School Psychology International current issue

Educational Psychology in New Zealand: Results of the 2006 International School Psychology Survey

Jimerson, S. R., Annan, J., Skokut, M., Renshaw, T. L. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

The International School Psychology Survey (ISPS) was used to gather information about New Zealand educational psychologists’ characteristics, training, roles, activities, preferences, research interests and the challenges they experienced in their work. The results of this survey were considered in relation to the social and cultural context of educational psychology practice in New Zealand and were compared with the findings from ISPS surveys in other countries. The composition of the New Zealand educational psychology community resembled that found in previous surveys of school psychologists in other countries in terms of gender and level of qualifications. The educational psychologists indicated, as in most countries surveyed previously, that the greatest proportion of their work involved consultation with students, teachers and families. One point of difference between results of the New Zealand survey and previous ISPS studies was the predominance of contextual information over standardized measures in assessment.

Views of Chinese Psychologists Toward Intelligence

Yan, G., Saklofske, D. H., Oakland, T. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

The concepts of intelligence and methods to assess it constitute important contributions to psychology and have had a profound impact on school psychology practice. While the perspectives and practices of North American and European psychologists toward the construct and assessment of intelligence generally are well known, the views held by psychologists in the People’s Republic of China are less well known. This research describes the views of Chinese psychologists about intelligence and compares them with previously expressed summaries obtained from American psychologists in 1921 and 1986. The results indicate that Chinese psychologists view intelligence as an important construct that includes a large and robust set of attributes, including some that are not commonly identified by psychologists in the United States.

Direct and Relational Bullying Among Children and Adolescents: Coping and Psychological Adjustment

Hampel, P., Manhal, S., Hayer, T. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

Previous research highlighted that pupils actively involved in bullying and victimization are prone to develop diverse psychological problems. The overall aim of our study was to investigate effects of different forms of bullying and victimization on coping with interpersonal stressors and psychological adjustment among children and adolescents. Moreover, the additional contribution of coping in the prediction of effects of direct and relational bullying on psychological adjustment was examined. Four hundred and nine 6th to 9th graders (aged 10—16 years) completed self-report measures, which assessed experiences with bullying and victimization, coping strategies and psychological problems. All forms of victimization were characterized by an increased maladaptive coping as well as heightened emotional and behavioural problems with the most unfavourable pattern among pupils confronted with direct as well as relational victimization. Direct aggressors only and pupils bullying others directionally and relationally showed enhanced externalizing problems. Regression analyses indicated that the adverse effects of direct and, to a lesser degree, relational bullying and victimization on psychological adjustment were primarily enhanced by maladaptive coping among girls and boys. By applying preventive interventions, which are tailored to special needs of the groups actively involved in bullying and victimization, the risk for the development of psychological problems may be effectively diminished.

Intensity of ADHD Symptoms and Subjective Feelings of Competence in School Age Children

Hanc, T., Brzezinska, A. I. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

The aim of this investigation was to assess how different levels of intensity of ADHD symptoms influence the development of the subjective feeling of competence in school age children. The sample was comprised of 62 children age 11 to13. For the purpose of estimation of the subjective feeling of competence, The Feeling of Competence Questionnaire was created. Level of ADHD symptoms intensity was estimated with the use of The Symptoms of ADHD Questionnaire, created on the basis of diagnostic criteria for ADHD included in DSM-IV and ICD-10. Cluster analysis distinguished two groups of children: a group with a lower level of ADHD symptoms intensity (Group 1) and a group with a higher level of ADHD symptoms intensity (Group 2). Group 2 revealed a significantly lower level of global feelings of competence and lower scores on the subscales: adaptive properties, knowledge and skills, acknowledgement, emotional factor and belief in success. There was no significant difference in the level of the feeling of co-operation skills and social adjustment. The results suggest that children with symptoms of ADHD are likely to have a low level of feelings of competence, which may well be a risk factor leading to later social disorders.

Shyness Predicts Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents: A Prospective Study

Murberg, T. A. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

This study examines the relation between shyness, social support and depressive symptoms in a sample of 259 students (aged 14—16 years) in two secondary schools. Results at both time-points showed positive associations of depressive symptoms with shyness and with being female and negative associations of depressive symptoms with social support and extraversion. Cross time-point results showed that shyness at T₁ predicted change in depressive symptoms at T₂, even when the effects of gender and extraversion were partialled out. In addition, a significant interaction effect appeared of shyness and peer support in relation to depressive symptoms.

Student and School Factors Affecting Mathematics Achievement: International Comparisons Between Korea, Japan and the USA

Shin, J., Lee, H., Kim, Y. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

The purpose of the study was to comparatively investigate student- and school-level factors affecting mathematics achievement of Korean, Japanese and American students. For international comparisons, the PISA 2003 data were analysed by using the Hierarchical Linear Modeling method. The variables of competitive-learning preference, instrumental motivation and mathematics interest were used as student-level predictors on mathematics achievement. The variables of student-teacher relationship and school disciplinary climate were also used as school-level variables. The results of the study showed that different patterns of the relations between student- and school-level predictors and mathematics achievement were present among the three countries. Specifically, the predictor of competitive-learning preference was significant on mathematics achievement in Korea and Japan, but not in the US. For Korean and Japanese students, unexpectedly, mathematics interest was a stronger predictor than was instrumental motivation; in contrast, the pattern was the reverse for American students. For school-level predictors, school disciplinary climate was a significant predictor on the achievement differences in all three countries; however, the variable of student-teacher relationship turned out to be significant only in Japan. Implications of the results are discussed from the comparative perspectives of cultures and educational contexts of the three countries.

Validation of a Portuguese Version of the Children's Hope Scale

Marques, S. C., Pais-Ribeiro, J.L., Lopez, S. J. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:45 PDT

The article describes the development of the Portuguese version of the Children’s Hope Scale and the examination of its psychometric properties. A sample of 367 Portuguese students completed the Portuguese-language versions of the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder et al., 1997), Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS; Huebner, 1991), Global Self-Worth Sub-scale (Harter, 1985) and Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5; Berwick et al., 1991). The first step included translation, back-translation, inspection for lexical equivalence and content validity and cognitive debriefing. Reliability (internal consistency and stability), factor structure and criterion-related validity were investigated. The validation process of the Portuguese CHS version shows psychometric properties similar to the English language CHS, suggesting that it measures the same construct in the same way. Implications of these findings are discussed.