Development and validation of a socio-emotional skills assessment instrument for sixth grade of primary education in Uruguay

The development and implementation of instruments with high psychometric standards for the assessment and monitoring of socio-emotional skills is considered an important step in the agenda for their promotion in educational contexts. This article describes the process behind the development and validation of a large-scale assessment instrument of socio-emotional skills – including interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and aspects related to motivation and self-regulation –, for sixth grade primary school-children in Uruguay. We present results regarding factor structure and internal consistency obtained in throughout three studies. We conclude that the final instrument presents proper psychometric qualities, including evidence of convergent validity. Nonetheless, it is recognized that the development of assessment instruments of this type requires continued efforts for its improvement based on a longitudinal and iterative review.