Content validation of an executive function observation tool using the Delphi method

Abstract

There are few measures to globally examine the executive functions (EFs) of preschool children in educational contexts, which nevertheless constitute a predictor of their educational success. Indeed, the components of EFs (e.g., inhibition) are usually measured by standardized tasks and reported measures, leading to a discrepancy between the results. We also observe a predominance for the use of tasks measuring a single component of EFs. Thus, the creation of a systematic observation instrument seems necessary, as well as the validation of its content, in order to have a representative and global portrait of the child’s EF in the classroom. In this study, the content of a newly developed observation grid on EFs was validated with a panel of experts using the Delphi method. This article, which presents the application of the validation procedure and the resulting outcomes, discusses the effects and limits of the Delphi method, which is increasingly used in educational studies.