Summary: | The purpose of this study is to find out more about teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of the Swedish national test in mathematics for the third grade. The study is based on interviews with eight teachers and two principals and focuses the preparation, implementation and consequences of the national test and if it has changed over time. The result shows that preparation is done mostly to prepare and calm the students. Regarding consequences, the teachers say that they use the test to evaluate their work, rather than to evaluate the students. The principals’ highlight possible consequences for the school, as the results from the national test are being used to compare schools with each other. A discourse analysis of the interviews shows that teachers and principals portray the test as big, heavy, a measuring tool, too easy and time consuming.
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