The evaluation and assessment of a pupil’s knowledge is today an important part of a teachers work. The function of the evaluations for younger pupils (grades 1-3) has assumed a more prominent role in the school system due to the introduction of written assessments as well as national testing in grade 3. One of the purposes of this research has been to find out the teacher’s opinions of the written assessment in grade 3. My intention has been to study how teachers feel about assessment in general, what they assess as well as when and how they do it. I also wanted to find out when and how they used “formative” or “summative”assessments, respectively. In the empiric research I have used qualitative, unstructured interviews with five professional teachers. All teachers interviewed work in the elementary school system (1-3) and have worked within this school system between 10-30 years. The material gathered from the interviews have been analyzed and categorized thoroughly in order to find various patterns. The result of the research showed that the evaluations and assessments are used mainly to indicate each pupil’s individual scholastic development.  Some evaluations are, according to the teachers, included in the daily work with the pupils (and are formative), while other evaluations occur at special, less random occasions (and are summative). It was clear to me that the teachers don’t base their opinions of, and methods in assessment on research but on their long experiences as teachers. One major result from my study is that the teachers don’t look on assessment as being of any greater importance in the elementary school (grade 1-3).

I have made interviews with a teacher and with pupils from the lower grades in a school dominated by pupils with Swedish as their second language, about the role and effects of assessment with particular focus on the subject of mathematics. I have also studied the policy documents (“kursplanen”) for the subjects of Swedish and mathematics. The formulations of the learning goals in Swedish are differentiated, so that the demands are somewhat lower for pupils with Swedish as their second language. In mathematics, however, the learning goals are the same for all pupils, and they include the ability to communicate mathematical concepts in meaningful and relevant situations. The language of this communication is supposed to be Swedish, and the cultural code necessary to find the situation meaningful and relevant is often Swedish. The textbooks in mathematics for the early grades are oriented towards the learning goals, and contain many problems formulated in plain Swedish language, and with meaning and relevance often oriented to assumed fruit distribution habits among culturally Swedish children. This creates a problem with assessments in mathematics for many pupils with Swedish as their second language. They often feel that the assessments in mathematics are unfair, if they already know the numerical system and could have solved the problem, had it been given to them in a more simplified language. There is a risk that these pupils give up on the subject of mathematics too early, and for linguistic and cultural reasons. My research has shown that some of these pupils even question the mathematical ability of their teacher, because they can so easily check the numerical results on their pocket calculators, and at the same time find the verbal explanations of the teacher so difficult to understand. The problems resulting from the discrepancy between the learning goals in Swedish and mathematics, are aggravated by the recently introduced national tests in the third grade, witch give an official stamp on the use of summative assessment in the form of mathematical tests that includes verbally and culturally demanding problems. What the individual teacher in mathematics can do under these circumstances, is exploiting the rights and demands for individualization of learning to the outmost for pupils with Swedish as their second language. Children who in the future are going to use their mathematical skills and abilities professionally in the Swedish society certainly have to learn the appropriate words, as well as the cultural codes for the Swedish way of formulating mathematical problems. But their roads to achieving these particular goals in the national learning plan for mathematics, will in various ways be different from that of pupils with Swedish as their first language. The advent of national tests in mathematics in the third grade makes it even more important for the teacher to focus on the use of formative assessments, that make temporary allowance for the pupils present shortcomings in the linguistic and cultural understanding of mathematics, while at the same time setting up personal and individualized learning goals, aimed at overcoming these shortcomings.

Under 2008 beslutade regeringen att lärare i grundskolan skall avge skriftliga omdömen i alla ämnen eleven undervisats i, från årskurs ett. Processen med att skriva omdömen skall leda fram till en mer gemensam syn på lärande och bedömning ute på skolorna. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva relationen mellan bedömning och lärande ur ett lärarperspektiv. Studien genomfördes med en deskriptiv design och fenomenografisk ansats. Data samlades in genom intervju med sex strategiskt valda grundskollärare. Det strategiska urvalet bestod av en spridning avseende kön, ålder, antal år som lärare och utbildning utöver lärarutbildning samt att de arbetade inom geografiskt spridda områden inom Halmstad kommun. I resultatet framkom fyra varierande beskrivningskategorier. Bedömning ledde till medvetenhet om elevers kunskapsnivå. Lärarna erfor att målrelaterade bedömningar användes till att göra eleverna medvetna om att det fanns mål att nå och visade på olika sätt och vägar att nå dit. Men det framkom även att den målrelaterade bedömningen styrde undervisningen innehåll. Lärarna menade att arbetet med kriterier till bedömningsmatriser, tog mycket tid och var ett arbete som ibland gick ut över lektionsplanering. Elevers delaktighet i bedömning påverkade deras lärande. Lärarna uttryckte att om eleven själv var involverad i sin egen bedömning uppstod en känsla av delaktighet, som ledde till att hon/han tog större ansvar för sin egen utveckling. I resultatet framkom att bedömning skapade motivation som främjade elevers lärandeprocess. Lärarna blev motiverade av att bedömningarna gjordes mer formativa och framåtsyftande. Studiens resultat visar betydelsen av att variera såväl undervisning och bedömningsform för att höja kvaliteten på lärandet och att lärarna är insatta i möjligheter och svårigheter som hänger ihop med respektive bedömningsform. / In 2008 the government decided that teachers in primary schools must submit written opinions on all subjects taught to the student from grade one. The process of writing reviews should lead to a more common approach to learning and assessment at schools. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between assessment and learning, from a teacher's perspective. The study was conducted with a descriptive design and phenomenographical approach. Data was collected through interviews with six strategically selected primary school teachers. The strategic sample consisted of a spread regarding sex, age, number of years as a teacher, education beyond teacher training and that they were operating in geographically dispersed areas in the Halmstad Municipality. The results revealed four different categories of description. Assessment led to the awareness of students  knowledge. The teachers’ experience was that target-based assessments made students aware that there were goals to achieve and showed various ways to get there. But it was also found that the target-based assessments ruled the teaching content. Teachers felt that the work taken in determining the criteria for the assessment matrices took a large amount of time and was a job that sometimes took place instead of lesson planning. Students  participation in the assessment affected their learning. Teachers expressed the opinion that if the pupil was involved in their own assessment there was a sense of ownership, which led to them taking more responsibility for their own development. The results showed that the assessments created motivation that promoted a student’s learning process. The teachers were motivated by the fact that assessments were more formative and proactive. Study findings show the importance of varying both the teaching and assessment form to improve the quality of learning and that teachers must be familiar with the opportunities and difficulties associated with each assessment form.

Syftet med följande studie är att undersöka hur gymnasielärare kan resonera kring bedömning. Fokus ligger på huruvida respondenterna har ett i huvudsak formativt eller summativt förhållningssätt, samt vilka möjligheter respektive hinder de ser i formativa bedömningsmetoder. Empirin har insamlats genom intervjuer, och visar att respondenterna har en summativ syn på bedömning där betygsskalan är central. De möjligheter som ses i formativa metoder är ökad medvetenhet hos eleverna samt tydlighet gällande kursmål. De hinder som tas upp gäller elevernas mognad, lärarens osäkerhet och otillräckliga kunskap samt tidsåtgången. / The purpose of this study is to investigate how upper secondary school teachers reflect on assessment. The aim is to examine whether the interviewed teachers think of assessment in a summative or formative way, and also which possibilities and obstacles they see in formative assessment methods. The result shows that the teachers have a summative approach where the grades are central. The possibilities mentioned are the pupils’ increased awareness of their learning process and the clarification of the course objectives. The obstacles brought up consider the pupils’ immatureness, the teacher’s insecurity and insufficient knowledge, as well as the time limit.

This is a study of the national test in 3rd grade. The national test is obligatory and is conducted in 5th and 9th grade, but since the spring of 2009 the tests also become mandatory in 3rd grade. The case study of this research is to find out how children in 3rd grade perceive the purpose of the national test. The survey should also clarify how students think and feel about the national test, and how they feel before the national test and after they have finished writing the test. Has the test positive or negative influence on children? The survey will also show how much teachers clarify what the significance of the national test is for the students. The study was conducted as a qualitative survey. The testing was performed at two different schools. In each school the survey was conducted in two classes in which questionnaires were adapted to students from 3rd and 4th grade. Why I use two different questionnaires adapted to these two grades is to find out different aspects of the time before and after the national test. What appears to be obvious is in this study is that these particular students who have completed the survey have no knowledge of the purpose of the national test.

Many pedagogues believe science centres to be a good complement to the more formal school teaching. For a visit to a science centre to be as educational as possible, there is a need for pre-visit information of some sort, a guided visit, and post-visit work. Many science centres offer loan services of different kinds. At Navet, a science centre in Borås, teachers can borrow boxes with experiments connected to the different themes they provide. The experiments are supposed to be a continuation of the visit and help settle the knowledge gained during the visit. This thesis is an evaluation of how the boxes function in the schools, and what the teachers think of them. The study was conducted through questionnaires and interviews with both teachers and the staff at Navet. The results of the study are very positive. Many teachers have been involved with Navet from the very beginning and they see a visit to Navet as an integrated part of their teaching. Some boxes work better than others and some might need clearer information, but overall the teachers see the boxes as timesavers, as a way to vary their teaching more easily, and as a help for teachers not specialized in mathematics and science.

During the past few years, pair-programming is a programming technique that has received an increasing amount of attention in the teaching of computer programming skills. Pair programming can briefly be described as a programming situation in which two persons sit at one computer and execute the task together. Although much research has been done on the advantages and disadvantages of pair programming, the assessment of computer skills acquired in pairs still remains a problem. The perception exists that pair assessment is not a reliable indicator of students' computer programming abilities. The purpose of the study was to determine whether (1) the results of programming skills assessed in pairs correlate with those of programming skills assessed individually, and (2) to investigate students' perceptions of pair and individual assessment. To reach these objectives, a literature study was performed to investigate pair programming as programming technique and the assessment of programming skills acquired in pairs. The empirical study has revealed that a positive relation exists between programming skills assessed in pairs and programming skills assessed individually. Furthermore, it was found that in general students' perceptions concerning pair assessment have changed positively. Based on the results arising from the empirical study, guidelines were suggested for the facilitation and assessment of pair programming skills. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore three questions regarding formative assessment (FA) and Student-Involved assessment strategies among five middle years teachers in Saskatoon Public Schools. The questions were one, what were the beliefs of the teachers regarding formative assessment and student involved assessment? as well as two, what were their perceptions about attitudes of students, parents, and the community about these innovative assessment practices? and thirdly, what did the teachers believe would support teachers in taking up formative assessment and student-involved assessment? The five participating teachers had varying lengths of service ranging from five to over twenty-five years. Teachers were interviewed in a semi-structured style during one forty-five minute interview, each. Teachers were provided with sample prompts in order to facilitate the conversation. Teachers reported using FA and student involved assessment strategies with mixed results. Teachers used strategies and modified them on occasion to suit the learning conditions, to allow for time constraints, or to accelerate the pace of instruction. Teachers also reported using FA and student-involved assessment strategies primarily in subject areas in which they felt most comfortable and relied on more traditional summative assessments in subject areas in which they were less comfortable. Teachers stated there were varying degrees of support from colleagues, school based administrators, and school division consultants. The support generally disappeared if the school based administrator whose emphasis was FA and student-involved assessment left the school for a different assignment. Some participants reported taking initiative to pursue FA of their own accord, but were left to roll out the initiative on their own. Teachers described mixed results with other stakeholders in these processes as well. Generally parents and students were less interested in FA and student-involved assessment and showed a preference for summative evaluations such as percentages and letter grades. Implications of these findings are that teachers are not appropriately trained in student assessment and support for formative assessment is inconsistent. Students are often omitted from the unpacking of curricula, are not accountable for collection of their own assessment data and are not held responsible to act upon any formative assessment feedback in order to improve their learning. This study led to the following definition of formative assessment: formative assessment is the demonstration by students they can act upon descriptive feedback to show they have achieved a learning outcome regardless of mode (oral, written, performance, etc.).

During the past few years, pair-programming is a programming technique that has received an increasing amount of attention in the teaching of computer programming skills. Pair programming can briefly be described as a programming situation in which two persons sit at one computer and execute the task together. Although much research has been done on the advantages and disadvantages of pair programming, the assessment of computer skills acquired in pairs still remains a problem. The perception exists that pair assessment is not a reliable indicator of students' computer programming abilities. The purpose of the study was to determine whether (1) the results of programming skills assessed in pairs correlate with those of programming skills assessed individually, and (2) to investigate students' perceptions of pair and individual assessment. To reach these objectives, a literature study was performed to investigate pair programming as programming technique and the assessment of programming skills acquired in pairs. The empirical study has revealed that a positive relation exists between programming skills assessed in pairs and programming skills assessed individually. Furthermore, it was found that in general students' perceptions concerning pair assessment have changed positively. Based on the results arising from the empirical study, guidelines were suggested for the facilitation and assessment of pair programming skills. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

State universities in Saudi Arabia have adopted a new educational policy, which made English the medium of instruction for all scientific departments. This has led to establishing a Foundation Year Programme (FYP) in the English Language Institute (ELI) of those universities, which aims to prepare university students to cope with the new academic requirements in their chosen majors and to improve their overall language competence. This study investigates teachers’ roles and beliefs regarding assessment practices in the ELI with the aim to uncover not only the role(s) teachers play in both continuous and summative assessment practices, but also teachers’ understandings of and attitudes towards assessment and their roles in it. Findings will also include how teachers perceive this role in this interpretive study, where the data were collected using open-ended interviews with twenty male and female expatriate and Saudi EFL teachers who work in the ELI of a specific Saudi university. The data were analysed on the basis of participants’ views and explanations about their roles in both continuous and summative assessment in the institution. The findings revealed that teachers had no role in summative assessment unless they were members of the Assessment Committee and that most teachers wanted to have a voice and be more involved. While teachers had a limited role in continuous assessment in the classroom, they felt the need for more involvement in the choice of materials/topics employed as well as more freedom regarding the way it is administered. The study also revealed that the ELI was not well receptive of criticism from teachers, which made teachers sometimes reluctant to being more involved in assessment or voicing their views in fear of being labelled negatively. Finally, some contributions to knowledge, implications for the context and recommendations are provided as well as some suggestions for improving teachers’ roles in assessment for future consideration.