ATTITUDES ON GRADING OF PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

Assessing and grading students’ performance in class is an essential part of teaching as a profession. Compared to other classroom-based subjects, Physical Education (PE) teachers usually handle grading practices in the motor learning domain and in a gym-based environment (Rink, 2013). Pre-service and in-service teachers may have different views on handling grading in PE according to differences in teaching experience, and theoretical and practical knowledge (Alkharusi, Kazem, & Al-Musawai, 2011; Schempp et al., 1998). This study aims to investigate in-service PE teachers’ (ISPET) perspectives of teaching practices in grading and compare them to the respective pre-service PE teachers’ (PSPET) perspectives. To find a common set of teaching practices for grading in PE that fits knowledge and experience scopes of both in-service and pre-service PE teachers, essential aspects of grading were extracted out of systematic research on PE teachers’ stress factors (König, 2004). Communicative and pragmatic validity of selected items were ensured by group discussion with selected pre-service and in-service PE teachers. 132 pre-service PE teachers and 134 in-service PE teachers were surveyed using a questionnaire consisting of personal data and previously developed items on teaching practices in grading. Results showed statistically significant differences in slightly more than a half of the respective attitudes on grading practices (e.g., “I assess and grade student performance frequently, because students learn well under pressure.”). ANOVA showed significant differences regarding study/teaching experience in both groups in regard to some attitudes on grading. PE teacher education programs and PE teachers’ continuing professional development may emphasize the change in teaching practices in grading to increase awareness.