Tímarit um menntarannsóknir - 01.01.2011, Page 141

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Virk námskrá í íslensku í 6. og 7. bekk grunnskóla í ljósi samræmda íslenskuprófsins í 7. bekk
signments. Assessment was mainly sum-
mative, comprised of written end-of-term
tests linked with continuous assessment of
homework, behaviour, etc. All the teachers
acknowledged the importance of meet-
ing individual needs of students in some
way, but saw little scope for differentiation
within the classroom in their teaching or-
ganisation.
The fourth school departed from this
picture in that there were more signs of
integration of the curriculum areas within
the Icelandic curriculum, integration of
Icelandic and other subjects, and themat-
ic learning. The teachers also seemed to
have more effective means of differentia-
tion within the classroom. However, these
characteristics vanished in the weeks lead-
ing up to the national test, even though
they were restored after the test, according
to the teachers.
The implemented curriculum had
many of the characteristics that critics of
the National Tests attribute to their effects.
However, none of the year 6 teachers at-
tributed their teaching organisation to the
test, but rather described it more in terms
of preparation for the lower secondary
section of the compulsory school. The stu-
dents echoed this and there seemed to be
a prevailing discourse in the schools about
preparation for the lower secondary sec-
tor that was not separated from the test
preparation. The students discussed the
importance of the test in the same terms as
their year 10 schoolmates; they anticipated
either a pass or fail and saw each as an in-
dicator of their ability in the lower second-
ary classes.
From the above findings I conclude
first, that the wash-back effects of the Na-
tional Tests have to be viewed in light of
how they inform teachers’ decisions and
actions in the classroom; second, that the
findings have to be viewed in light of a
strong tradition of teaching and learning
that seems to prevail in Icelandic compul-
sory schools; third, that the long-standing
external directive of the National Tests
may have played a part in shaping this
tradition and undermined teachers’ pro-
fessional courage and self-efficacy needed
to break from it; fourth, that the prevail-
ing curriculum areas of the implemented
curriculum may be the easiest to teach and
have to be viewed as an indication of a
need to pay attention to staff development
to strengthen the pedagogical content
knowledge of teachers of Icelandic.