”Det känns som relationen blir så konstig”

Abstract

Assessment and grading are a central part of a teacher’s profession. This work must be interconvertible, rest on a scientific basis and on proven experience as well as be based on students’ performances. However, students can have their grades compensated, for example by their personality or cooperation skills if their subject knowledge fails. Teachers can also act based on students’ emotions and the relation to the student when grading them. This is a problem that this study will investigate. The aim of this study is to examine art and history teachers’ views and opinions about assessment and grading as a part of their profession and if any differences are highlighted in the teachers’ thoughts about assessment and grading in the art and history subject. What the teaches think about the relation with the students and how it can affect the teaching and the assessment work is also investigated. The empirical evidence for the study is drawn from interviews with five teachers from upper secondary school. Three visual art teachers and two history teachers. The analysis of the study is based on a sociocultural theory. The result show that the assessment and grading is the part of the profession that the teachers like the least because the relationship with the students can be negatively affected. On the other hand, the relationship must not affect the assessment. The relationship is something that the teachers highly value and something that positively affect the students’ development in school. A vital part of the teachers’ profession is the communication with the students. For example, how they communicate about grades and about how the student can develop. The conclusion is that the teachers highly value the relationship with the students. At the same time the assessment and grading are a part of the profession that must be done and the relationship with the students must not affect it.