Analysis

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – Teachers (SADQT-41) is an assessment instrument used to evaluate children’s psychological, emotional, behavioral, and social functioning within the school environment, based on teachers’ observations and experience. It provides a concise overview of both the strengths and the difficulties displayed by students in everyday school settings.

According to the available material, the questionnaire consists of 25 items covering five main areas: emotional problems, behavioral difficulties, hyperactivity and inattention, peer relationship difficulties, and positive or strength-related behaviors.

Teacher-based assessment is particularly useful because it reflects children’s functioning in a structured environment that involves sustained attention, behavioral regulation, academic demands, peer interaction, and adherence to rules.

Aim

The primary aim of the SADQT-41 is to provide a clear and reliable assessment of students’ psychological and behavioral functioning in the school context. Through teachers’ observations, the instrument can help identify emotional or behavioral difficulties that may affect academic performance, social relationships, and overall adjustment.

The questionnaire can also contribute to a better understanding of children’s needs and support the planning of appropriate educational, psychological, or psychosocial interventions.

Main Dimensions

The questionnaire assesses five principal domains:

Emotional Problems: difficulties related to anxiety, fears, worries, and other emotional symptoms.

Conduct Problems: behavioral difficulties associated with rule-breaking, oppositional behavior, or problems with behavioral regulation.

Hyperactivity and Inattention: difficulties involving concentration, excessive activity, and impulsivity.

Peer Relationship Problems: difficulties in social interaction, acceptance, and relationships with other children.

Prosocial Behavior: positive social behaviors and interpersonal strengths that reflect helpful, considerate, and socially responsive behavior.

Assessing both difficulties and strengths allows the questionnaire to provide a more balanced picture of the child’s overall functioning.

Scoring

Scoring is based on teachers’ responses to the 25 items. According to the available material, each item is rated on a 3-point response scale ranging from 0 to 2, with the indicative anchors 0 = Not at all, 1 = Sometimes, and 2 = Very often.

Item scores are summed within each domain to generate separate subscale scores. These scores may then be compared with established criteria or reference ranges to determine whether the child’s difficulties fall within an expected range or may require further assessment or additional support.

The exact scoring procedure should follow the official SDQ scoring system, particularly with regard to any reverse-scored items and the calculation of subscale or total difficulty scores.

Applications

The SADQT-41 may be used in school, research, and clinical settings when a brief assessment of a child’s emotional, behavioral, and social functioning is required.

It may support early identification of difficulties, monitoring of changes over time, or evaluation of outcomes following educational or psychosocial interventions. When combined with information from parents, the child, and other professionals, teacher ratings can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the child’s functioning across different contexts.

References

Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586.

Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 125–130.

Goodman, R. (1999). The extended version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 791–801.

Goodman, A., Lamping, D. L., & Ploubidis, G. B. (2010). When to use broader internalising and externalising subscales instead of the hypothesised five subscales on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): Data from British parents, teachers and children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38, 1179–1191.