Abstract

This study was conducted to develop and validate an inventory that measures teachers’ perceptions of student mental health. To this end, we developed two separate forms - one for elementary school teachers and another for middle and high school teachers - and examined the validity of each form in terms of content and psychometric properties. This study was conducted in three steps. In Study 1, the construct and factor structure was developed through focus group interviews and Delphi surveys. Then 65 preliminary questions for elementary school teachers and 66 preliminary questions for middle and high school teachers were developed for eight sub-domains of four major domains of the inventory. In Study 2, a preliminary survey was conducted on 208 elementary school teachers and 216 middle and high school teachers, followed by exploratory factor analysis and examination of item quality. A total of 50 items for elementary school teachers and 51 for middle and high school teachers were selected for the final survey. In Study 3, the final survey was conducted on 566 elementary school teachers and 674 middle and high school teachers nationwide, and the reliability, construct validity, and concurrent validity of the survey were verified. The final inventory was shown to have the appropriate level of reliability and construct validity. Positive correlations with scores on a teacher efficacy scale and an instrument for perceptions on mental health also support the concurrent validity. Lastly, several potential applications for the inventory in the context of the school environment were suggested.