Construct validity of the MOBAK test battery for the assessment of basic motor competencies in primary school children

The development of motor competencies is one of the most important objectives of physical education, and therefore it is necessary to assess it from a pedagogical approach using valid instruments. The MOBAK battery is designed to assess basic motor competencies in primary education. It differentiates by the stage in the curriculum, and proposes a two-factor structure corresponding to the basic motor competencies of object movement and self-movement. This study has three objectives: to determine the construct validity of three test instruments of the MOBAK battery for assessing motor competencies; to determine how gender, BMI, and age covariates relate to motor competencies; and to examine the level of basic motor competencies of primary school children in Chile. A total of 1,785 children (45.7% girls) were assessed, divided into 1st and 2nd grade (MOBAK 1-2; 559 children; 50.6 % girls), 3rd and 4th grade (MOBAK 3-4; 496 children, 39.3 % girls), and 5th and 6th grade (MOBAK 5-6; 730 children, 46.3 % girls). The construct validity of each section was analysed using the confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA). The results confirm the two-factor structure in all sections of the MOBAK battery, they confirm the relationship between motor competencies and the covariates gender, BMI, and age, and they show that Chilean primary school children have low levels of motor competence, especially in 5th and 6th grade. The MOBAK battery is a suitable instrument for the assessment of basic motor competencies in primary education and is a diagnostic and monitoring tool for pedagogical practices and educational research.