Sebastian Bergold1, Hanna Christiansen2, Ricarda Steinmayr1. 1. Department of Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany. 2. Department of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present study examined parent-teacher agreement and discrepancy when assessing kindergarten children's behavioral and emotional problems, social-emotional skills, and developmental status. METHOD: Parents and teachers of overall n = 922 kindergarten children (M age = 3.99; 449 girls) rated the children using the Conners Early Childhood, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Questionnaire for Assessing Preschool Children's Behavior. RESULTS: Agreement was moderate for problem behaviors and social-emotional skills and substantial for developmental status. Agreement was stronger for externalizing than for internalizing problems. Agreement on the clinical relevance of problem behaviors and of social-emotional skills was stronger for children with a clinical diagnosis than for those without. Parents tended to report more problems, but also greater social-emotional skills and developmental status, than teachers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings corroborate the importance of situational specificity for understanding interrater agreement and discrepancy. Future teacher questionnaires should more specifically assess children's functioning in kindergarten.
OBJECTIVE: The present study examined parent-teacher agreement and discrepancy when assessing kindergarten children's behavioral and emotional problems, social-emotional skills, and developmental status. METHOD: Parents and teachers of overall n = 922 kindergarten children (M age = 3.99; 449 girls) rated the children using the Conners Early Childhood, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Questionnaire for Assessing Preschool Children's Behavior. RESULTS: Agreement was moderate for problem behaviors and social-emotional skills and substantial for developmental status. Agreement was stronger for externalizing than for internalizing problems. Agreement on the clinical relevance of problem behaviors and of social-emotional skills was stronger for children with a clinical diagnosis than for those without. Parents tended to report more problems, but also greater social-emotional skills and developmental status, than teachers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings corroborate the importance of situational specificity for understanding interrater agreement and discrepancy. Future teacher questionnaires should more specifically assess children's functioning in kindergarten.