Validation of the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy for Greek children: Understanding assessment in response to culture and pedagogy

Abstract

Physical literacy (PL) is recognized as a channel for promoting holistic learning experiences within physical education (PE). Compared to conceptual advancements made in regard to its development, PL assessment lacks empirical evidence. The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy – 2 (CAPL-2) and assess its construct validity in Greek children aged 8–12 years. Participants were 576 children (boys = 268, girls = 308; mean age = 10.22 years, standard deviation = 1.27), from Greek geographical locations. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) compared the present sample data to a suggested theoretical model. Analysis of variance models and frequency tabulations were used to examine age and gender associations with CAPL-2 scores. CFA results established a good fit for the data and supported a model with four interrelated domains (χ2(67) = 122.751, p < 0.01; root mean square error of approximation = 0.038; comparative fit index = 0.906; and Tucker–Lewis index = 0.873). Boys’ and older children’s physical competence was higher. Girls and older children scored lower in daily physical activity (PA) behaviour. Knowledge scores depicted misunderstandings in participants’ answers, which can be attributed to enacted Greek PE practices. Motivation was high across age groups and both genders, demonstrating that PA participation is prioritized for Greek children. CAPL-2 interpretive category scores were associated with age and gender, indicating the need for further research concerning their cultural adjustment. The CAPL-2 can be used as a valid and comprehensive instrument for charting Greek children’s PL progress and making judgements in relation to situationally grounded PE perspectives.

Influence of Body Composition on Physical Literacy in Spanish Children

“…In a study conducted in Canada [30], only 44% reached sufficient and excellent levels. Another study carried out in Greece [31] also placed more than 50% of their students in the initial levels (beginning and progressing). A reason should be that both studies did not differentiate by weight category, so it can be argued that non-overweight children can achieve a higher level of PL.…”

Assessments Related to the Physical, Affective and Cognitive Domains of Physical Literacy Amongst Children Aged 7–11.9 Years: A Systematic Review

“…After full text screening was completed, in relation to the 7-11.9 years age range, a total of 88 eligible studies were included. Eleven studies [58,[70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79] and two corresponding manuals [59,80] were found for explicit (selftitled) physical literacy assessments. We also found 44 studies related to the affective domain with one corresponding manual [125], 31 studies and six corresponding manuals [157][158][159][160][161][162] related to the physical domain, and two studies related to the cognitive domain [163,164].…”

“…CAPL-2 demonstrated the strongest methodological quality of the three explicit physical literacy assessments, with good validity and reliability reported across several studies. Furthermore, CAPL-2 is the only one of the three tools that has provided evidence of cross-cultural validity, supporting its potential use with other countries and cultures [ 76 , 77 ]. Accordingly, to date, we suggest that the CAPL-2 is currently the most robust explicit physical literacy assessment tool available to PE teachers and researchers to assess children aged 8 to 12.…”

“…PLAYfun was the only tool to report information for criterion validity (methodological rigour scored as "very good"), with a moderate to large correlation between PLAYfun and the CAMSA (r = 0.47-0.60). CAPL-2 received a score of "very good" for crosscultural validity, with Dania et al [76] and Li et al [77] reporting confirmatory factor analysis procedures that confirm the four-factor structure as a good fit within Greek and Chinese populations, respectively. Within the affective domain, 87% of included studies provided detail surrounding content validity.…”

Associations between Feelings of Loneliness and Attitudes towards Physical Education in Contemporary Adolescents According to Sex, and Physical Activity Engagement

“…It also common at this stage to experience significant emotional and behavioural problems, with loneliness at an emotional level standing out [ 38 ], alongside the abandonment of physical exercise, amongst other issues. Although students’ motivation towards physical activity (PA) is initially high in both sexes [ 39 , 40 ], diminishing interest and engagement is seen at increasing rates with advancing age [ 28 , 41 ]. Further, this decline is greater in females than in males.…”