The aim of this study is to examine in what way five English teachers working inyears 7 to 9 understand and work with grading rubrics in relation to the guidelinesfrom the Swedish School Authorities, Skolverket.The research was carried out using qualitative interviews in which teachers ofEnglish with topic specific insight were invited to discuss grading rubrics withregards to equivalence and working processes, power of discourse and what happensin the professional environment when individuals assign themselves the right tointerpret the standard grading criteria. They were also asked to reflect on thepractical usage of grading rubrics in day-to-day work situations.The results were analysed using the theoretical terminology of Michel Foucault andhis concepts of the panopticon and power discourses. The findings indicate thatteachers are concerned with the way they themselves and their colleagues use thegrading rubrics in different ways. They express that this difference in handlingrubrics could affect the equivalence of grades for students and mean that the subjectis taught differently depending on teacher and school. The analysis also suggeststhat the way teachers handle rubrics could affect student motivation and theirwillingness to learn.
Engelska