Planning and assessment practices among Spanish physical education teachers according to experience and teaching level

The intent of this study was to determine the prevalence of formal lesson plan development as well as examine assessment practices (i.e. frequency of assessment; types of assessment tools most commonly utilized; aspects of physical education most commonly assessed) among physical education teachers in Spain. Furthermore, this study investigated relationships between physical educators’ (a) years of teaching experience and (b) teaching level (primary school vs. secondary school), with both their frequency of formal lesson planning and their assessment practices. The standardized and validated PROAFIDE questionnaire was completed by 499 physical educators presently teaching at either the primary or secondary school level. Results indicated that the vast majority of study participants utilize detailed written lesson plans and perform regular assessments. The percentage of use was found to rise among teachers with increased teaching experience, and among those who were teaching at secondary school. The most commonly used assessment instruments were found to be tests, specifically personally made tests and pre-existing batteries of tests (e.g. Eurofit Fitness Testing Battery). The least used assessment instrument was found to be homework. For all the various assessment tools, it was found that attitudinal aspects were assessed more commonly than physical, cognitive, technical, and tactical aspects. Future research needs to investigate the implications of regular planning and assessment, or lack thereof, on actual practice.