Overall, a Good Test, but…—Swedish Lower Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions and Use of National Test Results of English

Abstract

This article builds on a study set within the Swedish educational system and focuses on lower secondary teachers’ use of national test results when awarding final grades of English as a foreign language (EFL). In Sweden, teachers are entrusted with the responsibility of assessing their own students’ competences as well as assigning grades. To support them, there are compulsory national tests to be used as important advisory tools; however, they are not exams in a strict decisive sense. After a brief contextualization and conceptualization regarding language education in Sweden, including the assessment, teachers’ somewhat contradictory perceptions and use of results from the national EFL test for 11–12-year-olds are described and discussed. Data emanate from large-scale teacher questionnaires conducted for three years (2013, 2016 and 2019), which are analyzed from quantitative as well as qualitative angles. Results indicate that a number of teachers struggle with factors related to the language construct as well as to the educational context and consequences at individual, pedagogical and structural levels. This is discussed from various angles, linked not least to the policy, curriculum and other frame factors. Furthermore, the need for further research in direct collaboration with teachers is emphasized.

National assessment of foreign languages in Sweden: A multifaceted and collaborative venture

“…Since the guidelines accompanying the tests serve an important function in standardizing the ratings done by a large and diverse group of teachers, this kind of teacher feedback is essential. As seen in this study and in Erickson and Tholin (forthcoming), teachers’ input on different aspects of test use also highlights system-related issues. Although these cannot be directly addressed in test development, the research findings contribute to ongoing policy discussions at the system level about the format, function and functionality of the national tests.…”

“…Biggs, 1996), and that the intended curriculum is clarified in relation to the implemented curriculum (Van den Akker et al, 2003). Criticism obviously also occurs, however often focussing on system related issues, for example, workload and current regulations regarding national test results in relation to final grading (Borger, 2019b;Erickson & Tholin, forthcoming; see below).…”

“…The teacher questionnaires provide data for in-depth analyses of teachers’ opinions on the national tests and how they are used. For instance, a study by Erickson and Tholin (forthcoming) concerns teachers’ attitudes and actions, based on their comments on, and use of, the national English as a Foreign Language (EFL) test for school year 6 (students aged 11–12). More precisely, the focal point of the study is the fact that, in spite of generally very positive attitudes to the test, teachers at this level award final grades of English that are consistently and significantly lower than indicated by the aggregated test results.…”

Building a Corpus of Written Tasks of Swedish National Tests in English: Motivation, Method and Research Applications

“…To date, most published research on the NTE (and other foreign languages) has originated from NAFS (2021), with an emphasis on the purpose and design of the tests. Erickson et al (2022) describe the collaborative nature of national tests, detailing the contributions made by the main stakeholders, the test-takers and teachers. Regarding the testtakers' feedback, this is considered essential, as 'students are the true experts, and […] test developers need their assistance to optimize the quality of the materials' (Erickson et al 2022: 8).…”

“…Assessment standards have also been flagged, particularly for the year 6 test. In their study of teachers' perceptions of the year 6 writing component of the NTE, Erickson and Tholin (2022) found that teachers were critical of the level required, finding the assessment of the tests too lenient. This may account for the conflict between NTE grades and classroom assessment in year 6.…”