School-based theories of pupil assessment: a case study

Case study design was used in this investigation of the pupil assessment theories of two middle school physical education teachers whose program was identified as a good program in which pupil assessment was taking place. An assumption guiding the study was that teachers' actions are rational and are designed to produce desired results. Therefore, a comparison is made only between two theories of action (espoused and enacted) rather than between theory and practice. Informal and semistructured interviews were employed to elicit teachers' espoused theories, and enacted theories were identified during field visits over a semester in which classes were observed and school documents examined. Teachers' theories of assessment are identified for the categories of participation, effort, and improvement; grading; written tests; fitness testing; performance tests; and formative recordkeeping. Espoused and enacted theories are then examined for congruency. The highest level of incongruency was found in the areas of performance tests and formative recordkeeping. Barriers to the use of pupil assessment techniques in this program include organizational, knowledge, and contextual factors. Change in the assessment practices of secondary teachers may be facilitated, however, through the identification and examination of teachers' theories of assessment by both preservice and inservice teachers.