There is no abstract available for this thesis.

Studies show that teachers lack training and confidence when it comes to intervening effectively in bullying situations. The goal of this study is to respond to the appeals of pre-service teachers for more formal training on bullying, including prevention and intervention strategies. A two-hour PREVNet workshop that provides information on bullying, bullying prevention and bullying intervention is offered in four Canadian Teacher Education classes. Two unique questionnaires, each consisting of simulated bullying incidents in a school context and a set of teacher interventions, were developed, piloted with a group of experienced teachers, and used to assess the effect of the workshop on teachers’ reported interventions in bullying situations. The results of a series of repeated measures ANOVAs reveal a marginally significant effect of the workshop on pre-service teachers’ reported interventions (N = 66), with the greatest improvements revealed in participants’ responses to children who bully.

In this thesis I consider experiences of two beginning teachers during their pre-service year at the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto and the early years of their teaching careers as they move from student teacher to professional teacher. In particular, I use narratives I created about each woman along with my own to identify the factors which influenced the success of this transition such as the nature of the first teaching positions held, the types of supports and assistance experienced during this transitional phase, and the personal experiences brought to the enterprise of becoming a teacher. Additionally, I look for any changes in their beliefs about teaching from those held as teacher-candidates to those that evolved during the initial years in the classroom and what influence, if any, these professional environments had on such shifts in thinking. In this study I use a narrative inquiry approach in which my own story is placed along side those of my two participants. By doing so, I acknowledge the close relationship between the primary investigator and the study subjects that is inherent in this qualitative method. My data sources for the narratives I created include written material in the form of journals, interview transcripts, practice teaching reports, and personal narratives produced by and about my participants during the time under study. In my concluding chapter, I make suggestions for changes both to the ways in which teacher-candidates are instructed as they begin to learn the intricacies of the art of teaching and to the conditions under which many of these new members of the profession begin their careers. There are many avenues for future research that I did not pursue in this study and some of these are outlined in my conclusions.

This study was designed to identify factors related to the mobility of teachers in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec, and to explore the relationships among dissatisfaction factors, demographic characteristics of teachers, and mobility. <p>To obtain the data, the Teacher Mobility Questionnaire was constructed and mailed to northern teachers and to some teachers who had left the north in the past two years. The questionnaire consisted of items suggested by the literature on teacher mobility and its causes, as well as items considered appropriate from the author's previous experience in northern Canada. <p>The study sample consisted of 32 former northern teachers and 238 teachers employed in schools of the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec at the time of the study. Totals represented a 36 per cent return of completed, acceptable questionnaires. <p> The major areas of study were: a description of northern teachers on the basis of demographic characteristics; an examination of the relationships among demographic variables and mobility; identification of factors related to teacher dissatisfaction; exploration of the relationships among dissatisfaction factors and mobility; and the suggestion of the existence of "unique" northern mobility factors. Statistical procedures used to test hypotheses included correlation coefficients techniques; one-way analyses of variance; and Newman-Keuls comparisons between ordered means. <p>It was found that in comparison to teachers of the four western provinces, those in the Northwest Territories were more likely to be: younger, males, married, originally from Saskatchewan or Ontario; holders of degrees (elementary teachers); at higher salary levels, and more mobile. <p>Over 10 years, the general character of the northern teaching staff showed a trend towards a higher proportion of older, married men with longer training, and employed at higher salaries. The two variables which showed no appreciable change were the length of pre- northern experience, and length of tenure in northern teaching. Both fluctuated between a median of one and two years between 1960 and 1970. Median years of northern experience of teachers in the study was 2.1 years. <p>It was found that the only demographic variables significantly related to mobility were: age, salary, position, and location of school. Although such characteristics as sex, marital status, and previous experience showed some degree of relationship to mobility, they failed to be significant factors. <p>Items from the questionnaire were classified into six dissatisfaction factors. The factors and mean dissatisfaction score for each were: Personal and Economic, 3.001; Working Conditions, 3.200; Recruitment and Orientation, 3.142; Organizational Relationships, 3.159; Adminis tration, 3.284; Achievement, 3.612. Total mean dissatisfaction score was 3.295. Responses were on a five-point scale from (1) dissatisfaction, (2) to satisfaction. Means indicated that respondents in the study expressed more satisfaction than dissatisfaction with those factors investigated. <p>Analysis of the relationship of dissatisfaction to demographic characteristics and mobility found that: females were more dissatisfied than males; younger teachers with fewer years in the north were more dissatisfied than slightly older teachers; primary teachers were more dissatisfied than principals, vice-principals and high school teachers; low salaried teachers were more dissatisfied than higher salaried teachers. <p> In general, the non-mobiles appeared to be less dissatisfied than those who had left the north or intended to do so at the end of the year. It was obvious, however, from the low level of significance found in the analyses performed that dissatisfaction factors as used in this study were not the major reason for teacher mobility in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec. The study was able to suggest such "unique" northern mobility factors as: lack of access to universities; the feeling of impermanence inherent in the northern living situation; isolation from social and cultural life of the south; intentions of being itinerant; difficulties of relating to culturally different pupils and community members. <p>This study indicated a need for further examination of northern teacher mobility with a focus on those factors unique to the northern teaching and living situation.

Industry, business, military and other government agencies are increasingly recognizing the significance of human factors in the productivity of complex organizations. Educational institutions are no exception to this fact. It is assumed that morale and productivity are related to the managerial style of the supervisor. Leaders are faced with the challenge of directing the work group toward the target of increased productivity while at the same time maximizing member satisfaction. The basic research problem of this study was to investigate the relationship between leadership style of high school principals (in terms of their Concern for Production and Concern for People) and certain dimensions of teacher morale. The null hypothesis which guided this study was that there was no significant relationship between teacher perceptions of administrative behavior and teacher morale. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 132 teachers from ten high schools in the state of Oregon. The results are based on 126 returns, 90 male and 36 female respondents. Principal Leadership Style Questionnaire was used to measure two dimensions (Concern for People and Concern for Production) of administrative behavior. Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used to measure ten factors of teacher morale. All hypotheses were tested at .05 level of confidence. The first primary hypothesis asserting that there would be no partial correlation between administrative dimensions and Teacher Rapport with Principal was rejected. The second primary hypothesis that there would be no partial correlation between administrative dimensions and Satisfaction with Teaching was accepted. Partial correlation was 4ppliedto analyze the primary hypotheses by eliminating the effects of secondary hypotheses (Rapport Among Teachers, Teacher Salary, Teacher Load, Curriculum Issues, Teacher Status, Community Support of Education, School Facilities, Community Pressures, Age and Sex). T-test based on regression coefficients was applied to analyze the secondary hypotheses. Out of 20 secondary hypotheses tested, five of them were rejected. Analysis of the primary and secondary hypotheses concluded that Curriculum Issues, Rapport with Principal and Teacher Salary are positively related to both the dimensions of administrative behavior. Rapport Among Teachers was positively related to Concern for People but not Production. Satisfaction with Teaching, Teacher Load, Teacher Status, Community Support of Education, School Facilities and Services, Community Pressures, Age and Sex of the teachers are not related to the perceived leadership style of the principal. Teachers Satisfaction with Teaching is probably related mostly to those things that happen directly with pupils inside the classroom over which principals have little influence. Results of the two administrative dimensions indicated that a principal's leadership behavior is perceived by his faculty in various ways. However, on the average, administrators were rated high on both the "Production" and "People" dimensions of administrative behavior and perceived as having a "6,7" or "7,8" leadership style as described by Blake and Mouton (1964). Analysis of this research further suggest that educational administrators investigated in this study seem to have above average skills in the eyes of their faculty in promoting both goal achievement and member satisfaction. It is recommended that the design of this study be replicated on a larger teacher population and sample size in different geographical areas. / Graduation date: 1975

This study explores the perspectives of associate teachers (also known as cooperating teachers, host teachers, mentor teachers) during the preservice practicum. The study was conducted over the span of one school year (2008-09) in one school district. Ten associate teachers consisting of primary, junior, and intermediate elementary teachers, who had been associate teachers during the 2008-2009 school year, were interviewed once for approximately one hour. Based upon the responses of the participants and related literature, the study reveals that overall associate teachers found the practicum experience to be positive. However, the varied responses also reveal that there is room for improvement. The findings indicate that the practicum experience would be greatly enhanced through allowing associate teachers more input into the preservice program, and increasing the collaboration amongst university supervisors, teacher candidates, and associate teachers. The findings also indicate that associate teachers seek a more defined and structured role description, which takes into account the reality of classrooms and their emotional work. Further, the study highlights the need for preservice programs to rebuild and promote professional practice that supports on-going learning for associate teachers. Suggestions for improvements in the preservice practicum are given as well as implications for future research. It is concluded that associate teachers need to be considered as real partners in preservice education, which can be achieved by preservice programs seeking programmatic coherence, rethinking institutional patterns and re-envisioning the role of associate teachers. It is suggested that a collaborative and innovative direction is required that takes into account the complex work of teachers and associate teachers.

In this thesis I consider experiences of two beginning teachers during their pre-service year at the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto and the early years of their teaching careers as they move from student teacher to professional teacher. In particular, I use narratives I created about each woman along with my own to identify the factors which influenced the success of this transition such as the nature of the first teaching positions held, the types of supports and assistance experienced during this transitional phase, and the personal experiences brought to the enterprise of becoming a teacher. Additionally, I look for any changes in their beliefs about teaching from those held as teacher-candidates to those that evolved during the initial years in the classroom and what influence, if any, these professional environments had on such shifts in thinking. In this study I use a narrative inquiry approach in which my own story is placed along side those of my two participants. By doing so, I acknowledge the close relationship between the primary investigator and the study subjects that is inherent in this qualitative method. My data sources for the narratives I created include written material in the form of journals, interview transcripts, practice teaching reports, and personal narratives produced by and about my participants during the time under study. In my concluding chapter, I make suggestions for changes both to the ways in which teacher-candidates are instructed as they begin to learn the intricacies of the art of teaching and to the conditions under which many of these new members of the profession begin their careers. There are many avenues for future research that I did not pursue in this study and some of these are outlined in my conclusions.

This study explores the perspectives of associate teachers (also known as cooperating teachers, host teachers, mentor teachers) during the preservice practicum. The study was conducted over the span of one school year (2008-09) in one school district. Ten associate teachers consisting of primary, junior, and intermediate elementary teachers, who had been associate teachers during the 2008-2009 school year, were interviewed once for approximately one hour. Based upon the responses of the participants and related literature, the study reveals that overall associate teachers found the practicum experience to be positive. However, the varied responses also reveal that there is room for improvement. The findings indicate that the practicum experience would be greatly enhanced through allowing associate teachers more input into the preservice program, and increasing the collaboration amongst university supervisors, teacher candidates, and associate teachers. The findings also indicate that associate teachers seek a more defined and structured role description, which takes into account the reality of classrooms and their emotional work. Further, the study highlights the need for preservice programs to rebuild and promote professional practice that supports on-going learning for associate teachers. Suggestions for improvements in the preservice practicum are given as well as implications for future research. It is concluded that associate teachers need to be considered as real partners in preservice education, which can be achieved by preservice programs seeking programmatic coherence, rethinking institutional patterns and re-envisioning the role of associate teachers. It is suggested that a collaborative and innovative direction is required that takes into account the complex work of teachers and associate teachers.

Studies show that teachers lack training and confidence when it comes to intervening effectively in bullying situations. The goal of this study is to respond to the appeals of pre-service teachers for more formal training on bullying, including prevention and intervention strategies. A two-hour PREVNet workshop that provides information on bullying, bullying prevention and bullying intervention is offered in four Canadian Teacher Education classes. Two unique questionnaires, each consisting of simulated bullying incidents in a school context and a set of teacher interventions, were developed, piloted with a group of experienced teachers, and used to assess the effect of the workshop on teachers’ reported interventions in bullying situations. The results of a series of repeated measures ANOVAs reveal a marginally significant effect of the workshop on pre-service teachers’ reported interventions (N = 66), with the greatest improvements revealed in participants’ responses to children who bully.

This study was designed to identify factors related to the mobility of teachers in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec, and to explore the relationships among dissatisfaction factors, demographic characteristics of teachers, and mobility. <p>To obtain the data, the Teacher Mobility Questionnaire was constructed and mailed to northern teachers and to some teachers who had left the north in the past two years. The questionnaire consisted of items suggested by the literature on teacher mobility and its causes, as well as items considered appropriate from the author's previous experience in northern Canada. <p>The study sample consisted of 32 former northern teachers and 238 teachers employed in schools of the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec at the time of the study. Totals represented a 36 per cent return of completed, acceptable questionnaires. <p> The major areas of study were: a description of northern teachers on the basis of demographic characteristics; an examination of the relationships among demographic variables and mobility; identification of factors related to teacher dissatisfaction; exploration of the relationships among dissatisfaction factors and mobility; and the suggestion of the existence of "unique" northern mobility factors. Statistical procedures used to test hypotheses included correlation coefficients techniques; one-way analyses of variance; and Newman-Keuls comparisons between ordered means. <p>It was found that in comparison to teachers of the four western provinces, those in the Northwest Territories were more likely to be: younger, males, married, originally from Saskatchewan or Ontario; holders of degrees (elementary teachers); at higher salary levels, and more mobile. <p>Over 10 years, the general character of the northern teaching staff showed a trend towards a higher proportion of older, married men with longer training, and employed at higher salaries. The two variables which showed no appreciable change were the length of pre- northern experience, and length of tenure in northern teaching. Both fluctuated between a median of one and two years between 1960 and 1970. Median years of northern experience of teachers in the study was 2.1 years. <p>It was found that the only demographic variables significantly related to mobility were: age, salary, position, and location of school. Although such characteristics as sex, marital status, and previous experience showed some degree of relationship to mobility, they failed to be significant factors. <p>Items from the questionnaire were classified into six dissatisfaction factors. The factors and mean dissatisfaction score for each were: Personal and Economic, 3.001; Working Conditions, 3.200; Recruitment and Orientation, 3.142; Organizational Relationships, 3.159; Adminis tration, 3.284; Achievement, 3.612. Total mean dissatisfaction score was 3.295. Responses were on a five-point scale from (1) dissatisfaction, (2) to satisfaction. Means indicated that respondents in the study expressed more satisfaction than dissatisfaction with those factors investigated. <p>Analysis of the relationship of dissatisfaction to demographic characteristics and mobility found that: females were more dissatisfied than males; younger teachers with fewer years in the north were more dissatisfied than slightly older teachers; primary teachers were more dissatisfied than principals, vice-principals and high school teachers; low salaried teachers were more dissatisfied than higher salaried teachers. <p> In general, the non-mobiles appeared to be less dissatisfied than those who had left the north or intended to do so at the end of the year. It was obvious, however, from the low level of significance found in the analyses performed that dissatisfaction factors as used in this study were not the major reason for teacher mobility in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Quebec. The study was able to suggest such "unique" northern mobility factors as: lack of access to universities; the feeling of impermanence inherent in the northern living situation; isolation from social and cultural life of the south; intentions of being itinerant; difficulties of relating to culturally different pupils and community members. <p>This study indicated a need for further examination of northern teacher mobility with a focus on those factors unique to the northern teaching and living situation.