Development of Test Battery for actual and perceived Aquatic Motor Competence - Isolated Tasks

International cooperation is needed to compare actual and perceived aquatic skills in an aligned and evidence- based assessment tool. Inspired by the work of Stallman et al. (2017), the PSPWC (Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence) and the ABAS (Assessment of Basic Aquatic Skills). The ALFAC team has selected 10 isolated skills: (1) entry in the water, (2) exiting the water, (3) breathing, (4) treading water, (5) floating on the back, (6) propulsion on the back, (7) propulsion on the belly, (8) submersion, (9) rotation in horizontal body position, (10) rotation in vertical body position. Data on isolated skills in seven countries will be presented at the conference.

In this respect, the ecological validity in the selection and development was crucial, stimulating pleasure and confidence to children discovering the aquatic environment in a fun and safe manner. Skills are supported by a realistic illustration to explain to the child what to do in the water. These pictures are used for the perceived aquatic competence; this data is gathered before the performance in the pool. This aligned tool has a playful approach using analogy learning. Special attention is given to the reality of different technical conditions in swimming pools by choosing the same material to create a conforming environment in the EU partner countries. For example, to tackle the variability in the height of the edge, a small platform construction of fixed and floating mats (with

straps to use as help) is used. To avoid the ceiling effect, a 5-point Likert scale instead of 3 in the PSPWC or 4 in the short version of PSPWC gives is. For entry and exit of the water, 5 different options were offered with a link to the practice in water recreation. Those skills of the PSPWC that were difficult to understand were made easier and more fun. As researchers, we want to help facilitate competent and confident movers in the exciting and diverse water environment. The test battery of the isolated skills has to be integrated into the complete holistic tool of ALFAC.