Abstract

This study is about the portfolio method. The method is meant to be a help for the pupil to be aware of his/her learning process. The purpose of the study was to examine teachers knowledge and experiences of this method and how they use it in practice. My study is focused on the earlier grades of elementary school, I therefore made interviews with teachers in these grades. I also focused on teachers with at least three years experience of the method.

What I needed to be able to answer the purpose of my study was the questions: Why and how do teachers use this method in the early grades of elementary school, and what are the advantages and disadvantages. These in-depth interviews have provided insight in three teachers knowledge and experiences of the portfolio method.

The teachers purpose by using the portfolio method is to give the pupils access to there own learning process through defining the goals in the curriculum. Working with the method differs somewhat at each of the three schools but according to Ellmin (1999) are each school allowed to make their own portfolio. There are mainly advantages with the method, for example it emphasises the students strengths. The main disadvantage is that it is very time consuming with individual pupil/teacher talks.

This study signifies that the portfolio method gives good support for teaching, and can, if used correctly, make learning visible as well as strengthening self-confidence for all pupils.

Keywords: elementary school, learning, portfolio, self-confidence.