Abstract

This study analyzes the assessment and grading practices of Physical Education and Health (PEH) teachers in Chile, using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with ten in-service teachers (seven men and three women) from the city of Talca, in the Maule region, whose ages ranged from 20 to 59 years and with professional experience ranging from 2 to 32 years. Subsequently, a quantitative analysis was conducted using official student grades from the 2018–2022 period. The methodological design followed a sequential exploratory mixed approach. The qualitative findings reveal that teachers tend to conceive assessment as a formative process that prioritizes participation, effort, and attitude over physical performance, and they tend to assign high grades. Based on these findings, the quantitative phase showed a sustained trend toward excellent grades, with a mode of 7.0 and a national average of 6.6 in 2022. This phenomenon raises questions about the relationship between grading and effective learning, suggesting the existence of an assessment culture that emphasizes inclusion and the recognition of effort. The findings offer new perspectives on the pedagogical meaning of grading in PEH, challenging traditional approaches focused on motor performance measurement and highlighting the need for a more equitable, comprehensive, and formative-aligned assessment model. © 2025, Campus EDUCA SPORTIS S.L.. All rights reserved.