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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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Assessment and Summarised Grading in the Social Studies Subjects Based on Subject-integrated Teaching in Swedish Compulsory School : An Impossible Task with Subject-separated Assessment Criteria?
- 2021
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Ingår i: ECER Programme. - Geneva.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since 2011, the first end-of-term grading in Swedish nine-year compulsory school in the social studies subjects (civics, geography, history and religious studies) has started in Year 6. Before this, the grading had started in Year 8. Grading in Year 6 is carried out in relation to knowledge requirements (assessment criteria) in each social studies subject, and according to the Swedish national curriculum (SNAE, 2011), the starting point is that the subjects should be separated in both teaching and assessment (Claesson & Lindblad, 2013). A subject-separated approach to teaching and assessment in the social studies subjects is also common internationally (VanSledright, 2011). However, students in Swedish compulsory school should concurrently be given the opportunity to work in a subject-integrated manner (SNAE, 2011). Subject-integrated teaching, internationally often referred to as curriculum integration (Ferguson-Patrick, Reynolds and Macqueen, 2018), is considered to promote a more holistic student understanding of social studies subject matter - for example, key global issues (Jorgensen, 2014).In Year 6, it is also possible to set a summarised grade in the social studies subjects, a grade that covers all subjects if the teaching has mainly been integrated (Swedish Education Act 2010: 800). Nevertheless, Olovsson & Näsström (2018) indicate that subject-integrated teaching and summarised grading in the social studies are quite rare in Swedish schools. In addition, Olovsson and Näsström (2018) describe that the subject-separated knowledge requirements has affected teachers’ choice of teaching form in favour of subject-separated teaching instead of subject integration. From a student learning perspective, this can be questionable: it has been argued that subject-integrated teaching in the social studies can provide more meaningful learning than what is developed in preparation for assessment in the individual subjects, such as “Standard Grade” (Fenwick, Minty & Priestley, 2013) which previously existed in the Scottish educational system.Moreover, the assessment of students’ learning in subject-integrated social studies teaching has proven to be complicated and demands a great deal of attention to work out well (Harris, Harrison & McFahn, 2011). Assessment in subject-integrated teaching, with its unclear subject boundaries, can lead to unclear assessment criteria and can be connected to the concept of integrated code (Bernstein, 2000). The question of how to set grades in the social studies subjects, whether subject-separated or summarised, can affect the entire teaching process and students’ learning (cf. Samuelsson, 2014).This study highlights and problematises the situation described above and shows how teachers and students in two classes, in Year 5 and 6 in Swedish compulsory school, approach assessment and develop summarised grading in four subject-integrated thematic units in the social studies subjects, Aim and Research questions: The aim of the study is to investigate and analyse the assessment and grading practice in subject-integrated thematic units in the social studies subjects, and how practice can be developed to promote effective summarised grading and student learning. The research questions are:- How are assessment and grading carried out in conjunction with the subject-integrated teaching?- How do students approach assessment and grading in conjunction with subject-integrated teaching?- How do teachers approach assessment and develop summarised grading in the social studies subjects based on subject-separated knowledge requirements?The results will be analysed in relation to Bernstein’s (2000) concepts of integrated code and collection code, and Gresnigt et al.’s. (2014) summary of approaches to integration, including a view that more complex knowledge can be developed during more complex integration. In addition, the indigenous perspective of social studies (Four Arrows, 2014) may be used, to analyse the provision of a holistic view of the social studies subjects. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used: Data collection was carried out in two classes in two schools in northern Sweden, during the Spring terms of 2019 and 2020. Both schools set summarised grades for Year 6 in the social studies subjects. The teaching was conducted in four thematic units in the social studies subjects. Each thematic unit consisted of about 6-12 lessons, with a length of about 40-70 minutes, over a period of 2-4 weeks. The collected material is in the form of classroom observations, audio recordings of lessons, interviews with teachers and students, informal conversations with teachers, and written material such as teachers’ notes regarding assessment and grading. The classes’ teachers planned and conducted teaching and assessment, and the researcher also acted, but to a low extent, as a discussion partner during teachers’ planning. Analysis of the empirical material is based on an interpretive approach, using concepts and processes from thematic analysis (Guest, MacQueen & Namey, 2012; Braun & Clarke, 2006). Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings: Assessment, in relation to the knowledge requirements, was increasingly emphasised as end-of-term grading approached in Year 6. Regarding subject integration, several types of integration were identified, both during individual lessons and throughout the thematic units. More complex integration (Gresnigt et al., 2014) occured to some extent in the thematic units, but occurred less in Year 6, where teachers chose to plan thematic units in which one subject was the main subject and the other subjects were supplementary. The students’ acquired knowledge in the thematic units in Year 6 formed the basis for the end-of-term-grading, and the assessment took place in relation to the knowledge requirements in the individual subjects (cf. Bernstein, 2000). The teachers tried to find ways with subject-integrated teaching as a basis, and weave together the knowledge requirements of the different subjects, but found the task very challenging. In some parts, regarding the knowledge requirements, the subjects could interact, but in other parts interaction was more difficult. After completing the thematic units, the two teachers in some respects were contented. They have experienced the advantages with subject integration, and in some aspects they assert that their assessment skills have improved. However, on an overall level, they are still not contented with the structure and content of the national curriculum assessment system, particularly in terms of what knowledge they want the students to develop in social studies. In terms of opportunities for students to acquire a more holistic view, and in terms of the greater understanding of key global issues that the common core of the subjects can provide (Four Arrows, 2014), the benefits of subject integration in the social studies can probably be attained only to a lesser extent. This is due to the shortcomings of the existing Swedish national assessment system.
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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Det kontrollera(n)de klassrummet : bedömningsprocessen i svensk grundskolepraktik i relation till införandet av nationella skolreformer
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to investigate the assessment process in Swedish compulsory school practice, and the changes that occur in relation to the introduction of national school reforms. The fieldwork forming the basis of the thesis was conducted in year five and year six classrooms between 2011-2013, a period during which new national syllabuses with knowledge requirements, grades in year six and extended national tests were introduced. The thesis consists of four articles, the first of which explores how the assessment process is put into practice in a year five classroom and how it is understood by the students and one of their teachers. The fieldwork on which the first article is based was conducted prior to the introduction of the above-mentioned reforms. The second article investigates the assessment process in two different year five classrooms in two schools, after the introduction of the new syllabuses but prior to the introduction of grades in year six and extended national tests. The third article investigates changes in the assessment process in the same two schools. The fieldwork was conducted in year five and year six, in relation to the introduction of grades in year six and extended national tests. The fourth article addresses how changes in the assessment process have affected students’ learner identities. The empirical material was collected during four fieldwork periods in three schools, chiefly through classroom observations, interviews and student essays. The analysis in the thesis is based primarily on Basil Bernstein’s (e.g. 2000) theoretical framework but also on the theoretical concepts of Torrance and Pryor (1998). The study shows that the reforms are exerting a significant influence on the assessment process in the investigated classroom practices. Teachers monitor their students’ performance more closely and students strive to acquaint themselves with what is expected of them. It also appears that the focus is increasingly on students’ performance in relation to the steering documents, that the more regulated practices restrict teachers’ and students’ autonomy and that the assessment process in the two schools investigated in both year five and year six are becoming increasingly similar. Furthermore, the study shows that students tend to pay more attention to their school work, while at the same time experiencing more negative pressure to perform. In the concluding analysis and discussion sections, connections are drawn between prevailing education policy and the reforms, as well as their influence on classroom practice, students and teachers.
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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På väg mot kollektivt lärande – inom ramen för samverkan mellan skola och universitet
- 2024
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Ingår i: Forskning och utveckling i förskola och skola (Fufos). - Piteå : Utbildningsförvaltningen, Piteå kommun. - 2004-3635. ; 3:1, s. 62-81
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Artikeln, författad av forskare, förstelärare och skolledande personal, bygger på ett samverkansprojekt med målet att utveckla en gymnasieskolas kollektiva lärande. Artikeln syftar till att bidra till förståelse av vad ett sådant utvecklingsarbete kan innebära. Metoder som användes var enkätundersökning och intervjuer. Dataanalys genomfördes med stöd av tematisk analys i olika steg (jfr Braun & Clarke, 2006) och teoretiska begrepp som kollektivt och kollegialt lärande (Larsson, 2018) samt olika former av begreppet tillit (Jederlund, 2019). Resultaten visar att förstelärare som leder utvecklingsarbete påverkas av tidigare erfarenheter från utvecklingsarbete och att det är viktigt att lärare som medverkar känner tillit till enskilda kollegor, till den större grupp de ingår i samt till processen bakom utvecklingsarbetet. Samverkansprojektet bidrog till skapande av strukturer för fortsatt utveckling samt till insikt om att utvecklingsarbete främst handlar om att utveckla arbetssätt som är lämpliga för den egna verksamheten.
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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Students’ views on learning and grading in Swedish compulsory school
- 2016
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Ingår i: ECER 2016. - : European Educational Research Association (ECER).
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contribution: The trend towards increased assessment and evaluation in education has been visible internationally for a number of years (e.g. Olovsson, 2015). Increased global competition due to international assessment programmes, such as PISA and TIMSS has resulted in the introduction of educational assessment reforms in countries all over the world (Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE, 2015). Sweden is no exception on this. In recent reforms of the Swedish nine-year compulsory school, students’ higher target achievement has come in focus and increased monitoring of students’ performances is central (SNAE, 2015). One reform, which is meant to improve the monitoring, is the introduction of earlier end-of-term grades, in Grade 6. This reform was introduced in 2012 (before that, grades were introduced in Grade 8).In a European perspective, the Swedish introduction of grades comes later than in most other countries (Lundahl et al. 2015). This has also been stated (Lundahl et al.) as one of the Government’s main reasons to start the first grading earlier. However, Lundahl et al. point out that there are difficulties in making comparisons between countries in terms of the actual start of the first grading, since grades are set in different ways and for different reasons.This paper focuses Grade 9 students’ (aged 15 to 16 years) views on how their learning is affected by grades, in the context of the Swedish compulsory school. The paper builds on Olovsson (2014; 2015), who investigated the effects of the introduction of grades in Grade 6 in 2012. The study is a follow-up with the former Grade 6 students as they now attend Grade 9.Grades are usually described as a form of summative assessment (Klapp, 2015a; Lundahl et al. 2015). Governance in the form of increased summative assessment that affects school practice is sometimes referred to as performativity(e.g. Ball, 2008; Jeffrey & Troman, 2012). The insertion of assessment reforms in the Swedish school system (with the earlier introduction of grades as one of the reforms) has been motivated with the argument that it would counteract a longer period of decline in school results. However, the government has indicated that it will take time before the reforms will have an impact in terms of improved school results (SOU 2013:30). Therefore, it is interesting to let these students be heard again, in a follow-up study, since the reform has been operating for some years now. A follow-up study is also motivated – by somewhat opposite reasons – to find out how grading for a longer period affect students’ views of learning, as previous research (Harlen & Deakin Crick, 2002; Stobart, 2008; Lundahl et al. 2015) has shown that summative assessment can affect students’ learning negatively.The aim of the study is to investigate students’ views on their own learning and how it is affected by grades.- How do students in Grade 9 view their own learning, especially in relation to grades?- Have students’ views of their own learning, in relation to the grading, changed from Grade 6 to Grade 9 - and if so, in what ways?- What differences exist between the views of students who are high-, medium- or low-achieving - and in this regard, which possible changes have taken place between Grade 6 and Grade 9?Klapp (2015b) argues that summative assessments, as grades, affect different students in various ways, and particularly low-achieving students’ learning is negatively affected by grades. In view of this, the study’s results will be analysed in relation to Klapp (2015b). The results will also be understood and discussed in relation to Bernstein’s (2000) theoretical concepts of classification and framing.Method: The follow-up study builds on empirical material from Olovsson (2014; 2015). New, supplementary data will be collected, and will also be compared to data from the earlier study. The supplementary data collection is carried out through student essays and document analysis with students in Grade 9. The students in Grade 9 are eighteen students who also were informants in Olovsson (2014; 2015), then in Grade 6. In Grade 6, the students attended two schools in two different Swedish cities, one of which is an expanding medium-sized city, and the other one a small city in a rural area. The students’ statements in Grade 9 are compared with their earlier statements from Grade 6 in 2012/2013. The students are part of the first national cohort who received grades in Grade 6, after the introduction of the new reform. In Grade 9, the students have gone through their final years in compulsory school and have received grades several times. The main method for data collection, writing short essays, is based on themes presented (questions asked) by the researcher about the students’ ideas regarding grading, assessment and learning. The essay themes/questions in the follow-up study are mainly the same as those that were posed to the students when they were in Grade 6 in 2012/2013. As regards all the informants, in the analysis of their statements attention is paid to the fact if students are high- medium- or low achieving in the school subjects. In addition to essay writing, some document analysis is used, to place the students’ statements in a context. The documents can, for example, consist of assessment- or teaching policies for the individual schools, or teaching material. In the analysis, processing and thematisation of the empirical material is primarily based on the questions asked in connection with the writing of the essays. An interpretive approach is used, which can be compared with the concept of the constant comparative method (Glaser, 1965; Hjerm, Lindgren & Nilsson, 2014).Expected Outcomes: The results that stem from the earlier study, Olovsson (2014; 2015) may be invoked as a basis concerning the expected results in this follow-up study. Several of the students in the earlier study are the same that are part of this study. The earlier study showed that the students in Grade 6, when they were graded for the first time, experienced a greater extent of discipline in school than in Grade 5, at the same time as they experienced a greater negative pressure to perform. Now when the students attend Grade 9, grading has been a recurring element of students’ schooling, every term since Grade 6, which might indicate that they now view grading as a natural element, which they relate to in different ways. How they relate to grading, in the current Swedish assessment system can be related to possible approaches such as a "necessary evil" or as something that improves learning. It might also be that the students view grading as something obvious that they do not reflect much upon, or it may be associated with anxiety. The comparative analysis will provide data of the long term influence that the grading practice have on student views on grading and learning.
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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Teaching and learning in integrated social studies: What knowledge is most important for students to acquire?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Social Science Education. - : Bielefeld University. - 1618-5293. ; 20:4, s. 121-146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Teaching shows patterns of different discourses of learning in varying degrees of integration.When grading is introduced, the subject knowledge discourse turns more dominant.Students show greater engagement in higher degrees of integrated teaching directed by overarching curriculum objectives.Macro policies direct the characteristics of the teaching, but there are variations in the strength with which different policies are implemented.Purpose: The purpose is to analyse how teaching and learning take place in integrated social studies teaching in relation to various curriculum goals and what consequences the teaching has for students’ approaches to learning.Design/methodology/approach:Ethnographic fieldwork is used in ten integrated thematic units conducted in four classes in four Swedish schools, with students in Years 5 and 6.Findings: The grading in Year 6 contributes to the integrated teaching being more adapted and directed towards subject knowledge goals. Students are very committed and involved in higher degrees of integration and discourses of learning connected to overarching curriculum objectives and are more focused and performance-oriented when the subject knowledge discourse creates a dominant pattern.Practical implications: Teaching in social studies should consist of the whole range of learning discourses, and how different knowledge conceptions can affect teaching and students’ learning should also be considered
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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The assessment process in a Swedish year five classroom : ‘Reach page 52!’
- 2015
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Ingår i: Education 3-13. - : Routledge. - 0300-4279 .- 1475-7575. ; 43:6, s. 741-753
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes and analyses the assessment process in a Swedish year five classroom, involving pupils aged 11 to 12 years. The paper is based on classroom observations and interviews, which were analysed to explore the assessment process in daily classroom practice, and investigates how the assessment process was understood by pupils and the teacher. The results indicated that the assessment process embodied mainly oversimplified learning goals; teaching was organised as individual work with tasks according to a weekly plan; and assessment and feedback were directed to deconstructed, easily marked goals.
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- Olovsson, Tord Göran, 1967-
(författare)
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The assessment process in two different year-five classrooms in Sweden
- 2014
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Ingår i: Education Inquiry. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-4508. ; 5:4, s. 561-581
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to explore, describe and analyse the assessment process in two different Swedish year-five classrooms. The study is mainly based on observations and interviews with pupils and teachers. The data were analysed in relation to Bernstein’s (1977, 2000) theoretical concepts of classification, framing, codes, and pedagogic device. The analysis indicated differences in the assessment process between the two classrooms: first, in the systematicity and transparency of the learning goals; second, in the approach to teaching; and third, in the focus of the assessment in the classroom. This study argues that the assessment process in the classrooms was affected by external influences. Direct impacts on it include the official national guidelines, the tools provided for pupil documentation and the teachers’ in-service training.
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