Lärares upplevelse av bedömning och betyg i grundsärskolan och gymnasiesärskolan

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to describe the experiences of teachers` in compulsory and upper secondary school experiences about grades and grading and equivalent assessment and whether the curriculum is adapted for this student group. In the collection of the empirical data, a qualitative approach was used in the form of semi-structured interviews with seven respondents. Our interest in these issues stems, among other things, from the fact that both the compulsory school and the upper secondary school have got strengthened knowledge assignments and goal fulfillment with the revisions of the (school) curricula, Lsär11 and Gysär13 with the motivation that the school forms should be more equal to elementary school and upper secondary school. By using qualitative interviews, we wanted to find answers toquestions in our study:

• How do the respondents in the study experience assessment and grading?
• How do the respondents in the study experience grades and their functioning?
•  How do the respondents in the study in compulsory school and upper secondary school work to get an equal assessment?
• How do the respondents respond to the curriculum`s adaption for the student group?

The theoretical approach used in the study is three special pedagogical perspective, the critical and compensatory perspective and the dilemma perspective. The compensatory perspective is based on the fact that the problem lies with the individual and that the school should try to compensate for the shortcomings or problematic characteristics that the student has. In this perspective, one would like to try to categorize deviations and distinguish the abnormal from the normal and thus be able to give the individual the best help.

The critical perspective, also called the relational perspective, was formed from a critique of the compensatory perspective. Here, difficulties and problems are understood as something that arises in the encounter with the environment and not as something in the individual. Great importance is placed on the importance of social factors for school problems. The dilemma perspective emerged as a backlash to the above two special pedagogical perspective, and is a perspective that represents the contradictions between the critical and the compensatory perspective and that all dilemmas cannot be solved within an education system, but it is about creating a balance within the framework of them. 

In summary, the results show, through the teachers´ stories of their experiences of assessment and grading in compulsory and upper secondary school, a daily life that is complex and consists of various dilemmas in relation to the steering documents that the teachers´ need to relate to in their assignment and highlights the ambivalence that the teacher´s experience.

The formative assessment method is perceived as the working method that is lacking in the assessment work, while at the same time it takes a lot of time in relation to a rating that does not fulfill any function. Equality is experienced by the teachers´ when they are allowed to evaluate the students based on their own circumstances. From the result it can also be seen that the curriculum is considered too difficult for the student group.

The study's implications indicate a variety of dilemmas in assessment and grading for the profession in compulsory and upper secondary schools, despite a starting point from the individual with a relational approach. The study contributes to continued research on teacher´s difficulties in interpreting high-level curricula that will give students an equal assessment and rating.