Authentic evaluation: an alternative to improve the teaching-learning process in primary school physical education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the strategies, instruments, and criteria of authentic evaluation that physical education teachers apply at the primary level, based on the planning and application of didactic sequences previously established for an intervention process. Initially and voluntarily, three physical education teachers participated from three different schools, one federal, one state, and one private, in Chihuahua State, Mexico. The research project was characterized as a multiple case study, where teachers participated in an authentic evaluation workshop and developed didactic sequences that were implemented to examine the application of strategies and instruments of authentic evaluation. The qualitative analysis of the observations, questionnaires, and interviews suggest that the application of these didactic sequences together with the use of authentic evaluation strategies, favored teaching performance and enriched the learning environment. The implications of the study point to the need to formalize and systematize the application of authentic evaluation strategies and instruments within basic education when these are causally related to the didactic sequences and the curriculum content.