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Parent-teacher agreement on kindergarteners' behavior problems: a research note
C Gagnon1, F Vitaro, R E Tremblay
1Research Unit on Children's Psycho-Social Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Summary
Mothers and teachers show limited agreement on kindergarteners' behavior ratings. Demographic factors influence agreement levels, but both groups often agree on the relative prevalence of behavior problems.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Behavior Assessment
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Understanding child behavior requires multiple perspectives.
- Discrepancies between maternal and teacher ratings can impact interventions.
- Identifying factors influencing rater agreement is crucial for accurate assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate agreement and disagreement in mothers' and teachers' behavioral ratings of kindergarten children.
- To explore how demographic and background characteristics affect rater agreement.
- To compare the rank order of behavior problem prevalence reported by mothers and teachers.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of maternal and teacher behavioral ratings.
- Statistical examination of agreement levels.
- Exploration of demographic influences on rating concordance.
Main Results:
- A generally low to moderate level of agreement was found between mothers and teachers.
- Demographic and background characteristics significantly influenced the degree and direction of agreement.
- While absolute prevalence estimates varied, the rank order of behavior problems was similar across informants.
Conclusions:
- Maternal and teacher agreement on child behavior is limited but influenced by various factors.
- Similar rankings of behavior problems suggest shared perceptions of behavioral consistency across settings.
- Further research should explore the implications of these agreement patterns for early childhood education and intervention.
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