The Physical Education and School Sport Environment Inventory Preliminary Validation and Reliability

• Published in: Environment and behavior Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 50 - 67
• Main Authors: Fairclough, Stuart J., Hilland, Toni A., Vinson, Don, Stratton, Gareth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2012; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescents; Children; Correlation; Data Analysis; Educational Environment; England; Environment; Evaluation; Measurement; Methodology; Physical activity; Physical Education; Physical Environment; Predictive Validity; Reliability; Researchers; Schools; Secondary Schools; Sports; Teachers; Test-Retest reliability; United Kingdom; Validity; United Kingdom (England); school; physical environment; validation; scale development
• ISSN: 0013-9165; 1552-390X
• DOI: 10.1177/0013916510388495

The study purpose was to assess preliminary validity and reliability of the Physical Education and School Sport Environment Inventory (PESSEI), which was designed to audit physical education (PE) and school sport spaces and resources. PE teachers from eight English secondary schools completed the PESSEI. Criterion validity was assessed by researcher observations of schools’ spaces and facilities. To measure test–retest reliability, teachers completed the PESSEI twice within 14 days. Pearson’s correlations for teacher and researcher observations ranged from r = .8 through .99. Test–retest reliability was also very high (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.93 through 1.0). Limits of agreement were acceptable for all variables with the exception of indoor spatial area. Results support the potential of the PESSEI as an objective measure of the school physical environment. To confirm these initial findings, further validity and reliability analyses are required in differing school contexts.