Elena Savina

The Study of Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviours in Greek, Russian, Indian, and Chinese Children Using the Fairy Tale Test.

The present study investigated externalizing and internalizing behaviours in Greek (n = 599), Russian (n = 596), Indian (n = 571), and Chinese (n = 376) 7- to-12-year-old children. The Fairy Tale Test was used to measure impulsive and motivated aggression, fear of aggression, anxiety, and depression. The results indicated culture-specific patterns of the aforementioned behaviours. Greek children demonstrated the highest levels of impulsive and motivated aggression, while Russian children had the highest fear of aggression. Chinese children appeared to be most anxious among other cultural groups. Both Russian and Indian children were more depressed than their Greek and Chinese counterparts. Gender and age difference were obtained only for impulsive aggression. Regardless of culture, boys scored higher compared to girls; and 7- to 8-year-old children demonstrated higher level of impulsive aggression than older children. The obtained results are interpreted in light of contextual differences in child socialization in four cultures; suggestions for school psychology practices are offered.

Transitioning Children from Psychiatric Hospitals to Schools: The Role of the Special Educator.

Over a quarter of a million U.S. students each year reside for a period of time in a psychiatric inpatient hospital setting to receive mental health treatment. Following inpatient treatment, most children are transitioned from the hospital into a regular school setting. Little is known about how these transitions are managed by hospital or school personnel. The current study examined the role of the special education teacher in this transition process. A national sample of special education teachers was surveyed about their involvement in the transition process. The majority of special education teachers reported active involvement in the transition process through contact with parents and hospital personnel. In addition, special education teachers reported behavior problems present in children upon their return to school and the skills, knowledge, or resources that would assist them in facilitating childrens transitions. Implications for research, training, and practice are provided.

Does Play Promote Self-Regulation in Children?.

This theoretical paper discusses the role of pretend play and games with rules in fostering childrens self-regulation. It proposes several pathways through which play facilitates self-regulation processes. First, in play, children learn to inhibit their impulsive behaviour and follow rules which transform their behaviour from impulsive and spontaneous to mediated and voluntary. Second, play liberates children from situational constraints as children begin to act upon the meanings of objects as opposed to their immediate motivational valence. Third, children develop internal representations which guide their behaviour. Finally, play promotes verbal self-regulation as children are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with their partners in order to resolve differences in perspectives, to reach an agreement about roles, and to invent play rules. The paper further reviews empirical studies which explore the effect of play on inhibition, working memory, and private speech. The current status of play and implications for practice are discussed.

Faculty and Student Perceptions of Outstanding University Teachers in the USA and Russia.

The majority of research that relates teacher characteristics to student learning in the university has come from Western universities. Using various methodologies, research continues to examine the characteristics of outstanding university teachers. Much of that research in the USA assesses faculty and student perspectives. However, there are nearly no cross‐cultural comparisons on this issue. We examined faculty and student perspectives about outstanding university teachers in the USA and in Russia. Faculty members and students at the University of Central Arkansas, Orel State University and Moscow City University rated the qualities of outstanding teachers on the Teacher Behaviors Checklist (TBC). Results showed significant positive correlations for the relative importance of teacher characteristics across the six participant groups. There did not appear to be any substantial differences between the American and Russian counterparts for 21 of the 28 specific teacher characteristics. The comparison of American and Russian faculty and students suggests more universality than cross‐cultural differences in the characteristics of outstanding university teachers.

How Russian Teachers, Mothers and School Psychologists Perceive Internalising and Externalising Behaviours in Children.

This study examined the perception of children’s internalising and externalising behaviours by Russian teachers, mothers and school psychologists. The participants rated their agreement about the causes, seriousness and recommended interventions for the problem behaviour of a fictitious girl/boy described in two vignettes. Mixed ANOVAs indicated that all the respondents attributed externalising behaviours to social causes to a greater degree than internalising behaviours. Compared to mothers and psychologists, teachers perceived both types of behaviours as more serious; however, they downplayed their own role in the child’s problems. Psychological help was more popular among school psychologists than among mothers. Correlational analyses demonstrated problem- and respondent-specific associations between casual attributions and recommended interventions. Implications for educational practice are discussed.