The aim is to explore the assessment procedures in relation to student teachers’ knowledge during their school-based education (SBE, i.e. practicum). The study´s focus is directed to the procedures that come into play when student teachers are at risk getting a failure grade. The “assessment procedures” also include the written documents affecting the assessments.

Assessments are usually communicated to students as written or oral statements. A summative assessment utterance is an assessment statement of the knowledge a student has. On the other hand, a formative one is a statement of a student´s future learning possibility and ability. Thus, summative assessments often become visible in examination and grading activities, and formative assessment within mentoring activities as guidance (cf. Black & Wiliam, 2009).

Research results of assessments in SBE, in terms of the formative aspects, are extensive (Franke & Dahlgren, 1996; Ottesen, 2008; Sluijmans & Prins, 2006; Tillema & Smith, 2009). According to those studies assessment utterances from mentors and/or teacher educators during student-teaching conferences almost exclusively consists support and guidelines about student teachers’ learning possibilities, and very seldom a clear assessment of their present knowledge. Research on summative assessment issues in SBE can hardly be found, internationally or in Sweden (Goodwin & Oyler, 2008; Hegender, 2010; Hegender, Lindqvist & Nordänger, 2012). Additionally, these summative assessment procedures and outcomes seem to be very elusive and difficult to explore (Gardesten & Hegender, 2014; Goodwin & Oyler, 2008; Raths & Lyman, 2003). Gardesten and Hegender (2014) have examined summative assessment procedures and outcomes in SBE, and the results show that the assessment practices are very difficult for teacher education (TE) programs to manage and overview, and therefore, difficult for researchers to explore. For this reason, this study will explore one Swedish TE-programs’ assessment procedures during SBE.

Research results regarding summative assessment issues within SBE are very few. This is clearly stated in a review article by Goodwin and Oyler (2008). One explanation of this problem is the absence of criteria for teacher incompetence in SBE, identified and described by Raths and Lyman (2003). Another probably explanation is TE programs’ inability to clarify different assessment roles and responsibilities of the two different parts within SBE; teacher educators and mentors (Basmadjian, 2011; Fernandez & Erbilgin, 2009; Ryve, Hemmi & Börjesson, 2011; Yusko & Feiman Nemser, 2008).

A own research review performed 2012, (in connection to our own research project), shows a research picture similar to Goodwin and Oyler (2008).  A sort of pilot survey study, therefore was performed to all TE-programs in Sweden (N=25), directed to the TE-programs’ coordinators of SBE (Gardesten & Hegender, 2014). The coordinators were asked about the amount of failures, and about the procedures involved with failures in SBE (ibid.). The general results of all TE programs showed a mean value of 1 per cent failures. However, two programs had large amount of failures: eight and nine per cent. 

The aim is to explore the assessment procedures at one of these two programs. The tentative hypothesis is that this TE program could provide some interesting explanations about the failures in relation to their assessment procedures.

1. What sorts of assessment procedures do the TE programs’ teacher educators describe are in play at the university and the schools, generally, and when PE student teachers are at risk of getting a failure during their SBE?
2. How can the assessment procedures at the TE programs be understood in relation to the written documents that possible can affect the assessment procedures?
3. Can the relatively higher number of student failures be explained by the assessment procedures and documents, and in that case how?

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