Multidimensional Scaling of Elementary Teachers' Impressions regarding a Set of Student Behavior Problems

Abstract

A recently proposed multidimensional similarity analysis methodology was used to analyze the dimensionality of a set of selected behavior problems sometimes exhibited by elementary students in classroom situations. Judges were elementary school teachers who frequently encountered such behavior problems. The three extracted evaluation dimensions, accounting for 82% of the judgmental variance, were all readily interpretable. The success of this exploratory application of a multidimensional scaling procedure to educational concerns suggested further uses for such investigative methodologies with regard to other forms of educational judgment-evaluation.