A1 Journal article (refereed)
Mistä liikunnan arvosanat muodostuvat? : liikunnanopettajien käsityksiä arvioinnin kriteereistä ja haasteista perusopetuksessa (2022)
Grading in secondary school physical education : teachers’ views of assessment criteria and challenges

Palomäki, S., & Hirvensalo, M. (2022). Mistä liikunnan arvosanat muodostuvat? : liikunnanopettajien käsityksiä arvioinnin kriteereistä ja haasteista perusopetuksessa. Liikunta ja tiede, 59(2), 83-90. https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2022/lt_2_2022_83-90.pdf(external link)

JYU authors or editors

Palomäki, Sanna
Hirvensalo, Mirja

Publication details

All authors or editors: Palomäki, Sanna; Hirvensalo, Mirja

Journal or series: Liikunta ja tiede

ISSN: 0358-7010

Publication year: 2022

Volume: 59

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 83-90

Publisher: Liikuntatieteellinen seura

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Persistent website address: https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2022/lt_2_2022_83-90.pdf(external link)

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80705(external link)

Additional information: Vertaisarvioidut tutkimusartikkelit

Abstract

To support teachers in fair and comparable summative assessment the Finnish national core curriculum sets the goals and assessment criteria for every school subject. The aim of this study was to investigate physical education teachers’ perceptions of the assessment criteria set for secondary school physical education (PE). PE teachers (n=147) across Finland completed an online survey in Spring 2019. Agreement percentages were calculated for each item. The chi-square test was used to examine whether sex or age were associated with teachers’ perceptions of the assessment. Answers to an open question, on the challenges of assessment, were analyzed by content analysis to generate categories and quantify data. The results indicated that most PE teachers grade students by applying the national core curriculum criteria. Over 90 percent of the teachers valued active student participation and effort, cooperation skills, and the ability to work independently when grading PE. In addition, over 80 percent of the teachers took motor skills into account when grading students. Less than one fifth of the teachers reported using assessment practices that contravene the national curriculum guidelines, such as comparing skills between students or rating their fitness level. Many teachers also stated that they found it difficult to interpret and apply the national PE assessment criteria. It is important not only to offer both pre-service and inservice teachers adequate training in assessment, but also to hear their voices and assign them a meaningful role in the curriculum design process.

Keywords: primary and lower secondary education; motor skills (sports); evaluation; educational evaluation; evaluation methods; criteria; grades (education); physical education (upbringing); curricula; physical education teachers; know-how; professional skills