The problem with which this investigation was concerned was the relationship between selected facilitative characteristics of human interaction and other factors associated with the secondary teacher. These factors included job satisfaction and courses completed beyond the bachelor's degree.

The focus of this study was on the work values of secondary school teachers. Values have been defined in many ways. The common agreement is that values are standards, beliefs, or principles that do guide and direct a person's behavior. The values a teacher holds will influence a student due to the natural role-modeling effect in the classroom. With the advent of career education and exploration of the world of work, the values held toward work become a timely topic. The discussion of values and value clarification in all aspects of a person's life is one that is becoming very popular in education.

This study was designed to discover, using an interview technique, patterns in perceptions of self, teaching context, and relationships between the two, of selected teachers in alternative secondary education programs. A theoretical framework derived from perceptual psychology was used as the basis of the interview schedule and the analyses of responses. An interview schedule was developed and field-tested prior to use in the study. Teachers from three metropolitan school districts in 10 alternative programs were contacted by letter asking for volunteers. Most of the programs were designed for disaffected students. Twenty-three teachers were interviewed by the investigator. Tape-recorded responses to the questions were analyzed in two ways according to selected concepts from perceptual psychology. In the first analysis, questions analyzed for perceptions of self, context, and the relationships between the two generated responses from which patterns seemed to emerge. Patterns in perceptions of self indicated that teachers focused on the importance of satisfying needs, of total life experiences, and of personal freedom in their work. Patterns in perceptions of context, i.e., alternative secondary education programs, showed that teachers focused on the importance of education as process and of dealing with students as individual persons. They advocated changes in traditional programs in these directions. Patterns in perceptions of relationship between self and context suggested that teachers focused on a personal and positive interaction between themselves and their work while being aware of inherent limitations and hindrances. In the second analysis, patterns analyzed for characteristics of perceptual field and the adequate self yielded the following findings ranked in order of expressed importance. First, perceptual field characteristics which emerged were: direction (87% of responses), and fluidity (58% of responses). Stability, resistance to change, did not seem to emerge. Teachers demonstrated prominently their awareness of satisfying needs, their own and their students', indicating the direction of their perceptual field. This awareness was followed by a less prevalent but still noteworthy readiness to change their methods and behaviors, fluidity of field, in order to accomplish their goals. Perhaps the prevalence of these two characteristics explains the absence of the characteristic of stability. Second, characteristics of the adequate self which emerged were: possession of rich and available perceptual field (94% of responses), openness to experience (90% of responses), positive self-perceptions (68% of responses), and capacity to identify with others (47% of responses). The teachers' responses indicated that they drew on past experiences and were open to new ones in order to function in their work. Their view of themselves was positive. Capacity to identify with others was the least evident. Four teachers emerged as having some atypical perceptions. They worked in two programs, one designed for academically able students and the other for senior students seriously interested in pursuing professional careers. This group perceived content as having more prominence than process and considered their role to be more similar to that of traditional teacher and academic counselor. Conclusions based on perceptions of these teachers were as follows: First, teachers tended to be person-oriented, aware of their own and students' needs. Second, teachers appeared to be process-oriented, favoring educational alternatives so that more students be educated. Third, teachers seemed aware of the total context of their work, the gratifying dimensions as well as the limitations. Fourth, teachers accented person and process in responses indicating the characteristics of direction and fluidity in their perceptual field. Fifth, teachers appeared to demonstrate two characteristics of the adequate person, openness to experience and possession of a rich perceptual field, lightly more than others.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of sensitivity of preservice elementary teachers to the language differences of Mexican American children in an oral reading task. The review of related research dealing with language attitudes toward nonstandard speech revealed that te

The Quebec Ministry of Education has implemented curriculum reforms that emphasize the integration of information technology into classroom teaching practices. Despite these efforts, however, many teachers appear to resist using computers in their classrooms. Some of these resistors are technologically literate! The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the reluctance of the technologically-literate teachers (with two to three years of experience) to integrate technology into their teaching practices. / The six teachers participating in this study completed questionnaires and were individually interviewed using an open-ended approach. The data were then analyzed using the Constant Comparative Method. The results showed that although the participants were using computers in their classrooms, they were not actually integrating technology as stipulated by the curriculum reforms. This was attributed to a number of factors, including personal limitations, job stability, lack of resources and funds, time, training, and curriculum issues.

The purpose of this thesis is to determine how to make archaeology more accessible to teachers and students as well as how best to relay realistic information about archaeology to students in a fun and engaging way while de-emphasizing the digging aspect of the discipline. There has been much discussion within the archaeological community as to whether simulated or school-yard digs are appropriate for students as they often walk away with the impression that archaeology equals digging. While many within the archaeological community agree that archaeology should be covered within the school curricula, most want the archaeological process involving method and theory emphasized. However, teachers are unfamiliar with the archaeological process and often focus on the digging aspect as it provides a hands-on learning experience for their students. / Department of Anthropology

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of middle school principals' leadership practices. The researcher specifically examined whether teachers hired under the current principal perceived the principal's leadership practices differently than teachers who were already at the school when the principal was hired. Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Practices Inventory On-line was used to determine whether there was a difference between group perceptions.Thirty-eight principals who were members of the Indiana Middle Level Education Association participated in the study (41 % of principal members). Survey data was collected using the LPI-Online. Principals responded to the 30 item LPI-Online Self. Teachers responded to the LPI-Online Observer. Principals distinguished teachers hired from teachers who were already at the institution when the principal was hired.A statistically significant difference (p < .05) was found between the perceptions of the hired and inherited groups on three of the five leadership practices: Challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart. There was no statistically significant difference in principal and hired teachers' perceptions, or between principal and inherited teachers on subscales inspiring a shared vision and modeling the way.Based on the findings from this study, the researcher suggested there are important dynamics involved in the changing of team members, especially the principal during times of school change initiatives. Based on the findings from this study the researcher concluded principals and hired teachers tend to exhibit a more positive interpersonal relationship than the principal and inherited teachers. / Department of Educational Leadership

The percentage of language and cultural minority students is increasing (Okagaki, 2006; U.S. Department of Education, 2010). This reality emphasizes the need for elementary school general education teachers to become knowledgeable about students’ backgrounds so that they can mold instruction to meet all students’ needs (Bennett, 2007; Spring, 2007; Whitcomb, 2003). There is, however, little research about elementary school general education teachers’ views and accommodations about heritage language maintenance (a.k.a. multicultural and multilingual inclusion) (Goldstein, 2003). The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers view heritage language learning and how teachers accommodate to students who have a heritage language background. A mixed methods study (n = 30) consisting of thirty surveys and ninety observations from general education teachers who taught in the 2010-2011 school year was used to examine elementary school general education teachers’ beliefs and accommodations about heritage language maintenance (HLM). Overall, the majority of teachers reported positive beliefs about HLM while exercising few accommodations in the classroom. Only teachers’ subject area of specialization, school corporation, teachers’ indication of HL strategies, and six accommodations were associated significantly with the positive beliefs and negative beliefs about HLM. The results from this study provide support for teachers’ input about accommodations and institutional support. The significant associations between area of specialization, six accommodations, and beliefs about HLM suggest mixed evidence and require further exploration for other intervening variables. Further investigation of findings indicates teachers’ actual practices and multicultural experiences cannot be predicted based on teachers’ expressed beliefs. Design issues like the instruments used, the sample size obtained, and the observation schedule implemented may affect the results. Longitudinal research is needed to explore other contextual factors that could impact the multi-conceptual relationship between beliefs and actual practice for further research. / Department of Educational Psychology

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to identify the educational stressors that are the predominant sources of teacher distress and burnout, discover and classify the common and persistent distressful situations in the educational environment, and illustrate a variety of coping strategies that can be practically implemented at the secondary school level. The analyses of data were accomplished through the statistical use of t-tests, one-way analysis of variance tests, and qualitative exposition. The sample consisted of 446 secondary school instructors, selected senior high school and junior high school respondents from five high schools and five junior high schools in the Tucson area. The examination of 54 educational stressors was conducted under the auspices of six research hypotheses which identified the variables on which senior high school teachers and junior high school teachers differed. The independent variables that were investigated were: sex (male and female teachers), teaching experience (0 to 4 years of completed teaching experience, 5 to 9 years of completed teaching experience, 10 to 16 years of completed teaching experience, and 17 to 38 years of completed teaching experience), age (21 go 30 years of age, 31 to 40 years of age, 41 to 50 years of age, and 51 to 67 years of age), marital status (married, single, widowed, divorced, and separated), and types of college degrees (bachelor's, bachelor's plus, master's, and master's plus or doctorate). An additional 63 educational stressors were named by the secondary school participants and listed in the study. For the purpose of this study the researcher developed the Teacher Stress Survey which was given to the 10 Tucson secondary school teaching faculties. The survey consisted of five parts: (1)15 demographic items, (2)54 educational stressors and their degrees of discomfort, (3)common and persistent distressful educational situations in the secondary school environment, (4)the coping strategies used to reduce or dispel the stress in the distressful educational situations and their levels of effectiveness, and (5)more appropriate or better coping strategies that might have been used. Over 70% of the secondary school instructors responded. The immediate crises' situations involving teaching materials and personnel seemed to be more distreeful to junior high teachers than high school teachers whose primary concerns were centered on the school's misuse of power and authority and the teacher's struggle with inadequate salary and unrealistic educational expectations. The 20 educational stressors identified by female teachers involved all areas of the educational spectrum--from paperwork to the future of education--while male teachers evinced concern with the lack of adequate salary and inconsistent educational methods and philosophies. The teachers with the least experience showed the most distress, particularly in the areas of school policy and populace. The teachers with the most experience were concerned about teacher representation, salary, and materials. The oldest teachers had the greatest distress in their lack of control over assignment, salary, and subject matter as well as their feelings of lack of self-esteem through professional stagnation. The marital status of the teachers did have a significant effect derived from their dissatisfaction with salary, the power of the school board and the superintendent, lack of teaching materials, lack of job security, the derogatory public view of education, and the paperwork overload. The teachers with the least amounts of educational preparation had the greatest distress in school policy formulation and ineffective parental support while the secondary school teachers with the advanced degrees were most distressed about the assignment of school duties.