teachers describe the feedback they give to students withan intellectual disability? A qualitative approach has been used, wheresemi-structured interviews of 10 interviews with teachers of students withintellectual disability have been conducted. The theoretical starting point is thesociocultural perspective, where we have used sociocultural concepts such ascommunication and interaction, proximal development zone and scaffolding toanalyze our results. The collected data has been transcribed and analyzed. Ourresult is an argumentation based on the sociocultural perspective.The study's results show that teachers need to find suitable ways tocommunicate and interact in order to provide feedback when teaching studentswith intellectual disability. By establishing a relationship, teachers can find away of communication that works. Both teachers and students communicatewith each other in different ways. In addition to verbal communication, imagesupport , sign language and body language are often used. The teachers in thisstudy explain that their feedback is individually designed to fit every student’spersonality, level of communication and development. They further describehow feedback is provided in the shape of structural support throughout thestudents' school day and as motivation to encourage them to do extra work.Many of the teachers believe that feedback should be designed to focus on andreinforce positive behaviors and good performances.

Inom ramen för svensk grundskola har enskilda lärare varit betrodda med en högre grad av autonomi än lärare i många andra europeiska länder. Exempelvis har lärare givits ett stort ansvar att bedöma och betygssätta elevers kunskaper. Hur lärares bedömningar går till eller hur dessa bedömningar speglar en elevs kunskap framstår inte alltid tydligt för elever. Som en följd av att svenska elevers resultat i t.ex. matematik sjunkit i internationella kunskapsmätningar, har utvärdering av skolor, lärare och elevernas prestationer ökat – därmed har lärares bedömningsarbete fått mer uppmärksamhet i den skolpolitiska debatten, i såväl partipolitik som media. Utifrån de sjunkande resultaten har flera omfattande reformer inom skolan trätt i kraft sedan juli 2011. Som exempel på dessa reformer kan nämnas en ny skollag, en reviderad läroplan för grundskolan, samt nya föreskrifter för kunskapskrav för grundskolans ämnen med ny betygsskala vilka alla är styrande för lärares undervisning och bedömning av elevers kunskaper fr.o.m. årskurs 1 t.o.m. årskurs 9. Studien beskriver och analyserar svenska matematiklärares tankestilar om bedömning och matematikkunnighet. Det teoretiska ramverk som använts är relaterat till Flecks begrepp tankekollektiv och tankestil. För att studera lärares professionella samtal om bedömning och matematikkunnighet genomfördes semistrukturerade, materialbaserade fokusgruppsintervjuer. Materialet var elevers arbete, t.ex. prov- och matematikuppgifter. Fokusgruppsintervjuerna var sekventiella, dvs. inför respektive intervju användes föregående intervjus utskrift som underlag vid planering av nya frågor. Två fokusgrupper med matematiklärare i årskurs 4-6 från två skolor intervjuades sammanlagt vid åtta tillfällen under ett år. Detta betyder att det genomfördes fyra intervjuer på respektive skola. Intervjuerna ljudinspelades och transkriberades. Lärarna från de två skolorna hade olika förutsättningar i sitt arbete. På en av skolorna fanns redan et fungerande ämneslärarlag – lärarna träffades och samverkade återkommande varje vecka för att planera och diskutera matematik. På den andra skolan hade lärarna endast kommit samman för att delta i fokusgruppsintervjuerna. Resultaten visar att även om respektive lärargrupp hade olika förutsättningar, så kan grupperna ändå betraktas som ett tankekollektiv. Resultaten visar också att två övergripande tankestilar har urskilts: bedömning som borde göras kontinuerligt och matematikkunnighet är när du kan visa och redogöra för ditt resonemang. I återkommande kollegiala samtal kan tankestilen om bedömning och matematikkunnighet synliggöras. I samtalet finns möjlighet att utmana rådande traditioner genom att formulera och omformulera den kunskap och erfarenhet som redan finns för att bygga vidare på ny. Samtalen ger även möjlighet till att problematisera och utveckla lärarnas professionella språk samt visualisera lärarnas bedömningsarbete, vilket bidrar till att utveckla matematikundervisningen. / Individual teachers have been trusted with a higher degree of autonomy within the Swedish compulsory school than teachers in many other European countries. For example, teachers have been given the responsibility to assess and grade students’ knowledge. However, how teachers’ assessments reflect students’ knowledge is not always clear to students. As a result of that the Swedish students’ performance have declined in international knowledge measurements such as PIRLS, TIMSS and PISA, evaluation of schools, teachers and students’ performance has increased. Thus, teachers’ assessment work has received much attention in the debate on education policy as well as in media. This thesis describes and analyses Swedish mathematics teachers’ thought styles on assessment and mathematical knowing. The theoretical framework that was used is related to Fleck’s concepts thought style and thought collective. In order to study teachers’ conversations on assessment, semi structured material-based focus group interviews were carried out. The material was students’ work, e.g. test items. Selection was limited to certified mathematics teachers in Swedish compulsory school, year 4-6. The interviews were sequential, i.e. the transcription from the previous interview was used as basic data when planning the next interview. Two focus groups from two schools were interviewed on eight occasions during one year, four times with each school. The interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed. The conditions for the two groups were different. At one school the teachers already met and interacted every week to plan and discuss mathematics. At the other, the teachers only came together when starting to participate in these focus group interviews. The results show that even though the two teacher groups had different conditions, they can be seen as one thought collective. Moreover, the results show the emergence of two thought styles: assessment should be done continuously and students should be able to show and argue for their reasoning. It is argued that when teachers interact in conversations the thought style on assessment becomes more conscious. Also these conversations offer a possibility to problematize and develop teachers’ professional language and visualize the assessment and teaching practice, all of which improves their development in mathematical pedagogy. The results emphasize the importance of organizing and structuring collegial conversations. This issue needs to be addressed at the school management level.