Students With or At Risk for Problem Behavior: Betwixt and Between Teacher and Parent Expectations

Abstract

This study examined differences between teacher and parent ratings of social skills in a sample of adolescent students (n = 33) previously identified in the elementary grades as at risk for academic or behavioral concerns, or both. Findings suggest a core of 4 classroom behavioral expectations for social competence consistent across elementary and secondary school teachers. Furthermore, parents and teachers of adolescents with behavior problems reported different behavioral expectations. Teachers value behaviors almost entirely in the cooperation domain, rating skills that display assertion and self-control as less important for success in the classroom. Conversely, parents of children with behavior problems at school value behaviors at home in the self-control, responsibility, and assertion domains rather than cooperation skills. Although this may be situation specific, the fact that teachers and parents differentially judged adolescents with behavior problems from their peers suggests several potential targets for early prevention or intervention in collaboration with parents. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• at-risk children/adolescents
• behavioral expectations
• problem behavior
• social competence
• social skills