Competências socioemocionais autopercebidas na infância : construção de instrumento e investigação de validade baseada no conteúdo

Abstract

The relevance of Socioemotional Competencies (SEC) has been widely highlighted in the literature due to their association with positive outcomes in terms of academic success, positive socioeconomic results, health, and well-being. To support socioemotional education practices, SEC measurement instruments are essential. However, in Brazil, there are still no self-report instruments that measure these competencies in children under 10 years old. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a playful instrument for assessing SEC in children aged eight to 12 years and to gather content-based validity evidence. To achieve this, two studies were conducted. The first study consisted of a systematic review of SEC instruments, which confirmed the lack of self-report instruments for children in Brazil and identified useful strategies for constructing the instrument. Next, Study 2 was carried out in three stages. In Stage 1, the format of the instrument was proposed, including playful illustrated vignettes, and items and response options in a binary “yes” or “no” scale were created. A total of 31 vignettes and 155 items were developed. In Stage 2, six specialists analyzed the vignettes and items in two rounds, resulting in the retention of five vignettes and 25 items. Then, in Stage 3, two focus groups were conducted for a semantic analysis of the instrument, which indicated good comprehension and interest from the children in the tasks, along with minor changes to the instrument. The results of this stage also pointed to difficulties with the binary scale, leading to the suggestion of adopting a Likert-type scale. In conclusion, there is strong content-based validity evidence for the instrument, as well as feasibility of application and suitability for the target population. As next steps, further studies are recommended to gather additional validity and reliability evidence, establish norms, and make the instrument available for practical use.