Stressful life experiences of children: The correspondence between professional judgments of teachers-in-training and children's perceptions

• Published in: Psychology in the schools Vol. 44; no. 8; pp. 807 - 821
• Main Authors: Anderson, Gabrielle Eliza, Jimerson, Shane R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-11-2007; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Anxiety; Biological and medical sciences; California; Child Development; Children; Comparative Analysis; Educational psychology; Elementary School Students; Emotional Development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade 1; Grade 6; Judgments; Preservice Teachers; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Questionnaires; Stress Variables; Stressful events; Student Attitudes; Student Surveys; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Student Relationship; Teacher Surveys; Teacher-Student relationships; Teachers; Teaching Experience; California; Human; Evaluation; Life events; Risk factor; Teacher; Child; Stress; School failure; Judgment
• ISSN: 0033-3085; 1520-6807
• DOI: 10.1002/pits.20267

The extant studies reveal a considerable mismatch between students' and teachers' perceptions of student stress. The present study compared the judgments of teachers‐in‐training (N = 109) with the responses of first‐ and sixth‐grade children (n = 56 and 93, respectively). The following questions are addressed: (a) Do teachers' judgments of the stressfulness of children's experiences correspond with those of the children themselves? (b) Do teachers' perceptions differ according to general developmental status (first grade level versus sixth grade level)? (c) Does the amount of teaching experience have a significant influence on ratings? Results revealed that teachers' judgments corresponded more closely with the children's ratings at the first grade level than at the sixth grade level. However, teachers' perceptions did differ according to grade level for the majority of life events. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the ratings of the experienced and inexperienced teachers at either grade level. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 807–821, 2007.