Teacher Perceptions of the Behavioral Adjustment of Primary Grade Level Handicapped Pupils Within Regular and Special Education Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether regular classroom teachers and resource room teachers systematically differ in their perceptions of the behavioral adjustment of mainstreamed handicapped pupils in the primary grades. Twenty-nine handicapped pupils enrolled in three primary schools within the Battle Ground, Washington school district were rated by their regular classroom teachers and resource room teachers on the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist (WPBIC; Walker, 1983). Regular classroom teachers rated the handicapped pupil sample as significantly more maladjusted than did resource room teachers on the WPBIC total score and four of the five scale scores. Correlations between the two sets of ratings were in the moderate range. Fifteen of the fifty checklist items were rated as present significantly more often by regular classroom teachers. None of the items were rated as present more often by resource room teachers. The results are discussed in terms of the possible causes of the rating differences and their implications for mainstreaming. Research strategies for further investigation of this question are suggested.