Introducing the Multidimensional Toolkit for the Assessment of Play in Schools (M-TAPS): a reliability study

Abstract

Background Despite increasing interest in changing and improving play opportunities in schools, there is lack of openly available methods for evaluating play quantitatively. Existing measures often focus on physical activity during play activities or prioritise the mapping of locations within which play occurs rather than evaluating play itself. Methods This paper introduces the Multidimensional Toolkit for the Assessment of Play in Schools (M-TAPS) and provides the results of an initial study examining the utility and reliability of the toolkit. The M-TAPS includes observations of individual children and scan observations of predefined areas of the playground; children’s activities, adventure/risk level and affect are coded. In addition, the M-TAPS includes child self-report questionnaires about emotions during playtime and playtime activities. Results The reliability study provided evidence of good reliability between coders and for children’s self-report of their emotions during playtime. There was some indication of validity between child self-report and coder observation. Conclusions The paper suggests that the M-TAPS may be useful for research focused on improving children’s play in schools where a quantitative measure is sought. The M-TAPS provides a flexible tool for supporting researchers with the results highlighting how the M-TAPS can provide insights into schools playtimes and how observation can be combined with children’s self-report. There is room for further development and refinement of the toolkit.