Utility of Scales Derived from Teacher Judgements of Adolescent Academic Performance and Psychosocial Behavior

Abstract

Justification is presented for using teacher judgements of student achievement and psychosocial functioning as "indirect measures" of school-related outcomes. An 18-year follow up study of a Danish birth cohort (N=350), for whom no standardized or "direct" measures were available, was used as the context in which the BAMED Teacher Rating Form was designed and developed. The 106-item Form yielded 23 empirically and logically derived scales with alpha reliability coefficients ranging from .75 to .95. Sixteen of the scales most relevant to schooling were subjected to a factor analysis that yielded four reliable factors labeled: sociability; classroom functioning; academic performance; and behavior self-control (impulsivity). The findings indicated that teacher ratings of academic performance and psychosocial functioning were quite independent. Further, teachers were able to observe reliably and to rate behaviors representative of different classes within both the academic and psychosocial functioning domains. The BAMED instrument, including all 23 scales, is included.