Browsing by Subject "återkoppling."

Goal: The aim of this master thesis are two. First, the aim is to describe, analyse, and interpret how instruction striving to strengthen the students' spelling skills is planned and realized in the lower school grades, in which the students are still at the beginning of their writing development process. Second, the aim is to investigate what assessment and feedback the students are offered regarding their spelling. Purposefully, the study has been limited to the students in grades 1 – 4 in primary school and to the Swedish and literature teaching subject. The study took place in schools in Finland with Swedish as language of instruction. The Core Curriculum of Basic Education (first published 2014, in English 2016) mentions correct spelling mostly incidentally, even if spelling skills may affect students' experience of themselves, their school success, and have an influence on their future study and professional opportunities. Therefore, it is important to explore how the primary school teachers have chosen to work to strengthen the students' spelling skills. Method: The empirical study is based on interviews with seven teachers, who teach in grades 1–4. The study was carried out from a realistic perspective to study as neutrally and objectively as possible the teaching that strives to strengthen the students' spelling skills. To support the interviews, an interview guide was created. The interview guide is based on a literature review based on previous research. In the analysis, I strove to find similarities, differences and repeated topics. Based on the collected material and the analysis process, eight topics emerged. Finally, I discuss the results in relation to previous research. Results: The interviewed teachers felt that the students develop their correct spelling as a natural part of all text work, both in the Swedish and literature subject and in cross-curricular teaching. The teachers believed that the students' writing motivation is more important than correct spelling. Obviously, the students are offered limited or no assessment and feedback on their spelling, with the exception of spelling tests. The results showed that in the interviewed teachers’ classrooms, spelling test is the only method by which the correct spelling is taught. The texts the teachers choose for the spelling tests usually contain a topic related to correct spelling, such as double designation or a certain sound. The teachers in this study found the use of spelling test problematic, since the students and their guardians have the major responsibility for practicing before the spelling test. Thus, the teachers felt that this created unequal conditions for the students.