One of the main purposes of national testing in Sweden is to support an equal and fair assessment.  A study conducted by the Swedish School Inspectorate (SSI) (2010a), indicates that there are differences in how the teachers mark the student´s solutions. That although the teachers are given scoring and marking rubrics as well as guidelines on how those should be done. Another report from SSI (2010b) reveals a lack of activities in mathematics education in the alignment with the syllabus. Similar educational obstruction regarding the intentions of the new syllabus 2011 is possible. The mathematical education shall give predispositions for students to develop seven mathematical abilities. A part of the syllabus, the knowledge demands, regulates marking at three qualitative ability levels.  

National testing in Sweden has tradition in using of special, long-extended and open tasks with the aim of testing student higher level thinking processes, behind algorithms and procedures (Kjellström & Pettersson, 2005). Tasks are nationally created and named aspect-assessed tasks. A reason might be found in assessing particular aspects including in those tasks. There are some international counterparts, for instance, open-ended and authentic tasks Wiliam (1994) wields the notion of ”authentic task” for an open-ended and investigating task, where a subsequent marking-schema was included. Usually, scoring rubrics with a couple of categories or aspects at different qualitative levels are given to the teachers to guide them in marking processes. Although national tests have initially a supportive role in assessing students, the tests are usually seen as ”intended curriculum” (Brandell, Hemmi, & Thunberg, 2008; Nyström & Lind, 2009, p. 15). Differences between national and teacher constructed tests (Boesen, 2006) as well as between national test tasks and teacher practices are also indicated (Swedish Schools Inspectorate, 2010b). Some parallels to other countries’ exam practices as well as to the international studies PISA and TIMSS regarding the character of those mentioned problems, could be drawn. Performance assessment is considered as creation of student original responses that indicate their competencies, which are then judged on predetermined criteria and observation (Phelan & Phelan, 2010, p. 209). According to Gipps (1995) students have to perform something during assessment situation where expectations are directed to higher levels of thinking processes and answer formation with subsequent qualitative marking judgments. Brandell et al (2008) found upper secondary students´ mathematical education insufficiently acceptable in working with correct mathematical language and tasks that are hypothesis and proofs emphasized.

Different types of international testing as for example national, high stakes or standardized testing with distinct purposes pervade a crucial part of student assessment outside of the classrooms. This awakes need of deeper consideration of those tasks. The assessment role, which those tasks play, is therefore very important. Especially with taking into account student and teacher looking perspectives.

The aim of the study is capturing the students’ insights, experiences and reflections upon solving, presentations and scoring of aspect-assessed tasks in mathematics in upper secondary school. How do students’ insights, experiences and reflections upon coping with aspect-assessed tasks look?

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