Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Teachers’ Intention to Refer

Abstract

This study examined what would predict teachers’ intention in referring distressed students to speak with mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists) with the theoretical framework of theory of planned behavior (TPB). TPB (Ajzen, 1991) predicts people's intentions with attitude, subjective norms, and perceived control. Accordingly, this study considered teachers’ attitude, subjective norms, and perceived control as their referral intension. This study also considers teachers’ attitude toward help-seeking and communication skills as precedents of teachers’ referral attitude and perceived behavioral control, respectively. A total of 368 teachers participated in the survey, and the SEM analysis confirms that teachers’ attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control predict teachers’ referral intention. In addition, the model confirms that teachers’ attitude toward help seeking predicts their referral attitude and teachers’ communication skills predict their behavioral control. Copyright © 2024 GMP Press and Printing.