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“Still Waters Run Deep”: Attitudes of Elementary School Teachers and Counselors Toward Shy Students

ABSTRACT Shyness is a form of social isolation and withdrawal stemming from concerns about social judgment, particularly during new situations or tests. Shy students are afraid of interacting with others, leading to problems and frustration at school. Teachers play an important role in identifying and helping these students. The research objective was to compare teachers’ and counselors’ strategies and beliefs in dealing with shy students with their strategies and beliefs in dealing with average and exuberant students. The research examined whether these attitudes are influenced by type of student, gender, role, and teachers’/counselors’ own shyness. Research participants included 60 teachers and 60 counselors from state secular elementary schools across Israel who were presented with vignettes describing different types of children (shy, average, exuberant). The results revealed almost no differences between teachers and counselors in their beliefs or strategies. Both groups had a great deal of confidence in the academic and intellectual abilities of average students and much less in those of shy or exuberant students. Both preferred peer-focused strategies and indirect strategies (seeking information in the literature or from colleagues) than high-powered strategies. The findings clarify the importance of including shyness and student temperament in the educational counseling training curriculum.