Understanding Socioemotional and Behavioral Difficulties in Early Primary Education: A Multi-Informant Approach to Teacher–Parent Agreement and the Role of Child and Family Characteristics

Abstract

To ensure the success of early childhood education and further studies and to formulate interventions, the early diagnosis of childhood socioemotional and behavioral problems is essential. In this study, we analyzed socioemotional and behavioral difficulties in a sample of 501 Hungarian minority children (primary school children from Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4) residing in five administrative regions of Slovakia. Teachers’ and parents’ ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used for the assessment, and teacher–parent agreement (ICCs) from a total of 501 parents and 107 teachers were calculated to validate cross-informant convergence. The SDQ assessment tool includes a total of 25 items, which are divided into five subscales: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and prosocial behavior. Hyperactivity was the problem most frequently reported by teachers, showing abnormal scores, while emotional symptoms were most frequently reported by parents. Demographic information, such as school grade, GPA (grade point average), and maternal education, was significantly related to the children’s SDQ scores. GPA showed a significant negative correlation with difficulties and a positive correlation with prosocial behavior. Significant differences in socioemotional and behavioral problems were also found across different grades. Inter-rater reliability analysis using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) revealed fair-to-good agreement between teachers and parents (ICC range: 0.45–0.61). These findings reveal the importance of incorporating multiple informants in behavioral assessments, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and family-informed interventions to address socioemotional and behavioral problems within culturally diverse educational settings.