A document analysis of assessment rubrics designed by Australian secondary school Physical Education teachers

Assessing student performance in games in secondary school Physical Education (PE) presents a persistent and complex challenge for teachers. In the Australian state of Victoria teachers are frequently required to use assessment rubrics for reporting, yet most research on teachers’ use of rubrics is situated in higher education, creating a gap. This study analysed rubrics designed by secondary school PE teachers from 11 schools to assess student performance in invasion games (Years 7–10, ages 13–16). Using the READ (Ready materials, Extract data, Analyse data, Distil findings) framework, data were extracted from submitted documents and subjected to content and thematic analysis. Two themes were identified: the uniformity of school-developed rubrics and the challenge of describing quality. Findings showed that rubrics were narrowly conceptualised, designed to support grading, and incorporated scale-based language. The study highlights the need for ongoing professional learning to support rubric design and use.