Description of research and teaching

Raili Hildén holds a position of a full professor in language didactics and the title of docent in language assessment at the Faculty of Education. She has extensive experience in various developmental and expert endeavors in Finland and abroad. Her societal merits also cover chairing positions at the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board.

Dr. Hildén`s main research interests focus on language assessment and its function as a feedback tool at multiple levels of decision-making. Assessment research yields information about student achievement and related teaching practices, as well as about the attainment of social equality and equity in language education. A recent strand of Hilden´s interest is teachers´ and teacher students´ assessment literacy.

Dr. Hildén was a prominent agent in designing, developing and implementing the national language curricula and a related application of the Common European Reference scales to Finnish general education at the onset of this millennium. In 2012- 2014 she directed the national evaluation project of language learning outcomes at the Finnish National Board of Education. The current operative language curricula draw on the results of this evaluation. Furthermore, Hilden has contributed to drawing up the grading criteria and assessment guidelines stipulated in the current language syllabi for basic and general upper secondary education. 

As a member of The Finnish Matriculation Examination Board since 2006, Dr. Hildén is involved in the development of high-stakes language tests. Therefore, Dr. Hildén has recently targeted her major research effort on developing a computerized test format to enable introducing a test of speaking into the exam. 

Dr. Hildén regularly attends seminars and conferences on language teaching and assessment.  Her contribution to the educational and didactic research field comprises a hundred research or popularized articles alongside with a broad range of textbook materials and didactic guide-books