Teachers' perceptions of problem behavior in general and special education

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Special Education
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Teacher perceptions significantly influence educational outcomes for students.
• Understanding inter-rater reliability among educators is crucial for effective student support.
• Adolescents identified as seriously emotionally disturbed often present complex behavioral and adaptive challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare behavioral ratings between regular classroom and special education teachers.
• To assess agreement levels in perceptions of problem behavior and adaptive functioning.
• To explore the impact of classroom setting on teacher judgments for students with serious emotional disturbance.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of behavioral ratings from two distinct teacher groups.
• Involved 31 adolescents recently identified as seriously emotionally disturbed.
• Utilized teacher-reported data on problem behavior and adaptive functioning.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in teacher ratings based on educational setting.
• Variability in perceptions highlights potential biases in teacher tolerance for problem behavior.
• Classroom environment appears to moderate teacher judgments of student behavior and functioning.

Conclusions:

• Teacher perceptions of adolescent emotional disturbance are influenced by their educational context.
• Discrepancies in ratings necessitate further investigation into factors affecting teacher tolerance and judgment.
• Findings have implications for teacher training and support strategies in inclusive settings.