Portrait of the Assessment Practices of Physical Education Teachers in Quebec: Reporting and Grading

Abstract

Purpose: To gain a better understanding of the assessment practices currently implemented by Quebec physical education teachers regarding reporting and grading. Method: Exploratory mixed-methods study using semistructured interviews (n = 13), interviews to the double (n = 12), and a questionnaire (n = 164) with elementary and high school physical education teachers. Results: Participants use different strategies to report student performance. When grading, their strategy is to combine a mathematical approach with their professional judgment. They often consider all the marks taken during a learning and assessment situation and not only those taken at the end of it. Discussion/Conclusions: The main finding of this study is that teachers’ reporting and grading practices are subjective. We discuss how our results show the subjectivity in teachers’ practices and possible explanations for it, and then conclude by trying to understand how to make assessment in physical education more objective.