A comprehensive observational instrument for assessing collaborative problem solving: development and validation of the CPS-OG

Introduction Collaborative problem solving has become a key educational competence, yet existing observational instruments often assess only selected aspects of collaboration, rely on labor-intensive micro-analytic coding, or are tied to specific task contexts. To address these limitations, this study developed and validated the Collaborative Problem Solving Observation Grid (CPS-OG), an evidence-based observational instrument designed to provide a comprehensive, task-independent, macro-level assessment of collaboration quality. The instrument is grounded in four empirically derived dimensions of CPS: socio-cognitive exchange, socio-emotional exchange, task regulation, and group regulation. Method Validation was conducted with 84 groups of secondary school students working in triads ( N = 73) or dyads ( N = 11) on scientific and civic literacy tasks. The psychometric evaluation included analyses of interrater reliability, internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion-related validity. Results Across both task domains, the CPS-OG demonstrated excellent interrater reliability, good internal consistency, and preliminary support for the internal coherence of the four-conceptual dimensions, consistent with findings from a recent systematic review of CPS quality. The four dimensions included in the instrument showed meaningful associations with Mercer's dialogue types and group product quality, providing further evidence of criterion validity. The consistency of findings across scientific and civic literacy tasks indicates the instrument's robustness in different task contexts. Discussion Overall, the findings suggest that the CPS-OG is a reliable and promising observational instrument. It offers a comprehensive approach to monitoring and assessing collaborative problem solving, providing researchers and practitioners with a practical tool for evaluating collaboration across diverse educational tasks.