Volleyball Tests - Part 2

Articles In This Section:

· Teaching Techniques

· Class Organization

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 1

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 2

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 3

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 4

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 5

· Individual Fundamentals and Drills - Part 6

· Advanced Drills - Part 1

· Advanced Drills - Part 2

· Advanced Drills - Part 3

· Discussion - Part 1

· Discussion - Part 2

· Volleyball Tests - Part 1

· Volleyball Tests - Part 2

· Conclusion

Russell and Lange devised serving and repeated volleys tests for junior high school girls.¹⁴ Achievement scales with the point value of test scores are available. In the serving test the student is given the area scores as indicated in Figure #47. A ball landing on a line separating two areas is scored the highest value. Serves in which foot faults occur score zero. Let serves are served over. The student is given two trials of ten serves each, and the test score is the better of the two.

Fig. #47.. SCORING ZONES FOR RUSSELL-LANGE SERVING TEST

Lamp made a significant study of volleyball skills of junior high school boys and girls in relation to physical size and maturation. She found positive correlation between playing ability and the factors of age, height, weight, and strength. Pubescents and postpubescents made higher scores on Lamp's skill tests than did prepubescents.¹⁵

Fulton found that student ratings of team mates is closely related to teacher judgment.¹⁶ Although using the results of the students' ratings is not suggested by Fulton as a substitute measure of skill, she does recommend this technique as a very useful diagnostic tool. It helps identify the poorer students so they may receive additional help.

A big problem in teaching volleyball to students is to know what skills to introduce at each age level and what teaching techniques to employ. Many coaches feel that the future growth of volleyball as a competitive sport is linked closely to the correct instruction of students from the elementary school level right on through college. Whether one views volleyball as a coach or a teacher, these studies involving such factors as achievement,, jumping ability, agility, maturation, strength, and student ratings are very important ani will become more important in the future.

Written tests take many forms, such as true-false, matching, multiple-choice, completion, and essay. Tests often take the form of a combination of some of the above. To construct a good written test is no easy task. A study of the techniques employed in sound test construction should be beneficial to the volleyball instructor. These techniques are covered in many of the tests and measurements books in physical education and psychology.

Langston constructed a written volleyball test for male college physical education majors which met acceptable standards of validity and reliability.¹⁷ The test can be machine graded and is available from the author at a nominal cost. Hennis constructed a similar written test suitable for use in the physical education instructional program for college women.¹⁸

Testing should be a part of every instructional program. "It has been estimated by various authorities that one-tenth of program time spent in testing is justifiable." ¹⁹