Conference Agenda

This paper examines social studies teachers’ assessment practices and assessment literacy in compulsory school (Years 7–9) and upper secondary school in Sweden. It explores how assessment is understood, enacted and negotiated within the subject-specific context of social studies. As a school subject, social studies constitutes a particularly complex assessment domain: it integrates knowledge from several academic disciplines—such as political science, economics and sociology—and carries a dual educational mission of fostering both subject knowledge about society and democratic citizenship (Sandahl et al., 2011; Sandahl, 2018). These dual aims generate inherent tensions in assessment, as teachers are expected to evaluate not only factual knowledge but also analytical reasoning, perspective-taking, argumentation and value-laden judgements (Brookhart, 2013; Xu & Brown, 2016).

Previous research demonstrates that assessment practices are shaped by subject traditions, grading systems and interpretations of curricular goals (Birenbaum, 2014; Lundahl, 2014). In Sweden, these conditions differ in important ways between compulsory and upper secondary education, particularly with regard to grading practices and expectations of progression (Lundahl et al., 2015; Lundahl et al., 2019). At the same time, research on assessment has largely been dominated by general or technical perspectives, with limited attention to subject-specific contexts and teachers’ situated assessment work (Xu & Brown, 2016; Torrance, 2012). Empirical research on assessment practices and assessment literacy in social studies remains relatively scarce, especially studies that span multiple educational levels (Berg & Persson, 2020). This paper addresses this gap by examining assessment literacy as it is enacted in social studies teaching.

The paper forms part of a larger research project that aims to contribute knowledge about social studies teachers’ assessment practices and assessment literacy by identifying, discussing and problematising what assessment literacy entails in this subject. The specific research question guiding this paper is: What assessment practices characterise social studies teaching in compulsory and upper secondary school?

The study is situated within a broader European assessment policy context, where assessment and grading have become increasingly central to teachers’ professional work (Lundahl, 2014; Lundahl et al., 2019). Assessment is frequently described as one of the most powerful pedagogical tools in schooling, shaping teaching practices, students’ learning strategies and educational trajectories (Lundahl, 2014). At the same time, assessment is closely linked to accountability, transparency and measurability, creating tensions between formative ambitions and summative requirements (Torrance, 2012; Birenbaum, 2014). Teachers are expected to support students’ learning through assessment while simultaneously producing documentation that justifies grades, ensures comparability and meets external demands—placing significant demands on teachers’ professional assessment literacy (Lundahl et al., 2015; Mickwitz, 2021).

The theoretical framework combines research on assessment culture, assessment literacy and practice theory. Assessment culture is understood as a communicative and institutional context in which different traditions, norms and expectations regarding assessment coexist and compete (Birenbaum, 2014). Drawing on distinctions between measurement-oriented and interpretation-oriented traditions, assessment culture is conceptualised as shaping both assessment practices and what forms of assessment literacy are considered legitimate (Torrance, 2012). Assessment literacy is approached as a multidimensional construct encompassing conceptual, praxeological and socio-emotional dimensions (Pastore & Andrade, 2019; Pastore, 2023). To analyse how assessment literacy is enacted in practice, the paper draws on practice theory – specifically the concept of practice architectures – to examine how assessment practices are shaped by cultural-discursive, material-economic and social-political arrangements (Kemmis et al., 2014).Together, these perspectives enable a subject-sensitive analysis of how contemporary assessment cultures are translated into teachers’ everyday assessment work in social studies.

High-performing and selective school systems increasingly operate under conditions of sustained performance pressure driven by accountability demands, external assessments, and institutional expectations. Within such contexts, teachers’ assessment literacy plays a critical role in shaping instructional decision-making, yet the ways in which assessment beliefs and practices are enacted under pressure remain insufficiently understood.

This study examines how teachers conceptualise and enact assessment literacy in a selective secondary school context characterised by strong academic performance expectations. The research addresses three questions:

(1) How do teachers understand assessment literacy in a high-performing, selective school context?
(2) What assessment practices do teachers report using under conditions of performance pressure?
(3) To what extent are teachers’ assessment beliefs and practices associated with perceived performance pressure and aggregated student achievement indicators?

The study is grounded in contemporary conceptualisations of assessment literacy that frame it as an integrated construct encompassing assessment knowledge, beliefs, and enacted classroom practices (e.g., formative and summative orientations). In addition, sociocultural and policy-oriented perspectives on assessment are used to conceptualise performance pressure as a contextual condition that mediates professional judgement rather than merely an external constraint. From this perspective, assessment literacy is understood as situated professional practice shaped by institutional expectations, accountability structures, and school-level performance cultures.

Although the empirical context is a selective school outside Europe, the study addresses issues central to European and international debates on assessment for learning, teacher professionalism, and performativity in education systems. Selective admissions, high-stakes examinations, and performance benchmarking are common features across many European contexts, making this study relevant to broader discussions of how assessment policies are interpreted and enacted at the school level.

By focusing on teachers’ beliefs, reported practices, and instructional decision-making under pressure, the study aims to contribute to international scholarship on assessment literacy by identifying patterns of alignment and misalignment between formative intentions and enacted assessment practices. The findings are expected to inform both assessment policy implementation and professional development initiatives by highlighting conditions under which assessment literacy is supported or constrained in performance-driven school environments.

This paper reports on findings from a case study conducted as part of a broader research project examining assessment practices in compulsory education. The study aims to explore how assessment is conceptualised and experienced by school leadership, teachers, and students in a Portuguese public school cluster, and how these practices have evolved under policy pressures during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The research is informed by socio-cultural, formative, and policy-oriented perspectives on assessment (Black & Wiliam, 1998, 2018; Wiliam, 2017; Biesta, 2009; Stobart, 2008; Ruiz-Primo & Brookhart, 2018; Hattie & Clarke, 2019), which frame assessment as a socially situated process emerging from institutional decisions, classroom interactions, and students’ lived experiences. These processes were particularly challenged by the constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which required rapid adaptation of teaching and assessment practices (Huber & Helm, 2020; König et al., 2020; van der Spoel et al., 2020; Sandvik et al., 2023). A mixed-methods case study design was adopted to capture the complexity of assessment practices in context. Data were collected from multiple sources, including institutional documents, a semi-structured interview with the headteacher, teacher and student focus groups, and questionnaires. Analyses combined qualitative and quantitative approaches, allowing triangulation across perspectives to identify converging and diverging views on assessment at organisational, pedagogical, and learner levels. Findings from the leadership perspective indicate that assessment functions as a central organisational mechanism for monitoring student progress and supporting decision-making. The headteacher emphasises coherence and alignment across the school, linking assessment to improvement, student success, and equity. Organisational arrangements, such as a semester-based calendar, create conditions that support monitoring of learning and timely intervention, framing assessment as a tool for regulation and coordination rather than solely for certification (Black & Wiliam, 1998, 2018; Wiliam, 2017; Biesta, 2009; Stobart, 2008). Teachers report integrating formative and summative assessment using diverse strategies, including projects, portfolios, oral presentations, observation, digital artefacts, and written tests. These practices promote responsiveness to students’ needs, self-regulation, and fairness (Black & Wiliam, 1998, 2018; Flores et al., 2015; Pereira et al., 2016; Hattie & Clarke, 2019), although tensions with external accountability and standardised testing sometimes constrain pedagogical flexibility (Stobart, 2008; Biesta, 2009). Students value assessment moments that provide feedback, clear criteria, and opportunities to improve. Dialogic and supportive practices are associated with engagement and understanding of learning goals, whereas summative assessment is often experienced as stressful and disconnected from everyday learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998, 2018; Brookhart, 2013). The Covid-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for reflection and innovation across all actor groups. Remote teaching reduced traditional testing, increased the use of alternative evidence and digital tools, and prompted reconsideration of the purposes and methods of assessment. Some practices introduced during the pandemic have continued post-crisis, highlighting issues of equity and inclusion (Huber & Helm, 2020; Toquero, 2020; Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020; König et al., 2020; van der Spoel et al., 2020; Sandvik et al., 2023). Overall, findings suggest that assessment practices emerge from negotiation between organisational priorities, pedagogical choices, and students’ experiences. Alignment across leadership, teachers, and learners can foster coherent, responsive, and equitable assessment cultures. By foregrounding multiple actor perspectives, this study contributes empirical evidence to international discussions on assessment for learning and the conditions under which assessment practices evolve in compulsory education.