Quality Physical Education (QPE): Assessment, Challenges and Practices

The study sought to establish the correlations between the evaluations of the Quality of Physical Education (QPE) by physical education teachers and students from five universities in Hunan Province, China. The participants evaluated the QPE based on seven subfactors: Instructional Strategy, Facilities and Equipment in Physical Education, Quality Teaching of Physical Education, Social Norms and Inclusivity, Cognitive Skill Development, Student Engagement, and Governmental Policies for Physical Education. The study also examined the difficulties and methods employed by physical education teachers in implementing QPE to gain insight into their firsthand experiences. The findings indicate that both teachers and students generally concur on the quality of the physical education curriculum in their respective universities, as evidenced by an overall combined F value of 4.37 and a Sig value of 0.48. Nevertheless, the universities' teaching staff was identified as the most invaluable component. During a focus group discussion, participants identified continuous professional development as a prominent theme, indicating that future research should prioritize this topic. The study revealed that there was no statistically significant disparity in the evaluation of QPE by teachers based on their age and years of experience. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in terms of gender, educational attainment, or school affiliation. These findings indicate that teachers who are engaged in professional development have varying perspectives on the process of teaching and learning. The study suggests modifying physical education programs to address the challenges encountered by teachers when preparing and conducting assessments. Teachers must enhance their ability to assess student learning as a fundamental component of the learning process.