Design and Validation of the Instrument for the Measurement of Learning and Performance in Football

Abstract

<jats:p>The assessment of tactical-technical knowledge of football is essential to develop optimal and integral teaching processes for students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design and validate an instrument so that teachers, coaches, and researchers can observe and codify both the tactical behaviors and technical skills performed by the students in the game of football. The design and validation of the instrument were carried out in four phases: a) review of the literature and previous instruments; b) design of the Instrument for the Measurement of Learning and Performance in Football (IMLPFoot). It assesses all the offensive and defensive play actions, with and without the ball, as well as their three components (decision-making, technical execution, and final result); c) sample selection of experts (N = 12); and d) quantitative (Likert-type scale from 1 to 10) and qualitative assessment of degree the pertinence, unambiguity, and importance of each of the 33 items included in the IMLPFoot. Aiken’s V coefficient was used to determine content validity. Likewise, internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s α coefficient. The results showed demanding levels of validity (V ≥ 0.77), internal consistency (α = 0.983), inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability. Therefore, it is a valid and reliable instrument that makes possible a complete assessment of football in physical education classes and/or in the sports context (out-of-school football).</jats:p>

Differences in Technical and Tactical Learning of Football According to the Teaching Methodology: A Study in an Educational Context

“…Within each type of game action, additional assessments were made, including: the decision-making (DM), the technical execution (TE) and the final result (FR). Additional variables were also obtained through these observations, which included: Index of Performance: Decision-Making (IP-DM); Index of Performance: Technical Execution (IP-TE); Index of Performance: Final Result (IP-FR); and the Index of Performance: Total (IP-Total) [24,29]. In invasion sports, the decision-making characteristics are fundamental to success because they involve the capacity to use the information available in any given game situation, and to possess the underlying fundamental game knowledge needed to select an appropriate response from a series of alternatives.…”

“…The IMLPFoot instrument was designed so that instructors, coaches and researchers would have a valid and reliable tool to assess learning in the sport of football during the formative years. The instrument has been validated by a panel of individuals with expertise in football and received high estimates of content validity (V ≥ 0.77), internal consistency (α = 0.983) and inter-rater reliability (Kfree = considerable or near-perfect) [29].…”

“…Two criteria were established for an action to be assessed as adequate. Thus, if the observed action fulfils the two criteria, it is considered an adequate action; if it only fulfils one criterion, it is considered a neutral action; and if it fulfils neither of the criteria, it is considered an inadequate action [29].…”

“…A Game Participation score (GP = total number of playing actions in which the learner has participated) was also calculated for each player. Four performance indices were calculated through these scores: (i) IP-DM; (ii) IP-TE; (iii) IP-FR; and (iv) the IP-Total [24,29]. Table 1 displays the formulas that were used for calculating each performance indicator.…”

“…The aforementioned instruments only address player actions during the attack phases of play and thus lack the capacity to assess defensive actions. A more complete instrument called the Instrument for the Measurement of Learning and Performance in Football (IMLPFoot) [29], assesses both the offensive and defensive actions, as well as the actions with or without the ball. This instrument also provides for a more complete assessment of learning in football since it allows for the evaluation of decision making, technical execution and resultant performance.…”