A cross-cultural comparison of teacher ratings of child adjustment and behavioral problems. (June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rowe, Ellen W.; Rivers, Lanee; Kamphaus, Randy W.
• Is Part Of: School psychology international. Volume 34:Number 3(2013)
• Page Start: 270
• Page End: 282
• Publication Date: 2013-06
• Subjects: Adaptive skills -- Anguilla -- BASC -- Behavior Assessment System for Children -- behavioral problems -- BWI -- cross-cultural -- teacher ratings of behavioral problems and adaptive skills; Educational psychology -- Periodicals; School psychology -- Periodicals; 370.1505
• DOI: 10.1177/0143034312454362
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-0343

Abstract

This study examines similarities and differences in teacher ratings of behavioral problems and adaptive skills between a sample of 320 students from Anguilla, BWI and 315 children from the United States of America using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC;Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992 ). The study also compared teacher ratings of boys and girls in the Caribbean sample. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) revealed that Anguillian teachers rated their students as having higher mean school problems, while the mean score for adaptive skills was higher for US students. Effect sizes were small, though, indicating that little of the variance in ratings was attributable to cultural group. Boys in the Caribbean sample had significantly higher mean scores on externalizing and school problems. Girls were rated at having more adaptive skills. Again, effect sizes for the differences were small. Scientific and practice implications are offered.