When teachers’ assessment intentions meet students’ classroom experience: Evidence of interpretive misalignment in secondary physical education

Abstract

Assessment operates in classrooms not only as an instructional procedure but also as a communicative process through which teachers convey meanings about learning and performance. Yet little is known about whether teachers’ conceptions of assessment are reflected in their students’ perceptions of assessment and classroom motivational climate. This study examined this cross-level relationship by linking teacher conceptions and characteristics to students’ perceptions of assessment and classroom motivational climate in secondary physical education. Data were collected from 989 students taught by 17 teachers in Spanish secondary schools and were analysed through a series of two-level linear regression models. A significant proportion of variance in each student-reported outcome was attributed to between-teacher differences. Teacher age and self-reported formative orientation were the most consistent predictors. Notably, stronger self-reported formative orientation by teachers was associated with less positive student perceptions on some assessmentdimensions. These findings suggest that the meanings of assessment are not necessarily shared in the same way by teachers and students, highlighting assessment as a relational and interpretive process in which students construct the meaning of evaluation through classroom interaction. © 2026 The Authors.