A total of 47 teachers, randomly selected from 1328 elementary school teachers in a Southwestern urban school district, were randomly assigned to two six-hour, introductory computer in-services. Teachers receiving the BASIC in-service and the LOGO in-service were administered an attitude survey after the in-services. The survey was composed of seven demographic questions, 20-items designated to test attitudes toward computers in general and 20-items designed to test attitudes toward computers in the elementary school classroom. Scores were analyzed to determine the effect of the two treatments on attitudes as well as the effect of four demographic variables, regardless of treatment, on teacher's attitudes. There were no significant differences in attitudes of subjects receiving the BASIC in-service and those receiving the LOGO in-service. In addition, the previous computer training, grade level taught, and gender of the subjects, did not appear to affect their attitudes toward computers in general and in elementary school classrooms. One demographic variable, years of teaching experience, did significantly affect the mean scores on the attitude instrument. Those teachers in the study with one to fifteen years of teaching experience demonstrated a significantly more positive attitude toward computers in the elementary school classroom and toward computers in general as compared to those with 16 or more years of teaching experience.

Problem. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of elementary school teachers who had received intensive training in the Essential Elements of Instruction model, a teaching methodology composed of specific teacher behaviors. Teacher effectiveness was measured by analyzing student achievement results in reading. Procedure. Elementary teachers at specified grade levels in two selected school districts were divided into two groups: Group A, teachers who had received training in the Essential Elements of Instruction, and Group B, teachers who had not received this training. In School District I, a student population of approximately two hundred and twenty-five students was selected as the treatment group and a student population of approximately two hundred and ten students was selected as the control group. In School District II, a student population of approximately one hundred and forty-five students was selected as the treatment group and a student population of approximately one hundred and forty students was selected as the control group. The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test (Form A-E) was used as the post test measure of achievement for all students. This test was used to determine if a teacher's training in the Essential Elements of Instruction model would result in greater student achievement gains as measured by the selected reading test. Results. The analysis of variance treatment of the data indicated that there were significant differences between the reading scores of students whose teachers had received training in the Essential Elements of Instruction model and those students whose teachers did not receive this training. Thus, the data did allow for the rejection of null Hypothesis 1. The analysis of variance treatment of the data indicated that there were no interaction effects of teacher training and student reading achievement by the grade level of the student, the socioeconomic level of the student, or the interaction of student grade level and student socioeconomic level. Thus, the data did not allow for the rejection of null Hypothesis 2, null Hypothesis 3 and null Hypothesis 4.

The subject of art in Arizona elementary schools is often taught by general classroom teachers with no art training. In an attempt to rectify this situation, The 1986 Arizona Institute for Elementary Art Education, following the example of the Getty Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts, created Staff Development and Curriculum Implementation Programs for these teachers. This study evaluates the Curriculum Implementation Program of Year One of the Arizona Institute. Data for the study were compiled from 10 classroom observations and 23 interviews of Institute participants by two evaluators. The components of discipline-based instruction taught during Summer Staff Development were implemented by all participants. Implementation was on at least a mechanical level of use, and the evaluators' results showed interrater agreement.

M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purposes of this study were threefold: (1) to test the assumption that a curriculum study produces change in a school faculty in conservatism-radicalism, in anxiety, in leadership behavior, and in attitude toward the curriculum study; (2) to investigate the relationships between effects of a curriculum study on conservatism-radicalism, anxiety, leadership behavior, attitude toward the curriculum study and age, sex, and years of teaching experience of the teachers; and (3) to create a model from which replications can be made by Texas Education Service Centers.

The problem of this study was to evaluate the effects of participation in the Hilda Taba In-Service Education Program on teachers' self concept, attitude, and selected personality characteristics.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether training had an impact on the information technology attitudes of university faculty. The study was twofold. First, it sought to determine whether training changed attitudes toward information technology among faculty at a small, liberal arts university. Secondly, a group of faculty at a similar university was used to compare the differences in attitudes toward information technology among faculty who had received training and those who had not. The research population consisted of 218 faculty from these two universities. The literature review focused on obstacles to information technology use by faculty, instruments currently available for measuring faculty attitude, methods used in training faculty to use information technology, and integration of information technology by faculty.

In 1992, the state of Texas awarded a number of inducement grants to collaboratives of universities, schools, and service centers to develop field-based professional development schools (PDSs) and provide preservice and inservice teachers with extensive professional development. This study investigated the design and effects of the professional development models in these Texas Centers for Professional Development and Technology (CPDTs). This study used qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. Raw data were collected in the form of individual interviews, focus group interviews, documentation, and fieldnotes. Forty-six interviews were completed involving a total of 83 respondents representing all partnering entities: university representatives, school representatives, education service center representatives, and policymakers. Documentation included annual and quarterly reports, grant applications, and program approval requests. Fieldnotes included observational data from site visits. Data analysis was an iterative process using a constant comparative analysis of coded categories emerging fromtranscribed data. This comparison examined: the vision of professional development as perceived by the respondents, the enactment of professional development as experienced by the respondents, and the effects that the CPDT initiative had on professional development as perceived by the respondents. This study revealed 18 themes that were common across all eight Texas CPDTs. The themes revealed patterns of vision which included: developing a common ground, breaking barriers, evolving visions, and partnership tradeoffs. Patterns of enactment included formal and informal professional development opportunities. Patterns of effects included: empowerment of teachers, updating of university faculty on public school issues, better prepared classroom-ready interns, and more attention for K-12 students. Another pattern of effect included the distraction of "technology toys" and the difficulty keeping pace with new technologies. The study provided strong evidence that relationship building processes are crucial for building a sustained learning situation for a community of learners. The themes also provided information regarding the demands of institutionalizing and reculturing required to sustain the Professional Development School model.

The purpose of this study was to test a teacher inservice training model which was designed to increase the number and use of hands-on science activities, increase the number of times teachers teach science, and improve students' perceptions of science.

The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting the use of instructional ideas by secondary teachers in the academic year following a series of staff development sessions designed to present information on effective teaching practices. The research questions addressed the characteristics of information selected for use in classroom practice and the characteristics and relative degree of influence of salient factors affecting the use of ideas. Ten teachers from a large suburban school district in North Texas were selected for this study. Qualitative techniques were used to collect data. Each teacher was interviewed three times and observed in the classroom setting. Documents such as lesson plans were analyzed as a third source of data. Several factors evolved from the data. In varying degrees, these factors predicted teacher use of new instructional practices. Some factors dealt with the teacher's level of understanding and internalization of the information. These factors were labeled as instrumentality, congruence, and analytical thinking. Two other factors which were fairly strong predictors were labeled cost and intrinsic motivation. Cost concerned the amount of time or effort required to implement new ideas versus the perceived benefit to either teacher or student. Intrinsic motivation concerned the personal desire a teacher felt to try new ideas which might improve student learning. Another factor, professionalism, or teacher commitment to the teaching profession, was found to be a less powerful predictor. Two factors were found to be inconclusive predictors of implementation. They were the support felt by the teacher and external pressures, such as legislative mandates and district evaluations and career ladder. The cluster of factors developed in this study offer some possible guidelines for persons concerned with patterns of knowledge utilization among teachers. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to determine if the categories used in this study are consistent predictors of implementation and to verify the research implications in this study.