Abstract
Teachers play a crucial role in the assessment of children's internalizing symptoms but may not always succeed in accurately identifying such symptoms in class. Using a multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) approach, this study aimed to explore teacher and child characteristics that may explain measurement bias in teachers' ratings of internalizing symptoms at the between- and within-teacher level. Upper elementary school teachers (N = 92, 74.9% female) filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Student-Teacher Relationship Scale, and Student-Specific Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for randomly selected children (N = 690, 50.5% girls, Grades 3–6) from their classrooms. Participating teachers and children also responded to several background questions. Multilevel SEMs suggested that teachers' self-efficacy beliefs toward, relationship experiences with, and externalizing symptom ratings of individual children affected their ratings of these children's internalizing symptoms at the within-teacher level. Specifically, given equal levels of internalizing behavior, teachers were likely to systematically under-identify symptoms of anxiety and over-identify bullying for children with more externalizing behavior and conflictual relationships, or in circumstances where teachers had lower self-efficacy. Children with high levels of closeness received systematically higher ratings on somatic complaints and lower ratings on solitary behavior and peer problems. At the between-teacher level, less experienced teachers were more likely to over-identify symptoms of worries than were more experienced teachers, given equal levels of internalizing symptoms. As such, these findings extend the limited body of evidence on children's internalizing symptoms in upper elementary school.
Highlights
Reports of children with internalizing problems, or inner-directed and overcontrolled behaviors including symptoms related to anxiety, somatic complaints, or withdrawal, are becoming increasingly common in upper elementary school (Reijneveld et al, 2006)
Drawing upon the basic tenets of the Attribution Bias Context (ABC) Model, we aimed to explore and explain measurement bias in teachers’ ratings of internalizing symptoms at the between- and within-teacher level
Because internalizing behavior comprises a variety of symptoms, some of which are easier to detect than others, we investigated bias with respect to each indicator separately
Summary
Reports of children with internalizing problems, or inner-directed and overcontrolled behaviors including symptoms related to anxiety, somatic complaints, or withdrawal, are becoming increasingly common in upper elementary school (Reijneveld et al, 2006) During this period where puberty, social (media) pressures, and emotional changes occur simultaneously (Goldstein et al, 2015), prevalence rates of internalizing symptoms are likely to increase from 10% to almost 30% (Tandon et al, 2009). These problems frequently continue into adulthood (Costello et al, 2011) and may eventually lead to serious social, psychological, and academic difficulties in later life (Fergusson et al, 2006; Valdez et al, 2011).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
