Triadic formative assessment in higher education: interaction effects between assessment modality and evaluator sex

Introduction: Formative assessment has become a central pillar in higher education, as it promotes deep learning and active student engagement. Within this framework, triadic assessment—self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment—enables the incorporation of multiple perspectives. However, limited attention has been paid to how these assessment modalities interact with evaluator-related variables, such as sex, and its interaction. Objective: This study aimed to examine differences among formative assessment modalities and to explore whether differential effects emerge according to the sex of the evaluator in a university context. Methodology: A cross-sectional, non-experimental quantitative design was employed. The sample comprised 5,671 assessment records collected in the Primary Education degree (Physical Education specialization) at the University of Seville. A validated rubric was used to assess practical presentations through self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U). Results: The results indicated that self-assessment and peer assessment consistently yielded higher scores than teacher assessment across most items (p