What Do Children Do on the Playground? A Rasch Analysis Approach to Measurement

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of a novel, mobile application-based observational measure of playground play sophistication for groups of children on the school playground. Given the well-documented benefits of outdoor play (e.g., Lester and Russell, 2010), occupational therapists should be invested in promoting this primary occupation for children with and without disabilities. Through interventions aimed to enhance the playground environment, occupational therapists can promote play at the universal level (Bundy et. al, 2008). This may prove particularly important for children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities, who may face barriers to play due to diagnostic and environmental factors (Woolley, Armitage, Bishop, Curtis & Ginsborg, 2006).However, the growing demand for evidence-based research presents a challenge: currently, no existing measure can assess the efficacy of playground interventions for groups of children. In this Rasch analysis study, we examine data collected using this instrument at five elementary school programs in Sydney, Australia for children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID).

This study draws from pre-intervention data from a larger study, the Sydney Playground Project (SPP; Bundy et al., 2015). Observers captured data during 313 individual playground sessions. Through analysis using the Rasch partial credit model (PCM), we reduced the original item set to form a unidimensional construct that represents the sophistication of what children do on the playground. We investigated construct validity by examining item correlations, item fit statistics, rating scales, and item spread across the sample population. Additionally, we examined evidence for construct validity by comparing the observed hierarchy of items to current literature about play in the context of ASD and ID. We investigated internal reliability based on the Rasch-generated observation reliability index (analogous to Cronbach’s alpha) and levels of ability captured by the instrument.

Our ultimate 19-item measure forms a logical construct supported by current literature. We found strong statistical evidence to support construct validity, including uniformly positive item correlations and mean-square fit statistics ranging from .80 – 1.23 (acceptable range = .5 – 1.5). We found moderate evidence for reliability, including observation reliability index of .60 and a strata value of 2, indicating that our instrument can reliably discriminate two levels of sophistication.

These findings suggest that we have created a promising, if preliminary, strategy to quantitatively evaluate the sophistication of playground play. Future revision and exploration into the measure will likely yield a more complete picture of what children do on the playground. With this novel measurement strategy, occupational therapists can establish the efficacy of universal playground interventions to schools, communities and other stakeholders. By demonstrating our distinct value, occupational therapists can be stronger advocates for children’s play.

References

Lester, S., & Russell, W. (2010). Children's right to play: An examination of the importance of play in the lives of children worldwide. The Hauge, The Netherlands: Bernard van Leer Foundation.

Bundy, A. C., Luckett, T., Naughton, G. A., Tranter, P. J., Wyver, S. R., Ragen, J., Singleton, E., & Spies, G. (2008). Playful interaction: Occupational therapy for all children on the school playground. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 522–527. doi:10.5014/ajot.62.5.522

Woolley, H., Armitage, M., Bishop, J., Curtis, M., & Ginsborg, J. (2006). Going outside together: Good practice with respect to the inclusion of disabled children in primary school playgrounds. Children's Geographies, 4(3), 303-318. doi:10.1080/14733280601005666

Bundy, A. C., Wyver, S., Beetham, K. S., Ragen, J., Naughton, G., Tranter, P., . . . Sterman, J. (2015). The sydney playground project- levelling the playing field: a cluster trial of a primary school-based intervention aiming to promote manageable risk-taking in children with disability. BMC Public Access. doi:10.11/12889-015-2452-4