Why to do Formative and Shared Assessment in Physical Education

The aim of this essay is to present the model called ‘Formative and Shared-Assessment in Physical Education’ (F&SA in PE) and the advantages that it has when developing PE models focused on student learning. In the first section we explain the basic characteristics of the model and in the second section we explain its advantages when developing a more educational PE. The evidence obtained in different educational contexts shows the positive impact of F&SA in the learning outcomes in PE and PE-Teacher Education (PETE).

Keywords: Formative assessment; Shared assessment; Physical education; Assessment for learning; Physical education teacher education

The model called ‘Formative and Shared Assessment in Physical Education’ (F&SA in PE) is widely disseminated in the international literature in Spanish [1-6], but less so in the international literature in English [7-10]. This is a model generated entirely in the Spanish education system, and contrasted in all its stages (pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education). A recent study analyses the similarities and differences with the most widespread model in the international literature in English, called ‘Assessment for Learning in PE’ (AfL in PE). It is also strongly related to the AIESEP (2020) [11] position statement for PE assessment. F&SA focus is based on the linkage of two concepts: ‘formative assessment’ (learning-oriented assessment and integrated in the daily teaching-learning process) and ‘shared assessment’ (promoting students’ participation in assessment by using assessment as a dialogical process between teacher and students). In order to be able to affirm that a PE assessment system is F&SA, it must fulfil a series of characteristics: (a) assessment has to be clearly oriented to improve student learning, the teaching quality of the teaching staff and the improvement of the teaching-learning processes in the PE subject, not only to the qualification; (b) assessment has to be part of the teaching-learning process; (c) promote the active participation of students in the assessment processes, usually through the techniques of self-assessment, peer-assessment and shared assessment [9,11]. The F&SA in PE model has been applied in many PE classrooms over the last 25 years, at all educational stages [12-18]. We have organized the main results obtained into three categories: (A) advantages; (B) disadvantages:

Advantages

A. Is feasible at all stages
B. Habitually improves the students´ learning, involvement, motivation and processes of autonomy and self-regulation in learning
C. Improves classroom mood
D. Improves teaching-learning processes in PE programs and is often helpful in teachers’ professional development processes

Disadvantages

a) Students need time to understand the assessment system and use it to improve their learning in PE
b) Teachers need to adjust the workload involved in this type of assessment system to make it viable and sustainable over time.

On the other hand, it is important to consider that the F&SA model is very suitability and alignment with consolidated and emerging Curriculum Models of PE: Teaching Games for Understanding, Sports Education, Cooperative Learning, Personal and Social Responsibility, Attitudinal Style, Self-Construction of Materials and Self-Regulation of Learning [19,20].