‘Now we have gym, now we have to perform’: Norwegian students’ perceptions of assessment and grading in physical education
Authors
Green, KenRøset, Linda
Sigurjonsson, Thorsteinn
Tjomsland, Hege
Cale, Lorraine
Thurston, Miranda
Affiliation
Inland University of Applied Sciences; University of Chester; Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; Loughborough UniversityPublication Date
2023-05-25
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Assessment has become a routine feature of school life, internationally. Little is known, however, about the consequences for young people of assessment and grading in physical education (PE) – a subject often associated with physical recreation. This paper explores young Norwegian’s perceptions of assessment and grading in PE from a sociological perspective. In doing so, it contemplates the penetration of neo-liberal discourses as part of wider processes of globalization and Europeanization in school PE in Norway. The study utilizes data generated by 31 focus groups involving 148 youngsters from the 10th grade (15–16-year-olds) in eight purposively sampled secondary schools in Norway. Norwegian PE teachers continue to use tests in order to set grades in PE. The upshot is that students’ enjoyment of and engagement in PE, as well as their self-identities and self-esteem, can be compromised by apprehension towards assessment and grading. These processes seem likely to undermine or even erode the potential sociopsychological benefits of PE for some young people by reinforcing the impression that the subject is fast becoming just one more outcome-oriented subject on an academic treadmill. In this regard, the ascendancy of neo-liberalism – associated with the twin challenges of globalisation and European integration – appears to merely reinforce the hegemony of competitive individualism within PE in Norway, as elsewhere.Citation
Røset, L., Green, K., Sigurjonsson, T., Tjomsland, H. E., Cale, L., & Thurston, M. (2023). ‘Now we have gym, now we have to perform’: Norwegian students’ perceptions of assessment and grading in physical education. European Educational Research Journal, vol(issue), pages. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041231175565Publisher
SAGE PublicationsAdditional Links
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14749041231175565Type
ArticleDescription
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in [European Educational Research Journal]. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041231175565ISSN
No print ISSNEISSN
1474-9041ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1177/14749041231175565
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