Cross Informant Agreement of Behavioral and Emotional Strengths between Finnish Students and Teachers

Abstract

Multiple informants such as teachers, students, and parents are commonly used as sources of information when assessing students' behaviors and emotions. However, there are few studies about cross informant agreement of strength-based assessment. The purpose of this study was to extend the international research on the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2), a strength-based measure, to determine the cross informant agreement and convergent validity between student self-report and teacher report on the Finnish BERS-2 with a sample of 5th grade Finnish students (n = 275). The results of this study found that the Finnish BERS-2 possesses moderate to large cross informant agreement with coefficients ranging from .35 to .51. Consistency between student and teacher ratings shows that the Finnish BERS-2 is a reliable measure to assess students' strengths.

Keywords:

• strength-based assessment
• BERS-2
• cross informant
• multiple informants

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in grant from The Finnish National Board of Education.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erkko T. Sointu

Erkko T. Sointu, Philosophical Faculty, Special Education, University of Eastern Finland

Hannu Savolainen

Hannu Savolainen, Philosophical Faculty, Special Education, University of Eastern Finland

Kristiina Lappalainen

Kristiina Lappalainen, Philosophical Faculty, Special Education, University of Eastern Finland

Michael H. Epstein

Michael H. Epstein, Center for Child and Family Well-Being, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.