The following study aims to contribute knowledge about the challenges civics teachers at secondary schools faced in assessment and grading when the digital teaching was applied due to the pandemic. The purpose of this study has been to find out how the grading and assessment practice was affected by the prevailing distance studies. In the study, the questions that have been answered are: In what ways was the grading and assessment practice affected by distance learning according to the social studies teachers? And the question: What were the biggest challenges and opportunities with grading during distance learning according to the social studies teachers?

The method applied in the following study is semi-structured qualitative interviews. The selection of respondents was based on two criteria. One criterion for selection was that the teacher worked at secondary school level and within the subject of social science, and that the teacher in question taught digitally during the distance period. Eight teachers participated in the study. The theoretical framework that was applied in the analysis of the results is the TPACK framework.

The results show that several different challenges and opportunities could be identified. Among other things, the teachers felt that legal certainty was a challenge during distance learning, the reduced interaction with the students and other external circumstances such as home conditions affected the teaching, which in turn also affected the grading. Two knowledge requirements within the subject of social studies are distinguished as particularly challenging to assess and grade remotely, factual knowledge and different forms of presentation. The reduced classroom interaction also meant that the discussion and communication which is what characterizes the subject civic, was challenged during the distance period. The possibilities of the digital tools that could be ascertained from the results section are, among other things, that the teachers perceived that the formative assessment became more efficient and structured and that more new accounting forms appeared in connection with the introduction of digital technology.