35:!“ AN EXPLCIRATORY SETUBY 0F FAEITORS ENFLUENCING SELECTED TEACHERS 3'0 BECOME INTERESTED AND ENVC'L‘VED IN THE AREA OF ENTERNATEONAL UNDER$TANEHNG Thais for fire Beams of Ph. D‘ MRCHEGAN STA‘EE UNNERSWY Waiter: Giana Wii‘éiams. Jr, “315.5 i’HESW This is to certify that the thesis entitled AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING SELECTED TEACHERS TO BECOME INTERESTED AND INVOLVED IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING presented by We lter Glenn Will iam- , Jr. has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Ph.D. degree in Education do}: (my Major professor Datem 19- 1965 0-169 LIBRARY Michigan State University AN ENELCRAT RY STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING SELECTED TEACHERS TE) BECOME INTERESTED AND IDWOLVED IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING Walter Glenn Williams, Jr, AN ABSTRACT OF A THESIS Siflnnitteui to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF EDECATION AESTPACT AN EXPLORATCRY STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING SELECTED TEACHERS TO EECCME INTERESTED AND INVOLVED IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING by Walter Glenn KilliBUE, Jr. Purpose The purpose of this study was to ascertain what factors in~ fluenced selected teachers to become interested and involved in pro— moting, learning and teaching about internationa understanding. Procedure The study sample included thirty teachers who demonstrated an interest in international understanding through participation as members in, at least, one of two committees or two organizations which are recognized for promoting international understanding. The two com— mittees are the Michigan Department of Public Instruction’s Committee on International Lnderstanding and the Michigan Association for Super— vision and Curriculum Development's Committee on International Under— Standing. The two organizations are the Michigan Council for the Social Studies and the People-To-People program. Three focal points determined the composition of the study group: equal numbers of both sexes; as equal a representation as possible of elementary and secondary teachers; and as close an equal distritnrtion as txxssible Cd? teacher~fimanbers fkwnn the ccmnnittees azni organizations. Ia - l Lina-0E . 65.: . M w ._ .. ‘1‘? y‘ f‘ I““ '-.‘1 .r 7‘» a halte. UILHH hiiiiams, 3?, (WM? type td‘ instiinmnitaticnixwas dextaloped fcnf use ititfln; stud}; A standardized inter'.'iew was designed to elicit responses pecutliar to the problem under investigation. Through personal interviews, data concerning the following major categories were procured: characteristics of the study sample; influential factors- and implications for curricular . . l - A description of the data was presented in response—frequency d is tribut ions , percents , means, medians , ranges, ranks , e lahora t ions , grouping of specific responses and selected comments. Findings From the data, the following generalizations were drawn: The study group generally acquired an interest in international understand- ing before becoming professionally involved in promoting it. Greater professional tfunn non—professional :hruvaement in organizatixnns, com— mittees and programs promoting international understanding was practiced by members of the study group. .And professional involvement occurred more as a result of invitation than upon personal iritiative, The study group generally expressed interest in the social sciences throughout their education (elementary through graduate school) 'J) and favored the social sciences in selecting undergraduate majors a well as non—degree courses. Little, if any, relationship existed between graduate and under— graduate programs in terms of subject matter selection. The diminishing exposure to international content as teachers progressed from under— graduate to graduate programs was accredited mostly to the fact that Walter Glenn Williams, Jr, internationally oriented courses were not available due to program re- strictions or lack of offerings. The absence of courses that were designed for developing international understanding at both the under— graduate and graduate levels of education was also considered for the major cause for inadequate preparation to promote international under~ standing through teaching. Major factors influencing teachers to become interested and/or involved in the area of international understanding were (1) school ade ministrators, (2) College professors,especially those who haye had personal experiences abroad, (3) first—hand, personal experiences with peoples of different ethnic backgrounds, (4) home enyironments which facilitate and encourage exposure to foreign peoples and ideas, and learning of international matters, (3) enthusiasm and encozragement of others who were interested and/or inyolyed inthe area of international understanding, and (6) experiences abroad, regardless of their duration. A few members of the study group reported being influenced by cbsery- ing other peop intolerance and disrespect toward peoples of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Courses per se generally had little or no influence. The unsystematic, incidental development of interest and involve— ment in the area of international understanding reported by nearly every— one was attributed, for the most part, to the lack of inteniational orientation in undergraduate and graduate programs, Several curricular elements were suggested for generating interest in international understanding. Personal qualities of persons who are involved in international aspects of education were also elicited from the study group. lJaltenf Glern1l£illiauus, Jr. posed with related sets of generali7ations to high- Q ue st ions 8 IQ. for further study, (2) certa in implications (I) light (1) possible base for college and high school programs of a general education nature, and, more specifically, (3) certain implications for the preparation and in— ervice education of teacher:, as well as ncn~teaching educators. U) AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING SELECTED TEACHERS TC BECCME INTERESTED AND INVCLVED IN THE AREA CE INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING By Walter Glenn Williams, Jr. A THESIS S ubmitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION lr-—‘ O 0\ UI ACKNDKLEDGEMENTS The writer would like to expre‘s sincere appreciation to Dr. Charles A. Blackman, his major advisor, for his patient direction and confidence throughout the entire study. Appreciation for cooperation and assistance is offered to DrS. Cole S. Brembeck, Calhoun C. Collier and James E. McKee, the other members of the doctoral guidance committee. Dr. Stanley P. Wronski also provided assistance for which the writer is grateful. Special gratitude goes to my wife, Susan, whose faithful belief and encouragement made this study a reality, and to our children, Jeffrey and Shari, who will come to understand this educational endeavor, Omission of names of persons who contributed in various ways does not diminish the writer's gratitude, ii DP... irflivujfll. ..l~u.a! >ph.|b . 1. ‘IH... I! .llriniil ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST CF TABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY. . . . . . . . . . Intl.0(iuction a I I O I D O l I C O 3 I 0 I , o p. .4 Desired Outcomes in International Understandi The Problefi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Significance of the Problem . . . A Major Assumption . . . . , . . . .. . Definition of Terms. . . Limitations of the Stud . . . . . . . . . . Organization of the lhesi (I) II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest in International Unnerstandin;. . Early ife Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . Formal Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vocational Emphas s diven to Education . . SUmmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III MLTMVDS AND PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . Population and Sample. . . . . . . . . . . . p lusti ication of Intetview Technique . Description of Interview Technique . . i iladi Stildf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A raini5t"13t1 e -‘tht ‘ a: . . . Treatment of Late . . IV PRESENTATIO\ AND A) ALYSIS OF DATA. . . . . . . Introduction . . . . Characteristics of the Study Sample, , , . , Influential Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1"!1 r-Ji-J p—JP—‘KomOU‘w"‘J P—J L») L») 0" NJ uu )'J.J'—.J}.l Mk .{Z‘M M 0\ Ch \J ‘~J r-‘ C WWLAJ’VJLDM \l 4: l? 4? \J F4 O ( \Jl CHA PTER Implications fXV‘(:urricular PrograuE, Summetfi' V S EMMA R Y , GENE RA LIZA TI (”NS AN D R LC‘L',‘I~II\1ENDA II C‘NS Introduction. The Design. . Generalizations Cone l Ud ing S ta t'e me n t . APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW SCHEDULE. APPENDIX B. LETTER DE INTRODUCTION. BIBLIOGRAPHIX 106 108 TA RLE 10 ll l2 l3 l4 LIST'iT"DAbLES Distribution of the Study Sample. . . . . . . . . . Distribution of the Study Sample in Michigan Counties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distribution of Grade Levels Taught by Respondents. Distribution of Subjects Taught by Respondents And Extent They Were Judged to Have International Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comparison of Years in Teaching and Lapse of Time Prior to Professional Involvement in Promoting International Understanding by Respondents . . . Distribution of Different Kinds of Inyolyement by Respondents in the Area of International Under- Sta nk‘iirlgl O s I O C t I I ' O n O C G . O I O . Distribution of Respondents' Fields of Concen— lflation . 6 I O O O n O I d O C ‘ I I O O I C H- 1 Distribution of Respondents Program Majors . . . Distribution of Non—Degree Subject Matter Areas I‘aken EJB', Resp(3ndc'tlts c . I a a I a o n n s s I o I Subjects Enjoyed Most and Least by Respondents at Different Levels of Education . , . . . . , . . . Location Where Respondents Pursued Their Formal L Education. a o n I I a O 9 o 0 n t O s O l D I 0 Subject Matter Areas Judged by Respondents to Have International Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . Distributiontf Foreign Languages Spoken in Home and Abroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Location Where Respondents Fad Four Kinds of Ex— periences Abroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Persons Most Influential in Bringing About Res— pondents' Interest and Inyolyement in the Area of International lhnfisrstanding. . . . . . . . . . ”C1 m JO IL:- ‘4 Q9 60 TABLE l7 l8 19 20 22 23 Reasons Certain Persons Vere Influential in the Respondents Becoming Interested and Involved in the Area of International Understanding. . . Reasons Certain Persons Were Influential in the Respondents Becoming Interested and Involved in the Area of International Understanding. . . Special Situations and Event That Influenced Res— pondents to Become Interes 1 Area of International Understanding. . . . . Effectiveness of Experiences Abroad in Influencing Interest and Involvement in the Area of Inter- national Understanding. . . . . . . . . . . . . Reasons Experiences Abroad Were Influential in Developing or Maintaining Interest and Involve— ment in the Area of International Understanding Course Influence on Respondents to Become Intereste and Involved in the Area of International Under— standing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kinds of Course Influences and Reasons Respondents Considered Them Influential in Developing Interest and Involvement in the Area of International Understanding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adequacy of Respondents' Academic Preparation to Promote International Understanding Through Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reasons for Inadequate Preparation, Unsystematic Development and Not Selecting More Courses with International Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . U) Most Important Characteristics of Per ons Involved in International Aspects of Education. . . . . Curricular Elements Considered Important by Res— pondents in Developing Greater Interest in the zkrea cu? Interwuational {Hyderstarniing. . . . . , . s ted and Involved in the OR u: 66 \J O\ 69 7O \J U! 50 (II F4 (:lhAI?IIZR I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Introduction Never has a sound, basic liberal education been more essential for each one of us than it is today. In a time of eyer—increasing complexity, of ever—accelerating change, none of us can master more than a small part of the widen- ing range of human knowledge. All the more imperative, then, is a firm understanding of essentials——the nature of the world we live in, the kind of world we are trying to build, the kind of nation we are and want to be, Some understanding of other peoples, other cultures, other nations, is an indispensable part of a liberal educa— tion. This is true not only because our community, in es- sential respects, has been enlarged far beyond the county or the nation, to the point of becoming global, it is true because a knowledge of others helps us to understand our— selves. . . 1 Dean Rusk, Secretary 3f State Concern about international education and cultural and internat- ional understanding is not new among American educators who prepare 2 O Q teachers for elementary and secondary schools. Until recently, however 1Harold M. Long and Robert N. King, Improying the Teaching of horld Aftairs. The Glens Fall Story,(Washington,P,C.: National Council for the Social Studies,) , Bulletin 35; 1964, part or an introductory statement 2Milton Bennion, Teacher—Training Curricula for Development or International Understanding,“ School and Society, Vol. 3;, October 24, 1931, pp, 551—7, and Walter C. Langsam, “International Cooperation in the Schools of Education of the United States," School and Society, Vol, 3C, August 17, 1929, pp. 234—9, and Long and King, op. cit., p. 16. most of the emphasis has been focused on Western cultures and peoples and their contributions to the American culture. Also, despite a cer— tain amount of concern and cognizance about the importance of inter- national understanding, it has receiyed little emphasis in curricular programs. Consequently, the lack of balance due to the near-exclusion of non—Western cultures and he absence of international understanding concepts in curricular programs has presented a formidable task to those educators who hare accepted the challenge of promoting international understanding. A liberal education must impart an understanding of both new and old states that have achieyed new world status. To accomplish this, a new strategy must be devised to divest learning of its _:x:sent provinciallsug (w? more properly cf its liistorical arul Cirrent EXYHJCCUpatlLfllXCith the tun‘itgae of Vestern ciyilization. The new strategy must extend liberal :arning to include the great teachings of other world cultures 6 k. and thus fulfill its purpose of embracing life in all its di— yerse human firms. It must lead the student to understand these cultures in the same manner as he does those of the West-- as growing and dynamic, with a past, a present, and a future.3 It will be the responsibility of institutions of higher education to prepare teachers adequately for the task of educating for international understanding. A thorough approach to educating teachers in the area of international understanding will necessitate a focus on the total teach- ing force: prospectiye teachers and in—seryice teachers. In addition to the teacher segment of our educational enterprise, institution; of higher learning must not ignore those indiyiduals who exert some measure ‘l 1 a. 3The Committee on the College and World Affairs, The College ant 1964,)p, 3. 1 Ktrld Affairs,(February l, ' r of influence upon the curriculum.* This includes administrators, coun— selors and other non-teaching personnel in the profession. To do all this effectively, organized programs designed to bring about greater awareness and interest in international affairs and international under~ standing must be initiated at all levels of education. Desired Outcomes in International Understanding This section presents a few interpretations of international understanding which, if placed along a continuum, would have at opposite poles (a) human understanding from an emotional perspective and (b) cultural understanding from a rational, intellectual perspective. These polar extremes possess qualities which, if properly utilized, would pro- vide guidelines for internationally oriented educational programs, as well as criteria for the evaluation of such programs. Writers vary as to the specificity to which they go to explain what international understanCing is. For example, some writers regard international understanding in broad general terms much :elated to human understanding. ”We have learned that the differences between East and West grew out of their conditions and not out of the nature of mankind. . .lts plain to see that human emotions are the same everywhere. - Regardless of natixnual boundary lines, arll people arezinery human."D ACE course, the entire community should not be overlooked either. Although the education of the lay—public is not givei direct attention in this study, implied herein are implications for community education. PO 5 ~ ' ' 7 ‘7 1 ‘ ‘ Cernxnniial Review, \whl. ': Arm 1+, 1963, p. 49,. J. \ a. Long and King elaborate upon an extension of the above int pretation. In education for international understanding we should try to promote a comprehension of the ways of life, the values, and the aspirations of all peoples of the world. , .In this sense ’understanding' includes the necessity of comprehending our own ways of living, as well as the ways of other peoples. In short, international understanding should lead to the ability to observe and appraise,critically and objectively, the conduct of men everywhere toward each other, irrespective of the nationality or culture to which they may belong.0 John and Ruth Useem differentiate various levels of cross cultural understanding by defining three categories: (1) the minimum level is defined simply as the absence of strident ethnocentrism; (2) a moderate level is characterized by the presence of both respect for the values of another society and a fair degree of awareness of the social patterns of that society; and (3) the highest level is defined as the ability of the individual from one society to interpret realistically the reasons ., . fl . . - n .c. 7 , ,r ,, why tne people in another soc1ety act in a speCitic way. Tme latte: level involves a high degree of perception and knowledge of a foreign ociety; its social, economic and political forces, cultural traditions, U) etc. Not only does this approach to international understanding give a more international rather than national orientation, tut it also pro- ree or extent of cross- I) r ._u fll vides some means of evaluating a person'- cultural understanding. Theories of popular participation in democratic government provide means to measure international attitudes and reactions or behavior, 6Long and King, op. cit., p. 23, ,. John Useem and Ruth Hill Useem, Th Western—Educated Man in x 7 e India, (New Y: k: The Dryjen Press, Inc. 1955, PP- 135“133- _ . g r , . m . .3». ‘31.: $.vuuqfl1. E I! . r. i From such theories, Hero suggests four interrelated levels by which world-mindedness may be measured. Herein lie implications for measur— ing levels or degrees of international understanding. Adaptations of Hero 5 four levels include: 1, Sustained interest in major, long term, international issues facing one's own country, as well as other nations. 2. Large fund of information, at least of a general nature, about both the world abroad and one’s own country. 3. Rigorous analysis, in a logical or rational way, of najo" issues facing the world, as well as the realism of different policies toward thex. 3. Extensive participation in world affairs and the promo— tion of international understanding, whose nature is de— pendent on the role the inciyidual plays in his community and in his country generally, as well as on the channel of communication available to him,8 f‘ tions of the Useems and Hero provide yard- U) Although the su or: (7“ I /' .f sticks to measure the degree of international understanding which a person might possess, they do not identify those factors that contribute to the development of interest or involvement in the area of international understanding. 'Una Problenx It was the purpose of this study to determine what factors in— fluenced a select group of teachers to become interested and involved in the area of international understanding. This study was an attempt as: what effect have the conCepts and H) to find answers to such question information about foreign countries which are taught in elementary and 8Alfred C. Hero, Americans in World Affairs, World Peace Foundation, Vol. 1, 1959, pp 2—3 6 ‘a \ ~- 3 and unixe sities had on the develop— re secondary schools, and college ment of interest and understanding of foreign peoples and cultu exposure to an educational system (elementary, secon- education) had on individuals who are professionally inter— Z‘ lfliich in— What effect has da l‘y , h igh’e fluences outside the academic world have had the greatest influence? ested and involved in promoting international understanding pIYDbleln iinificance of the of the United States ~ive and more little doubt that the citizenry the yxmfhl in which fliey of at The task of educating for There is more knowledgeabl of the peoples of the world. being given more attention by educators should become Preparing elementary and secondary school understanding international understanding is r furthering international fo hands of teachers. improvements reat need to develop and evaluate elementary through higher education, which include who have the responsibility of teachers, For much of the responsibility understanding among the citi7enry will fall in the In addition to the preparation of indi iduals to teach about international understanding, another p*o lem must be considered. There curricular programs at all In aCComplisting of pub l ic ”t ’A t 3 (IQ is a of education, the great of cross—cultural understanding. U) level cultures. in both the preparation of teachers and curricular prog ams res is tance concepts it will be necessary to know what experiences have effect in developing understanding of different peoples and — and traditional schools, is a thélicate arui complex Prejudices and hatred nurtured by ignorance, This to change, are not easy to overcome. and therefore, one that should be approached cautiously. prcfl>lern, \J One possible approach to identifying what factors would be most influenti l in the development of international understanding would be to study people who have beCome interested and involved in the area of international understanding. From studying these individuals, it should be possible to determine what factors had the greatest influence on them. In order to focus on the improvement of teacher preparation and educa— tional programs, the subjects of this study were teachers who had demon— strated an interest in international understanding. Naturally, it is important to recognize that such teachers repre~ sent only one of many sources which can contx‘ ibute significantly to the development and evaluation of pr gt ams designed to develop greater . . . . 9 international understanding. 9AACTE, Programs and Projects for International Understanding, A Report by the Committee on International Relations, American Associa— tion of Colleges for Teacher Education,(Washington, E.C., 1956) . K. Barker (ed), AACTE Handbook of International Education ‘ograms, The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, shington, D.C., 1963,) Foreign Policy Association, ”Teaching World Affairs: A Special Guide for Educators nd Program Planners," Intercom, A World Affairs handbook, Foreign Policy Association, \o1.3, No. 5,(October, I963; Leonard S, Kenworthy, World Horizons for Teachers, BU! eau of y, Publications, Teachers College, (Ne w 3Cy.; Columbia Uni erg: 1932). Charles A, MC elland (ed. , Background, Journal of the Inter— national Studies Asscciation, Institute for Research on International Behavior, San Francis CF, Calif: San Francisco State College,) V01. /, No. 1, May, 1963. Michigan State University, The International Programs of American Universities, An Inventory and Analysis, Institute of Research on Overseas PYOEFBmS, (East Lansing: Michica n State Universit.,l955.) Edward W. Weidner, The World Role of Universities, The Carnegie .‘ Series in American Education, New York: McCraw Hi-l iink Company, 1962.) Knowledge about the elements which contribute to a person’s interest and involvement in developing international understandiz E should be helpful in developing curricular experiences for public 1 school youth and teachers of these youth. Such information should be valuable in developing the most effective preparation programs for L teachers and non—teaching educators, and should enhance interest and g 0 understanding toward fareign peoples and cultures. A Major Assumption A major assumption undergirding this study is that teachers, as well as others in the field of education, who are presently inter— ested and involved in promoting international understanding, arrived at their present state of involvement more as a result of unanticipated outcomes of certain experiences rather than through systematic, deliber— ate planning. Exposure to international content in courses, or inter- national influences in curricular programs, which are organized in an institutional setting may come about, from a student's point of view, without preconceived purposes or intentions. It is also possible that formal education, although planned and offered in an institutionalized setting, may not have as an objective the development of interest and involvement in the area of international understanding. Both situations might contrilnnxa'to (a chance dexeltumment of) interest.anni involvement in the area of international understanding. Although the following quote reflects conditions in one school system, the content does mirror, to a great extent, the way in which f'?) many sdhools have approached the area (3 international understanding. Before the Improving the leaching of World Affairs program egan, the esponsibility for teaching world affairs in the Glens Falls Schoo s was limited almost exclusively to the social stud- ies departnernz. To be SLHI?, incidental cnnrtributitns uwnwz made thrOUgh the teaching of literature, art, music, science and cur- rent affaijfis, but these hmnwstu t organized as txr“t of a total school program. Although the teachers of foreign languages, such as French and German, made a significant contribution to the understanding of a slzole country, or culture, there was no Concerted effort to present a total picture of the richness and diversity of the wrold as a whole. And in the social studies themselves, major emphasis was upon the Western world, or more accurately upon North Atlantic civilization, with only passing reference to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, In short, the teaching of world affairs was an incidental part of instruction in both the elementary and secondary schools. As a consequence, many students finished high school with little, if any, under— standing of non—Western cultures; with disorganized and frag— mented scraps of information about the contributions of other peoples to world civilization; and with numerous fal e notions about the position and responsibility of the United tates in the world community. 1‘ ‘I 1 .L C v a \ L.— y...) C) Similar situations exist in institutions of higher education. For example, a survey of international involvement at Michigan State Univer— sity revealed that many department and faculty members had been involved incidentally in the teaching of foreign cultures and peoples. It was also found that a greater emphasis was given to Western cultures than 11 to non—Western cultures. ‘ Definition of Terms Area of international understanding — Learning, teaching and promoting concepts designed to further knowledge about ard understanding of other peoples and cultures. i0Long and King, op. cit., pp, 27-28. 11 . . ,. . . . A Report to the Institutefbr International :tudies in Education on a Survey of International Involvement, April 29, 1961*, pp. l--13, mimeo. International dimension — Total scope of situations that include international and cultural education and the understanding of foreign gaoples, their societies and cultures. Professional involvement — Person is involved as an educator with activities which promote international understanding. Non—professional invclvement — Person is involved in his personal, non—professional, life with activities which promote international under— standing. In~service teacher — An employed teacher who has completed basic requirements for state certification to teach. 1 Prospective teacner — A person who is working toward the com~ pletion of basic certification requirements to teach. Western cultures — Cultures which are found in the major geographi- cal areas of Europe, Australia and North America, excluding Mexico. Non-western cultures - Cultures which are found in the major geo— graphical areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America.“ Non-teaching personnel — Educators who do not have, as a major responsibility, a subject to teach. Such people as superintendents, 1 principals, counselors, and curriculum coordinators fal; under this definition. *It is recognized that the inclusion of Latin.America in the non— western world is a debatable point. The position taken here is one shared by Vera Micheles Dean in her book, The Nature of the Non—Western World, The New American Library of World Literature, Inc., New York, 196l. Two reasons for classifying Latin America as part of the non-western world are: the heavy influence of the indigenous Indian cultures; and the rela~ tively slow, or almost lack of industrialization which is characteristic of western cultures. Although Latin America has received more attention than other non-western parts of the world in curricular programs, it still has been minute compared to the emphasis given to cultures found on the European continent. Limitations of the Study g._J . Since this was an exploratory study, the nature or signifi— cance of relationships between certain va iatles was not in the purview of this study, 2. It was not the intent of this investigation to study a random sample of teachers, but to study a select group which had demonstrated an interest and professional involvement in the area of international understanding. 3. Individuals responded according to their own perceptions of cause—effect relationships regarding influential factors. Organization .f the Thesis This thesis is divided into five chapters as follows: Chapter I describes the importance and treatment of international understanding in elementary, secondary and college curricula. It also deals with: desired outcomes in international understanding; a statement of the problem; the significance of the problem; a major assumption under girding the study; definition of terms; and the most important delimita— tions of the study. Chapter II is devoted to a review of related literature. Chapter III explains the methodology used in the study. Included s a description of the: population and sample considered in the study; r“ justification of the interview technique; development of the interview schedule; pilot study; administrative procedures; interview settings and treatment of the data, \ Chapter IV contains a description of the data, and is organized according to the following categories: selected aspects of the teaching experience; presence of interest before involvement; involvement in the area of international understanding; educational background; international aspects of educational experiences: foreign language background; nation— ality background; experiences abroad; process of becoming professionally involved; influential people; special events and situations; effective— ness of experiences abroad; course influences; way in which interest and involvement developed; academic preparation to promote internatiomal understanding through teaching; most important characteristics of in— dividuals who are involved in international aspects of education; and suggestions concerning important curricular elements. Chapter V includes a summary of the entire study, generalizations which are drawn from the data, recommendations, and a concluding state— ment. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction There is a dearth of research concerning the specific topic of this study. There are related studies and literature, however, that provide a background for this study. Influential Factors Related to Developing Interest in International Understanding The factors presented in this section may have an influence in developing interest in international unde‘standing. Long and King pointed out that, he experiences which help a teacher to develop a world affairs point of view are of several sorts; personal travel, entertain- ment of overseas visitors, personal interest in an overseas as— signment of a family member or a friend, formal study, mass media offerings, or systematic reading, Once a teacher has gained a JOfId point of view, by whatever means, he becomes concerned to learn more about what the people of the world think, feel and do. He will become more concerned about his own country and its role in world affairs. Sustained reading will help him to widen and deepen his insights.12 All the above influential factors imply still other motivations. How is it that certain teachezs become exposed to some of these influential factors? 1 l2 7’ ' Long and king, op, Clt., p. 86, q 14 Pasteur once said, in describing the process of scientific discovery, that ’chance favors the mind prepared.’ When our in— tensive interviews probed beneath the surface of the formal questionnaires, the replies took on a little more life and color— and perspective. Time after time, men and women who said at first that they were abroad 'by accident' revealed a deep-seated desire for travel to foreing places dating back to their ea1liest childhood experiences.13 Cleveland also points out situations which imply certain inner drives affecting international involvement. 1. A young adult, who is attracted to the idea of marrying a foreigner or deliberately seeks an unusual roommate, is cle ail» one who is 'accident prone'* for overseas ser- vice, 2. The very fact of being away from home, of being thrown together with all kinds of people, whets the interest of servicemen abroad whose backgrounds incline them to try working abroad at a regular civ‘lian job, 3, A sense of service, to aid a cause. . . this is gaining momentum in all phases of life. a. A broadened s ternational.1 ° 1 em1 e of values, less provin HCIBI and more in— 4 Some environmental factors which may contribute consciously, or ‘ o unconsciously for some people, to such inner or 1\ es are identified: 1. An accident or an atmosphere in home or scrcc l piques a youthful curicsity and creates a desire to go to un— usual places, do unusual thi ings and see unusual people. 2. A father in foreign trade: We had a lot of foreign visitors come to the house and I was fascinated by some of the stories I heard. liisttry cam ail ive th1ough these stories.’ 3, WCe always had the National Geographic all over the house, 4. 'Ne always ta‘l ked about other places . Friend in school whc had a foreign background. Study or reading. . Teacher or college prof beyond the culture c \J m \J‘ ssor attributed to that fi1st peek 13Harl an Cleveland, et. al,, The O erseas Americans,(New Ytrk: McCRonfiiill 7ggk Ccun>,lnc,195¥} N33. 9~ld. See ;hm1n and R1Hu1 Useem and Johr1lhonoghue, 'Tkn1 in the )Hdtlha of the lfi1ird Cultxnve: the Phahes of American and Non~Western People in Cross~Cu1tural Administration,” 1, .,».-,~ 1‘ n 1 Atmen Ozganlzation, \o-, 24, No. 3, pp, 1 (3 9—179, Fall, 1963. 1] . l41bld., DC 12—1? rlllll' Ill '1'] .l ‘III-Ill III I]! III" .I .l «I ‘llll! l ' 1‘ I I I: ll *4 U1 Prior travel or a special love for traxelw Military experience abroad, Escape. . Sheer accident. Exposure to foreign cultural attitudes and behavior, C1003 lS 'Jka—J [Q o“ Pool, Keller and Bauer found that, "the travel experience did serve to shake previous views loose, raising the saliency of foreign o y w . I ‘ o ‘ o , 1 affairs in tne travelers“ mines and making them think about them more."*6 Cormack reported that teachers participating in a Seminar to India, . . .spent only one month in India, but there was considerable pre~departure and post return seminar activity. And the month in India was carefully planned and executed. Many of the teachers reported 'changed lives,’ and their actions confirm their words, Several have come to the Teacher Interchange Pro— gram at the Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange he— tween East and West in hawaii, others have changed their careers, 1‘ 0 17 and srme anxa merely {Yihllng diffe1mnrtly,w/ Interest in International Vnderstandirm .4 hero claimed that, "Although few studies have investigated inter- rs, such interest may be inferred with t“ est per se in international affa reasonable validity from related research."‘8 For example, failure to answer all or part of a questionnaire, degree of exposure to mass media and organizations dealing with international issues, and subject matter of informal conversations provide some indirect indicators. .- ”Mid, p, 10. , *6Ithie1 de bola Pool, Suzanne Keller, and Raymond A "The Influence of Foreign Travel on Political Attitudes of businessmen," Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. l, 1956, p. 175. ‘7 . . l . . ‘ A private letter (June 25, 1964) from Margaret L. Cormack, Director of Reference Research and Information at the East~west Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. lglbid,, p. u, 16 Just as there are various levels or continua of international l9 understanding, there are polar attitudes and tehaviors in regard to the degree people are attentive or inattentive, informed or ill~informed, active or inactive. Possibly as much as twenty-five percent of the national population is apathetic toward world affairs even in times of crisis, i.e., the Korean Kar,20 Research also indicates that well over fifty percent (according to surveys tanen since :guS) are invcl ed in world affairs only at certain times and under certain conditions, ,when the international rotlem is so dramatized and personalized as to seem important to the career, standard of living, health, or family security of the individual. They have no continuing interest w2 1 J. in the world beyond their jobs, homes, and immediate acquaintances. The two preceding sections dealt with an overview of influential factors and a profile of American citizenry in regard to their interest and involvement in world affairs. The latter topic presented the nega— tive or what may appear to be the ineffectual side of world affairs educa— tion. The following sections focus upon possible causes of world affairs behavior. Early life experiences, formal education, and the vocational emphasis given to education are discussed in particular because of their impact on the development of interest in the area of international under— standing. 19 , cf. Chapter I, pp. 3~1, 2OHero, op. cit., pp. 9~lO, 211bid., p. :0~ and Sociological Forces Factors which contribute to the behavior of an individual are varied and interwoven. Psychological and sociological forces cannot be separated to explain adequately why one reacts inzzparticular way toward other peoples and cultures. Some social scientis s claim that child rearing prior to attending 7 school and family contacts haxe a great influence on a person's future way of thought and action. Klineberg states that reinforced rigid practices during infancy and throughout childhood and adolescence may often cause major effects which may be difficult to change in adulthood.22 Remmers believes that the family retains the more important influence in the attitudes and behavior of most elementary school children, but that there is a lesser correlation between parents' influence on chil— dren as the latter grow older, The implications are that other in~ fluential factors begin to affect a person as he gets greater exposure 2 (,A) to his environment. One of the possible reasons why a minority of adults raised in rigid, unstimulating home environments do not retain narrow attitudes is that they came into intimate contact with teachers, fellow students, mass media, and organizations whose values and interests were different from those of their parentsr 220tto Klineberg, Tensions Affecting International Understand— ing: a survey of Research, Social Science Research Council,(New York, 1950) 23, . . - . . . . J. H; Remmers and haomi heltman, ”Attitude Interrelationships of Youth, their Parents, and their Teachers," Journal of Social Psychology, Eleventh Yearbook of the John Dewey Society, (New chk: na_3gr ' 1951,)p. 7. v rv 7’ ‘ : x .J - k _. 2 18 A number of Americans raised in even the more irrational, confused, narrow, authoritatian homes thus may become otixated to apply themselves in school, go to college, work at a complex occupation or professior, and thereby not only expand their con— cerns in terms of the no: 1d outside but also drastically modify their attitudes toward international affairs.24 Formal liduca t ion There is a wic desp: ead, almost universal assumption to the effect that information changes attitudes; more specifically, in this context, that inf o: mation about a pa: ticulax nation tends to_modify attitudes in a direction fa‘o able to that nation.23 Klinebero ualif les the above uote when discussinO a manuscri t D D 0 concerning a histo t1y textbook for children, "The problem is not al- together one of supplying new information; there is the related pro— n26 blem of counteracting misinformation. In the same article, Kline- berg acknowledges the need for research to determine why certain courses and instructors succeed in creating proper attitudes toward other peoples, What kind of informatiot is most effective: {G.N. Allport has suggested that facts indicating similarities between racial and national groups are more effective than those which stress dif fei ences. ). . At what age? (Most psychologists believe the ffects are much greater on younger children.), , ,Ey what kinds of people? (It seems probable that prejudiced teachers incul— 27 cate prejudice, no matter what materials they are asked to teach) 241 , dero, op, c1t., p. 19, 2S- . . , . . , Utto Klineberg, '(1 eat ng Attitudes Londucive to International Understanding," Education for a World Society: Promising Practices Todagv, Eleventh Yearbook of the John Dewey Society, (New \yk; ’ggagpgq- 4 5-3;, 951,)p. 47, 26w d , p. 48. 27Ibid., pp. 50—51. Two research studies that run contrary to most finding \._ U) are pre— (I) sented here in relation to the preceding quote by Klineberg. Lehman’ study showed that formal academic type experiences or contact, such as instructors or courses, have no influence on student behavior, howyer, there appeared to be a significant relationship between some of the in— formal, extra-curricular activities and yalue changes.28 Jacob claimed that eyen four years in the social sciences or humanities did not seem to modify significantly more deeply—lying personal characteristics re- lated to international affairs, though they did tend to increase infor— mation. he went on to say that what frequently occurred was a redirec- tion of the student’s academic and vocational interests. These interests were associated with further development of world affairs interest and attitudes and with later occupational and social enyironments that af— 29 I) fect thought and action on international affair-, In a study which measured the relationships between foreign con— tact, education and positive opinions about foreign peoples, Reigrotski and Anderson noted, "Foreign contact and education seem to be inter- related, and yet each factor is autonomous as well, The education fac— o 1 o O tor is the weaker of the two.’3 28 . , , , , . Iryin J. Lehmann and Isabelle k. Payne, 'An Explorationrf At— ldue and Value Changes o College Freshmen, Personnel Guidance Journal, Vol. 4:, 1963, pp, 403—40 9! r+ L4 C L 8 29Philip E. Jacob, Changing Values in College, darper Brothers, New York, 1957, pp. 50—62. See also ”Flectiyes and Activities in Retro— spect," Journal of home Economics, Vol.53, l96l, pp. 835—856, In a study of 119 home economists, 21 stated that they would include in their home economics program in college foreign languages and world affairs courses to gain a better understanding of people in other cultures. And of these, 15 named foreign languages and 6, world affairs. 3O ‘Erich Reigrotski and Nels Anderson, "National Stereotypes and Foreign Contacts,” Publichpinion Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. a, 1959—60, p.328. 2O Reported research compiled by Stember ShLWQd that the better educated ar more likely to appreciate foreign talents and concepts, he also pointed out that the less well educated have the most overly simplified and antagonistic attitudes and stereotypes about foreign q, countries and peoples.“‘ Virgilio, in developing an instrument to measure the attitudes of elementary teachers found that, "In the city group only, those teachers with four or more years of training seemed more world minded than those teachers with less training. A college student of an educates prestige amily is more likely to study the humaniti ‘ s ' ces, whereas the youth with less well—off and 'ess educated parents chooses technical or otherwise specialize: subjects. As would be ex— pected, these broader Social ubjects are found, later on, to be directl related to libera no analytical attitudes in world parently does less to develop 5 (D I p— A (1) f0 ,3 (\ U) V ,. ‘J 0 H LU F a affairs. Specialization. . . ap either the capacity or the curio ity for world issues.33 Whether or not there is a relationship between Hero's conclusion and liavemann's and West's findings, it is interesting to note that the ‘ haryard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, I) Q r— latter two found that graduates Amherst and similar northeastern institutions were, on the whole, more inclined to read and be more informed and interested in international events than those of the Big Ten in the midwest or of the more prestigious . . , l southeastern univerSLties.34 31Charles N, Stember, Anti—Democratic Attitudes in America, Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University, lSSA, p. 61 32Andrew D. Virgilio, “Development of an Instrument to Measure the Attitudes of Elementary Teachers Toward Selected Questions Related to International ffairs," (unpublished Ed,D. dissertation, Pennsylvania State University, 1960), 33Hero, op. -i;, p. 25, 34Ernest Havemann and Patricia Rest, They Went to College, (New York: harcourt brace and C0,, 1952), p. la. 9..) k.) One difficulty about estimating the effects of college from studies of college graduates is that certain c<_lleges anC cer— tain Courses of study. .tend to attract and accept students who already manifest potentialities for particular interests, knowle dg€', ways of thought and patterns of actior.3D Although information concerning change in college students’ polit*-— cal behavior is somewhat removed from factors influencing interest in international understanding, Edelsteir's stuoy provides four factors which may operate to deve clop intexest in international understanding among college students. Edelstein claims that his findings support his thesis: ”If there has been a trend (in the development of attitudes of college students), it has been one of the ideological sense.” College intellectualism as the means to the e Evidence of this studies over .4: (.‘L. of socialization the con ‘56 ‘ s and curriculum, patteu [is of personality' the continuing liberalizing trend college (3) the it Hero sums up the present state by saying, As in the case of othe a given co lege backsround The fact is we 1 documtwnt CBUSGS d ttat decreasing students are TlLl . (above) will be the past thirty—five studtnits, development of flfrmative factors in families conservatism and liberalism in shift deology to 36 offered from a selection years in which (1) the (2) the influence of facultie and student al pl in our colle 7 of (¥) ‘int to npact , U) L.) ,._; U) (I) ’1") :L . of events and knowledge quite well , we do not know that world affairs behavior. and neighborhoods desirable where some go to college and othe—rs do not, those who do go are much more likely to be inyolyed in, knowledgeable «f, analytical about, and active in world affairs. But even befor: they goto college, products of such environments are different from their colleagues who do not attend college, and they live in different surroundings later ones he do not know Mx;ther it is the colle ege e: perionce per se,the different personal characteristics and 33New, op. cit., p. 27, 0.3 1 n a o a. n -~ ~. - “*Ale>:::. EdelStelIl, ::ince Benningtcwm lhchience of charge 1r1 Student Political Behavior,’ Public Opinion Quarterl, Vol, 27, Ne. 4, 1062, p, 565, 37Ihid‘ k.) [\3 potentialities of the future college graduate, (n tits later I .5 groups that is the most important cause of his greater under— :tanding of world affairs.J experience in a complex occupation and in sophisticaped social 0 \‘oca t iona l Empha s is Give n to ll<.,h1cat ion An important adjunct to the discussion on formal education is the vocational emphasis that is a] O iven to education in our society, Pleas , are continually made to high school age youth, who quit or plan to ‘ school, to complete their education so they may get a better job U J o stres U) , L dent lhdnhni B. Johnson’s "War On Poverty” a' es the role of education in economic and social mobility. A brief review of literature concerning the vocational orientation of education in the United States wil give another perspective in which to view the influence | .L formal educa— tion has or does not have on developing greater international under- standing. As Jacobindicated, those students who are concerned almost entirely with"practical" vocational goals may place no value on ideas not directl" A AV related to their chosen career, and may have an emotional block to learn— ing aboutzmternational affairs even when required to take courses in '3 ., . . the field.“9 Most college students :nizwament years have evaluated their educatilni hi terms of better“ vocational theaining, it and“adjustnwntf and achieving a higher standard of liVing, but not in terms of broadening their horizons and improving their understanding of public questions.4O )avtd Riesman, “The Found Generation,“ American Scholar, Vol 0 This attitude is a reflection of our soc1etal yalues, not just i" youth values. The following quotes re evidence of this: “. . .The {[0 American school and college system is the greatest agency we have for equalizing opportunity and for promoting the rise of able young people. Through it we maintain a denree of social mobility probably greater than C 1 o "'1 ,h.‘ 0‘ o c a that to be found in any other count:y.'4* unile it IS certainly true II; that Americans continue to give tronger support to liberal education, 'J. P“ ‘ o - ~ - a . ctly libetal azts college (I) the average college student outs de the st: is under considerable social pressufe to chcose a course of study with I I . a definite yocational aim."* As already suggested, this vocational orientation extends to the k.. high school level, Taylor 1'3 eneralized from his study that,”. . .students I fayor those high school subjects which have a direct bearing on their 1 college programs,"43 Vhitla noted that a majority of the interyieWed H- men in his study chose a part cula: concentration as vocational prepara— 0 fl 0 . , a 'I, tion tr as a relatively safe anchoring place for the college years.'44 Bu:nham and Ramsey studied undergraduates of uniformly high ability and concluded that for many of these students, the attractiveness )5 the ll‘...‘ 0 I A ‘ o _ "1 o .., p *lki-liam O. stanley, et, al., Soc1al Foundations of Loucat10n, "Education as a Social Elevator," by h. Lloyd Warner, et. al., New York: Henry Holt & Co,, Inc., l956), p. 471 I 42John C. Dowling and Donald J Tate, "The Bili The Journal of Business qucation, Y( [+3 ~ /‘ * ‘ v " "‘ R. L. Taylor, ”What 1,002 College Lpperclassmen Thought ot the Social Studies," School and Society, Vol. 73, 1931, p_ 132, 4*Dean R. hhitla, “Guidance in the , Education Review, Vol 32, No, 4, 1962, pp. 45 humanities and social sciences was the practical Consideration that these . . , . 45 fields were 'broad enough to keep the largest number of avenues open.” Cleveland, as a result of his study said, ", . ,more than one and a half million Americans nag live and work abroad, but the Aumrican educa— tion system has not yet mobilized its imagination and its resources to meet the urgent requirements that this unprecedented fact implies.“ Summary Although research related to this study was limited, there were studies and literature from which to gain some insight into the problems and implications of the study. Sources which referred to influential factors were cited. ReSearch Concerning the effect of early life experiences, formal education and yocational emphasis given to education was reviewed. Most research supported the concept of the family’s dominating effect and the role it plays in the socialization process of the child, but not to the exclusion of other influential factors that begin to affect an individual as he becomes more exposed to his environment. One of the most influential environmental factors in our society is formal education. Some studies related to the effect forual educa— tion has on attitudes and tehavior were reviewed Research findings vary concerning the degree and nautre of influence formal education has on the individual. I ’- A s . 4>Paul S. Burnham and Robert R. Ramsey, Jr., ”Study of Lnder— graduates of Uniformly High Ability,“ The Journal of Frperimental quca— tion, Vol. 31, No. 2, 1962, pp. 191—194. K 40Cleyeland, op. cit_, p. vii, 25 The literature did infer that the vocational emphasis given to formal education does have a strong influence on tie way in which stu— dents perceive their education and its value. CHAPTER III METHODS AND PROCEDURES Population and Sample The population selected for study included teachers from the southern part of Michigan's lower peninsula who demonstrated an interest in international understanding through their attendance at meetings or programsconcerning international understanding, or through their parti— cipation on committees dealing with international understanding, Two committees and two organizations which have been actively promoting international understanding were identified as sources from which the population would be chosen. They were: the Michigan Associa— tion for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Committee on Inter— national Understanding (MASCD); the Michigan Department of Public Instruc- tion's Committee on International Understanding (DPI); the Michigan Council fer the Social Studies (MCSS); and the People—lo—People Lrgani— . , I" zaticn (PTP).4/ 47” . , . . . . lhe People-To—People organization, which encourages scnool children in all parts of the world to correspond with each other, was started by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The organization” sponsors believe that communication between children throughout the world will create a better understanding between them and such under— standing Jill carry over into their adult activities. Michigan is now first in the nation in the number of program participants. The program’ leadership in Michigan is under the auspices of Eastern Michigan Univer- sity, which is the only university in the nation that has assumed leader— ship for the movement, lhe persons in the study were drawn from a list of Michigan teachers and administrators who participated at the first an— nual People—To—People School and Classroom Exchange Conference held at Eastern Michigan University in September, 1963, (D (/5 )\ Ix A. l Because of the 27 nature of three organizations (F SCD, DPI, PTP),“ teacher—members of each were qualified to be part of the population. Teacher—members of the MCSS who attended a conference on international understanding in April, likfl¢\u3re considered part of the population. From the l963u64 membership lists of the four professional or~ ganizations arnla C pring conference on i o ‘ .L the study was obta ned + \r Ctumnittee (n1 interns to utilize teachers wh Having identified the population, the study sample was then selecte Fi 1‘ (I: t, only thoss teac a \ 5. ing across Michigan' to Bay City on the eas of teachers was sought women, a balance among possible from the four Because al back to 1960 and lfllSS teacher—members who attended the 1964 nternational understanding, the population for n ‘ Since teacher—member of the DPI and FASCD ional understanding were fen, it was necessary . ’ ‘ ‘ I l/\ 0 were members dating back to 1900 and 196;.45 her—members living below an imaginary line stretch- lower peninsula from Muskegon, on the west side, t side, were considered. Secondly, a dist‘ibution in order to provide an equal number of men and grade levels taught, and as equal a number as professional groups utilized in the study, MASCD and DPI committee teachernmembers,datin selection of study group members from the MCSS and PTP organizations was dependent upon the type of teache members selected from the MASCD and DPI committees. As Table l prints out, six male and seven female tUBChL'S were acquired from the MASCD and DPI committees. The bzeakdown of grade level assignments of these “Hereafter the fox: organizations used in this study will be identified by their respective abtreviated forms e 1., bHSCD, MCSS, DPI and PIP , 34% n- ‘ .. ‘ o } ‘ p a , o 1 For example, tfie constituency of memaersnip in the Curriculum Committee on Internati ment of Public Instruc strators —6; Lay pecpl staff in public school onal tnderstanding (1963—64) tion is: College faculty-—ll Public school admini— e —3; Lducators on the sta' 1 'el —3' Non—teaching ” w. .,. m —2; and Teachers in -2. 0‘3 V‘— of the )lichigatilhypart- (1 A 28 thirteen teachers was: seven elementary and six secondary. To provide a closely balanced representation of all four organizations, it was necessary to select a similar distribution from the MCSS and PT? organi- zations. The following steps were taken to do this: First, two separate unalphabetized lists representing each of the two organizations (MCQS and PTP) were made. Teachers who had at— tended conferences on international understanding and who had taught in schools south of Muskegon and Bay City were selected. involved the selection of teachers (I) The second screeing proces who identified their present grade level assignment (elementary, junior high, senior high). From the final lists the (1) election process was culminated. To allow for as equal a distribution as possible among the four professional organizations the following procedure was used: Beginning at the top of each list, the first three senior high teachers and elementary teadiers were chosen‘ The same rocedure was used to select two junior high teachers from both the MCSS and FTP. Because fifteen Hale and fourteen female teachers had been identified, another female elementary teacher was sel~ H ected to provide an equal distribution of both sexes and a1 apprtximate U) equal distribution of elementary and secondary grade level IN) ‘0 Table 1 Distribution of the Study Sample Organization Grade Level Assignment Sex Total Elem. Jr. High Sr. High Male Female MASCD 6 S — l 1 S DPI 7 2 — S S 2 MCSS 8 3 2 3 5 3 PTP 9 u 2 3 4 5 Total 30 14 u 12 13 15 Table 2 presents the location by counties of the members of the study sample. Tab 18 2 Distribution of the Study Sample in Michigan Counties County Number Mayne . . ........................................ . . . . . 9 lngha ................................................. . ....... 6 Taklan ............................................... 6 "at: ' ........ . ............................................... 2 ‘E: ................................................... - Ca- - .................................... . ................ 1 lJanav . .................................. . . ..... MECCA ................ . . .................................... - MUSRCEK ..................................... 1 5854111824. . . . . . ........................ . . . ................ - {{ashterunq . . . ....................... . ...... . ......... . . L 3O Justification of Interview Technique The exploratory nature of this study necessitated a means of inquiry that would get at influential factors in the most natural way possible.“'9 This was best met by the interview technique in the fol— lowing ways: it provided an opportunity for a personal approach to such a study; and an opportunity to answer questions and make inquiries in a conversational manner quite natural to the interviewee; thus pre— sumably improving rapport. More significantly,however, the interview technique provided an opportunity to clarify and elucidate specific as— pects of the inquiry when necessary to maintain similar interpretations and, in turn, greater validity of responses. Also, the technique provided a situation.which could cope with sets of questions which were not ap~ plicable to all respondents but which could be omitted in some cases on the basis of answers to filter questions.30 The standardized interview was used, and included both the “open“ and "closed” forms of questions‘51 (See Appendix A for interview schedule) Gordon Allport cites the arguments advanced in support of standardized interviews as: 9 . . . Gordon R. Aleort, et, al., 'The Interview: A Tool of SOCLal ience," Handbook of Social Psychology, Addison—Wesley Publishing C0,, 0 y Vol, I, 1954. "The interview may have a variety of roles in the :30 I ., design of a study to help identify the relevant dimensions, to suggest hypotheses, and to reveal the natural frames of reference existing in the minds of respondents." p, #50, 501bid., p. 453. 51 0‘ |.— . ‘1 o o o 0 Ibid., p. #31. 'By a standardized interview we mean one in which the questions have been decided upon in advance of the interview, and are asked with the same wording and in the same order for all respondents. The questions used in a standardized interview may be either ’open' r Y . '9 H . Closed . 1. They incorporate a basic principle of measurement: that of making information comparable from case to case. 2. They are more reliable than unstandardized interivews. .— 3, They minimize errors of question wording?2 Open—ended questions were used for the following reasons: 1. Within the framework of a standardized set of questions, the conyersational quality of an interview can be main- tained,D 2. Spontaneous answers which emerge in an open—end question— ing will more readily reflect the respondent's more con— sidered opinions,34 3. Cpen-end questions are a more natural form of verbal com— munication and, as such, should produce a closer replica of the kinds of statements the respondent might make in real life.55 Closed—end questions were used for ”either, or” type questions and bitnpiaphical. hiformatituixdiich did INDt TBQUlJKE open—ernnni inquiry; .ey we- 15L se ’ <3 510‘ e (a 'l'er'° w ' s I d'f eren Th>_ re a w u d t ‘ It n th int \ie tlflk, anc, at i‘f t points in the interview, to help focus the direction of the inquiry. Description of Interview Schedule The interview schedule was designed to elicit answers related to eleven categories of questions which concentrated on certain elements that were influential in a teacher's becoming interested and involved in the area of international understanding. The categories are explained in this section to highlight the significance of each in the total study. 52 Il‘id. 53Ibid., p. #54. :4 . _ ' Ibid,, p. 438. 5 3 . Illlzl , 32 Selected Aspects of the Teaching Experience Information about grade levels taught and number of years in teaching showed the breadth of teaching experience the study group had, and provided a backdrop on which to view the information described in the section which discusses what subjects were taught and which of them included international content. It was felt that information concerning which subjects included international content would reveal, to a certain extent, the degree to which the respondents perceived the pervasiveness of international under— standing in all the disciplines. Interests in International Understanding Questions pertaining to the respondents' interests in international understanding were purposely asked at the beginning of the interview to allow the interviewee freedom of expression and to begin a broad approach toward more specific aspects of the study. Although these questions served more f a procedural function, they did provide some evidence of what the respondents perceived inter— national understanding to be. Involvement in the Area of International Understandine Q For the same reasons questions were asked about interests in in- ternational understanding at the beginning of the interview, quescions about involvement in the area of international understanding were asked. More important, however, was the attempt to get an idea of the degree of commitment the respondents had in the area of international under— standing. 33 A distinction was node between professional and non—professional involvement to ascertain what differences might exist between the two. Process of Becoming Professionally Involved To determine how and why the respondents first became profession— ally involved in committees, organizations, or programs promoting inter— national understanding, a direct question was asked of them. It was believed that this question would provide a specific answer to part of the main assumption undereirdin this study: that involvement in the u ‘3 . 00 area of international understanding is not brought about by deliberate, systematic planning. Significant People and Their Influences Although the identification of influential people was desirable, the reasons for their influence in the respondents' becoming interested and/or involved in the area of international understanding were considered more important. General categories were established when they did not distort the nature of the responses. For example, in the case of influential people, superintendents and principals were grouped together under '0 ”school administrators, and mothers and fathers were recorded under “parents.” Likewise, reasons certain persons were influential were grouped together to emphasize certain elements which were common to a variety of responses. Reasons certain persons were influential were classified as either "positive" or "negative” influences. This dichotomous grouping provided an opportunity to make a distinction between (1) experiences which were expressed positively, such as having friendly relationships and being 34 exposed to other’ a \ he enthusiasm and healthy attitudes, and (2) experiences which were expressed negatively, such as observing intolerance and dis— respect toward others and ignorance about foreign peoples. Special Situations and Events This section was included to account for unrelated to people who were consider section. influential factors e C significant in the previous interview schedule, these Although similar responses were elicited in other sections responses of the were gi‘ sen freely after an open—ended question without suggesting a category of response. The responses the question, "Can you remember any particular situations or events mig. to ht have been influential that in your becoming interested and/or involved in the area of international understanding?” are significant because they reflect situations and events that were recalled without the help of a leading question. Educational Backgrourd Educational History. Information concerning the general educa~ tional history of each respondent was sought to see if certain educational background information reflected the type of persons who were in the study sample. Specific information pertaining to all levels of higher education was emphasized. This information included: or being pursued; field degrees completed of concentration: PT subjects that were taken, ogsam majors; and non—degree 35 Three other areas: subjects enjoyed most and least; location where education was received; and foreign language background cut across elementary, SeCondary and higher education levels, Information concerning the international aspects of the respondents' education was given special consideration in the next section. International Aspects of Educational Experiences. In this section, educational data were screened to get at the respondents' account of the amount of international exposure during their higher education, whether or not such exposure in academic settings had any influence in the development of interest and involvement in the area of international understanding, and most important, the reasons certain courses were in— f luent ial . In the first of the three categories given above, specific subject matter areas were identified to point out where the concentration of ef— fort to 'xpose students to the international dimension is found. A section was designed to determine the reasons for respondents' not taking more courses with international content. Information in this sectioigave Some insight into the total picture of academic exposure as international content at the level of higher education. Academic Preparation to Promote International tnderstanding Through Teachino Q As a capstone to the educational prepa ation and its influence, this section offered an oppor unity for the respondents to evaluate their education 1 background in terms of adequate or inadequate preparation to promote international understanding through teaching. The respondents w>re also asked to explain why they were adequately or inadequately pre~ pared . 36 Experiences Abroad and Their Influences 5—4 Information in this section provided another profile of the study group in regard to the kinds and location of experiences abroad, length of duration abroad, whether or not experiences abroad were effective in developing interest and involvement in the area of international under— standing,and the reasons certain experiences abroad were influential. Way in Which Interest and Involvement in the Area of International Understanding Developed , Finally, the respondents were given the opportunity to consiter everything they had discussed during the interview and explain why they became interested and involved in the area of international under— standing. Explanations were given for systematic, deliberate planning or for unsystematic, incidental events, or unanticipated outcomeS. The personal contact with people who demonstrated an interest in international understanding provided an opportunity to elicit opinions and sugge tions about the following: the most important characteristics U) of individuals who are involved in international aspects of education; and important curricular elements that would generate interest in inter~ national unders ending. It was believed that the responses would provide a projection of the personal qualities of the members of the study group as well as their attitudes toward and belief in an academic approach to international understanding. 37 Pilot Study To insure the appropriateness of the questions and organization of the interview schedule, a pilot study, involving three teachers who fitted the criteria of the study sample was conducted, The pilot study resulted in minor changes in wording and order of questions to make uestions more easilv understood and natural in the se uence of in uirv. q . . Administrative Procedures Each respondent was written an original—typed letter prior to a personal contact by phone. The purpose of the letter was to request the participation of the person, to acquaint him with the nature of the study, and to ask him to consider alternative dates and times for an interview appointment (see Appendix B). The telephone contacts were used to clarify the purpose and sponsorship of the study, establish rap- port and to arrange appointments for interviews. All persons in the original sample responded positively to their participation in the study. Many expressed concern that they might not be very valuable to the study, Interview appointments were arranged so that a particular region could tn: covertxi in one da§n Treatment of Data Responses to interview items were transcribed directly to tables within forty—eight hours of the day the interview took place. This pro— cedure reduced the chances of error due to lapse of memory and repeated transposing of data. A number of tables, representing more definitive 3S aspects of the eleven main categories presented earlier were developed after the final revision of the interview schedule to give organization and meaning to the raw data. The initial procedure utilized for all responses was to tabulate original form. The next process involved U) each individual response in it the calculation of the percents of responses, This was done wherever deemed appropriate and beneficial to the interpretation of the data. A third process involved the grouping of varied responses into categories of similar meaning, and where appropriate, computation of percents of responses for each category. An example of this is presented to better illustrate this process. When the respondents were asked to give at least three important characteristics of indivimtfis who are involved in intenrational aspects of education, a variety of responses were offered. The responses appeared to have similar meanings, however, when examined more closely. The responses concerning characteristics peculiar to a person’s personality such as, “A person should be open~minded, be able to look at ! others objectively without prejudices.', "The ability to really promote international understandinr is important. I guess this would follow his 0 '3 '9 own values and how he demonstrates them in the way he lives, and ”Toler— ance and respect toward others are very important," were termed "Personal Qualities." Responses concerning characteristics related to subject matter content or knowledge such as, “He should have a good background in the history of other countries," and "A desire to teach international Q0 Landerstanding would 1%? huportant,“ were latwfihxi'lkcademic Qualities. 39 In both the larger groupings (Personal and Academic Qualities) a dichotomy of responses was detected. The “Academic"responses concerned either the acquisition or dissemination of knowledge, and the ”Personal” responses appeared to be either oriented toward oneself or others. The self—oriented responses differed from the other—oriented responses in that the latter were altruistic in nature. The preceeding example w's one of many attempts to give greater organization and meaning to the raw data. Using this dichotomy of responses was most helpful in making the final analysis. Although much of the data was presented quantitatively (frequency U) of responses, percent of response, range of response, mean response median responses, and rank—order of responses), it was accentuated by the following: Descriptive analyses -— Wherever it appeared advisable to clarify specific responses or categories of responses, tabulated lata were elaborated upon so that they could be interpreted more easily. Elaboration took the form of additional information, calculation, interpretation, and elucidation. k-J O 2. Meaningful grouping of specific responses, 3. Careful selection of quotations chich added depth and breadth to the information presented in tabular form. The absence of the above three procedures would create an obvious void in astudy such as this, for they illustratively complement the factual aCCOunt of the tabulated data. ome generalizations and related U) The entire analyses generated questions which should act as hypothese for further inveStigation and U; shcmlu point out implicatirns for curricular development and evaluation. ‘lllllllll‘llill‘ CHAPTER IY PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction This chapter contains a presentation and analysis of the data collected for this study. Information for this study was obtained through use of the personal interview technique. Major areas to be discussed are: A. Ch racteristics cf the Study Sample 1. Selected Aspects of the Teaching Experience 2. Presence of Interest before Involvement 3. Involvement in the Area of International Understanding 4. Educational Background 5. International Aspects of Educational Experiences 6. Foreign Language E-Lackground 7. Nationality Background 8. Experiences Abroad B. Influential Factors 1. Process of Becoming Professionally Involved 2. Influential People 3. Special Events and Situations u. Effecriveness of Experiences Abroad 5, Course Influence C. Implications for Curricular Programs 1. Way in which Interest and Invclvement Developed 2. Academic Preparation to Promote International Under— standing Through Teaching 3. Most Important Characteristics of Individuals Who are Involved in International Aspects of Education a. Suggestions Concerning Important Curricular Elements Some of the data are presented in discussion form, sane in table form, and in some cases, in the form of selected, quoted comments which anid meaning to information presented in a more conventional style. 40 Selected Aspects of the Teaching Experiences Grade Lexels Taught. The range of grade levels taught by mem— bers of the study group extended from kindergarten to fi‘st year college. Though a few of the teachers taught only one or two grades, most had a The distribution of grade levels U) broad experience at various level in Table 3 shows the variety of exper'ences members of the study group had. Sixteen (53.37) of the thirty teachers taught one or more elementary rades during their professional career. 00. Table 3 Distribution of All Grade Levels Taught by Respondents Grade Level f* c of Respon— Grade Level f“ k of Respon— dents dents Kindergarten 10,0 7 1‘ 60.0 1 23.3 8 16 53.3 2 11 36.7 9 14 46.7 3 ll 36.7 10 13 u3.3 u 13 43,3 1 12 40.0 5 12 Q‘.O 12 14 ué.7 6 “6 53.3 1st Yr. Col. 2 6.7 Number of Years in Teaching. The range of years of teaching ex— perience within the study group extended from one to forty—two years. The mean number of years of teaching experience was la.16 and the median number of years of teaching experience was 12.5. Elementary Subjects Judged to Have International Content. The interviewees reported those subjects they taught and those which they felt had international content. Of the typical elementary grade subjects, ‘ *f = frequency and will be used in all the tables. 42 Social studies was considered to have the greatest amount of international content. Language arts was ranked second, and art and music were ranked third. A tninCd‘ity of Iwesprnnhents yfiio haul tainfiit eltnnentaz‘y gratna sub— jects considered other subject nwtter areas, in addition to the social §_g studies, as haying international content. Table A gives the distribution .. of elementary subjects judged to have international content. a L 1 Secondary Subjects Judged to Have International Content. Subjects ; i .. taught at the secondary level and the extent to which they were perc iyed ’ I, as having international content are presented in Table u. A minority regarded most subjects which they taught as having international content. ‘It is important to note that:<fliildren's literature ennl speech and dramatics were treated in such a way as to haye international content and that home economics and economics were not presented or perceived as having inter- national content. Some additional explanation of Table 4 is necessary to clarify the responses denoting the presence or lack of international content in subjects taught. Certain responses indicate that some of the respondents might have taught about other nations and peoples, (i.e. in modern European history and world history) but they did not perceive this as promoting international understanding, or did not perceive the course they taught as having international content. Either of two explanations might ac- count for responses like these. First, some of the respondents might have construed the question, "Which subject(s) (you have taught) included international content?," as meaning, "In which subject(s) have you promoted international understanding?" 43 Ta 17: 1e 5+ Distribution of Subjects Taught by Respondents And Extent They Were Judged to have International Content Taught having International Subjects Content f F?) Secondary School Subjects Goye rnment 16 7 Anwrican History 9 6 World History 8 6 Sociology A 3 English and Literat re 6 2 Modern European History 3 2 French 2 2 Speech and Dramatics 2 1 International Relations 1 1 Spanish 1 1 Mathematics a 0 Industrial Arts 3 0 Economics 3 O lkme Economics 2 0 Elementary Grade Subjects Social Studies 16 lo Language Arts 16 8 Art 16 a Music 16 4 Science 16 3 Mathematics 16 1 Physical Education 16 1 College Courses Children's Literature 1 i General Teaching Methods 1 it! ‘ "‘ 15"?” I i III III. 1‘ . a: If this were true, it is possible that certain people differentiated between historical and contemporary subject matter content and felt that only through the latter could international understanding be conveyed. If this were the case, it demonstrates a very narrow interpretation of M nternaticnal understanding, and one which would not lend tself to utilize the subject matter to develop international understanding. Secondly, if international content were interpreted, as it was ng foreign peoples and cultures,it H- meant to be, to mean simply involv is possible that cultures were interpreted to mean mores, habits,belief 5’ and ways of living from an anthropological or sociological point of view excluding an historical perspective, Here again a very narrow interpretation exists. Presence of Interest Before Involvement All the persons in the study said that they had some interest in international understanding before they became professionally in— volved as educators in committees or organizations promoting international understanding. Of the thirty persons, three volunteered the fact that their interests began as a result of their teaching experiences. One other person claimed that if he had not been in the teaching field, he probably would never have become involved in promoting international understanding. Selected Comments. ”I was not particularly interested in inter— national understanding until I was forced into an open teaching position, teaching international relations," “I used a tape recorder quite o ten in my classes. Not until someone suggested that I should send a tape recording to Australia did I gain an interest in international understanding.” "My interest in international understanding really developed after I taught a course in world history." The above comments illustrate what influence teaching experiences alcnua caziliave (an 811 indiAzLjual. Involvement in the Area of International Understanding ’1 I7"— I I. Professional Involvement. Aembers of the study group chose var— ious ways to participate as educators in organizations, committees and programs that promoted international understanding. Although one person had been involved, over the years, in eight different ways, most of the persons participated, on the average, in three different organizations, committees or programs. Number of Years Professionally Involved. Table 5 gives a mean and median comparison of the number of years in teaching and the number of years of professional involvement in the area of international under— standing. On the avera e, a total of eight years elapsed from the begin— ()0 ning of teaching to the first professional involvement in promoting international understanding. Although the data in Table 5 suggest that teachers who are in— terested in international understanding generally teach some time before becoming involved in organizations, committees or programs promoting international understanding, there is reason to believe that this in— flormation is distorted by the large number of experienced teachers who fla\xe become professionally involved recently after many years of teaching. 46 It is expected that the younger and newer teachers will become profes— sionally involved in promoting international understanding quite early in their teaching careers because of the increased attention being given to this topic in the schools, colleges, and the mass media. Table 3 Comparison of Years in Teaching and Lapse of Time Prior to Professional Involvement in Promoting International Understanding by Respondents Mean Median Number of Year‘ in Teaching lh.16 yrs. 12.5 yrs. Number of Years of Professional Involve— ment in Promoting International Under— standing 5.86 yrs, &,0 yrs. Lapse of Time Prior to Involvement in Promoting International Understanding 8.30 yrs. 8.5 yrs, Y L O n—Professional Involvement. Members of the study group were much less involved in promoting international understanding when their position as an educator was not the reason for their involvement. Thirty percent had never been involved non— rofessionally. And the majority who had been involved, not as educators, did so through one committee, program or organization. Table 6 shows the distribution of programs, committess and or— ganizations in which members of the study group participated profession— PJ ally and non—professional y. 47 , 0\ Table Distribution of Different Kinds of Involvement by Respondents in the Area of International Understanding Organizations, Committees and Programs Professional Non—Professional Promoting International Understanding Involvement Involvement f f People—To-People 12 Michigan Council for Social StUcies Conference 10 University/College Sponsored Functions 10 6 Michigan Education Association Conferences 9 Department of Public Instruction Committee 8 School System Committees and Functions 8 Michigan ASSOC. for Superv. & Curr. Development 7 National Education Assoc. Departments x Functions 5 North Central Association Workshop 3 Service and Civic Functions 3 2 Student Exchange 3 2 Sponsor of Student Activities 3 International Institute of Detroit 2 3 Delta Kappa Gamma Womens' Honorary 2 American Childhood Education Conference 1 .American Overseas Educators Association 1 .American Federation of Teachers Conference 1 Community Organization on International Under. 1 Community Relations Seminar 1 Conference or Christians and Jews 1 International Tape Exchange 1 National Advisory Committee for Exchange of Tchrs.l Church Affiliated Functions 8 Business and Professsional Women's Organizations 3 C_A.R.E. 2 Ukrainian Organizations 2 Book Exchange 1 Involvement ranged from a single attendance at a meeting, con— ference or program to active membership in a committee or organization Cfiner a perixml of years, Educational Background Educational history w w Degrees Completed tr he ing Pursued. ll thirty teachers who were '1 interviewed reported that they had completed a bachelors degree. In U regard to other degrees which had been completed or were being pursued, the following information applies to the study group: masters degree, 27 (90?); specialists or six—year degree, 5 (16?); and doctors degree, 3 (107-). In addition to the degree programs, twenty—one (705) had taken courses which were not considered a part of any degree program (non—degree). Field of Concentration. Four different fields of concentration were p rsued by the study group toward the bachelors degree, eight fields were pursued toward the masters degree, three fields were pur— sued in the specialists degree and two fields in the doctors degree. Table 7 shows the distribution of fields of concentration and the num~ ber of rmndxers of the study grwnn)\d1o had completed cn‘xwere pursuing a Program Majors. The persons in the study reported a total of eleven different bachelor and master degree nmjors, three cifferent specialist degree majors and two different doctor degree. majors. Table 8 shows the diversity of nineteen majors which were taken in the pur— suit of four different degrees. p g Distribution of Responden s' Fields #9 Table 7 of Concentration Bachelor H Field f pondents of Res- f 2 Master of Res— pondents o R! f pecialist of pondents Res~f Doctor of Res— pondents Secondary Education 1 Elementary Education 1 Liberal Arts Business dministration Education Administration Counseling and Guidance Special Education History Educational Foundations Curriculum F._J Totals 3'0 p 4:1-4 (7\ O\ 0\ rd w I? L») U) LOWNV l\) #403me p Mp—J \JN UIMOO r—Jr—JHv—J - (D 0\ LA) o J r4 r—I 9 U) H p—J F-J 100.0 75. 0“ b0 O\ (40 \l L») 100.0 Distribution of Respondents' Table 8 Program Majors Major Bachelor history Sociology English Political Science Education Fine Arts Geography Industrial Arts Economics Foreign Language Business Administration Educational Administration Counseling and Guidance Identally Handicapped .Philosophy EEpeech Correction Iklnlie Visual Ciurriculum International Education Totals 5 f p.11 L—‘O‘M Mela h-Jr—at-«It—dr—JPJML») 1—4HLALAU1 3m 31 Master p h F“ L; Specialist Doctor LA) r—JM f ~"Dual majors account for the greater number of program majors t lsslds of concentration (see Table 7). SO Non—Degree Subject Matter Areas. Of the thirty teachers, twenty— one reported taking non—degree courses in fifteen different subject mat— ter areas. Table 9 gives the distribution of subject matter areas taken by the respondents, Table 9 Distribution of Non—Degree Subject Matter Areas Taken by Respondents L - "’11 Subject Matter Area '"Psychology “International Understandin Mathematics 9-1115 to by T‘Language Arts “Sociology Curriculum iterature/English *Economics “Foreign Language Industrial Arts ”Human Relations Library Science *Philcsophy “Political Science ‘Religions of the World (1') r—‘NMMLAJLOKDON\J r—Irer—Jp—Jr—Jr—Ar—J *Srbject matter areas related to the social sciences and humanities disciplines. The majority (76.3%) of non—degree courses were selected in sub— ject matter areas which were related to the social sciences and humanities. Subjects Enjoyed Most and Least. Table 10 shows the subjects which tdie study group mentioned most frequently when asked, "What subjects have yWDu enjoyed most and least during your elementary, secondary, undergrad— llérte and graduate educationl" The social science and humanities subject U) ‘¢€?Fe enjoyed most and the mathematic and science subjects were enjoyed least kl} p. A Table 10 Subjects Enjoyed Host and Least by Respondents at Different Levels of Education (N 5.4: Subject Elementary Secondary Cnde: ra a ~ . 1 1 {.3 o o Most Least Most Least Most Le st Most Leas Tistory 8 O 8 1 ll 1 5 O 32 2 Literature 11 O 4 O 3 O 2 O 20 0 Social Studies 8 l 5 l 4 O l 0 ll 2 English a O 5 2 l O l 0 ll 2 Foreign Language 1 l S 1 u l l 0 ll 3 Psychology 0 O O l O l 7 2 7 4 Mathematics 1 14 4 14 l 7 O l 6 36 Science 0 7 4 l2 2 lO 0 2 6 3l Sociology O O O 0 a O 2 O 6 0 Art 0 O O O u 0 l O S 0 Music 1 O O O 3 O l O S 0 Philosophy 0 O O O 2 O 3 O 5 0 Education with In- ternational ContentO O 0 O O 0 6 O 6 0 Education 0 O O O 2 h l 2 3 6 Statistics 0 O O O O l O a O S Educ. Research 0 0 O O O O O 3 O 3 Test R Measurement 0 O O O O O O 2 O 2 Literature, history, social studies, English and foreign languages were subjects enjoyed most by the study group as a whole. Mathematics, science, education, statistics, educational research and test and measure— ment, in that order, were subjects enjoyed least. The first and last three subjects enjoyed least are somewhat related. Little inconsistency in the subjects enjoyed most and least was C rioted throughout the educational background of the study group. By and large, the respondents liked or disliked the same subjects or related SllbjeCtS at various leyels of their education, Avoidance of the subjects KVliich were enjoyed least in e; y 4 1 lier education accounted for the lower LnCidence of dislike at the later levels of education, Reference or laCk of refereruua to certain subjects was alscwtknxandent upon the ayail- at’llity of these subjects at the various levels of education, 32 At the higher levels of education art, music, sociology, psychology, and education with international content and philosophy were reported as subjects enjoyed most. If) Location Where Formal Education was Pursued. Table ll report where the respondents pursued their formal education according to three categories: Michigan; out—of—state; and out~of—country. All of the respondents pursued some formal education in Michigan. Fourteen (46.7 ) pursued all of their education in Michigan. Ten (33.37) respondents pursued all or most of their elementary, secondary and undergraduate education outside the State of Michigan. Twenty~three (85.2%) of the respondents who pursued graduate studies did so in Michigan institutions of higher education. U) Three teachers studied abroad. One took private vocal lesson vshile working as an exchange teacher in Europe. Another studied in Dkexico for six weeks durino a Simmer while an undergraduate, and the D tliird took graduate work in Peru during a seyen~week summer session, F J F_J 'Table Location Where Respondents Pursued Their Formal Education LC)cuation , Elementary Secondary Undergraduate Graduate no. no. no. no. bli<3riigan l9 l8 23 28 Ont—~of-state 1L; :2 1 6 Out--Of—countr_y O O l 2 x I“ U] W International Aspects of Educational Experiences Subject Matter Areas Judged to Have International Content. Sixteen (53.35) of the thirty people who were interviewed reported taking courses with international content in their bachelors program, Fifteen (55.57) of those who were pursuing or had completed a masters degree reported taking courses with international content. Of the twenty—one people who had taken non—degree courses, nine (u2.9 ) took courses with international content. Two of three doctoral candidates and one of four specialist degree students took courses with international content in their respectiye programs. Table 12 shows the frequency distribution of subject matter areas tunich were taken. The greater number of persons pursuing or having com— t>leted bachelor and master degrees account for the greater frequency of sstibject matter areas with international content, The totals for each degree level given in Table 12 must ESE be c:<)nstted as the total number of courses reported to have international <2 c>ntent. For example, it was possible for one person to have more than II<3 history course with international content. The mentioning of the ~55‘1113ject matter area, regardless of the number of courses, consrituted 1: Else frequency of mention. Six (20%) of the study group neyer encountered a course with in— 1: €? Irtiational content in their educational preparation. Four of the six 1 . . . g1.£3«fii advanced past a bachelors degree, and one of the four was pursuing a ‘ -_ . " j . - ‘ C3<3cmxms degree. The combined program majors (bacheltr, master, doctor de _ . . .. . ., EslTeees) of hese six people were: elementary education (2); SOCiology <7 22 - . . . . . > 9 industrial arts (1); administration (1); curriculum (1); economics g ‘L D reading (1); and special education (l). V 5’4 Table 12 Subject Matter Areas Judged by Respondents to Have International Content Subject Matter Areas Bachelor Master Doctor Non~Degree Total Responses f f f f f " History 12 u l — 17 25.0 Political Science a 3 — — 7 10.3 Education — u 2 ~ 6 8.5 Government 4 1 ~ — 5 7,4 Geography 3 2 — — 5 7.4 Sociology 2 2 - l 5 7.4 Asian Studies4 2 — — 3 5 7.4 Foreign Languages 3 — - l 4 5.9 International tnderst’nding“ idorkshops ~ 1 — 2 3 u.u English 1 l — ~ 2 2.9 [Economics - l — l 2 2.9 {JorhiAffairS“ l l — — 2 2.9 jknthropology l — — ~ 1 1.5 IDhilosophy ~ — - l l 1.5 liunmn Relations Workshop“ ~ — — l l 1.5 I ndependent Study—A~V Dept. - ~ 1 - l 1,5 Iiatin American Lit., Prob— lems, Archeology‘* — ~ — l l 1.5 Total 33 23 u* “““ ll 68 100.0 *Courses which were interdisciplinary in nature. “*Courses taken by one person while in Peru one summer. ,~ One was in Specialist program. I: oreign Language Background Language Spoken in Home. Six members of the study group reported +1 ‘ _¢ 1 . o ..o o , ‘0 9 9 ~— -1-é3t, a foreign language was spoken, in anoition to English, in the r E:’é3 l‘€?nt's home. One respondent, who is Irish, learned Italian as a result g3 - “y - . . . . , . , , - f: ¢.lv1ng in an Italian neighborhood in New lork City. U1 UI Foreign Languages Studied. French, Spanish, Latin and German were the foreign languages taken in school and/or college by members of the study group. Seven teachers had taken three foreign languages, ten teachers had taken two foreign languages, eight teachers had taken one foreign language, and fire teachers had never taken any foreign language. Table 13 reports the distribution of foreign languages. Table 13 Distribution of Foreign Languages Spoken in Home and Studied Language Spoken in Home Studied Other French 1 16 Spanish 1 14 Latin 12 German 2 7 Ukrainian 2 ,Russian* 2 Polish*‘ 2 Iiungarian* l l (Izechoslovakianufigg “Can read and understand conversation. ~""'~‘One person can read, both can understand conversation. **“Spoken in neighborhood, can read, write, converse. “*”*Can understand Conversation :Vféstionality Background Most members of the study group reported having a mixed nation— nglishand French descent) rather [7'] £3 :1 ity background (i.e‘,relatives of of German U) ‘tZE1.£an having a “pure“ nationality background (i.e , relative (:1 eScent alone). English (l4), German (9), Irish (8), French (4), and ‘95‘Infersican (4) backgrounds were mentioned most frequently. Of the four :E‘€355{30ndents who were considered to have American background, three were \_: ITO and one was uncertain as to the background of his relatives pre— c: A . , . . . ,. EEGEding his gradnparents who were born in the United States. 56 In general, the interviewees responded according to their parent's background, so the respondents wexe mostly first or, at the most, second generation Americans. A very few who were born in a foreign country im- plied they had been reared in the United States. Experhames Abroad Kinds of Experiences Abroad. Experiences abroad were classified as follows: study; -tudent and teacher exchange programs; travel on a tourist basis; and established risidence (i.e., living with parents who ! worked in a foreign country and military service), in Seventeen (56.71) of the thirty study group members reported hav- ing been involved in one or more of the four kinds of experiences abroad. Twelve of the seventeen had been involved in only one of the four kinds of experiences. Nine of the seventeen members had been abroad once only. The other eight had been abroad from two to ten different times, with the average being about 3.5 tines abroad. Of the five persons who had established residence abroad, all but one were in the military s>rvice at the time. The other person lived in Mexico where her father operated a business. Table 14 shows that of the four general areas of the world, Europe and Latin America were visited most frequently by members of the study roup. Asia was visited third most frequently and Africa was never 0w 3, Table 11+ Location Where Respondents Had Four Kinds of Experience Abroad Experience Africa Asia Europe Latin America Total Res~ f f f f ponses Stinly O O l 2 3 Exchange Program 0 O 4" l 5 Travel 0 2 5 8*“ 15 Live (Resident) O 2 3 2 7 Total 0 Q l3 13 3O *Two people visited the Ukraine. “*South Pacific ***One exchange program in French—Canada is included here. *“*‘Two people visited the West Indies. fl“ *7—__”_“ ‘ u ““ ‘1 Duration of Experiences Visits lasting less than four weeks were reported most frequently. These were due largely to such experiences as repeated, short visits to Mexican border towns, short trips to the West Indies and other tourist— typs travels. Six months to two years abroad were reported by those who were in the military service, by those who were in a teacher exchange program and by the one who lived in Mexico with her parents. Student exchange experiences usually lasted anywhere from two to ten weeks in duration. Influential Factors Process <3f Becxuning Thwnfessixnrally Irrxnlved Of the thirty people who were interviewed, ten (33.32) reported that they volunteered to participate in committees, organizations or programs because of an interest in international understanding. Three 38 (10?) said that they volunteered because they felt it was expected of them, eight (26,7?) claimed that they were asked because they had demonstrated an interest in international understanding, andtnne (301) reported that they were asked for reasons such as: Someone was needed to serve and a Negro from the area was needed. Three of the nine never knew why they were asked. Selected Comments, ”I asked a member if I could join the inter“ national unde‘standing committee.” "I attended the first meeting and was very much impressed. I '! joined voluntarily. ”A sheet was passed around with names of various committees. We had to sign for at least one, so I chose the social studies curriculum ccnmnittee." “Since I was the only fourth grade teacher with experience, I was asked to work on the project." "They were desperately seeking members for the committee, so I agreed to serve.” “A college professor said that I must belong to the organization because I was studying curriculum. Because he expected me to join, I "I was recommended and then asked because I was the only Negro who was in this area and I had shown an interest in teaching international understarnling." "I’ve never been a great joiner. Being close to the university and being the only teacher of world history, I was the likely person to go to conferences. Of course, I was interested even though I didn’t " look for such assignments. n -- J‘._._——-.———_ -‘_l._ __ i ~ .. .a ’. Influential Pe op le Initial Professional Involvement, Responses to the questiOI, that persons were of the greatest influence in your becoming professionally involved in committees, organizations or programs promoting international 79 PJ U! understanding the very first time? are given in Table . Two people responded that it was completely a personal decision. The rest (93 3 ) mentioned from one to three persons who had an influence on their be~ . . ,. . . , . . . ,. t coming profesSionally involved in the area of international understanding. 1' It should be remembered that twenty (66.7%) of the members of - the study group were either asked or persuaded to participate in com— mittees or organizations the very first time they became professionally involved in promoting international understandin . (’0 Development of Interest. Questions were asked concerning people who were influential in a respondent's becoming interested in inter— national understanding. Family (mother and father), friends and ac— quaintances, college professors and teacher colleagues were mentioned most frequently as the most significant individuals. This is in con~ trast to the single most important group, school administrators, cited nmst frequently as the most important in one's becoming professionally involyed. Table 15 shows the difference most clearly. Kinds of Influence. Tableslé and 17 report the responses to the question, "What was it about them or what they did that had an influence on your becoming involved and interested in the area of inter— national understanding?” Because some members of the study group were influenced by more than one person, and because in sone cases, there was rnore than one attribute about a person that had an influence, many dif~ fFerent reasons were given. 60 Table 15 Persons Mos: Influential in lurir‘ging About Respor‘idents' t Interest and Involvement in he area of International Understanding Persons Named Interest Involvement Total Responses f f f ” College Professors 17 u 21 17.u School Administrators 4 16 20 16.3 Fe eign Friends/Acquaintances 14 l 15 12.u Teachers I know ll 4 15 12.u Parents 12 ~ 12 9.9 Speakers once heard 7 3 10 8.3 College Classmates 6 — 6 4.9 Friends/Acquaintances 6 ~ 6 4.9 Committee Members 1 3 u 3.3 Missionaries l 3 u 3.3 Relatives u H u 3.3 Coordinator of Religious Student Affairs 1 — l .8 Director of Student Exchange Program 1 — l .8 Director of YMCA — l l .8 Executive Secretary of NRA Depart. — l .8 Total 86 35 121 100.0 Only in the case of factors influencing interest were negative influences reported. Seven (23.3”) members of the study group gave negative situations which impressed them. Six of these seven also gave examplesof positive influences. Selected Comments. (Positive Influences) “She wheted my appetite. She made the study of other people so fascinating. Her enthusiasm rubbed off on me." "He had been a host to foreign students before and was quite enthus— iastic about it all. He pointed cut some merits of what he was doing and I became involved . " 61 Table l6 Reasons Certain Persons Here Respondents Becoming Interested and A: ea of International Ul‘nh3rsta1nling Influential in the Involved in the "> _ 11’1‘»'01‘».c‘ Total Interest Positive Influences Encouraged by people,who demonstrated a cere interest in internationa understanding, interested and/or involved to become . d about interests and values associations tirough personal with Lea rne directl foreign peoples and/ or dif fell Respected and accepted more readily what people said and did knowing they had personal foreign experiences. Parents encouraged interest in world affairs respect toward other peoples. atui/or peoples and cultures Identified with certain wh o. wa s krmneing scumgone being studied by a feeling fRnreigN. This gaxx E7€sllow teacher recommended an organization of information and £353 one of the bestsources nneaterials. invitation to attend a conference more than an impe- the general public. Personal ITIésant so much a ddze 858d tC “*elopments IL-éiczture on educational next (3 ED‘selcped an interest in what other £3 l‘e: doing in the field of education. interest in French brought about a [~1‘7)tlher’s '3: and this was were foreign languag -, CT I“ i ‘5 Eiat lo\e for ign peoples \ 13‘1‘ éansferre d to fore C3 iifffeyent and exotic. S I l F>€saker spoke of internationalism as £3 , r1<3 respectable, and this encou: aged 1: s (3 devote more sin— 18 of ()thel‘s IS >nt ethnic groups. of famil iarity. rsrnal UCtiCL because they time to international matte- 1-4 U1 in England countries patr iotic 1 person lent f (I O p J. 19 H 11} U1 ~.- ResponSes 31.3 2 P" 2.8 F“) o l>-‘ h“ 62 Table 16 - Continued ' ' H ll "‘45 \‘W‘x'e— " )t Pos1t13m2 Inrllh:nCcS 1 tL-k- t Irlk l , ‘ ll al ment Respotses f f f 5 1.2 p...‘ Speaker made person realize that ethnic, l 0 national and religious differenCes do not alter the way all people feel as human beings. ,_.J C p_J has informed of an organizatiun and ways in 1.2 { it could prcmndxe international tnnherstanding‘ Total 66 17 83 100.0 —_+___‘_._>i . ~ I _ .l r‘ "Through some foreign friends I learned more about their home life “‘1‘— and their interests than I cauld have ever learned from books, as far as a feeling is concerned," "The foreign experiences and contacts and interests of a fellow teacher were most influential. I learned a lot, and her attitude was n contagious. irect contact with foreign people in many countries. C1. ”She has She has intimate friends abroad and she continues to 'x'is it many cc.;untrit~s," "My father demanded that I read a lot and took me to meetings down— toxcn where we met with many different foreign people." "He had a ritual in my home where we all had to read the newspaper bsffcare sitting down to eat. The dinner table was a place for us to dis— CllSES the news, local,national and inte:national.” (Negative Influences) "I had a cousin who was very religious. \Vft She wished they would catch and kill all the JaDS. My mother wrote E‘eT‘ a letter telling her it was pnur for her to think that way.” “I sort cf rebelled against my parents' negative attitude toward S (‘3 .~ .3 - ._ , . _ . _ . . . ~“k3 <.thnic groups and went in the other direction.” "Khen I was a child, I began to wonder why ay parents and other foreign people had a negative attitude toward the United States." Table 17 Reasons Certain Persons Were Influential in the Respondents Becoming Interested and Involved in the Area of International Understanding Negative Influence Interest Involve- Total ment ResponSes f f f 37:: Intolerance, disrespect displayed towazd 7 O 7 33,80 others, Friends lack of knowledge and interest about 2 0 2 18.48 foreign peoples and world affairs. Relatives disbelief of most everything as a l 0 l 9.24 result of experiences in Russia, Cmeater interest, on the part of certain I 0 l 9,24 teachers, in books, units and materials than in factors that are most important in develop- :ing international understanding. ESEDeakers distorted conception of Russia. 1 0 l 9.2a Iieelocation of Japanese friends during World I 0 l 9,24 1&7 a I“ II . Total 13 0 13 100.00 of the total responses given to the question, ”What was it about 4... . o o n ‘— Eléeuxcm what they did that had an influence on your becoming I1“t:erested in the area of international understanding?" 86.46 i; t: 1_\2<3 in nature and 13,543 were negative, involved and I were posi— Special Events and Situations Because many situations and events occurred in relation to significant people who were influential, it was difficult to separate events from important people. Without losing the individualistic character of the different situations, Table l8 presents the few events that were not related to specific people. The selected comments under "exposure to foreign peoples and cultures” in Table 18 reflect similar responses concerning reasons certain persons were influential (see Table 16), The reason ”exposure to ethnic groups” and "exposure to foreign peoples and cultures” are considered separately is because the fcrmer refers to American citizens with different ethnic backgrounds and the latter refers to citizens of other nations. Effectiveness of Experiences Abroad Eleven (64.6%) of the seventeen members who had experiences eabroad reported that they developed greater interest in the area of :international understanding as a result of their foreign experiences. (Zonversely, thirteen (76.7%) of the seventeen members stated that they <3 id not become more professionally involved in the area of international thiderstanding as a result of their experiences abroad. Table 19 gives £3 breakdown of the effectiveness of experiences abroad in developing lirltEFESt and involvement in the area of international undesstanding. (IN UVI Table 15 Special Situations and Events that Influenced Respondents to Become Interested and Involved in the Area of International Understanding S ituation and Event f s Selected Comments IDrofessional Pre— 10 33.3 paration and exper— ience Elxposure to foreign 9 30_O E>eoples and cultures (lelirch involvement 3 10.0 EZDonsure to ethnic 3 10.0 g I‘ CUPS "My interest in people who are different can be traced to my interest and work in the area of special education." "I natur— ally assumed I would become involved in this area because I was pursuing a foreign language in college," "Personal teaching experiences made me aware that students are not learning to be analytically criti— cal, but just critical for its own sake." "I was discouraged by the obsolete, stereotype and Western cultural orienta- tion in textbooks and materials.” ”The problems of adjustment foreign children had in school made me acutely aware of the needs and difficulties of these chil— dren." ”When I saw the French language come a— live on billboards, etc. in France, it gave me a different look at what I only knew existed in books." "Contact with foreign people at a conference left an inner feeling which impressed me emotion— allv. I became more interested in foreign people." "Coming in actual contact with foreign peoples, mores, habits, and be— liefs, made me realize there are other points of view and that we must know these to better unde:stand world happenings." "We were always doing things for others,” ”My early childhood contact with nuns and religious activities caused me to think of others.” ”Religious teachings support human understanding.” "I lived in an ethnically—mixed neighbor— hood where I learned to live with people who had different values, ways of livhig, etc.” "My contact with different races made me see people differently than most 9' others . "Table 18 continued ESituation and Event f Selected Comments 'Iravel in the U.S. 2 [Death of loved ones 1 imilfiorld War II Ehfperiences Abroad Influenced Non—Prof— esssional Involvement* 2 12.1 14 52.3 \ *One person did not answer. 9 67 Reasons Experiences Abroad Were Influential. The majority (74.83) of responses were positive in regard to the reasons experiences abroad were influential in either developing or maintaining interest or involvement in the area of international understanding. Two nega— tive reasons accounted for 10.h¥ of the responses and three ”no res— ponses" completed the total of nineteen responses. Table 20 identifies the responses according to positive and negative reasons. Table 20 Reasons Experiences Abroad were Influential in Developing or Maintaining Interest and Involvement in the Area of International Understanding f % Positixe Reasons Developed a more positive attitude and tolerance toward foreign peoples. 9 £8.5 Reinforced a predisposition toward an interest in this area. 1+ 21.1 Became curious about other Countries. 1 5,2 Negative Reasons Aggravated by servicemens' disrespect and in— tolerance toward foreign peoples. 1 5,2 Shocked by inability of U.S. students to discuss intelligently American values, ideologies, etc. 1 5.2 No response 3 15.8 Total 19 100.0 6b Selected Comments. "I got a better understanding and apprecia- '0 tion of foreign peoples. ”I obtained a different attitude about the Japanese. It was more positive despite the wartime situation." I I?) “I got a real awareness of U) imilarities and merits of wais c v living, etc., of other people.’ '7[ became curious as txaxchether (n‘tnit other countries luri similar problems as those I saw in the Ukraine." ”Over my four year stint in the navy, I learned to realize the responsibilities America had to other countries in helping them solve their problems." ”A trip to the Soviet Union with U,S, students made me more concerned about the need to develop a curriculum to teach better inter— national understanding, and to teach students to be more analytical.“ "I saw the world and found out that other people besides Europeans ”My family background steered me toward becoming involved in the area of international understanding. My experiences abroad simply added to it." "My experiences influenced me more than anything else. I developed an increased interest in subject matter concerning international under- 7! standing. 54.1 "I became intereste; in studying a little more about places I had seen.“ Course Influences The extent to which a respondent gave specific examples of the way courses were influential in the development of interest and involve— ment in the area of international understanding determined how the res— ponse should be recorded in Table 21. For xample, two or more specific (C examples of course influences constituted a "some" response, one example was considered as “little" and no example was recorded "none." Table 21 Course Influence on Respondents to Become Interested and Involved in the Area of International Understanding Program Some Little None Total Responses f F‘ f M“ f v: f 3:: Bachelor 8 26.7 10 33.3 12 40.0 30 100.0 Master 2 7,4 10 37,0 15 55.6 27 100.0 Specialist 0 1 25.0 3 75.0 100.0 Doctor 0 3 100.0 0 3 100.0 Non-Degree Courses 2 9,5 9 42.9 10 47,6 21 100.0 Total 12 14.2 32 37,6 40 47.2 85 100.0 The majority of combined responses (47.22) indicate that courses q at various egree levels had no influence on the development of interest f‘\ or involvement in the area of international understanding. A minority (1#.1 ) set of responses showed certain courses as having ”some” in— fluence and 37.7% of the responses indicated "little” influence. Com— gared with other degree levels, courses at the bachelor's Leoree level were most frequently mentioned as having “some” influence. None of the specialist or doctoral degree candidates reported courses on their '1A ' respective levels as having some' influence. 70 Table 22 shows three categories in which course influences are classified. Responses pertaining to influences which emanated from personal relationships or attributes were classified ”Personal Ex- periences.“ Responses concerning subject—matter content only were classified "Academic Experiences." Khen members of thestudy group mentioned both pessonal and academic influences as being important in the development of interest or involvement in international under— standing, they were classified as one response in the category "Com— bination Experiences.” ”Personal Experiences“ made up 50% of the responses, and "Academic Experiences” made up 23.13 of the FCSPOHEQS, Although many specific reasons were report)d why certain courses here influential, one reason was mentioned repeatedly. Contact with H) O '1 m H- JD gn students and different ethnic groups was singled out most fre~ quently as an important part of the total education experience. Table 22 Kinds of Course Influences and Reasons Respondents Considered them Influentia in Developing Interest and Invc lvement in the Area of International Understanding f % Selected Comments Personal Experiences 13 50.0 "I had outstanding instructors. Their knowledge of the subject matter area and their foreign background and exper— ience stimulated my interest." “My con- tacts with foreign classmates and other ethnic groups broadened my outlook and allowed me to see others’ points of view." Combination Exper- ‘ 26.9 "The course content was most informa- iences tive. But the contribution of foreign stud nts node it more realistic." “Gen— y, none of the courses contributed to international understanding. However, ‘\J Ir 1 Table 22 continued f 3 Selected Comments they did begin to develop a framework of appreciation toward other peoples, a frame of mind more conduciye to inter— national understanding." 0\ 23.1 "They node me conscious of areas of die world not usually taught in elementary and secondary courses,” "I learned to see the need to keep probing for answers in an ever—changing world.“ Academic Experiences Total 26 100.0 Implications for Curricular Programs Academic Preparation to Promote International Understanding Through Teaching Adequate—Inadequate Preparation. Table 23 shows whether or not the academic preparation of the study group members was considered ade- quate or inadequate to promote international understanding through teaching. At all program levels, except the specialist, the majority reported an inadequate preparation. At the bachelor's level, 80% reported an inadequate preparation. Inadequate preparation was also reported by 66.73 of the members who were pursuing or had completed the master or doctoral programs as well as the non—degree courses. Half (50?) of the specialist candidates said their preparation was in— adequate. 72 Table 23 Adequacy of Respondents’ Academic Preparation to Promote International Understanding Through Teaching Program Adequate Inadequate Total F 1 f ‘ f Bachelor 6 20.0 24 80.0 30 Master 9 33.3 18 66.7 27 Specialist 2 50.0 2 50.0 4 Doctor 1 33,3 2 66.7 3 Non—Degree Courses 7 33.3 14 66.7 2l The percentage scores in Table 23 are calculated separately for each program according to the total number of people who had com- pleted or were pursuing a particular program. The respondents gave their definition of the terms ”adequate" and "inadequate” when they explained 32: their academic preparation was adequate or inadequate. Reasons for Academic Preparation. Responses to the qUestion, "How were your college courses or degree rograms adequate in preparing you to teach about international understanding?” were very similar to those responses concerning the reasons c rtain courses were influential in developing interest and involvement in the area of international understanding (see Table 22). Selected comments show the diversity of reasons for adequate preparation and give an idea of the feelings under— lying the type of academic preparation. Selected Comments. ”Professors with personal experiences abroad were more impressive and gave an added dimension to the courses they taught." "Certain courses stimulated me to think more about world problems and their solutions."* * See Table 22, "The only way my master’s ,rogzam was adequate was that I learned to think analytically." ”A broad, general education rather than a specialized field of concentration was the reason for an adequate preparation.” "Courses which I chose in all my programs, non—degree courses also, were relatively broad compared to the traditional Western cultural focus found in required courses. Although there were very few courses with non~Western content, I sought them out.” "I emphasized techniques rather than subject-matter content. This equipped me to better transmit what I had to teach others." ”My predisposition was such that the courses I took added to and increased my desire to learn more about and acquire a real feeling for foreign cultures.” "The college atmosphere was the kind that opened areas which I hadn’t been exposed to before.” "I'm now choosing courses which give me what was missing in my earlier educational background.” "The non—degree courses I chose filled a void in my academic preparation, as far as a background in non—Western culturesis concerned." Reasons for adequate and inadequate academic preparation to promote international understanding through teaching were reported ac— cording to courses and/or programs. Therefore, one person could repcrt reasons for adequate 33d inadequate preparation depending on the program or courses to which he was referring. For example, it was possiblefbr a person to report that his undergraduate program, as a r.J whole, was inadequate, but a single undergraduate course was beneficia and adequate. i ill I. it Ill-l I'll ill-ll .111]. ill ,‘lkill! l. I i I‘IIIIIIII' \J Reasons for Inadequate Preparation. The reasons for inadequate ’ 1 preparation to teach international understanding are similar to the reasons given for not taking more courses with international content. Table 24 shows the majority (56.3?) reported a dearth of courses which were oriented toward international understanding. A lack of interest H- n international understanding at the time a particular progran1was ‘M taken accounted for 28.l: of the respon U) H) e . And 9.41 of the responses attributed a neglect of the non—Western world to an inadequate pre- paration to promote international understanding through teaching. Selected Comments. "Largely because treaties, economics, tres ed in courses on international (I) (I) politics and current events are understanoing. They do not serve the human element which is crucial for human and world understanding." “Theory of methodology was stressed instead of informative content." ”For one thing, the focus was on European cultures." "The courses I had lacked the approach courses take today in critically evaluating situations in the world.” “Very little attention is given to international understanding at the university and high school levels." "There was virtually nothing in my undergraduate program that oriented me in the area of international understanding.” "Limitations of a small school prohibit availability of p:o— 'v fe sors who would teach courses relative to this area. (I) U) "I got more out of my forensic classes because I was working in debates with two foreign students.“ \J U1 "My experiences abroad gave me far more than my courses. The courses were whollv inadequate in their approach. Any man off the street can read a text and tell children what's in it.” Table 24 Reasons for Inadequate Preparation, Unsystematic Development and not Selecting More Courses with International Content Reasons Inadequate Unsvstematic Limited Course Preparation Development Selection f % f % f 1 Degree programs neglected area 18 56.3 14 43.9 20 54.0 of international understanding Not interested in area of in— 9 28.1 4 12.5 10 27 O ternational understanding at the t ime . Develop competencies in other . 5 15.4 5 13.5 areas Focus of social science on West-3 9.4 ern cultures Unrelated experiences during life u 12.5 As a result of teaching respon— 3 9.4 sibilities Other 2 6.2 2 6.3 2 5.5 Total 32 100.0 32 100.0 37 100.0 Hay in Which Interest and Involvement in the Area f International Understanding Developed n .- on . 1e ues 'on ','u vou ecome '1 res e .'n— I resp se to t‘ q “t1 V, 'Di‘ _ b irte t d/lT volved in the area of international understanding as a result of sys- A”)?! 3' tematic, deliberate planning or unsvstematic, incidental event 76 twenty—seven (91,7?)‘ of the respondents reported that interest and involvement evolved incidentally. Reasons for Systematic Development of Interest and Involvement. The three members who regarded their approach to the area of international understanding as systematic and planned gave the following explanations; ”My whole childhood experiences were in an atmosphere that was rich in foreign exposure. This germinated an interest and direction in a type of college program that had international implications;" "In addition to my family background, I always wanted to travel. These two things catsed me to become interested in the area of inter- '9 national understanding; and "I went out of my way to take courses, host foreign students in my home, volunteer for committees, and so on, because I was always (0 (D U) fl (t x” . flit Each of the three members cited early childhood experiences within an internationally—oriented family environment as the foundation for any interests and involvement that developed. Reasons for Unsystematic Development of Interest and Involvement. The reasons given for an unsystematic, incidental development of interest and involvement in the area of inteznational understanding are consis— tent with the reasons given for (I) not taking more courses with inter- national content and (2) an inadequate preparation to promote international understanding through teaching. Table 24 illustrates this relationship. *Actually, one person reported that he became interested because of early background experiences which led into fairly systematic events, but became involved because of unsystematic, incidental events. This was calculated as 1/2. The 91.7% really represents 27 1/2 persons. 77 Selected Comments. "The purpose of an elementary education background is to prepare a person for teaching elementary grades and H in (.1. not to prepare a person for international undesstan 0Q "There is little opportunity ftr concentration in this area be— cause of the incidental treatment of courses and when they are made available." "My interests were in subject matter areas quite different from those that would have exposed me to international understanding." "If one is aware of relationships among humans, it is natural that he would become interested or involved with foreign peoples." "I became interested gradually. It is as though I've always been this interested. It's part of my personality.” U) r4,- LT r4 m "I've been interested in many different things. I gues brought me to the area of international understanding.” "The chance opportunity to sponsor a club which was concerned with international understanding leu to other kinds of involvement.” "1 really have not had an interest in international understand— ing. It just happens that I've done a few things that are part of my job of teaching." “Teaching history and a foreign language brought about greater involvement and a personal emphasis in international understanding." Reasons for not l'aking More Courses with International Content. Table 24 reports two major categories in which most responses fell when the respondents were asked, "Are there any reasons why you haven't ’3?! taken more courses with international content. \J If. Selected Comments. "I QEV35 knew of any courses that were offered.“ "They dixh1“t offer stmfli courses ummni I went tn) college," 'Ifliis is a new thimmg. There just aiemi“t many, if arm , courses ayailable.“ ”My interests changed after taking a course which exposed me to international understanding." '9 "I had other interests when taking undergraduate courses. ”I had to take the required courses." “There wasn't room for other courses." "My program was set, and there was little freedom to choose courses I wanted to take." “Since I'm going into administration, there’s no need for me to take such courses." "I took courses that would hlep me be a better all—around teacher." ”I needed to freshen~up in the area of math." "With family and teaching responsibilities, I just didn't have time to continue taking courses." "The basis for international understanding lies in human under- standing. Therefore, courses in psychology are most important and these are what I’ve taken." “Being a Negro,I wasn't encouraged to pursue academic areas that led to or pertained to careers where my race was not allowed." Mrst Important Characteristics of Individuals Who are Involved in International Asepcts of Education Table 25 reports the opinions of members of the study group concerning personal qualities of individuals who are inyolyed in inter— national aspects cf education. The responses were classified according H n to ”Personal Qualities and "Academic Qualities. Characte‘istics which pertained to a person's personality, whether they were oriented toward oneself or others, were classified as “Personal Qualities." Character— istics that were related to knowledge, its acquisition or dissemination, were classified as ”Academic Qualities." Fifty—eight (75.4?) of the responses concerned ”Perscwel Qualities." Twenty (23.6%) of the seyenty—eight responses were related to “Academic Qualities.“ Suggestions Concerning Important Curricular Elements 1 Responses were categorized into two main sections, 'General” and "Teacher.” The "General" responses were so classified because of their general applicability at allleyels of education,elementary through graduate school. Responses which were directed specifically to problems or situations that are peculiar to teachers were grouped' under the "Teacher" section. The ”General” category was diyided into two sub~groups, "People— :4" 01.. lentt‘ K: 'J) emha U) and “Content~oriented." Suggestion izing the importance of people were separated from suggestions concerning subject matter content. The curricular elements presented in Table 26 were suggested by members of the study group on the premise that their inclusion in curricular programs would bring about greater interest in international k. ‘ understanding. 50 Table 25 Most Important CharacteristiCSLf Persons Involved in International Aspects of Education Qualities f 2 "Personal" Self—oriented Liberal, open mindedness. 12 15.6 Ability to promote effectively the cause of inter— 7 9.1 national understadning. Be influential. Be a good citizen. u 5.2 Ability to reason, think, criticize analytically. 2 2.6 Ability and desire to meet with foreign people. 2 2.6 Ability and fortitude to stand behind own convictions. l 1.3 Love and lack of fear of the unusual l 1.3 Total 29 37.7 Other—oriented have feeling, empathy, basic respect toward people and 22 28.6 their cultures and religions. Tolerance. Have interest in other people~not self-centered. 7 9.1 Total 29 37.7 Total "Personal Qualities" Sb (75 u ) 'chadennic” Acquisition of Knowledge Know subject area well. 5 6.5 Keep pace with developing conditions and information. 4 5.2 Knew111is.or3rt3f ottuzr ccunitries. 3 3,9 Know American culture and history. 2 2.6 Have background in geography l l 3 bility to communicate in a foreign language. 1 1.3 Total l6 19.4 Dissemination of Knowledge have a desire to teach abcut international understanding. 4 5 2 Total "Academic Qualities" 20. (24.67)) Total Responses 78 100.02 El Table 26 Curricular Elements Considered Important by Respondents in Developing Greater Interest in the Area of International Understanding Curricular Elements f "General" Content—oriented Introduce concepts in early years of education. 11 11.2 Emphasize basic similarities rather than differences. 7 7 l Integrate subject matter areas. 7 7 l Up-date content and concepts. 7 7 1 De—emphasize textbook approach. 6 6.1 Develop foreign language proficiency 5 5.1 Develop geographic awareness. a 4.1 Inject more non—Western content. 3 3.1 Eliminate stereotypes 3 3.1 Develop strong background in America’s cultural 2 2.0 heritage. Total 55 56.2 People—oriented Provide contact with foreign peoples. 25 25.6 Give more attention to human relations. 7 7.1 Involve pa rents . 5 5 .1 Do things for others. 3 3.1 Provide more counseling for course and program 2 2.0 selection. Study people according to regions rather than races. 1 1.0 Total 43 u3.9 Total.'WSeneralf’eslements 98 (100%) "Teacher" Expose teachers academically to the international 12 63.3 dimension. Make information available to teachers regarding 2 10.2 the work of organizations which promote inter— national understanding. Allcw released time for teachers to participate in l 5.3 activities promoting international understanding. Utilize a school consultant in international under~ 1 5.3 standing. tse more audio-visual techniques and materials. 1 5.3 Table 26 continued Curricular lements f Prepare teachers who have had experiences abrcad to l 5.3 use their knowledge and insight effectively in the classroom. oreign peoples l 5.3 Prepare teachers who visit or host f to be able to effectively inform them about the American cultuze. Total "Teacher“ elements l9 (lOO%) Cf ninety—eight “General" curricular elements, fifty—five (56.2? were content—oriented and fo ty—three (43.9?) were people~oriented. A significant percent (25.65) of the people—oriented suggestions referred to the importance of contact with foreign peoples. Content—oriented suggestions were distributed fairly equally. Twelve suggestions (63.3%) which were aimed at teacher prepara— tion programs showed a desire for more courses that would orien teachers to the area of international understanding. And it was sug— gested that this be done more deliberately as part of the requirements for completion of teacher preparation programs. Selected Comments. (Content—oriented) "The focus of attention must be developed during early years of education at the elementary 9 level.’ “Similarities should be stressed. After all, they are the bimding factors of the human race. Hyper—analysis tends to»lose this and stresses differences too much.” “Subject wetter areas should be integrated so that focus is on cultural areas rather than on segmented, unrelated subject matter content." 53 “Teachers need to be informed of the nest current concepts. Misconceptions will go unnoticed and perpetuated if they arent informed differently." "How can you teach international understanding from textbooks ’) that refer to Soviet people as ruthless. besides this, textbooks are sterile." “It’s surprising what you can learn about other peoples when learning a foreign language. Of course this depends on how it is taught." "Geography should be introduced in its broadest sense. Economic and political geographies cf cnfluer countries. ll think Americans are geographically illiterate. It should be mandatory in all high schools in the United States." “I'm learning a lot about people that are overlooked. Slavik, Near East peoples and others not part of traditional Europe are too often not stressed in schools.” WCe should know about our own country's history, geography, economy, political ideologies, etc. before going into depth in other nations." "Superficial experiences should be avoided. For example, dressin g in costumes of people who are being studied could increase stereotyping rather than decrease it." (People—oriented) "Contact with foreign peoples and countries should be encouraged. There is no substitute for direct relationships with people of foreign cultures." "If we’re interested in changing the attitudes of children, we can’t (discount tine parents’ :higluence." 54 ”he need to do much more with self—understanding. If a person can Lnuharstand liimself the can twitter tnuderstaxnllathers. Intelwuitional understanding should be used as a vehicle for better understanding human behayitr and relationships.‘ “By doing things for others, we learn to like others and ap— preciate them more." "I needed more counsel in developing my programs and working out my course Sequence. I really had poor advisement." The following selected comments are related to the "Teacher" group of classified suggestions: "Teacher education programs should I) O m be designed to include learning experiences and exposure to factor- international understanding. Teachers need to have more knowledge about the area of international understanding if they are to teach it. They tend to shy away from teaching about other peoples and cultures When they don't know about them and therefore have to study up on them." "Organizations which promote international understanding should make information more available to teachers, Things Rust don't filter LlCXJIl. "You’ve probably noticed that most state organizations consist of administrators. Part of the reason for this is because they can get away from their jobs more easily than teachers. A teacher needs a substitute." "Too many teachers like myself don’t have a background or interest, and therefore don't teach about international understanding. What is needed is a specialized teacher or, if possible, a coordinator to act as a consultant in a system or even a building." ”There are menu (hwcices and netxn‘fials that are useful in teach: ing international understanding. There are T,\', programs, films, 9? tape recordings, use of the telephone, etc. ”What happens to those teachers who have taught abroad? Too many of them don’t know to capitalize on their experiences and use them effectively in the classroom. We need to develop programs to '1 train such people to utilize their experienCes. “I became involved in hosting foreign students and taking them around to see the American way of life. My problem was I didn't know how to react with these people and how to give them a good, clear understanding about our way of life,“ S u mma r y —— Specific aspects of the data analysis appear to be significant and deserve attention. In the general category ”characteristics of the study sample," matters concerning invc-lxement in the area of inter— national understaneing are noteworthy. The educational background of the study sample is also revealing, especially in re, do SJ ’1 C... H- .". (‘f '44 (Y Social science and vocational emphases which had a dominating effect in undergraduateéenmj graduate programs, The section dealing with the factors which influenced interest and involvement in the area of international umlerstanding is signif i— cant because of the concerted effort to identify reasons certain factors were influential rather than the factors alone. 56 A third significant aspect is the section which concerns implications for curricular programs. The data suggest the need ELF a critical look at programs at the elementary, secondary, under— graduate and graduate leye -‘ .L K. s of educatitnu (HQXPTEYL‘J SLWDRRY, O‘NERALIZATIONS AND RE"CMNENDATIDNS Introduction Chapter V is organiZed in :hree sections. The first section is a recapitulation of the study’s desire. The second section pre— zations which were drawn from the data. And the H. the general \4 ’I) ’T, :3 of U) section cites some recommendations for further study and action. H) r; 'J m p. J The Purpose This tudy was undertaken for the purpose of determining what U) to become interested '1) factors influenced a selected group of teacher 5 and involved in the area of international understanding. The basic I) -1 assumption underlying the study was that indiviruals, especia 1y teachers, become interested and involved incidentally rather than systematically. Population and Sample For the study, two committees and two organizations, which are recognized for their contributions toward international under— standing, were selected as sources fwr the population. The committees are the Michigan Department of Public Instruction’s Committee on International Understanding and the Michigan Association for Supervision 87 68 and Curriculum Development's Committee on International tnderstanding. The organizations are the Michigan Council for the Social Studies and the People—;o~People program. Teacher-members were chosen as the popu— lation. Three focal points were used in the selection of the study sample: equal numbers of both sexes; as equal a representation as possible of elementary and secondary teachers; and as close an equal distribution as possible of teacher—lembers from the four organizations. because there were so few teacher—members in the two committees, it was necessary to refer back to their 1960 and 1961 membership roll (I) to acquire an adequate representation as well as an appropriate number for the study sample, Teachers «ho participated in at least one of the four source I!" for the population were presumed to be interested in international understanding. The degree of interest was as varied as the degree of involvement in organizations, committees and programs which were as- sociated with developing international understanding. Data Collection A schedule was developed to collect the data by means of a per— sonal interview. Members in the group studied were interviewed in their homes, except in six cases. Four of these six interviews were in the researcher‘s office and two in schools. The schedule was standardized and consi:ted of both open and closed—ended questions. The former type of question provided the op" portunity to probe whenever it appeared advisable to obtain clearer and more complete answers or explanations to important questions. 59 . - . “Q9. 1 ~*’“ 5‘ ‘ " ‘5. v y ‘ v.11:\ ' In every instance, the Intelxlcket: the l€:pOH:l\€ aid willing to answer questions with little, if any, hesitation, Host of the (1' (L H- O H‘ 14 ,_J (D studv group demonstrated an eagerness to contribn study and cooperated in every way possible. Within forty—eight hours after each interview, the data were transposed onto tables or cumulative recorCs. Tmis procedure was used ,4 to eliminate as mudi error as possible due to lapse of memory, 1! addition to this, the procdure gave more structure to the data collec— tion process and provided a chance to determine more quickly certain The major categories in which information was collected were: 5“lected aspects of the teaching experience; presence of interest befcre involvement; involvement in the area of international under— standing; educational background: international aspects of educational experiences: foreign language background: nationality background; exper~ iences abroad; process of becoming professionally involved; influential U) people; special event and situations; .ffectiveness of experiences abroad; course influences: way in which interest and involvement developed; academic preparation to promote international understanding through teaching; m:st important characteristics of individuals cho are vestions concern— involved in international aspects of education; and sug ~tant curricular elenent H ,3 0'} HI 3 'U O ’4 (H 90 Limitations l. Since this was an exploratory study, the nature of signifi— cance of relationships between certain variables was not in the purview of the study. 2. It was not the intent of this investigation to study an indiscriminate cross—sample of teachers, but to study a select group which had demonstrated interest and professional involvement in th area of international understanding. 3. Individuals responded according to their own perceptions of .a cause—effect relationships regarding influential faCtors, Generalizations This study was not undertaken to provide definite conclusions, but to generate a few generalizations which may and should be regarded as hypotheses ftr further study, Questions are posed with related sets of generalizations with hopes of highlighting (1) possible bases for further study, (2) certain implications for college, high school and elementary programs of a general education nature, and more specifically, (3) certain implications for the preparation and in—seryice education of teachezs, as well as non—teaching educators. The generalizations C8n.be applied at this time only to the sample of this study, t U) [.4 I Teachers in this study group generally acquired an intere in international understanding before becoming professionally involved in promoting it. Related questions: ON Greater professional than non-professional involvement in L organizations, committees and programs promoting international understanding is practiced by teachers in this study group. ¥ s study group became professionally in (fixed M Teachers in th in organizations, committees and programs promoting inter— national understanding more as a result of invitation than upon their own in it ia t ive. a. Kill involvement in committees, organizations or pro— grams promot ing inte rna t ional unde rs tand ing gene ra te interest in the area of international understanding? re ts U) ('0 b. In what way and to what extent are related int and experiences transferred from avocational to voca- ituationsT rt r. C, :1 m *— (I) C, Is there any difference in the degree of cormitment teachers hare toward vocational and avocational interests? I“; HJ I What factor: encourage or discourage active participation Ho / P. f"? r‘l (I m ) in professional and non—professional act I Teachers interested and involved in the area of international understanding generally have a social U) cience undergraduate major. Teachers interested and involved in the area of international understanding generally select non—degree courses which are related to the social sciences. Teachers interested and involved in the area of international understanding generally enjoy the social sciences and humanities 92 most and the sciences and mathetatics least throughout their education, elementary through graduate school. Related questions: 7. a. Are there personality differences between teachers who are interested and involved in the area of international understanding and teachers who have other interests and areas of involvement? m m t, Are there personality di erences among teachers who I are interested and involve: in the area of international r) 0 understanding Cl. r4~ c. If teachers with fferent academic backgrounds and inter- ests were provided similar amounts and kinds of inter— imilar interests and involve- u) national exposure, would ment in the area of international understanding develop? Do teachers generally select non-degree courses that (L are related to the academic areas they teach? Teachers, more often than not, pursue a specialized graduate program in the field of education which is not related to their undergraduate major, Exposure to international content dininishes as teachers progress from undergraduate to graduate prograne. Teachers do not take courses that are internationally oriented primarily because of two major reasons: such courSes are not available due to program restrictions or lack of offer— H. ,3 J9. (I) O ’4 r" nterests in other academic areas persist. Teachers interested in the area of international understanding gen— erally accredit the former reason as the most important. 93 Inadequate preparation to promote international under— ’3 standing through teaching was attributed primarily to the absence of courses that were oriented toward international understanding at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of education, Related questions: of a person’s formal educa— U) (+- [D ([3 (D /5\ (I) v a. At what time(s) or tion would exposure to international content be most effective in developing interest in the area of inter— 7 national understanding; To what eytent and in what ways do institutions oi learning give attention to international content in courses with the intent to promote greater interest in the area of international understanding? How restrictive are educational in regard selection of experience: that provide inter— I to the national enqm sure? i To what extent and in what ways do institutions of higher learning prepare teachers to promote inter— national understanding through teaching? 11. Members of this study group regarded school administrators as having a strong influence on their becoming involved hi activities related to international understanding. l3. *4 U] 16, ‘2 .1 p“: O 94 College professors, especially those who have had personal experiences abroad, were mentioned most frequently by members of this study group as having a U) trong influence on their becoming interested in other peoples and cultures. First—hand, personal experiences with peoples of different ethnic backgrounds were reported by this study group as having a strong influence on their ueyelopine interest (I) in the area of international understanding A home environment which facilitates and encvurages ex— posure to foreign peoples and ideas, and learning of international matters was reported by this study group to have a strong influence in developing interests in the area of international understanding. This study group was influenced greatly bythe enthusiasm and encouragement of others who were interested and/or in— yolyed in the area of international understanding. From observing other peoples' intolerance and disrespect toward peoples of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, certain members of this study group developed an interest in the area of internatimal understanding. Courses per se generally had little or no influence in developing interest and involyement in the area of inter— national understanding. (I) According to member of this study group, experiences abroad, regardless of their duration, generally had a strong influence in developing greater interest in the 93 area of international understanding. The same e:-:perience abroad generally did not influence professional or non- S profe“sional involvement in the area of international under— standing. Related questions: a. Are there any relationships between the extent teacher are involved in the area of international understanding and the type of administrators with whom they work? I) b Are teachers less apt to participate voluntarily on committees, organizations or programs if administrator do not encourage such participation? c. What opportunities are provided teachers at all level U) of education to gain personal experiences abroad and to relate such experiences to the courses they teach? I) d. What efforts are made to prepare teacher; at all level of education for the experiences with which they will be conlronted when visiting abroad? What efforts are made to utilize the experience U; ('0 teachers have abroad? f. 'To what enftent 8112 instiinitions (fl? leaLWIing prmn iding opportunities for students to have persoml contact with peoples of other cultures? (In. To what extent are institutions of learning evaluating their programs in terms of promoting interest in the area of international understanding? S .q 3 i! ll! ilg‘... 1!‘ I‘Iil 19. h. To what extent are institutions of le‘rning, es— pecially elementary and secondary schools, encouraging parent and community interest and participation in the area of international understanding? i. To what extent do inyididuals who have had experiences abroad realize the importance they play in developing interest (or possibly discouraging interest) in the area of international understanding? Members of this study group generally consider international content as being more a part of the social sciences than other subject matter areas, This applies to their exper— iences as college students and teachers, In general, teachers become interested and involved in the area of international understanding as a result of unsystematic, incidental events . Teachers, for the most part, attribute their unsystematic, una ll C 0L international understanding to the ticipated outcomes, and incidental approach to the area lack of international orientation in their undergraduate and graduateprograms. Teachers in this study group Generally believe that, among O many possible curricular improyenmnts, the following two curricular elements would contribute greatly to Generate interest in the area of international understandin inclusion of concepts which would help germinate under— (I) arid tlirc. tanolng among peoples; and exposure to foreign peoples 1 cultures at all levels of education (early elementary lugh graduate education), —, I I 23. 'feachers :hi this P‘WWJP consider} D‘- study following two qualities as the most characteristics of persons who are involved in national aspects of education: a demonstrable respect and tolerance toward others: and a minded approach to teaching about other Related questions: a. In the study of foreign peoples and practiced by institutions of oreaniza t ions and L, programs all levels of education to develop interests area of international understanding? are they? libe peoples culture to encourage teachers in general, the important pe rs onal inter— belief, ral, open— and cultures. s peculiar at incor- interest c. To what extent are institutions of learning porating some of the more commonly expressed suggestions for curricular p;m.,»grams to develop greater the area “)5 international understanding? d. To what extent are institutions of ing ba s ic people in international aspects as desired of their curricular ‘ criteria for the selection of (1) U) C4: U) f—Jo '4 0 (D C) Of programs as [>6 learning Consider— hnportant for education ..~ 1 Mk? 1 L 1‘s(3zirie-l'? 98 In addition to the foregoing generalizations and related ques— tions, the following recommendations are cited: ll Thi study should be replicated by both the personal inter- (I) view technique and the questionnaire technique, 2. Selection of a population should he node on a broader scale to include more than Michigan teachers who demonstrated an interest in the area of international understanding through their inxl'ol'.-'etr.1ent in committees, organizations or programs whitfii protuflxa inteiwuational innjerstatnline. 3. To -tudy the interest and involvement persistence Or this q tuty should be considered. A U) sample group, a follow—up similar longitudinal study might be possible with members of the whole population as defined in Chapter I, or as suggested in recommendation number two. a A comparative study should be made of planned educational experiences designed to promote international understanding to determine the composition of influential factors and the responses to them or results of them. Concluding Statement The plea for all undergraduate prolessional schools and programs to take cognizance of various means of furthering international under- standing is becoming more audible. P- It s especially important that the many teacher training programs provide their students with the competence required to make them ffective primary and secondary school teachers. At a time «hen school curricula are being changed to meet the challenge of world 99 affairs and when new, imaginatively produced materials are in— creasingly available, the need for teachers adequately pram pared to interpret the world scene is unp: ece lented.Db The significance of the above quote lies in the need for al teachers to be adequately prepared to interpret the world scene. Of utmost importance, however, is the need to place all efforts aimed at stablis hing greater interest and understanding of other peoples and cultures in proper perspective. Klineberg points out this need most effectively when he reports: Any program of attitude change will fail of its objectives, how- e‘w er, Unless it is realized that the problem has many aspects, and that no one approach by itself can possibly be effective. Attitudes are created and modified by the home and by the school; they have emotional as well as intellectual components; they are responsive to social pressures as well as to deep psychological needs. They haye many dimensions, and they must be approached rom many different directions. It is not enough to recognize that the problt m is wt--io‘men ional, and that therefore the at— tack must be multidimensional as we ll_ This recognition must be translatxxi into ef fecficr e actixnn, so that (nu-'Reducatixnual cf— fens i'e, " in the wild est sense of the term, may have the best , ”7 le chance of succ cess.3’ 56lhe Committee on the College and hozld Affa izs. op. cit , D. D7Klineber Ho r4- Ir} 3\ g, C)p,. C .i APPENDIX A FWJ C) t. .J lNllTRVIFKQ SC HPIN.LE Piese nt and Pas t In erest 1. This year, in what aspects of international undo s taniing have \Ou be en nost interested“ 2. KChatitrthez‘ intetwssts liane: yoiiliad in ttné area) of intyarnat.ional unler taniinh before this year? 3. Her: you interested in the area of international understandim; bcf tore or after you became professionally involved in committees, prcgraxs, or organizations promoting international understarding? before, after (a) If afte':, “shy? Pr‘e sezrt arni Pas t: In tilytnkwit #. This yea: , in what committees, organizations, clubs or pro— g ams whi ich promote lHt“*”aLlHd81 unucrstantin haye you been professsiwnallyr inxolxwxfl as a IMHHch? (a) ifiiis year, yflult confeqyzzices., programs, (fir meetidggs haxe d to international undezst 1 person in education) 5 ‘ you attended that V rtaine (AttendeC as a professiona 5. How have you been professicmally inyolyed as an educator in the field of international understanding before this year? (a) How haye you been involved, not professionally as an educator, in the area of international understanding? (Organizations, Committees, clubs etc. in which your ‘position as ena CKU ath‘ is or was rnd: the reascni for your in ml ement) How many years haye you been it“ 01 , not professionally as an educator, in the area of international under:tanding? years. I 6. How many years haye you been professionally invoiyed as an educator in the field (d3 hibernational understanding? year. 'I) 7, How many years haye you been in teaching? year Process of Becoming Inyolyed 8. How did you become professionally inyol ed in committees or organizations or programs the Very first time? Fx) :3 (fl ignificant Others 9 \Jhat.txn sons twang of ilk? greatest. infliniice in yxnni becoming 3r prr- irs ti A professionally inyolyed in committees, organizations P1) grams promoting international Lumbarstanding the very ney did that had an ed in the area of (a) \{hatzxcas it atniut tlrsm cn‘ what: t influenCe on your becoming inyoly international understanding? 10. What persons were of the greatest influence in your becoming really irtercsted in the field of international understanding (a) What was it about them or what they did that had an influence on your becoming interested in the area of international innusrstanling? (probe) Looking back over the years, can you think of one or possibly more than one person who might have been influential in your becoming interested in the area of international understanding? (SUCH AS membe. of your family, friends and acquaintances, teacher-, I) ftnxsigxi pecnplc, (nullege: prcfi‘s, stmsaken s ymni'ye lieai\3,.et:. (a) What yen; it about thenitn‘xduat they did that tuii an influence on you? E. Special Situations and Events r fi— 11‘ Can you rerenmer any particular situations or events that might "'\ --inter‘ ted in the area of international understanding. -—in olyed in the area of international understanding? haye been influential ll1}1nnf becoming—— es F‘ Educational Background 12. What degrees do you ha c? (circle appropriate one(s) below) What majors and minors did you take? (fill appropriate blanks 1L8 10\\') BA or BS: Field Major Minors (l) (2) MA or MS: Field Major Minors (l) (2) : lield Major Minors (l) (2) (a) Elmit degremxs are ywmlycorkiing on lune? bluit are ywusr we nors and minors? : Field Major Minors (l) (2) (b) Haxe yxni taken ainv courses (Hit no, If yes, in what subject areas wer L. Tlll‘ <1 (if U) . . ~~~~’) C(JLLi2CD; Side of your degree programs? e ya 1’) 11;. 14. 10' . a Did you take any coursus that had a dcfinitc intcrLaLinna urientatiun in you---BA u: BS: ycs, no. In ‘(ilat SUbjkjc t 81-6.‘Eis ".\-\i :‘C tilk) B'? i“ or MS: YQS, no. How many? In what areas were they? yes, no, Hmw many? In what ‘ v \"\ u" area: flung thcl. A . \ ‘ — ' yin ‘ ." Q A purses: ye:, n1. nuw Man\. In what su areas wcrc thty C") (a) Atnz there zany reaswuis why'y111 ha xmu't tan: with international contvnt. In which way were your RA or B5 Gum‘s-.3 01' you €n matic, unsystematic. (b) Inyolyed: Systcmatic, unsystomatic. (C) Explain your answers‘ say 126:?" plan~ 104 G. Foreign Experiences 17. Have you eyer (1) studied abroad, (2) participated in a student or teacher exchange program abroad, (3) traveled ahroad, or (4) li ed abroad f1 a period of time for reasons ercluding the above three? 1 cle the appropriate one(s) (a) If you hayc, give me the fol information: Study (date) Exchange Pzngl (date) y—‘J O (1 ’7. H 0 . 4 fl \J U Africa Asia ELMN)pe La t in Amer ica _ Irayel (date) Liye (date) Africa Asia Europe Latin America n‘ OH: H. (b) How long were you abroad at any one occas 18. Did you become interested in the area of international under— standing as a result of any of your foreign experiences? yes , 110. (a) Why? (b) Did you become professionally involved as an educator in the area of international understanding as a result of your foreign experiences? yes, no, (a) Why? (c) Did you bcCome involved, nct professior , as an educator ' in the area of international understanding as a result of your foreign experiences? yes, no, q (3?? ? 5 (a) .J (D y._.| P4 (A (8) Why? or if yes, in what way: 1 Biographical Information 19. What language(s) were spoken in your home? 20, What foreign languages did you take in school (college included 21. How proficient are you in one or more foreign languages? (speaking, reading, writing) m peakin iwxniing ynfiting understxuvding Ctuvmsrsation UQ . ' "‘ ”'1 gth fair k) f\) Khat is your nationality background? t-J L.) hkale , f\:malc: 24. In what states did you receive your education? elementary secondary unlergraduate graduate \I) In what countrie- . \{ha 1: g a K 1 2 3 Q 5 6 7 8 9 10 ll 12 collece l 2 3 4 ’ 7‘? to J] -"rade levels ha‘ce you t K) 1\ L. What subjects have you taught? (a) Typical elementary g1fami subjects yes, no, (b) Other (c) Which :ubject(s) included international content? (Circle appropriate one(s) aboye) I [-4 (v (I) U: (‘1' 27. Mhat subjects haye you etjoyed......Most (a) elementary school (b) secondary school (c) under 1graduate (3) If preferences have changed oye?_th:_years, asK why. Suggestions and Opinions 25, (Personal Qualities) In your opinion, what are three mos t imptrtant characte :i that a person who is in‘wol‘ d in international aspects of 3 . ',‘ education should posse (1‘ U) 29, (Curricular Experiences) What would you consider to be, at least two, important ele— ments of curricular programs that would de elop more interest, (Hi the {Mn t of el>xm11tar\ .seconda:3', and cx>llege stnilents +- and in-se 1 ice ea che rs, toward the field of international education ‘ f 30. What elements would strengthen the way international under— standing is treated on all le“el s (elementary~college-in—seryicc education)? e there othez‘tmyints which ywiitnight consign: important to this stulx that we have not discussed? A PPENDIX B FA C) x: MICHIGAN STATE D WI\ SITY East Lansing College of Education Office Phonez35 home Phone: 33 A study of selected t1achezs in Michigan is being conducted for the purpose of determinirg what factors were influential in their becoming inte: sted and inyolyed in the area of international unu )r‘tandine. Since more teachers are demonstrating an interest and invol.ement in teaching and promoting international understandino, knowledge of in- fluential factors should be yaluable in d eloping curricular experignces of school and college yuuth. It is also e):pect<2 d that such information Cou1 ld aid in the deyel opment of effective prepa ation piogtams for teachers who will find theuee W1 ' teaching about foreign peoples and cul ture . Because you haye been in\ol\ed in the area of international undo 11tdflGlP‘ it is hoped that you will participate in this study and thus cont1ibute, in another way, to something that is of interest to you. The end of a school year, I realize, can be yery pressing; howe\e , if you could manage to schedule tine for an interyiew which takes about sixty minutes, I would appreciate it yery much. The interview consists of a series of open—ended questions which pertain to your present and past interests and inyolyement in the area of international unde1stand- ing, your academic background, and particular situations, eyents and people that influenced you to become interested and in\ol\.ed in the area of international understanding. In a few days I will be contacting you, probably by phone, to arrange an appcintment for an inte ryiew If you \11 sh adoititnal intormation concerning the study, please feel free to contact me, Dr. Charles Blackman, or Dr Stanley Kronski at the College of Education, Michigan State Uni\e‘sit\ I shall be interyiewing during the month f June. Since you live in the same geo1g13phic locality as do others in the study, of necessity I must schedule seyer'l interyiews on the same day. You can help me by giving some thought to alternatiye times when I might interview you in your home, at school, or any other suitable location. If you plan to be at Michie an State Unix1.rsity sometime this summer and if it would he cotyenient for you to arrange an appointment at my office, please let {me know tn: calling uw cunllect. (l) }..J :3 0 (11 *< (I F“ Walter G. Williams, Jr., Assistant Instructor 513 I, (Hullege of'ljjucaticmi K(LR{ 'tio BIBLIOGRA PHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Articles atheriodicals Allport, Gordon W., et. al. “The Interview: A Tool of Social Science," Handbook of Social Psychology, Addison—Wesley Publishing Co., Inc , Vol. I, 1934, Bennion, Milton. ”Teacher-Training Curricula for Development of International Lhuterstandine,” Scfinwvl and Societx, \131. J4, October 2Q, 1931. Burnham, Paul S. and Ramsey, Robert R., Jr. ”Study