The validity of the 4‐Skills Scan A double‐validation study

Abstract

Adequate gross motor skills are an essential aspect of a child's healthy development. Where physical education (PE) is part of the primary school curriculum, a strong curriculum-based emphasis on evaluation and support of motor skill development in PE is apparent. Monitoring motor development is then a task for the PE teacher. To fulfill this task, teachers need adequate tools. The 4-Skills Scan is a quick and easily manageable gross motor skill instrument; however, its validity has never been assessed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the construct and concurrent validity of both 4-Skills Scans (version 2007 and version 2015). A total of 212 primary school children (6-12 years old) was requested to participate in both versions of the 4-Skills Scan. For assessing construct validity, children covered an obstacle course with video recordings for observation by an expert panel. For concurrent validity, a comparison was made with the M-ABC-2, by calculating Pearson correlations. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to determine the contribution of each subscale to the construct of gross motor skills, according to the M-ABC-2 and the expert panel. Correlations between the 4-Skills Scans and expert valuations were moderate, with coefficients of .47 (version 2007) and .46 (version 2015). Correlations between the 4-Skills Scans and the M-ABC-2 (gross) were moderate (.56) for version 2007 and high (.64) for version 2015. It is concluded that both versions of the 4-Skills Scans are satisfactory valid instruments for assessing gross motor skills during PE lessons.

Concurrent validity and discriminative ability of Dutch performance-based motor tests in 5 to 6 years old children

“…0.56). [18] On beforehand, we would have expected differences at higher age-bands, since the MABC-2 contains essentially other test items at these age-bands.…”

“…They most often choose for performance-based tests, as these are often assumed to give a more objective impression of children’s skills, which has also been described for the assessment of language development. [11] The PCHC professionals use the Baecke-Fassaert Motor Test (BFMT)[12–14] to assess gross and fine motor (GM and FM) skills, and a large number of the Dutch primary schools use the 8- or 4-SkSc [15–18] to assess GM skills at this age. On the basis of the test results, medical decision making is supported (e.g.…”

The effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on motor skill development of 6- and 7-year old children in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study

“…Gross motor skill data were collected using the 4-Skills Test [ 22 ]. This test is easy to conduct in a school setting and has been found to be both reliable (ICC = 0.93, IRR -0.97) [ 23 ] and valid ( r = 0,58) [ 24 ] for its current use. The 4-Skills Test measures 4 components of motor skill: 1.…”

The effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on motor skill development of 6- and 7-year old children in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study

“…Gross motor skill data were collected using the 4-Skills Test (22). This test is easy to conduct in a school setting and has been found to be both reliable (ICC = 0.93, IRR − 0.97) (23) and valid (r = 0,58) (24) for its current use.…”