Teaching is Assessing: A study of teachers’ attitudes towards the national tests and academic ability

Abstract: With an increasing focus on the national tests in Sweden, investigating how the tests affect teachers is highly relevant. The aim of this study is to provide further insight as to what role the national tests in English 5 and 6 play on teacher mindset, in order to allow for an informed evaluation of the role they play in assessment. This was achieved by a mixed methods approach, using both a questionnaire and interviews as data collection methods. Results showed that teachers in general believe that the national tests are a good and fair assessment of English ability, with some exceptions for students affected by stress or other external factors. Furthermore, a few indications that some teachers seem to hold a partly fixed mindset about their students’ abilities could be found.