Description/Abstract:
ABSTRACT
A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF PUPIL ASSESSMENT IN SECONDARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mary Lou Veal
The pupil assessment practices and perceptions of thirteen teachers in six school districts were described, using formal and informal interviews, observation of classes, and document reviews. The six directors of physical education were also interviewed in order to describe their perceptions of pupil assessment. A theoretical framework guided data collection and analysis.
Five themes emerged from the perceptions of teachers: effort, improvement, individualization, purpose/utility, and efficiency. Assessment practices were summarized into a frequency index of instances of assessment by teacher, activity, types of assessment and phases of assessment. Of the ninety reported instances, 16 percent was preassessment, 30 percent was formative, and 54 percent was summative.
Subsequent to a comparison of theory and practice, several recommendations for change were made. First, there should be an emphasis on assessment rather than evaluation during professional preparation of teachers, which may serve to separate the concept of assessment from tests and grades. Second, an increase in formative assessment was suggested, particularly for high school students. Third, teachers should place the emphasis on tracking student progress and improvement, rather than on tests and grades. Last, and perhaps most importantly, administrators must communicate to teachers an expectation that they are accountable for tracking the progress of students.