Students’ perception of schooling in associations with externalizing/internalizing syndromes and truancy

Objectives: to determine the association of students’ perception of schooling with externalizing/ internalizing scores; and to examine the different perceptions related to truancy. methods: a total of 373 predominantly 16 year-old students attending three high risk schools in pudu, kuala lumpur completed the questionnaires on schooling variables (four items) and externalizing/ internalizing syndromes (youth self-report, 112 items). results: certain negative perceptions (uncertainty of the schooling purpose, thinking schooling as time wasting) were significantly associated with higher internalizing (p<0.05), externalizing (p<0.005) and total problem (p<0.005) scores. truants were significantly associated with disliking school (or=2.52, 95% ci=1.01-6.20), lower educational goals (or=2.03, 95% ci=1.18-3.49) and uncertainty of the schooling purpose (or=3.14, 95% ci=1.47-6.67). among truants, those who thought schooling as time wasting scored significantly higher on externalizing (p<0.005) and total problems (p<0.005). conclusions: certain negative perceptions of schooling are associated with self-reported emotional/behavioral problems and truancy. positive schooling experience may correct schooling misperceptions and solve related emotional and behavioural problems