Health education assessment practices used by physical education and health teachers in a collaborative action research

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: The school setting is the ideal environment for encouraging students to adopt health-promoting behaviours (Chong, McCuaig and Rossi, 2018, “Primary Physical Education Specialists and their Perceived Role in the Explicit/Implicit Delivery of Health Education.” Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education 9 (2): 189–204. doi: 10.1080/25742981.2018.1452163). Schools are actively supporting the implementation of health education (HE) initiatives, and the potential contribution of physical education (PE) to these initiatives is recognised in a number of countries (Gray, MacIsaac and Jess, 2015, “Teaching ‘Health’ in Physical Education in a ‘Healthy’ Way.” Retos 28 (1): 165–172; Haerens, Kirk, Cardon and De Bourdeaudhuij, 2011, “Toward the Development of a Pedagogical Model for Health-Based Physical Education.” Quest 63 (3): 321–338. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2011.10483684). One of the biggest challenges faced by PE teachers is the assessment of student learning in the area of health (Bezeau, 2019, “L’accompagnement d’enseignantes en éducation physique et à la santé visant l’optimisation de leurs pratiques évaluatives en éducation à la santé.” PhD diss., Université de Sherbrooke; Turcotte, Gaudreau, Otis and Desbiens, 2010, “Les pratiques pédagogiques d’éducateurs physiques du primaire en éducation à la santé.” In Éducation à la santé, edited by Claire Isabelle, Louise Sauvé, and Monique Noël-Gaudreault, 717–738. Montréal: Revue des sciences de l’éducation). These challenges highlight the need for professional development that meets the needs of PE teachers in regard to the health component, in particular in terms of assessment practices (Turcotte, 2010, “Problématisation: l’éducation à la santé et l’éducation physique.” In Faire équipe pour une éducation à la santé en milieu scolaire, edited by Johanne Grenier, Joanne Otis, and Gilles Harvey, 25–48. Québec: Presses de l’Université du Québec). However, teachers report that the professional development provided to better integrate health into PE is ineffective (Alfrey, Cale and Webb, 2012, “Physical Education Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development in Health-Related Exercise: A Figurational Analysis.” European Physical Education Review 18 (3): 361–379. doi: 10.1177/1356336X12450797; Makopoulou and Armour, 2011, “Teachers’ Professional Learning in a European Learning Society: the Case of Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 16 (4): 417–433. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2010.548060). In order to optimise assessment practices in HE, the development of training methods that answer the real needs of PE teachers constitutes a potential solution to this problem. In this study, two PE teachers were supported in the operationalisation and appropriation of an innovative problem-solving process aimed at optimising their assessment practices in HE.Objectives: The objectives of this article are to describe: 1) the operationalisation of strategies established by the participants targeting their assessment practices in HE, and 2) the evolution of these practices.Method: A collaborative action research (CAR) approach was taken, and four methods of data collection were used: 1) individual interviews; 2) group interviews; 3) participant observation, and 4) logbooks. The data was collected over a 12-month period, overlapping two school years, and then analyzed through content analysis.Findings: Results suggest that, despite the planning and implementation of strategies considered effective by the participants, their assessment practices in the gymnasium progressed very little, while their practices outside the gymnasium evolved considerably.Conclusion: If we want to optimise assessment practices in HE, or teaching practices in general, we must put aside the question ‘why,’ and focus on ‘how’ to meet the challenges related to the implementation of this type of professional development. Bringing real change to teaching practices is a long process that requires an investment of time and effort from teachers, and starts with the optimisation of practices outside the learning environment.