Evidence of the face, content, and ecological validity of the Aquaticity Assessment Test-Brazil for adolescents

Abstract

Assessment is an essential component of the teaching-learning process of aquatic skills in water sports. However, we found no tests that assessed and validated aquatic skills for the Brazilian adolescent population aged 12 to 14 years. This study aimed to develop and identify evidence of the face, content, and ecological validity of an aquaticity test for adolescents learning water sports. Since the survey was developed in three phases, the sample groups included five experts in water sports and 16 adolescents aged between 12 and 14 years for the face validation, and eight experts in water sports for the content and ecological validations. For the analysis of content validity, the Content Validity Coefficient was used. For ecological validity, the measure of central tendency of the median was applied, followed by the relative frequency of agreement for the competencies and aquatic modalities. Afterward, they were presented in the network model. Evidence of face validity was verified with the first group of experts and learners, with adaptations conducted based on the instructions of the Aquaticity Assessment Test-Brazil (AAT-Brazil) tasks. In the two phases of analysis, the AAT-Brazil demonstrated content validity for clarity of language (0.88 and 1.00), practical pertinence (0.86 and 0.92), and theoretical relevance (0.86 and 1.00). Regarding ecological validity, we found correspondence between the tasks and aquatic competencies, with the breathing present in most tasks of the AAT-Brazil. Task actions also corresponded with water modalities: swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, diving, and open water swimming. The AAT-Brazil presents satisfactory face, content, and ecological validity results, ensuring a valid and reliable aquaticity assessment. It has a protocol with clear and accessible instructions for adolescent assessment in the water sports learning phase. © JPES.