– The teachers constantly say that we should focus more on learning, but Norway’s entire school system is based on grades, says Venla Forsgren (18). She is a graduate student at Kongsbakken upper secondary school in Tromsø. Forsgren and his classmates react strongly to the fact that the school has decided not to give grades in the autumn semester. The students must still receive feedback on their schoolwork. – The reason is that we want to focus on learning and learning processes, says the principal at Kongsbakken upper secondary school, Tonje Holm. The students news has spoken to are nevertheless concerned that the feedback will not give a good enough indication of what kind of grade they can expect. – It is the students who will apply for studies for next year. If we don’t find out until half a year has passed, you have much less time to catch up, says fellow student Karoline Albrigsten. It was Nordlys that first mentioned the case. Support to tone down the use of grades – That schools reduce or cut grades is part of a larger trend, says professor of didactics at NTNU – Norwegian Technical University, Henning Fjørtoft. According to him, it has been a trend for several years to drop grades at secondary school. – In research, there is generally great support for downplaying the use of grades in school, simply because grades communicate worse than oral or written feedback. At the same time, he points out that it is more resource-intensive for the teachers not to grade, as they have to spend more time giving good feedback. – We believe that reducing grades, reducing ranking and competition within the classes has a lot to say for the school environment in general, says a researcher at NTNU. Photo: Morten Karlsen / news Fjørtoft believes that the students who are motivated by good grades are the ones who get good grades. – There are researchers who have suggested that grades can harm some student groups more than they help other groups. Fjørtoft believes this is a development that will continue. Fear of the unknown In line with Fjørtoft, the principal at Kongsbakken also wants it to become a permanent arrangement to drop grades in the autumn semester. – A lot of students don’t read the feedback, they just go straight for the grades, says headmaster Holm. According to her, the school wants to get rid of the focus on grades, and on the students’ learning. Holm believes that the fear of the unknown causes the pupils to react. – All changes are a bit difficult. The principal at Kongsbakken upper secondary school wants to increase the focus on learning. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news The Norwegian Education Association honors the scheme Leader of the Norwegian Education Association Troms and Finnmark, Thomas Nordgård, supports Kongsbakken’s scheme. – I would like to give kudos to the headmaster who wants to think new and wise about assessment, and to focus on the learning process, not grades. – The numerical grade is not the important thing when we have to find out how we are going to get better in a subject, says Thomas Nordgård, leader of the Education Association of Troms and Finnmark. Photo: Uddanningsforbundet A numerical grade in itself does not say much about what you should do more or less of, Nordgård believes. – The grade also doesn’t say much about how you should work further to get better results and better learning. At the same time, he understands that the graduating students react. – Of course I understand that it creates uncertainty, but my confidence in the teachers and management at Kongsbakken making wise choices is quite high.
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Students protest, but more and more schools are dropping grades – news Troms and Finnmark
