The purpose of the study was to ascertain what the four state universities were doing to prepare prospective teachers in the area of legal rights and responsibilities of teachers and students.The population of the study was defined as personnel of the Indiana State Department of Public Instruction, university undergraduate deans, and professors responsible for the teaching of legal aspects of education to prospective teachers, and a random sample of student teachers.The review of literature and research revealed empirical data regarding school law, the courts, and preparation of prospective teachers in the area of legal rights and responsibilities outdated or non-existent, and subjective in nature. Authors agreed that prospective teachers need to be knowledgeable in school law for effective performance of duties. Authors found little actually being done to prepare teachers in the legal aspects of education and that reforms were needed at the collegiate level.The following findings were based on analysis of data obtained from interviews and questionnaires: Not all universities have met the requirement of including the legal aspects of education for undergraduate prospective teachers; the amount of time spent teaching school law to undergraduates is left to the discretion of the individual professors; most classes which were designed to include school law were described with no mention of school law or legal topics in the course syllabi or college catalogs; only one university class had a specific text for the instruction of legal rights and responsibilities; professors agreed that more uniformity should exist; the majority of professors recommended that a course specifically in school law should be required at the undergraduate level for prospective teachers; the preparation and background of faculty responsible for teaching school law to undergraduate prospective teachers were lacking in school law training and experience; the majority of student teachers recognized and reported a lack of training in the area of school law; and all but three student teachers reported that an undergraduate school law course should be required at the undergraduate level for prospective teachers.The following conclusions, based upon the review of related literature and research, and upon data from the study, were developed: University requirements submitted to the Indiana State Department of Public Instruction may or may not take place on the campuses; few consistencies exist in the teaching of school law to undergraduate prospective teachers; most prospective teachers do not receive sufficient training in the area of legal rights and responsibilities of teachers and students; what is taught, how the material is taught, when it is taught, if it is taught, and how much time (if any) is devoted to the topic of school law are left entirely to the discretion of the professors; most professors recognize a need to do something to improve the teaching of school law to prospective teachers; professors assigned the responsibility of instructing prospective teachers in school law do not have background or training in the area; student teachers desire an undergraduate required course in school law; most school law was disseminated in a haphazard manner; a need exists to better prepare teachers in the area of school law; school law for undergraduate prospective teachers has not been a priority issue even in the face of growing litigation; most professors believe that teachers should learn school law by experience and on-the-job training; student teachers are fearful of growing court actions and expressed a need to know current laws to manage classrooms effectively; and professors responsible for teaching school law to undergraduate prospective teachers have not conducted any workshops, conferences, or seminars related to school law.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/176553 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Haggard, Carolyn L. |
| Contributors | Wagner, Ivan D. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 3, viii, 130 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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