Abstract
This research deals with the relationship between the self-concepts of teachers and the types of students perceived by them as needing referral for psychological help. Sixty teachers were divided into three groups, according to the number of student referrals for psychological help they had made during the previous school year. They were administered the Fitts Tennessee Self-concept Scale and a Student Problem Questionnaire relating to the kinds of problematic children they would tend to refer, if they could refer for help. The results indicated that teachers tended both actually and 'theoretically' to refer more students with problems interfering with classroom work (e.g. conduct and study problems) than those with personality problems (e.g. social and emotional problems). When teachers were divided on the basis of their response to a question regarding the referral of a single student, it was found that those who chose a child with problems manifested in the classroom were higher on general measures of general mental health as compared with teachers who chose a child with personality problems. No differences were found for type of actual referrals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.