Perspektiv på bedömningspraktiken – en kvalitativ studie om återkoppling på skriftliga uppgifter i historia

Abstract

For the past 25 years, formative assessment has increasingly become the prevalent tool that teachers use to assess student learning. The purpose of formative assessment is to help and support students in their educational process and for it to be successful teachers’ feedback plays a vital part. However, curricula do not state the nature of the feedback nor in what manner it is to be provided to students. The aim of this study was to investigate four teachers’ thoughts and experiences of feedback on written assignments in history education in upper secondary school. By examining differences and similarities in teachers approach to feedback the study aimed to illustrate the teacher perspective of formative assessment and feedback. The study’s point of departure was therefore the three didactical questions How?, What? and Why?. The method used to collect data was semi-structured interviews conducted with four history teachers in Gothenburg and the data was analysed by qualitative content analysis. The results suggest that the teachers approach to feedback on written assignments mainly differs in form, timing, and content but were similar regarding purpose. The results also show that the content of the teachers’ feedback can be divided into three categories: 1) Feedback on facts, 2) Feedback on the ability to use historical concepts and theories, and 3) Feedback on the ability to explain and argue.