‘The grade alone provides no learning’: investigating assessment literacy among Norwegian physical education teachers

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the four inter-dependent elements of assessment literacy proposed by Hay and Penney [(2013). Assessment in physical education. A sociocultural perspective. New York: Routledge] – assessment comprehension, assessment application, assessment interpretation and critical engagement with assessment. More specific, the study reported in this paper addresses how Norwegian physical education teachers reflected assessment literacy in descriptions and discussions of their assessment practice. Twenty-three physical education teachers from six upper secondary schools in Norway participated in focus groups. Analysis and discussion are informed by the four elements of assessment literacy. Findings demonstrate a general need to enhance assessment literacy among the teachers, with particular focus on dialogue with students and critical engagement with assessment. Acknowledging assessment literacy as an ongoing process, the study suggests that it may be more effective to consider ‘preconditions’ than ‘elements’ of assessment literacy for a physical education teacher to be considered as acting assessment literate.

KEYWORDS:

• assessment literacy
• assessment reform
• focus group
• Norway
• physical education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Petter E. Leirhaug is a PhD student in Sport Science at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway. He is also a Lecturer and Researcher in sport sciences and teacher education at the Sogn og Fjordane University College, Sogndal, Norway. His research interest and work is focussed on assessment, learning and curriculum development in physical education, teacher education and outdoor education/‘Nordic friluftsliv’.

Ann MacPhail is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Her teaching and research interests revolve around teacher education, young people in sport, assessment and curriculum development in physical education. Ann is Co-Director of the Physical Education, Physical activity and Youth Sport Research Centre (PE-PAYS). She is Associate Editor for the Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy and a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Claes Annerstedt is Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is a former Professor of pedagogy and physical education from Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, Norway, and his main teaching and research interests are curriculum development, teaching and learning in physical education, as well as in sport coaching and teacher education.