A Typology for School Behavior Problems and the Relationship Between Behavior Problems and Persistence (Classification, Factor Analysis).

Abstract

The goals of this study were: (1) to develop a typology of school behavior problems, and (2) to investigate the relationships between the nature of the behavior problem and persistence. One hundred seventy three teachers nominated students who they perceived to be experiencing stress, rated each child's problem on a scale of perceived urgency and completed the Hahnemann Elementary School Behavior rating scale for each child. The nomination procedure was repeated four times over a period of 3 school years. Of the 4950 children in these schools, 829 were nominated at time 1. Raw score factor analysis (RSFA) and cluster analysis were used to develop a typology from behavioral profiles of these children. Two underlying factors and four significantly different types were derived based on RSFA and were found at every grade. Factor 1 was characterized by negativity, disruptiveness and impulsivity. Factor 2 was characterized by withdrawal, dependency and low achievement. Type A, with high loadings on both factors was the most persistent and the most urgent. Types B and C with high loadings on either Factor 1 or Factor 2 but not both showed an intermediate level of persistence and urgency. Type D, with low loadings on both factors, was the least persistent and the least urgent. Males outnumbered females within every type, but the male/female ratio in Types A and B was greater than in Types C and D. By selecting a more homogeneous sample within each type, the significance of the relationships was increased. The complicated nature of creating a typology of school behavior problems was discussed. RSFA was supported as a viable method for creating types. The persistence of specific behavior problem types suggested the need for intervention for these high risk groups. The need for a school behavior typology which is different from clinical typologies was argued as a basis for more complete diagnostic formulations for children, and as an aid in educational programming and research.