The purpose of the study was to identify and compare the perceived concerns of novice and experienced teachers in the middle-level teaching years. The population consisted of 200 public school teachers and 100 Catholic school teachers in grades six, seven, and eight in the state of Indiana.A forty-item questionnaire listing concerns in the areas of professional growth, classroom management and routines, instructional activities, and evaluation problems was utilized. Three null hypothesis were tested by using a multivariate of analysis of variance (MANOVA). Decisions with regard to the hypotheses were made at an alpha level of .05.Findings1. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between novice and experienced teachers.2. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between male and female teachers.3. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between public school and Catholic school teachers.4. Salary commensurate with demands for professional growth, motivating pupil interest and response, stimulating critical thinking and developing good work and study habits were identified as major professional concerns of teachers.Conclusions1. Level of experience does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.2. Sex of the teacher does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.3. Type of school--public or Catholic--does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.4. The area of Instructional Activities causes the greatest concern followed by Classroom Management and Professional Growth. Evaluation Problems causes the least concern.5. Salary, motivating student interest and response, developing in students good work and study habits, and stimulating critical thinking are major concerns for teachers.6. Individual items causing concern for teachers have experienced modest changes during the past 14 years. / Department of Educational Administration and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to compare the opinions of kindergarten teachers, transitional grade teachers, and first grade teachers regarding the importance of selected goals, content, learning activities, and evaluation procedures for a transitional grade between kindergarten and first grade. Effects of teaching experience and educational background were examined.The Transitional Curriculum Questionnaire for Teachers was developed by the researcher and mailed to 189 elementary schools with transitional classrooms. Respondents included 156 kindergarten teachers, 104 transitional grade teachers, and 263 first grade teachers. The majority of the teachers reported educational backgrounds in elementary education. Teaching experience ranged from 1 to 44 years.Through the use of a checklist, responding teachers identified goals, content, learning activities, and evaluation procedures which they considered "important" for a transitional program. A chi-square test at the .05 level of significance was used to analyze the data.Results1. Kindergarten teachers, transitional grade teachers, and first grade teachers agreed on the importance of 10 of the 16 goals, 6 of the 16 content areas, 6 of the 16 learning activities, and 11 of the 16 evaluation procedures for a transitional program.2. Teachers with backgrounds in early childhood education and teachers with backgrounds in elementary education agreed on the importance of all 16 goals, 14 of the 16 content areas, 13 of the 16 learning activities, and all 16 evaluation procedures for a transitional program.3. Teachers with varying years of teaching experience agreed on the importance of 15 of the 16 goals, 14 of the 16 content areas, all of the 16 learning activities, and 13 of the 16 evaluation procedures for a transitional program. / Department of Elementary Education

Surveys were used to explore the perceptions of teachers and school psychologists about school psychological services in the state of Indiana. Respondents were 114 school psychologists (30.48% return rate) and 375 teachers of various specialties (32.89% return rate). Data was analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics with attention given to the influence of demographic variables (e.g., years of experience, specialty area). Results indicated that school psychologists' primarily engage in testing and related activities despite their aspirations to engage in a broader range of roles. In addition, the school psychologists expressed a desire to work less with students referred for testing and increase their time involvement with other student groups. Demographic variables had a minimal impact on their perceptions. In contrast, teachers' perceptions often varied as a function of demographic variables, such as their grade level and specialty area (e.g., regular or special education). Several significant differences existed between what teachers perceived to be happening and what they would prefer regarding school psychologists' roles and student groups served. For example, regular education and special education elementary teachers and special education secondary teachers preferred to see school psychologists engage in a broader range of functions including counseling and direct intervention with students. These results have implications for advocating for role changes in school psychology. First, this knowledge might be used to inform school psychology training programs about the nature of practice and the need to include a balanced number of courses in testing, consultation, and intervention. Second, findings might be used by individual practitioners to assist them in understanding the perceptions and needs of teacher groups with whom they work and tailoring their practice to address those teachers' expectations. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to measure stages of teacher concern about the use of instructional technology in the elementary classroom. The study examined the role of instructional technology as a change innovation within the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).Elementary schools selected for this study were identified through the Indiana Department of Education's School Technology Profile completed during the spring of 2000. Stages of Concern Questionnaires (SoCQ) were mailed and systematically distributed to teachers in each school during the fall of 2002. The SoCQ consisted of thirty-five Likert-scale items that asked respondents to rate statements concerning instructional technology on a five-point scale.Data obtained from the Stages of Concern Questionnaire were analyzed, summarized, and presented in narrative form. Tables were developed to report the data. The following conclusions were drawn based on the findings in the study:1. Change innovations exist as a developmental pattern consisting of personal feelings and perceptions that evolve as the change process unfolds.2. Instructional technology exists as a change innovation for Indiana elementary teachers.3. Concerns expressed by Indiana elementary teachers toward instructional technology exist with similar levels of intensity at seven developmental stages.4. Among Indiana elementary teachers, significant differences exist among teachers at the Information and Collaborative stage, Consequence and Collaboration stage, and Consequence and Refocusing stage.5. When examining years of teaching experience, significant differences exist among teachers at the Informational, Management, and Refocusing stages.6. Indiana elementary teachers who had previous teaching experiences as middle school and high school teachers expressed no significant differences in concern when levels of teaching experience were considered.7. Indiana elementary teachers expressed no significant differences in concern when stand-alone computers limited their access to instructional technology.8. Indiana elementary teachers expressed no significant differences in concern when computer access to the Internet was readily available.9. Indiana elementary teachers expressed significant differences in concern about instructional technology when specific models for teacher training were examined.10. Indiana elementary teachers expressed no significant differences in concern when school district mandates to use instructional technology in the classroom were examined. / Department of Educational Leadership

As teachers and society become more comfortable with various technologies, it is likely that technology will be implemented in all areas of the educational curriculum as well as physical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which individual physical education teachers in public schools were using technology as a tool for their students' education. Individuals who were currently teaching physical education in public schools in Indiana completed the Computer Usage Survey on the web (N = 400). To determine types of technology used, potential uses for technology, difference in the implementation of technology by gender and teaching experience, usage of the Internet, and physical educators' attitudes toward technology, statistics including descriptive statistics, Chi-square (X ), and One-way ANOVA were used (p < .05). The results of this study show that physical educators were more likely to use PC computers (both desktop and laptop) over Apple computers. Participant responses demonstrated a high usage of hardware devices such as Printers, hard drives, and CD drives, however, 5.25 floppy drives, external hard drives, Hand-held computers (i.e. Pocket PC or Companion PC), Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and smart boards were rarely used by physical educators. A significant positive relationship resulted between use of technology at school and at home. Significant differences were observed between male and female physical educators in types of technology used and purposes for using technology. Use of technology was significantly lower in the experienced physical educators group. Most of the physical educators use the Internet and they usually use it for research and teaching/assessment ideas. Physical educators in Indiana believed that technology has an important role and can enhance their teaching with implementation of technology. The findings of the present study demonstrated that use of technology among physical educators in Indiana has been changed dramatically within 10 years; however, the result emphasized importance of technology training programs for pre-service and in-service physical educators. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

This study investigated the relationship of the elements of professional development and the attitudes of teachers and principals toward inclusion. Participants in the study were the teachers and principals in Indiana schools designated as "Inclusion Schools" by the Indiana State Legislature in the summer of 1992. Thirty-one schools of the 50 designated schools were approved for data collection. Three hundred ninety teachers and 31 principals responded to the survey instrument.The dependent variables were the attitudes of the participants toward the inclusion process and the concept of inclusion. The independent variables were six characteristics of professional development: design, presenters, location, attendance requirement, when professional development occurred, and how much professional development was received. Additional independent variables were demographic information such as: age, experience, level of education, and if special education classes had been taken at the university.The conclusions of this study for teachers found positive relationships with the dependent variables for inclusion professional development characteristics: design by building based decision making, presentations by special education administrators and staff, the location in the home school, voluntary attendance, and the more professional development the more positive the teachers' attitudes. A negative relationship was found when professional development occurred before inclusion began. The age and experience of the teachers had a negative relationship to positive attitudes toward inclusion.The only positive relationship between the principals' attitudes toward inclusion and professional development found that attitudes were more positive when more professional development was attended. They were positive when the professional development took place before inclusion began. Other findings reflected negative relationships with inclusion professional development characteristics for: location, design, presenters, and attendance requirement. The more inclusion aide support the principals had, the more positive were their attitudes toward inclusion.The teacher findings in this study were supported by literature and prior research findings by the NASBE Study (1992), Miller & Lieberman (1988), Brehm's Reactance Theory (1983-84), and Pearman et. al. (1992).The principal findings were not conclusive and further study should be made to find how inclusion professional development can develop positive principals' attitudes toward inclusion. / Department of Educational Administration and Supervision

The focus of this research is in the area of virtual schooling at the K-12 level, specifically looking into teachers’ perceptions of important traits of teacher effectiveness and student progress in this online learning environment. Such a study is important in Indiana, as this is the first time in public school history when there is now a new choice for students to attend a school such as this. The research is a mixed methods approach utilizing surveys and interviews to gather data. The findings from this research indicate several teacher characteristics are important. Teachers should be communicative, responsive, and manage their time well. Student characteristics considered important are access to computer and Internet, strong support from their family or learning coach, and effective time management skills. A top recommendation emerging from this study is the development of a screener for parents to take before enrollment to determine whether this type of learning environment would be the best fit for their student(s)/child, based on the important student characteristics. Other recommendations emerging from this study included professional development, especially in the areas of technology and communication for the school’s teachers and the relationship with between colleges and universities that prepare teachers that would lead to development of specific training and lab experience in a virtual setting. / Department of Educational Leadership

Public policy and current educational reforms have challenged schools to close the achievement gap for all students, including those with disabilities as required under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. As schools seek to implement sound instructional practices for students, technology has become a dominant force in schools and society. The focus of improving instruction and meeting the needs of diverse learners has not yet blended with the technology capabilities that are more readily available in schools. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) seeks to build an inherent flexibility into the curriculum and to utilize technology to accommodate diverse learners. The purpose of this study was to analyze how UDL training impacted school personnel’s perceptions of inclusion, instruction, student engagement, and the use of technology to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners. The sample consisted of faculty from 50 Indiana schools, and analysis was completed based on respondents’ level of UDL training. Significant differences were found in perceptions that the primary responsibility for accommodating classroom activities for students with disabilities lies with the special education teacher, as well as whether accommodations designed for students with disabilities create increased opportunities for all learners. Significant differences were also found in how technology is used to provide choice and flexibility to students and differentiate instruction. There were significant differences in faculty perceptions that choice and technology impacted students’ levels of engagement. Significant differences were found among variables based on respondents’ categorization as general education or special education, as well as categorization as administrators or teachers. / Department of Special Education

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which preservice elementary education students participating in Ball State University's Urban Education Semester would evidence a change in attitudes toward multicultural teaching and learning based on their experiences in the program. A treatment group of 22 Urban Semester participants was compared to a control group of 21 preservice teachers engaged in coursework and field experience in a traditional, on-campus setting. Employing a case study approach, both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the phenomenon under investigation.The qualitative aspect of the study examined treatment and control group pretest and posttest scores on the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS) (Ponterotto, Baluch, Grieg, & Rivera, 1998), to ascertain the extent to which attitudes would change as a result of curricular and experiential treatments. A follow-up administration of the TMAS occurred approximately six weeks following the intervention to determine the extent to which attitude change in the treatment group was either lasting or transitory in nature. The treatment group evidenced a highly significant difference in pretest / posttest scores on the TMAS (p = 0.002**), and the change was retained in follow-up measures.Qualitative methodology included analysis of student journals, content of two focus groups conducted throughout the semester, student discussion observed in Ball State courses, and personal interviews conducted at the end of the Urban experience. Analysis revealed common themes including the importance of direct experience with diversity, personal reflection, professional mentoring and teaching opportunities for student multicultural growth. Additionally, the experience served to dispel myths and stereotypes regarding urban teaching and encouraged movement from a color denial perspective to an appreciation for and respect of cultural differences.The present study illustrates the potential of curricular intervention to alter student attitudes toward multicultural teaching and learning. Implications for the development of initiatives geared toward this end include the importance of cultural immersion, opportunities for personal reflection, infusion of multicultural content across curricular areas, and carefully planned student / mentor teacher pairings in order to affect such change. / Department of Elementary Education

The purposes of this study were to survey Indiana high school principals, teachers, and counselors (a) to determine their levels of level of knowledge in testing, interpretation of test scores, research on the impact of graduation examinations, and performance assessment; (b) to determine their levels of experience with minimal competency testing, graduation examination programs and performance assessment; and (c) to profile each group's and the entire group's views of the purposes, content, standards of achievement, and administrative procedures for a graduation examination. Additionally, the study sought to identify what these educators predicted would be the impacts of such examinations.The populations studied were randomly selected samples from three groups of educators: (a) principals (350); (b) teachers (753); and (c) guidance counselors (524) in Indiana public high schools. A survey concentrating on the issues central to the purpose, content, standards of achievement, administrative procedures, and impact of graduation examinations was developed and validated by the researcher.It was found that principals and counselors perceived themselves to be more knowledgeable about and experienced with testing than did teachers. Indiana educators preferred (a) a high school graduation examination with a combination of open-ended constructed responses, performance tasks, and multiple-choice questions whose content was determined by a state-level committee of educators and consisted of a broad spectrum of skills and content areas; (b) full inclusion of students with disabilities, if there were reasonable and appropriate accommodations and if these students' scores were not used to evaluate teachers or schools; and (c) awarding two high school diplomas. Indiana educators predicted that if high school graduation examinations were enacted, the following would increase: (a) legal challenges and lawsuits; (b) the public's evaluation of education based on test scores; (c) the public's perception of test scores as the major goal of schooling; (d) stress on teachers and administrators; (e) pressure on teachers to change; (f) time demands on educators; (g) measures to protect students and schools from harm caused by high-stakes tests; (h) drop out rates; (i) emphasis on tested content and skills; and (k) state control. / Department of Educational Leadership