The importance of using formative and shared assessment in physical education teacher education: Tutored learning projects as an example of good practice

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of using processes of formative and shared assessment (F&SA) during Physical Education Teacher Education Programs (PETE) to prepare students to apply more educational assessment models in their future as teachers. In PETE Programs, F&SA have a double meaning: it is an assessment system but, above all, it represents knowledge and professional skills to be learned. In the first part of the paper we try to answer the questions: (1) what should be taught about assessment in PETE Programs? (2) Why and what for? In the second part of the paper we provide a practical example. In our case, we explain how we develop F&SA processes in an example of «good practice» that we usually employ in the PETE Program: Tutored Learning Projects (TLP). Then, we detail the phases of a TLP and explain how essential it is to link methodology with F&SA processes and ensure that the quality of learning and the development of professional skills are higher and of higher quality. The combination of this methodology with F&SA systems has been accumulating evidence for two decades, generating good results in learning, satisfaction, and self-perception of teaching skills.