Why Subjectivity in PE Assessment Is Actually a Good Thing

Hi Reader,

What if I told you that being “subjective” in PE assessment isn’t a problem—but actually part of what makes it effective?

Many PE teachers worry that assessment and grading are perceived as too subjective. They feel pressure to make decisions that appear objective, even though teaching rarely works that way. This concern is understandable—it reflects a desire for fairness and credibility.

Subjectivity is not the problem, and it is not going away. Education has never been objective. Even when something looks objective, like a student scoring six out of ten on a quiz, there are still subjective decisions happening behind the scenes.

From an assessment perspective, the goal is not to be perfect or objective. Educational scholars such as Lee Cronbach (1971), Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (2018) remind us that assessment involves making an inference based on the evidence of student learning.

Understanding the Difference

Usually, when I ask PE teachers to explain their thoughts on "subjectivity," it comes down to a desire to avoid judging students based on personal values or opinions. Many are concerned that their decisions could be interpreted as liking or disliking a student, which fuels the worry that they are being "subjective"—or personally subjective.

This worry is understandable, because in the fast-paced, relational environment of PE, where a constant stream of stimuli competes for our attention, the way we respond to students and form impressions of them can be perceived as based on personal opinions rather than professional inferences.

When assessing students, I have found it helps to see subjectivity through two lenses: professional judgment and personal judgment.

• Personal judgment is shaped by instinct, preference, or emotion. It can lead to assumptions about effort or behavior that don’t reflect actual learning. While it’s natural, we want to minimize its impact on our decisions and inferences, and simply being aware of it can help.
• Professional judgment is intentional and evidence-based. It draws on our training and knowledge to make inferences and decisions about student learning based on the evidence available.

In PE, where decisions are fast and relational, professional judgment ensures assessment is fair, meaningful, and consistent.

Taking it a Step Further

A key part of using professional judgment is ensuring that our inferences and decisions are consistent and evidence-based (i.e., grounded in evidence of student learning). To do this, we develop success criteria and look for them in student learning to guide our inferences and decisions about how to support them.

Furthermore, using our professional knowledge to develop and reference success criteria helps ensure our practices are grounded in professionalism, rather than influenced by personal thoughts or feelings (i.e., personal judgments).

A Closing Thought

While concerns about being "subjective" often come from a good place, subjectivity is present in all aspects of education. The goal isn’t to become "objective"—can you imagine how dry that learning would be?

Instead, we should lean on our professional knowledge and expertise to create clarity and transparency about what learning could look like (i.e., success criteria). This allows us to make appropriate and consistent inferences based on what student learning actually demonstrates.

Bottom line: Subjectivity is part of teaching, but professional judgment turns it into clarity, fairness, and support for student learning.

Your Turn

How are you navigating the topic of "subjectivity" in your teaching? I’d love to hear what’s working for you and any strategies you’ve found helpful.

References

Cronbach, L. J. (1971). Test validation. In R. L. Thorndike (Ed.), Educational measurement (2 ed., pp. 443-507). Washington DC: American Council on Education.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2018). Classroom assessment and pedagogy. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 25(1), 1–25.