Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions

Assessment literacy is an essential part of a teacher’s pedagogical competence in Finland, but is an area of challenge and tensions. It develops during the teacher’s entire career, and is both context-independent and linked to internal factors. Multidisciplinary learning in schools promotes learning...

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Main Authors: Ulla Hietamäki, Heidi Harju-Luukkainen, Minna Maunula
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cappelen Damm Akademisk NOASP 2025-05-01
Series:Nordic Studies in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://noredstudies.org/index.php/nse/article/view/6970
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author Ulla Hietamäki
Heidi Harju-Luukkainen
Minna Maunula
author_facet Ulla Hietamäki
Heidi Harju-Luukkainen
Minna Maunula
author_sort Ulla Hietamäki
collection DOAJ
description Assessment literacy is an essential part of a teacher’s pedagogical competence in Finland, but is an area of challenge and tensions. It develops during the teacher’s entire career, and is both context-independent and linked to internal factors. Multidisciplinary learning in schools promotes learning based on student interests, and stimulates active student participation through the exploration of real-world phenomena. Assessment during multidisciplinary learning requires teachers to utilise active assessment practices, including a wide range of assessment competencies to ensure that module assessment corresponds with curriculum aims, enables student participation, and is carried out in a varied and ethically sustainable way. This type of future-focused competence in assessment practices is a challenging area where teachers need more essential knowledge. This study examines Finnish primary school teachers’ perceptions of assessment literacy, in the context of multidisciplinary learning in schools. The data was collected using a phenomenographic approach, and was based on semi-structured interviews (n = 15). According to the findings, solidly competent assessment literacy safeguards the ethics of assessment, and contributes to professional development, the management of assessment knowledge, and the implementation of varied assessment. The results of this study contribute new insights to the debate on assessment literacy. The results can be used to develop primary education and increase understanding of the assessment literacy of teachers and student teachers in both national and international contexts.
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language English
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publisher Cappelen Damm Akademisk NOASP
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spelling doaj-art-af37db5c425e42f0b5cb9d177e1b9ab82025-08-20T02:26:04ZengCappelen Damm Akademisk NOASPNordic Studies in Education1891-59492025-05-0145210.23865/nse.v45.6970Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ PerceptionsUlla Hietamäki0Heidi Harju-Luukkainen1Minna Maunula2University of Jyväskylä, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, FinlandUniversity of Jyväskylä, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland, Nord University, Norway, and Southern Cross University, AustraliaUniversity of Jyväskylä, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, FinlandAssessment literacy is an essential part of a teacher’s pedagogical competence in Finland, but is an area of challenge and tensions. It develops during the teacher’s entire career, and is both context-independent and linked to internal factors. Multidisciplinary learning in schools promotes learning based on student interests, and stimulates active student participation through the exploration of real-world phenomena. Assessment during multidisciplinary learning requires teachers to utilise active assessment practices, including a wide range of assessment competencies to ensure that module assessment corresponds with curriculum aims, enables student participation, and is carried out in a varied and ethically sustainable way. This type of future-focused competence in assessment practices is a challenging area where teachers need more essential knowledge. This study examines Finnish primary school teachers’ perceptions of assessment literacy, in the context of multidisciplinary learning in schools. The data was collected using a phenomenographic approach, and was based on semi-structured interviews (n = 15). According to the findings, solidly competent assessment literacy safeguards the ethics of assessment, and contributes to professional development, the management of assessment knowledge, and the implementation of varied assessment. The results of this study contribute new insights to the debate on assessment literacy. The results can be used to develop primary education and increase understanding of the assessment literacy of teachers and student teachers in both national and international contexts. https://noredstudies.org/index.php/nse/article/view/6970assessment literacylearning assessmentmultidisciplinary learningprimary school teachersphenomenography
spellingShingle Ulla Hietamäki
Heidi Harju-Luukkainen
Minna Maunula
Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
Nordic Studies in Education
assessment literacy
learning assessment
multidisciplinary learning
primary school teachers
phenomenography
title Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
title_full Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
title_fullStr Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
title_full_unstemmed Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
title_short Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Multidisciplinary Learning in Finland – a Phenomenographic Approach to Teachers’ Perceptions
title_sort teachers assessment literacy in multidisciplinary learning in finland a phenomenographic approach to teachers perceptions
topic assessment literacy
learning assessment
multidisciplinary learning
primary school teachers
phenomenography
url https://noredstudies.org/index.php/nse/article/view/6970
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AT minnamaunula teachersassessmentliteracyinmultidisciplinarylearninginfinlandaphenomenographicapproachtoteachersperceptions