Education policies provide guidelines for testing and grading, but research on such prescriptions and prospective teacher perspectives is scarce. Hence, this qualitative investigation explored evidence-based policies juxtaposed with pre-service language teacher beliefs on summative assessment at three Nordic universities. The conceptual framework included teacher cognition and deliberation, while constructivist grounded theory guided the analysis of the data. The findings detected high expectations on graduate teachers’ summative assessment literacy in the education policies for Sweden and Finland. However, the participant-based data revealed that instructional alignment between teaching and testing should be reinforced in teacher education. Moreover, the pre-service teachers gave examples of perceived gaps between theoretical and practical literacies. Preferences for further training in deliberative and other practical approaches to summative assessment also emerged. Hence, some divergencies were detected between requirements in the respective national regulatory policies vis-à-vis stated beliefs. Proposals for enhancing the instruction in teacher education were introduced.

Developing summative assessment literacy for valid instruction is a qualification requirement for language teachers in Sweden. Yet novice teachers may be unprepared for how to implement regulations in practice. They may even experience a reality shock when facing large classes in which knowledge levels and motivation vary substantially or when adjusting to entrenched assessment cultures in schools. Previous research has measured summative assessment literacy with several theoretical criteria, but no studies have focused on the alignment between regulations and teachers’ perspectives on summative assessment in Sweden. Hence, this investigation addressed 15 novice language teachers’ experiences from on-campus courses, teaching practice and current workplaces. Data were collected from graduates of a Swedish university, who are working at schools in eastern central Sweden. In view of regulations and standards, the findings were then analyzed. Deliberative curriculum theory and teacher cognition constituted the conceptual framework, while constructivist grounded theory provided a methodology for analyzing the qualitative data produced. The findings show that instruction was inadequate regarding aspects such as deliberation and test construction in teacher education. The novice language teachers appreciated teaching practice. However, they argued that the quality of mentoring could vary considerably and recommended that courses devoted to assessment for bridging theory, regulations, recommendations and practice as well as stricter, structured guidelines for teaching practice should be implemented. The main conclusion is that criterion-referenced standards require early timing and ample space for instruction devoted to summative assessment in teacher education.

The purpose of this study is to investigate summative assessment (SA) perceptions and the sources of summative assessment literacy for novice second/foreign language teachers in Sweden and Finland. Data were collected through a questionnaire (N = 27) and a semi-structured interview (N = 22) from a group of novice teachers who graduated from two Swedish universities and one Finnish university. Descriptive and content analysis of the data reveal that novice teachers perceive themselves to have a good understanding of most of the basic SA areas. They consider teacher education as the main source of their conceptual understanding while they attribute their skills mostly to experience in schools. Swedish and Finnish teachers present both similar and varied perceptions of the role of teacher education in developing their summative assessment literacy. Context and implications Rationale for this study What summative assessment literacy pre-service teachers acquire during teacher education, and how this literacy reflects on their teaching are critical questions in understanding novice teachers' learning and use of summative assessment in schools. This study investigates the perceptions and experiences of novice teachers of second/foreign languages in Sweden and Finland. Why the new findings matter The findings provide an understanding of novice language teachers’ perceptions on key components of summative assessment and the sources and processes enabling development of this literacy. Insights into theoretical and practical aspects of summative assessment that novice teachers need are expected to guide teacher education programmes in realigning their programmes respectively. Implications for teacher educators and policy makers Novice language teachers are confident about their theoretical knowledge of summative assessment but need to develop skills to put their knowledge into practice. Hands on exercises through content-specific materials and tasks are critical in developing skills such as test construction, grading, analysis of exams and exposure to national tests. Special needs and diverse sociocultural contexts should be taken into consideration in teacher education. Steering documents should make the summative assessment requirements and expected competencies clearer to guide TE programmes in organising learning experiences for pre-service teachers.

This study detected patterns in teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding the degree project. Requirements in policy documents were also considered. The analysis centred on validity, teacher cognition and grounded theory. Conversations were conducted with instructors and students at three departments for teacher education in Sweden. Findings showed inadequacies with regard to construct- and consequential validity for instruction and learning, timing, pre-service teachers’ prior knowledge and attitudes to educational research. Recommendations for improvement involved having teaching practice and the project run parallel and part-time during a term. Further proposals tallied with national regulations about autonomy and academic literacy for teachers. For example, the pre-service teachers responded positively to introducing crash courses and providing opportunities for supervision prior to the course. Improved validity was deemed imperative for developing long-term literacy and motivation towards incorporating science and empirical data in the teaching profession.

The objective of this study is to expand teachers' knowledge base of assessment in teaching by exploring pre-service language teachers' construct of grading literacy during their pedagogical studies and immediately after. We conceptualize pre-service language teachers' grading literacy with a literature-based flow model of decision-making comprising six major phases. These involve (1) mobilizing grading related knowledge, skills and dispositions, (2) distinguishing relevant assessment events, (3) identifying and filing evidence, (4) interpreting assessment rubrics, (5) making the grading decision, and (6) communicating it to stakeholders. The decision trajectory is constrained by individual and social factors. The research questions address pre-service teachers' perceptions of the multiple components, primarily the evidence base of a grade. The data comprise survey responses (n = 131) and interview data (n = 26) from three universities, one in Finland and two in Sweden. Regarding the factorial structure, variables incorporating process and disposition aspects provided the strongest explanatory the most frequently attended grading evidence comprises written and oral tests. Pre-service teachers in Finland and Sweden differ with regard to most aspects of what evidence they base their grading on. The interview responses confirm pre-service teachers' high awareness of the complex nature of grading and the responsibility attached to the endeavour. Based on the findings we propose recommendations for teacher education programs to broaden and enrich pre-service teachers' grading practice to encompass processual and progress aspects. Increased attention should be paid to practical implementation of grading standards and guidelines in interpreting and justifying grading decisions.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the curricular manifestation of summative assessment literacy in language pre-service teacher education at three universities in Sweden and Finland through multiple case studies. Data sources included program guidelines, course curricula, and study guides. A thematic approach was used to analyze the data based on a theoretical framework involving conceptual understandings, skills, and dispositions in summative assessment. The results indicate that all programs emphasize the basic assessment concepts such as validity and alignment and using assessment to inform teaching and learning. However, compared with formative assessment, summative assessment receives less attention in the curriculum. There are differences in addressing summative assessment through stand-alone and embedded courses and in the literacy areas covered. Implications for teacher education to address summative aspects of assessment in line with teachers’ tasks in schools are offered.

The degree project in educational sciences constitutes the pre-service teacher students' final academic achievement in the Bridging Teacher Education Programme at a university in Sweden. The degree project is complicated or a possibility because this university thesis constitutes only one part of the professional degree. The other part of the thesis project, a BA/BSc or MA/MSc, has been acknowledged as previous academic achievement, a required academic qualification for enrolment in the programme. A further difficulty or opportunity is that students' previous theses were achieved in academic disciplines not typically related to teacher education, sometimes several decades ago. This study aimed to visualise the notion of degree project in bridging teacher education. Our initial questions were: Could the transition between academic disciplines be facilitated? Could knowledge of degree project genres be visualised to enhance academic achievement? What is professional development for student teachers? In the actual study, the scope was limited to perspectives of the degree project and suggestions for improvement of degree project design. Thus, in participatory inquiry conversations, small groups of students and lecturers shared their perspectives of the degree project, and provided suggestions for improvement of the project design. Findings from qualitative analysis of the audio recorded data revealed students’ difficulties in conceptualising the writing assignment, mainly due to unpreparedness. Means of addressing the unpreparedness emerged as task-sequencing throughout the study programme, applying an academic literacies approach. Implications for further action research and teaching are participatory inquiry conversations as continual components in the study programme. A further area of potential investigation is application of instructional design theory to degree project supervision.

Summative assessments are an exercise of authority and something that pupils cannot easily appeal. The importance of teachers being able to assess their pupils correctly is consequently both a question of national equivalence and individual fairness. Therefore, summative assessment is a paramount theme in teacher education, and we aimed to investigate the perceptions and competence of student teachers regarding common summative assessment practices. The study was conducted at three universities, two in Sweden and one in Finland involving prospective language teachers responding to an online survey (N = 131). In addition, interviews were carried out with 20 Swedish and 6 Finnish student teachers. The analysis of the data indicates that student teachers value practices that enhance communication and collaboration as well as the curricular alignment of summative assessments. With respect to perceived competence, the respondents in general felt most confident with deploying traditional forms of summative assessment, while they were more uncertain about process evaluation and oral skills. Regarding significant differences in the participants’ perceptions of competence among the three universities, Finnish university students reported higher levels in all variables. However, room for improvement was found at all universities involved. 

One aim of this paper is to examine pre-service language teachers' perspectives on what they want to know, to scrutinize how they may reason and how they perceive summative assessment. Another aim is to show what regulatory frameworks stipulate and what research shows with regard to assessment literacy and cognitive approaches to learning. 

Results from interviews (n=25) and surveys (n=90) showed that a majority of the students thought that they could define assessment terminology. One recurring feature, however, was that the respondents in the interviews needed to be reminded about the theoretical definition of terms. Nevertheless, it became obvious that they knew and could describe the practical implications of terminology in follow-up questions. An analysis of these and further aspects of our study will be introduced in light of constructivist grounded theory. 

The purpose of this collaborative workspace is twofold: (1) introduce an ongoing research project on pre-service and novice language teachers’ development of summative assessment literacy funded by the Swedish Research Council (2019-21), and (2) discuss the preliminary results within the context of previous research and relevant theoretical models in order to establish a broader research collaboration for studying the development of summative assessment literacy through pre-service teacher education.  There are different approaches to developing summative assessment literacy such as “assessment for learning” and “assessment of learning,” and it is critical to analyze the impact of these approaches and the respective learning opportunities (courses, seminars, practices, etc.) on pre-service teachers' development of summative assessment literacy.