Abstract

This PhD thesis evaluated the relationship between formative assessment during initial Physical Education teacher training and the acquisition of teaching competencies, including the assessment competency. Four specific objectives were proposed: (1) To gauge the graduates’ perception of the competencies acquired during their initial training, the utilization of the formative assessment for the acquisition of teaching competencies, the assessment instruments used and the forms of grading used by university teachers during this stage; (2) To ascertain whether there are differences in these objectives depending on the course of study taken, if they are working or not as teachers or have teaching experience; (3) To assess a possible relationship between the implementation of formative assessment, the type of assessment instruments used during initial training, the forms of grading used by university teachers and the graduates’ perception of the degree of acquisition of competencies; (4) To ascertain practicing graduates’ appraisal of the competencies acquired in their initial training and their perception of the extent to which the formative assessment helped them acquire these competencies.

A quantitative study was developed to address the first three aims of this research. Four hundred and ninety-one (491) graduates in the Primary Education (Physical Education specialty) and Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Degree from 20 Spanish universities participated. A questionnaire on teaching competencies and formative assessment was used. The results show that graduates rate their training in teaching competencies and the use of the formative assessment for this purpose as good, pointing to a predominance of the utilization of multiple-choice exams, written essays and heterograding. Generally speaking, there are no significant differences in the development of teaching competencies and the use of formative assessment for this purpose depending on whether graduates are working as teachers or not or have or do not have teaching experience. 

An instrumental case study was developed to address the fourth objective. This study involved 4 graduates from the aforementioned degrees employed as Physical Education teachers in Primary or Secondary education, and three university teachers who engage in formative assessment processes in initial Physical Education teacher training. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation and documentary analysis. The information obtained shows that the graduates positively rate the formative assessment for the acquisition of teaching competencies provided that such processes are implemented systematically and are accompanied by feedback. They also feel that the use of formative assessment during initial training helped them to learn alternative forms of assessment and to have assessment resources which, adapted to their setting, can be used in their classes.