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In the thesis the aim is to investigate different aspects of what teachers value when grading in Swedish physical education (PE) and to analyses how sociological background factors impact students’ grades. Grades in PE have included aspects other than those prescribed in the grading criteria, for instance motivation and effort. Teachers sometimes find their value-setting difficult to articulate and refer to a “gut feeling”. In order to explore both explicit and implicit forms of value-setting, the Repertory Grid interview technique is employed. The thesis includes four sub-studies, three interview studies with Swedish PE teachers and a fourth study based on registry data from the Swedish National Agency for Education. The data of all students leaving nine-year compulsory school in 2014 (n=95317) is analysed to explore how sociological background factors, such as migration background, parents’ education, school provider and gender, affect PE grades. The results reveal aspects of grading that are not detectable in the official description of the grading assignment and highlight problems that teachers need to address when grading. Four themes are discerned in the teachers’ grading practices: motivation, knowledge, confidence and social skills. The implementation of a new national curriculum with specified knowledge requirements seems to improve the alignment with the national criteria, but there is still a gap between policy and practice. The knowledge requirements for movement are often interpreted as performances in competitive sports, even if the teachers try to find other interpretations. The odds ratio for getting a higher grade in PE is greater for the variables migration background and parents’ education than for the other investigated variables. The concepts formulated by Bernstein are applied to explore the relations between teachers’ grading practices and cultural and political influences and to discuss how the tensions between different interests could affect teachers’ grading. The conclusion is that the gap between policy and practice confirmed in this study is related to tensions between the interests and purposes of different agents, all of whom strive to influence steering documents and practice. Cultural and political influences need to be considered and facilitate discussions about how to understand which knowledge is valued in PE and who has better possibilities to assimilate it. / Forskningslinjen Utbildning

Formative assessment lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be. Little research has been conducted on formative assessment practices, nor collegial practices in an EFL context. The purpose of the current study is to determine what formative assessment practices are in place in two upper-secondary schools and the impact that collegial learning plays in the adoption of these practices. This qualitative research design comprises four teachers and ten pupils using the focus group interview method. The findings reveal that there are several disparities in the two schools with regards to the adoption of formative practices, with one adhering to summative procedures. Furthermore, one of the more significant findings emerging from this study is that there seems to be a relation between collegial learning and common assessment practices. This finding has pedagogical implications which could be usefully explored in further research. Finally, this study also highlights that formative assessment practices can be implemented successfully without any resistance or reluctance from the learners.

<p>The purpose of this research is to survey and describe some science teachers’ conceptions of which assessment criteria they use at the marking process. Questions which are relevant for this research are the following: </p><p>1. Which assessment methods form the basis for science teachers’ marking process? </p><p>2. Which knowledge qualities are assessed and marked by science teachers? </p><p>3. How do science teachers use national curriculum and marking criterions?</p><p>Five qualitative interviews of science teachers were performed. The interview material was analyzed by a phenomenographical analysis method. </p><p>The result from the first problem consists of the descriptive categories: <i>Science methodology</i> and <i>Oral and written use of language</i>. </p><p>The result from the second problem consists of the descriptive categories: T<i>he students´ ability to use science knowledge in different contexts</i>, <i>The students´ ability to use science vocabulary</i>, <i>The students´ ability to develop science knowledge</i>, and <i>The students´ behavior</i>. </p><p>The result from the third problem consists of the descriptive categories: As a support in the marking process, <i>As a material for discussion</i>, and <i>As a way to communicate objects to students</i>.</p> / <p>Undersökningens syfte är att kartlägga och beskriva några NO-lärares uppfattningar om vilka bedömningskriterier de använder vid betygssättning. Frågor som är relevanta för den här undersökningen är följande: </p><p>1. Vilka bedömningsformer utgör underlag för NO-lärares betygssättning?</p><p>2. Vilka kunskapskvaliteter bedömer och betygssätter NO-lärare? </p><p>3. Hur använder NO-lärare nationella kursplaner och betygskriterier?</p><p>Fem kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med NO-lärare. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med en fenomenografisk analysmetod. </p><p>Resultatet av den första frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: <i>Det naturvetenskapliga arbetssättet </i>och <i>Muntlig och skriftlig språkanvändning</i>. </p><p>Resultatet av den andra frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: <i>Elevens förmåga att använda den naturvetenskapliga kunskapen i olika sammanhang</i>, <i>Elevens förmåga att använda det naturvetenskapliga språket,</i> <i>Elevens förmåga att utveckla sin naturvetenskapliga kunskap</i> och <i>Elevens beteende</i>. </p><p>Resultatet i den tredje frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: Som ett stöd för betygssättningen, Som ett diskussionsunderlag och <i>Som ett sätt att förmedla målen till eleverna</i>. </p>

The purpose of this research is to survey and describe some science teachers’ conceptions of which assessment criteria they use at the marking process. Questions which are relevant for this research are the following: 1. Which assessment methods form the basis for science teachers’ marking process? 2. Which knowledge qualities are assessed and marked by science teachers? 3. How do science teachers use national curriculum and marking criterions? Five qualitative interviews of science teachers were performed. The interview material was analyzed by a phenomenographical analysis method. The result from the first problem consists of the descriptive categories: Science methodology and Oral and written use of language. The result from the second problem consists of the descriptive categories: The students´ ability to use science knowledge in different contexts, The students´ ability to use science vocabulary, The students´ ability to develop science knowledge, and The students´ behavior. The result from the third problem consists of the descriptive categories: As a support in the marking process, As a material for discussion, and As a way to communicate objects to students. / Undersökningens syfte är att kartlägga och beskriva några NO-lärares uppfattningar om vilka bedömningskriterier de använder vid betygssättning. Frågor som är relevanta för den här undersökningen är följande: 1. Vilka bedömningsformer utgör underlag för NO-lärares betygssättning? 2. Vilka kunskapskvaliteter bedömer och betygssätter NO-lärare? 3. Hur använder NO-lärare nationella kursplaner och betygskriterier? Fem kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med NO-lärare. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med en fenomenografisk analysmetod. Resultatet av den första frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: Det naturvetenskapliga arbetssättet och Muntlig och skriftlig språkanvändning. Resultatet av den andra frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: Elevens förmåga att använda den naturvetenskapliga kunskapen i olika sammanhang, Elevens förmåga att använda det naturvetenskapliga språket, Elevens förmåga att utveckla sin naturvetenskapliga kunskap och Elevens beteende. Resultatet i den tredje frågeställningen består av beskrivningskategorierna: Som ett stöd för betygssättningen, Som ett diskussionsunderlag och Som ett sätt att förmedla målen till eleverna.

This study monitored the conceptualisation, implementation and evaluation of criterion-referenced assessment for Modern Dance by two teachers specifically chosen because they represented the two most usual stances in current teaching i.e. one valuing dance as part of a wider, more general education, the other as a performance art. The Review of Literature investigated the derivation of these differences and identified the kinds of assessment criteria which would be relevant in each context. It then questioned both the timing of the application of the criteria and the benefits and limitations inherent in using a pre-active or re-active model. Lastly it examined the philosophy of criterion-referenced assessment and thereafter formulated the main hypothesis, i. e. &quot;That criterion-referenced assessment is an appropriate and realistic method for Modern Dance in schools&quot;. Both the main and sub-hypotheses were tested by the use of Case Study/Collaborative Action research. In this chosen method of investigation the teachers' actions were the primary focus of study while the researcher played a supportive but ancillary role. The study has three sections. The first describes the process experienced by the teachers as they identified their criteria for assessment and put their new strategy into action. It shows the problems which arose and the steps which were taken to resolve them. It gives exemplars of the assessment instruments which were designed and evaluates their use. It highlights the differences in the two approaches to dance and the different competencies required by the teachers if their criterion-referenced strategy was adequately and validly to reflect the important features of their course. In the second section the focus moves from the teachers to the pupils. Given that the pupils have participated in different programmes of dance, the study investigates what criteria the pupils spontaneously use and what criteria they can be taught to use. It does this through the introduction of self-assessment in each course. In this way the pupils' observations and movement analyses were made explicit and through discussion, completing specially prepared leaflets and using video, they were recorded and compared. And finally, the research findings were circulated to a larger number of teachers to find to what extent their concerns and problems had been anticipated by the first two and to discover if they, without extensive support, could also mount a criterion-referenced assessment strategy with an acceptable amount of effort and within a realistic period of time. And given that they could, the final question concerned the evaluations of all those participants i.e. teachers, parents and pupils. Would this extended group similarly endorse the strategy and strengthen the claim that criterion-referenced assessment was a valid and beneficial way of assessing Modern Dance in Schools?

The Diploma Thesis named Case Study: Implementing Formative Assessment into Education focuses on formative assessment and its place as well as specifics in educational reality from two perspectives - it aims at first-hand experience of teachers and pupils, and it also examines the whole-school process of implementing this change into education. The thesis' goal is to identify formative assessment as means of functional feedback between teachers and pupils, and to offer personal experience with implementing formative assessment into education from the point of view of teachers as well as pupils. The theoretical part characterises the formative assessment's major features along with methods and techniques and their respective benefits. The theoretical part further offers an overlook of how the process of implementing changes into schools can be managed. The empirical part then presents findings from a research aimed at implementing specific parts of formative assessment into practice at a selected school. Finally, the results point out mainly the crucial influence of management of the change on the overall outcome of the process and the gradual change of views and motivations of leading actors. KEYWORDS formative assessment, feedback, peer assessment, self-assessment, criterion-referenced assessment,...

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes testing to the forefront of American public education. With its call for teachers and schools to be accountable for academic performance, NCLB has focused the spotlight on yearly progress, as measured by students' test scores. Issues associated with this charge include the questionable reliability of tests, the variation evident in state standards, and the consequences an emphasis on high-stakes testing may have on teaching and learning in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consequences of high-stakes testing on teaching and learning in public elementary schools in Utah from the vantage point of school principals. Although policymakers assume a direct correlation between increased test scores and academic achievement, this study went beyond test scores. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 principals, selected through purposive sampling from both Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools, revealed both positive and negative themes. Principals appreciated the focus and collaboration that NCLB testing encourages among teachers, but they disliked the impact of poor test scores on faculty morale. Unlike respondents in previous studies, principals did not feel that NCLB diminished creativity in the classroom; they did worry, however, about the validity of scores as a measure of student learning, particularly in the case of a one-time, year-end test.

A total of 278 teachers participated in this study. This study was designed to examine how teachers from “distinguished” (high performing) and “needs improvement” (low performing) middle schools perceived the roles of their principals as instructional leaders who could provide schools with the necessary leadership characteristics for school improvement. This study also examined if differences existed among teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ roles based on school type and demographics (gender, age, years of work experience, and educational attainment). The principal leadership questionnaire (PLQ) was used to collect data based on the five factors: identify and articulate vision and provide inspiration, foster acceptance of group goals, provide appropriate model, provide intellectual stimulation, and provide individualized support. Cronbach alpha was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument. Data were analyzed using mean scores, percentages, t-tests and ANOVA. The findings indicated that the participants had positive perceptions with strongly agreed to agreed responses on most of the questionnaire items indicating that teachers perceived their principals should possess the characteristics associated with instructional leadership. Female participants consistently agreed with higher mean scores on all five PLQ factors than did male participants. The researcher recommended that further research and a longitudinal study be conducted on this topic to examine and compare leadership preparation programs in Georgia and other states across the nation and to determine the long-term effects of instructional leadership roles on student achievement.

The purposes of this study were to: (a) analyze subjects' responses from Form F of the Standardized Bible Content Tests of the American Association of Bible Colleges by factor analysis and the Rasch measurement model and (b) determine dimensionality of Form F, determine the correlation to the Literal, Anti-literal, Mythological Scales, and determine the best criterion-referenced test design of Form F using Rasch measurement procedures. Volunteers from a purposefully selected sample of nine colleges from the American Association of Bible Colleges participated in the study. One research instrument with five demographic questions, the Standardized Bible Content Test Form F, and the Literal, Anti-literal, and Mythological Scales was administered to 179 volunteer graduating seniors. Frequencies and percentages of responses were computed for the demographic questions. Mean scores on the Literal, Anti-literal, and Mythological Scales were computed for gender and religious affiliation. Principal components analysis of Form F with varimax rotation and list-wise deletion of missing data was used to assess the dimensionality of Form F. Correlations between scores on the Literal, Anti-literal and Mythological Scales and scores from the principal components analysis of Form F were computed. Dunn's multiple comparison procedures were used to test for statistical significance. Rasch-Model measurement analysis of the scales extracted by principal components analysis was accomplished to obtain suggested target description, test design, variable definition, and item calibration.