Summative assessment versus formative assessment: An ecological study of physical education by analyzing state-anxiety and shot-put performance among French high school students

Problem Statement: Previous works have questioned the function of assessing and its influence on students' perception of the assessment. Depending on whether the assessment is summative or formative, the impact on learning and emotions may be different. However, few studies have been conducted in a physical education context where learning could be both cognitive and motor. Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study is to compare the effects of summative and formative assessments on students' state-anxiety, and shot-put performance in physical education. Method: Twenty-one high school students in a formative assessment class (M age = 14.95; SD age = .50) and twenty-two in a summative assessment class (M age = 15.14; SD age = .64) participated in the study. The students' characteristics between the two classes were not statistically different. Students filled out questionnaires measuring trait-anxiety and state-anxiety. State-anxiety was measured at the beginning of the lesson. Performance was evaluated through one shot-put attempt at the end of the lesson. Data collection was carried out in three phases: during the first lesson (i.e., beginning of the learning cycle), during the fifth lesson (i.e, end of the learning cycle), and during a deferred evaluation (i.e., four months later). Non-parametric tests were performed. Results: There was no difference in trait-anxiety between the two classes. At the beginning of the learning cycle, there was no difference in state-anxiety or performance. Results show that at the end of the learning cycle, both classes improved their performance. The formative assessment class felt less anxiety than the summative assessment class.Four months later, the summative assessment class's performance had improved, whereas the formative assessment class's performance had remained at the same level. Additionally, the summative assessment class's anxiety remained at the same level, whereas the formative assessment class's anxiety improved. Conclusion: These results can help physical education teachers to design more successful learning and emotional experiences during the learning cycle, focusing more on providing formative assessment. This paper also adds to the debate around formative good/summative bad, questioning the short-and medium-term benefits and drawbacks of formative and summative assessment.