posted on 2014-08-05, 11:02authored byVíctor Manuel López-Pastor, David Kirk, Eloisa Lorente-Catalán, Ann Mac PhailAnn Mac Phail, Doune Macdonald
Assessment is one of the most fraught and troublesome issues physical educators have had to deal with over the past 40 years or so. In light of the challenges this situation presents, in this paper we provide an overview of the international literature on assessment in school physical education. We give an account of both traditional and alternative forms of assessment, focusing in particular on recent approaches that may be considered belong to the latter category of assessment. We found that traditional assessment instruments such as Physical Fitness Tests and subjective assessment criteria such as grading students' effort and clothing have been popular approaches to assessment. We also found alternative assessment approaches now in use that have a stronger educational focus. Thus, while we consider that this overview of research studies provides evidence of genuine progress in an area that has been fraught with difficulties for physical education as an educational endeavour, there is work to be done to disseminate what we understand to be good assessment practices. In closing, we briefly note some further challenges for research on assessment in physical education.
History
Publication
Sport, Education and Society;18 (1), pp. 57-76
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Note
peer-reviewed
Rights
This is an electronic version of an article published in Sport, Education and Society, 2013, 18, (1), pp. 57-76. The final version of the article as published in the print edition of Sport, Education and Society is available online at: www.tandfonline.com http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2012.713860