Teachers as raters of aberrant behavior

This study estimated the validity and interrater reliability for the Devereux Child Behavior Rating Scale when completed by classroom teachers. The behavior of 90 preadolescent males who were diagnosed as either normal, hyperactive, or emotionally disturbed was rated by two classroom teachers using the DCB. Interrter reliability estimates found between teachers' rating were not significantly different than those reported with mental health professionals. A stepwise discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the utility of teachers' ratings in predicting group membership. Results indicated teachers' ratings on the DCB differentiated significantly between diagnostic categories.     

Peer ratings of depression,anxiety, and aggression in inpatient and elementary school children: Rating biases and influence of rater's self-reported depression,anxiety, and aggression

Using parallel self-, peer, and teacher rating scales, several rating biases in children's peer ratings of depression, anxiety, and aggression were examined. Participants were 66 inpatient and 133 elementary school children (N = 199, 109 boys, 90 girls; 61% white, 39% black) aged 8 to 12, and their teachers. Results showed significant halo bias in both the children's peer ratings and the teachers' ratings. Children's self-reports on each of the three traits were significantly related to their peer ratings of the same trait, while adjusting for socioeconomic status and the peers' teachers' ratings of the same trait. Children who rated themselves as high on each trait rated their peers significantly higher on the same trait than children who rated themselves as medium or low; and for depression and anxiety, those who rated themselves as medium rated their peers significantly higher on those traits than those who rated themselves as low. For both depression and aggression, children's self-reports on the trait were significantly related to their peer ratings of the same trait, but not significantly related to their peer ratings of different traits. Disagreements between children's and teachers' ratings of the peers on all three traits were significantly related to child self-reports on each trait, indicating a possible distortion in children's peer ratings due to self-report. The implications of the results for both peer and others' assessments are discussed, and further investigation of rating biases in other informants' assessments is encouraged.These data were collected as part of the author's doctoral dissertation submitted to Memphis State University. Appreciation is expressed to Stacey Donegan for assistance with the literature review for an earlier version of this paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, March 1993.     

Teachers' norms and teacher-parent agreement on the Missouri children's behavior checklist

Normative data are reported for a 68-item teacher's form of the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MCBC-T). Sex differences comparable to those found in parents' ratings were found but teachers' average ratings were significantly lower than parents' ratings. The correlations between teachers' and parents' ratings are comparable to those found in the literature and provide evidence for convergent and discriminant validity of the MCBC scales.     

Congruence of parents' and teachers' ratings of children's behavior problems

This study compared parents' and teachers' perceptions of behavior disorders in 1,008 white children enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade. Data included background information and ratings on the Behavior Problem Checklist. For the most part, parents perceived more problems in their children than did teachers. Parents and teachers tended to agree that boys exhibited more deviant behavior than girls and that youngsters from the higher social classes had fewer disorders than those from the lower classes. Parent and teacher judgments were somewhat alike in that both groups tended to observe a pattern in the development of problems that first increased then decreased or first increased then decreased and leveled off across grades. Trends were more gradual for parents and sharper for teachers, or declines were not seen by parents that were seen by teachers. Bivariate correlations between parents' and teachers' evaluations were significant but low or low to moderate. Mother-teacher and father-teacher coefficients differed on Socialized Delinquency but were similar on the other behavioral dimensions. Although significant interactions of parentteacher relationships with sex and grade were infrequent, correlations between ratings by the two groups of informants were higher for boys than for girls; and correlations between parent and teacher judgments were lower for early grades than for later grades.     

Reduction in children's symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder during individual tutoring as compared with classroom instruction

Children who display symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in classrooms are reputed to display fewer symptoms in one-on-one interaction. We tested this hypothesis with children who received tutoring for reading and behavior problems. We selected 30 children whose teacher-rated ADHD symptoms fit a pattern consistent with DSM criteria for the diagnosis. Teachers rated the frequency of symptoms in classrooms before and after tutoring. Tutors rated the frequency of the same behaviors during individual tutoring sessions. Children's ADHD symptoms, as well as oppositional symptoms, were significantly lower in the tutoring sessions than in the classrooms. The effect sizes for the difference between behavior in classrooms and in individual tutoring ranged from 0.7 to 2.5 standard deviations. These effect sizes appear as large as those reported for the effect of stimulant medication on ADHD symptoms. All 30 children at preintervention fit the pattern for ADHD using teachers' ratings of classroom behavior; 87% of them did not meet those DSM criteria using tutors' ratings of behavior in individual sessions. The confound of different raters for the two different settings must be resolved by another study with a new design.     

Utility of teacher behavior ratings for identifying special needs students

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of a teacher behavior rating instrument for identifying special needs students. Using a modified form of theDevereux Elementary School Behavior Rating (DESB)Scale 35 kindergarten through grade 6 regular classroom teachers completed ratings on all of their 876 students. Subsequently, extensive aptitude, academic, social, and behavioral assessment was conducted and those students were identified who were in need of supportive educational programming to function adequately within the regular class setting. Analysis of the teacher behavior ratings indicated a highly significant difference between those students identified for special supportive services and their regular classroom peers on 9 of 11 behavioral factors. The findings lend clear support for the use of classroom teachers' behavior ratings in the identification process.     

Early identification of educationally high potential and high risk children

Early identification of educationally high potential and high risk children was investigated by following the same children (N=49) from kindergarten entrance through grade five of a regular school program. Kindergarten predictive measures were the Bender Gestalt and teachers' evaluations; follow-up measures were yearly standard achievement test results. Analyses revealed consistently high and significant relationships between teachers' ratings and subsequent school achievement. Teachers were surprisingly accurate in early identification of both high risk and high potential children. The Bender was more accurate for identification of high potential than high risk children. Findings support the use of these measures for initial screening of children entering formal school programs. Specification of dimensions of teachers' evaluations may provide clues to understanding the complexities of school readiness.     

Teachers' Ratings of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Decisions for Referral for Services in Taiwan

We examined the relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions and ratings of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms of students and their referral decisions in public schools in Taiwan. One hundred and twenty-one homeroom teachers were randomly selected from six public elementary schools in Taipei County, Taiwan, to participate in the study. The study contained two groups of children, a random sample (n — 478) and a nominated sample (n = 219). Results of the discriminant analyses showed that Chinese teachers' ratings of ADHD could predict group membership as to whether a student had been or might be referred. This study found that, despite the fact that Chinese teachers believed children with scores two standard deviations above the mean had behavior problems, teachers decided not to refer those students. Teachers were more likely to refer children whose scores were three standard deviations above the mean.     

Measuring social skill in grade school boys

This study examined positive and negative assertive skill in 60 elementary school boys, grades 3–8. Subjects' role-played responses to standard analogue situations requiring expression of positive and negative assertion were videotaped and rated retrospectively. High- and low-assertive subjects were identified through ratings of overall assertiveness. Results of this study indicate that (1) high- and low-assertive subjects differ on a number of response components which are related to age level and type of assertive situation (positive vs. negative), (2) assertive skill is associated with role-taking (or decentering) ability, (3) teachers tend to perceive their assertive boys as more sociable and interpersonally sensitive than unassertive boys, (4) there is essentially no correlation between teachers' ratings of aggressiveness and separate behavioral ratings of assertive skill, and (5) behavioral ratings of assertiveness show little relationship to self-report or teachers' ratings of assertiveness.This article is based on a dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University of Chicago in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The study was conducted under the direction of the second, third, and fourth authors.     

Sex differences in self- and teachers' reports of self-esteem in preadolescents

The short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory was administered to 952 fourth- and fifth-grade children (482 males, 470 females) from 41 classes. The children's teachers completed Coopersmith's Behavior Rating Form, a measure of self-esteem-related behavior. In the self-ratings, girls were significantly lower than boys; in the teachers' ratings, girls were significantly higher. In 32 of the 41 classes, boys ranked higher in their self-ratings than in the teacher ratings; the reverse was true for girls — a highly significant difference. This pattern of findings did not occur in the 8 classes which had male teachers. Issues concerning the measurement and conceptualization of self-esteem are discussed.This research was supported by Lehigh University, using Institutional Grant funds from the National Science Foundation. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Patricia Horton for her assistance in the collection of the data.     

Behavioral and sociocognitive correlates of ratings of prosocial behavior and sociometric status

Although peers' and teachers' evaluations of children's prosocial behavior and peers' sociometric ratings frequently have been used in studies of social development, the validity of young children's ratings of others has been questioned, as has that for teachers' ratings of prosocial behavior. In this study, preschoolers' ratings of peers' sociometric status and prosocial behavior, as well as teachers' ratings of children's prosocial dispositions, were obtained. These were correlated with children's naturally occurring prosocial or social behavior; ratings of prosocial behavior also were correlated with children's prosocial moral reasoning and prosocial self-attributions. Peers' sociometric ratings were positively related to children's sociability whereas prosocial ratings were related to helping (but not sharing) behavior. Teachers' ratings of prosocial behavior were not related to frequency of prosocial behaviors, but were positively related to developmentally mature moral judgments and self-reported motives.     

Teacher and parent perceptions of behavior problems among a sample of African American,Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white studients

A multiracial/multiethnic sample of middle school adolescents and their teachers was used to assess whether teacher ratings of student behavior problems varied according to teacher-student racial/ethnic differences and students' perception of teachers' attitudes toward them. No significant mean score differences were found for Hispanic or non-Hispanic white students according to the race/ethnicity of the teachers doing the ratings. However, African American students rated by Hispanic and non-Hispanic white teachers had significantly higher mean total behavior problem scores than African American students rated by African American teachers. Teacher ratings were also compared to those made by parents. The percentage of students rated as cases by teachers but not by parents differed significantly by race/ethnicity of student. Other findings indicated highly significant relationships between student-perceived teacher disparagement and the assignment of high behavior problem scores to students by teachers. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, R01DA05912; William A. Vega, Principal Investigator. The authors express their appreciation to Superintendent Octavio Visiedo, Dr. James Mennes, Dr. Sylvia Rothfarb, and the cooperating staff and teachers of the Dade County Public Schools for their support in the conduct of this research.     

Acceptability of positive and reductive behavioral interventions: Factors that influence teachers'' decisions

Treatment acceptability refers to individuals' judgments as to whether psychological treatment procedures are appropriate, fair, and reasonable for a given problem. In the present two-experiment study, experienced teachers' ratings of acceptability for positive (i.e., praise, home-based reinforcement, and token economy) and reductive (i.e., ignoring, response-cost lottery, and seclusion time-out) behavioral interventions were investigated. Using the Intervention Rating Profile (IRP) and a case study methodology to manipulate variables of intervention complexity and problem behavior severity, it was established that (a) teachers' acceptability ratings of both positive and reductive interventions varied with the severity of a target behavior, (b) the complexity of an intervention influenced teachers' ratings of acceptability, less complex or time-consuming interventions being rated generally more acceptable, and (c) mean acceptability ratings were significantly more favorable for positive than reductive treatments. These findings are discussed in the context of previous acceptability research and future investigations.     

Moderating Effects of Mothers' Attribution on the Relationships Between Their Affect and Parenting Behaviors and Children's Aggressive Behaviors

We examined Bugental's (1987) transactional model in the context of the relationships between aggressive children and their mothers. Based on Bugental's model, it was hypothesized that mothers who possessed the attributional style of low self-control and high child-control over hypothetical child care failure were more likely to manifest negative affect and negative parenting behaviors toward their child, only when their child is aggressive. Children's aggressive behavior was assessed via mothers' and teachers' ratings. Sixty-six children and their mothers served as subjects. Our results provided support for mothers' negative affect when using teachers' rating of children's aggressive behaviors only. Possible explanations for the differential results obtained using mothers' and teachers' ratings of children's aggressive behaviors were discussed.     

Screening of intellectual maturity: exploring South African preschoolers' scores on the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test and teachers' assessment

The present study explored the relationship between South African preschool children's intelligence scores achieved on the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD), and the accuracy of teachers' ratings of the human-figure drawings and teachers' general perceptions of children's intellectual maturity. The GHD was administered individually to 30 boys and 30 girls between the ages of 4 and 6 years (M = 4.5. SD = 0.7) from a multicultural (Black, Colored, and White) preschool near the Cape, South Africa. The three class teachers of these preschoolers provided the ratings and perceptions of each child's intellectual maturity. Results indicated that the teachers' assessments of children's intellectual maturity were fairly similar to the formal measures of children's intellectual maturity using human figure drawings and their own perceptions. It appears that teacher ratings of drawings could be relied upon as a means of assessment. General perceptions of children's intellectual maturity should not be solely relied upon, but instead these perceptions should be used as an aid for enhancing the teachers' assessment of children's intellectual maturity in addition to the rating of human figure drawings.     

小学语文和数学教师课堂信息加工能力的研究

本研究采用小学语文和数学视频教学录象为实验材料,以小学语文和数学教师为研究对象,运用反应时测量法探讨小学语文和数学教师对不同类型课堂信息的加工速度和辨别能力。研究结果表明:小学语文和数学教师处理课堂背景信息方面采用了相似的策略,忽略与课堂教学无关信息;语文和数学教师在处理课堂信息方面表现出明显的学科差异,语文教师更注重课堂活动的组织与课堂气氛的调节,数学教师强调学科内容教学本身的精确性;小学语文教师处理课堂活动信息的加工速度显著快于数学教师。本研究的结论对小学教师培训有一定的启示。     

On Being the Same in Different Places: Evaluating Frame‐of‐Reference Effects Across Two Social Contexts

Frame‐of‐reference (FOR) effects in personality assessment are demonstrated when self‐rated items oriented to specific contexts (e.g., workplace) show better predictive validity than noncontextualized items. Empirical support of FOR effects typically relies on job performance ratings or academic grades for criteria. The current study evaluates FOR effects using ratings of personality provided by informants from the home or school context. Items from the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI; Costa & McCrae, 1992) were contextualized to the home and school contexts to create NEO‐Home and NEO‐School versions. One hundred fifty‐eight college students completed the NEO‐Home and NEO‐School questionnaires, and 161 college students completed the standard, noncontextualized NEO‐FFI. All participants recruited one peer from college and at least one parent to complete standard rater versions of the NEO‐FFI. Contextualized self‐ratings did not show FOR effects. NEO‐Home self‐ratings did not correlate higher with parent ratings than with peer ratings, and NEO‐School self‐ratings did not correlate higher with peer ratings than with parent ratings. Standard NEO‐FFI self‐ratings generally showed higher self‐informant agreement with both types of informants than contextualized self‐ratings. The pattern of correlations suggests that validity is enhanced more by specific trait‐informant combinations than by the contextualization of items to social contexts.     

Teachers'' ratings of social competence of children with high versus low levels of depressive symptoms

This study examined the relationship between children's self-ratings of depressive symptoms on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and teachers' ratings of the situational social competence of these children based on the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations (TOPS). Children in the high CDI group showed significantly higher teacher ratings (indicating lower social competence) than children in the low CDI group on four TOPS scales: peer group entry, response to provocation, response to success, and teacher expectations. Of the children in the high CDI group, 85% could be correctly classified with a discriminant analysis on the basis of TOPS ratings; of the children in the low CDI group, 77% were correctly classified. Implications of these findings, as well as limitations of the study, are discussed.     

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity symptoms in Icelandic schoolchildren: assessment with the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Rating Scale-IV

Four hundred and twenty-seven normal Icelandic children, six and eight years of age, were rated by their parents and three hundred and sixteen children by their teachers with the Teacher and Parent versions of the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (AD/HDRS-IV). For two hundred and sixty-five of the children both parent and teacher ratings were obtained. The factor structures of the AD/HDRS-IV for parents and teachers were in line with theoretical expectations. A Hyperactivity-Impulsivity factor and an Inattention factor were thus well supported. The subscale reliabilities were high. Boys scored higher than girls on all measures and there was a decrease of symptoms with age for boys, as expected. There was evidence of convergent validity for all scales, but discriminant validity of the AD/HDRS-IV subscales is less certain. Generally the instruments seem promising for further research. Some differences are noted in comparison with earlier studies. Thus scores obtained in this study were somewhat lower than those found in American studies, especially for teachers. Also the prevalence of ADHD based on rating scales was lower than in comparable previous studies. The similarity in symptom structure between this and previous studies is emphasized, but the possible role of cultural homogeneity in explaining different results with regard to teachers' ratings of symptoms is suggested.