Bedömning av muntliga elevprestationer : – I ämnet samhällskunskap

The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers in the subject of social studies are working with and argue for their assessment of oral student performance. The questions of this study are: How do the social study teachers use assessment of oral student performance? Which work areas consists of assessment of oral student performance? What knowledge is measured during assessment of oral student performance? What arguments have teachers to assess oral student performance? Qualitative methodology was considered appropriate to answer the study's purpose and issues by using semi-structured interviews. A targeted selection was used and the criterion for participation in the study was that the teachers taught in social studies in high school. Differences as gender, age, and schools are also part of the selection process.The results show that all the teacher´s assessments of oral student performance are both summative and formative. They are also both formal and informal. Informal assessments of oral student performance are summative while the formal assessments also occurs formative. The results also show that the most common knowledge is factual knowledge and conceptual knowledge during these assessments of oral student performance. The most common cognitive process is understanding and remembering. All the teachers in the study describe assessments of oral student performance as time consuming. Assessment of oral student performance is more common in non-academic high school programs.The final part of this study shows that the assessment of oral student performance is summative, formative, formal and informal. There are no working areas that fits better for oral assessments, but when the teachers in this study describes how they are using assessments of oral student performance some working areas recur. The teachers in this study describe several arguments for the use of oral assessments. The most common argument is that assessments of oral student performance are part of the variety of examinations. Other arguments are that it will make it easier for students, especially students in non-academic programs or to reveal those students who cheat on essays or big writing assignments