Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate test-based physical literacy scales (PLSs) for primary school students across different grades. METHODS: Data were collected through a field survey conducted from June 1 to July 31, 2022, involving 3,275 primary school students from four provinces in China. The questionnaires assessed four domains: physical knowledge, physical competence, physical motivation, and physical behavior. The Rasch model was employed for psychometric analysis. RESULTS: The variance explained by measures for the PLSs was 53.1%, 50.3%, and 54.7%, all exceeding the 50% threshold, confirming unidimensionality and robust internal consistency. This enabled effective differentiation among students with varying proficiency levels. The item-person map demonstrated optimal alignment between item difficulty and participant ability levels. Most items showed favorable fit statistics, with Infit mean square (MNSQ) and Outfit MNSQ values ranging between 0.5 and 1.5. CONCLUSIONS: The PLSs demonstrate validity and reliability in measuring physical literacy among Chinese primary school students across four components: physical knowledge, physical competence, physical motivation, and physical behavior. The scales measure a unidimensional construct, supporting the use of summed total scores for assessment.