AN ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ATTITUDINAL CHANGES IN SECONDARY VOCATIONAL TEACHERS Thesis for the Degree of Ph, D. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MARIE CAROL SCHRAG r 1972 ' W ‘ J .rfr.'.1.nzm.-r.."4.In.‘ m....~.- -...<.... , V. ‘ e _.... <¢A.A_ 3~ e'. z, . H , .. , ~ v. A“.(3.4-..ux-I«_v.:1,u.s awhnufiJA-van - "- .1 ' " "t “ " "v" I _. . MI...‘ ‘..;...I ..‘I‘-nu....m,w. Ivat‘fil' v-.|....-..yu~!.vI u v-4‘-.~ ..;.. ‘ H ‘ . xv. ‘ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII L. . . , .~ if?" .1..1. n.’ “hi"? 'W- 1-: ~‘. ( - ti: Oar. u u ' Uni” .; -IL.’ 5 m. .5“ This is to certify that the ' l thesis entitled 1 An Assessment of Selected Attitudinal Changes in Secondary Vocational Teachers presented by Marie Carol Schrag has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for GDP\ 9 degree in [/0 (gildflflp chBfiHD] “I" BINDING BY ' HA8 & SENS H0 830K BINDERY INC. LIBRARY BINDER ‘ SPRINGPOIIT memes \. I I‘ S ‘6 6‘“ OWLAOLK Jude—n %W’”‘"“ Zim S‘s—#90; “‘ '4' I “TI-fit '2 Q I 81' ABSTRACT AN ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ATTITUDINAL CHANGES IN SECONDARY VOCATIONAL TEACHERS by Marie Carol Schrag A current issue in education concerns the attitudes which enhance effective teaching. How can beginning teachers be assisted in their role adjustment and in the development of attitudes which will'» lead to teaching success? Role adjustment is frequently compounded in vocational education where many new teachers lack college degrees and formal teacher training. The answer may partly lie in induction programs. The purpose of this study was to examine: (1) changes in confidence for teaching; (2) changes in Openwmindedness; (3) the relationship of years of teaching experience, level of education and number of education courses taken to these factors; and (4) the relation- ship of the changes that occurred to the varying lengths of the orientation programs. . The teachers at three new Michigan Area Vocational Centers which Opened Fall, 1971, participated in the investigation. The Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching and the ggkegch Dogggtism §gg;g_were administered to the teachers three times: on their first day of‘work; after teaching three weeks; and after teaching six weeks. Marie Carol Schrag The Centers had varying orientation program.lengths of twenty-two, twelve and seven days. Test scores on the two instruments were analyzed for variances among the three teacher groups and the three time periods. Background information was gathered on the first day of employment and compared to test scores obtained at the same time for the entire group of vocational education teachers. Within the lhmitations of the study, the following conclusions seem reasonable based on the findings: 1. Vocational education teachers will become more open-minded through orientation and classroom teaching. The total sample displayed a significant change in Open-mindedness during the time periods addressed in the study. Vocational education teachers vary considerably in their confidence for teaching. A significant difference existed in the confidence for teaching test scores among the three teacher groups irrespective of time. These differences among groups could be explained by varying school policies and practices in areas such as: teacher selection criteria; program offerings; and the atmosphere created by job interviews plus the first orientation day. Vocational education teachers do not significantly alter their confidence for teaching in the short run. A significant difference did not exist in the confidence for teaching test scores among the three teacher groups when the interaction of the three time periods was considered. The data does not support the notion that the length of orientation for vocational education teachers affects their apen~mindedness and confidence for teaching. Marie Carol Schrag 5. Open~mindedness of vocational education teachers is positively related to years of teaching experience, educational level, number of education courses taken, and confidence for teaching. 6. Confidence for teaching of vocational education teachers is positively related to years of teaching experience. However, confidence for teaching does not have a significant relationship to the educational level or the number of education courses taken. The investigation of confidence for teaching and Open- mindedness offers a new dimension to vocational education research. The findings of this study suggest possible interpretations of confidence for teaching, open-mindedness, and background information in relation to teacher role adjustment, length of induction programs and hiring practices. AN ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ATTITUDINAL CHANGES IN SECONDARY VOCATIONAL TEACHERS BY Marie Carol Schrag A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 1972 J .I '1. LT, Vla- a ”y I"? . '. I v (a) I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their guidance, time, and availability, I thank my committee chairman, Dr. Lawrence Borosage, and committee members, Dr. W. J. E. Crissy, Dr. Maryellen.McSweeney and Dr. Rex Ray. I sincerely appreciated the c00peration of the three Area Center Principals, Mr. Robert Fry of Kent Skills Center, Mr..Allan.Mathison of Southeast Oakland Vocational Education Center and Mr. John Xenos of Southwest Oakland Vocational Education Center and their teachers. Special gratitude goes to my close friends and my family for their encouragement, patience and endurance. For time and resources, I thank my employer, Oakland Schools. For her speed, accuracy and expertise in typing dissertations, I thank Mrs. Gale Blackstone, my secretary. In addition I thank Mrs. Marjorie Schmidt for her careful proofreading. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables . . . . . . . . List of Figures . . . . . . . Chapter I. OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM . . Introduction . . . . The Problem . . . . Need for the Study . . Questions to be Answered Hypotheses , , , , , Definition of Terms , , Delimitations , , , , Limitations . . , . , Study Procedure , , , Overview of Chapters , , II. REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH , Confidence for Teaching , Teacher Open-Mindedness , Attitudes and Teacher Backgr Attitudinal Changes in Beginning Student Teachers Attitudinal Changes During Orienta and In-Service Programs ound a nd tion III. PROCEDURES UTILIZED IN THE INVESTIGATION Selection of the Study POpulation Description of the Study POpulation Instrumentation, , , , Collection of Data . IV. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA . . . Hypothesis I . . . . Hypothesis II . . . . Hypothesis III . . . . Hypothesis IV . . . . Hypothesis V . . . . Hypothesis VI , . . Hypothesis VII , . , Hypothesis VIII , . . Hypothesis IX , , , . Summary of Hypotheses , iii Page vii \ommwombNI—‘r—ar—I 11 15 17 21 24 31 31 31 36 39 41 41 44 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 Page v. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMlENDATIONS . . . . . 59 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Recommendations for Further Research . . . . . 64 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................66 APPENDICES A. Teacher Background Information Form . . . . . . 74 B. Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching . . . . . 76 C. Rokeach Dogmatism Scale . . . . . . . . . . 79 iv Table II. III. IV. II. III. IV. VI. VII. VIII. XI. LIST OF TABLES Chapter III Education Level of Teachers . . . . . . . . Number of Education Courses Taken by Teachers . Years of Previous Teaching Experience. . . . Dates When Instruments Were Administered . . . Length of Initial Induction Program . . . . . Chapter IV CLIT Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analysis of Variance Table on Confidence Level for Teaching . . . . . . . . . . Dogmatism Scores . . . . . . . . . . . Analysis of Variance Table for Open-Mindedness . . . . . . . . . . . Product-Moment Correlations . . . . . . . . Significance of Correlations . . . . . . . Correlation Between Confidence for Teaching and Open-Mindedness . . . . . . . . . . Correlation Between Confidence for Teaching and Years of Teaching Experience . . . . . Correlation Between Confidence for Teaching and the Number of Professional Education Courses Correlation Between Confidence Level for Teaching and Level of Education . . . . . . Correlation Between Open-Mindedness and Years of Teaching Experience . . . . . . . . . V Page 33 34 35 39 4O 43 44 46 47 48 49 49 51 52 53 54 Table Page XII. Correlation Between Open-Mindedness and Number of Education Courses . . . . XIII. Correlation Between Open-Mindedness and Level of Education . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Chapter V 1. Relationship Between Length of Orientation 62 and CLIT Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. CLIT Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 2. Dogmatism Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 vii CHAPTER I OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM Introduction A current issue in education concerns the attitudes which enhance effective teaching. How can beginning teachers be assisted in their role adjustment and in the development of attitudes which will lead to teaching success? The answer may lie in preservice and in- service education. Role adjustment is frequently compounded in vocational education where many new teachers lack college degrees and formal teacher training. Therefore, induction programs become of paramount importance in vocational teacher role adjustment. The Problem The purpose of this study was to examine: (1) changes in confidence for teaching; (2) changes in open-mindedness; (3) the relationship of selected background data to these factors; and (4) the relationship of the changes that occurred to the length of the induction program at three Michigan Area Vocational Centers. Need for the Study Studies have shown that the attitudes of teachers have very powerful impacts upon student educational achievement.1 In addition teacher characteristics have been deemed important. The Coleman report stated that teacher characteristics accounted for a higher prOportion of variation in student achievement than did all other aspects of the school combined.2 The two attitudes (confidence for teaching and open-mindedness) investigated in the present study have been identified as particularly important in the teaching field. Many writings address themselves to the self-concept and the importance of self-confidence. According to Bowers and Soar, successful teaching requires the teacher to be well enough adjusted that much of his energy is not eXpended in dealing with his own intrapersonal tensions. He must be able to perceive himself and others clearly and represent himself honestly in communication with 3 Other authors discuss the relevancy of Open-mindedness. others. Rokeach described Openness to change as one of the essential personality characteristics of beginning teachers. If desirable teacher behavior change is to take place, the teacher must have an attitude which is open Report of the National Advisory Commission of Civil Disorders (New York: Bentam Books, 1968), p. 429. 2 James S. Coleman, et a1., u ' o du ion 0 uni (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, 1966), p. 12. 3Norman D. Bowers and Robert S. Soar, "The Influence of Teacher Personality on Classroom Interaction," Journal ofigxperimental Education, XXX (June, 1962), p. 311. beginner--and given the time and assistagce he needs to develOp his own teaching style. Questions to be Answered How confident is a teacher on the job's first day? What changes in the level of confidence occur during the first few months? How open-minded is a teacher on the job's first day? What changes in the the level of open-mindedness occur during the first few months? Several studies have related confidence to teaching success. For example, Tyler found that confidence scores differentiated between successful 7 Therefore, assessing changes in and unsuccessful student teachers. the confidence level becomes extremely important. To a great extent, effective teaching is a process of sharing one's self with others. Inadequate personalities find this very difficult to do. The ability to involve and to share one's self with others in highly dependent upon the individual's own feelings of personal adequacy. To set an example, a teacher must show that he possesses the courage to look at himself and his beliefs without being defensive. In addition to a feeling of adequacy, behavior will be a function of much more Specific concepts held about himself as a teacher. Does a longer induction program assist teachers in these aSpects of their role adjustment. In other words, is there any 6National Commission of Teacher Education and Professional Standards, The Real World of the Beginning Teacher (Washington, D.C.: National Education Association, 1965), p. 7. 7Fred T. Tyler, "The Prediction of Student Teaching Success From Personality Inventories," University of California_Publications in Education, XI (1954), p. 312. to change. Rokeach referred to this personality dimension as the relative Openness or closedness of a person's belief system. Role adjustment for the beginning teacher is often greater than anticipated. Allen and Ryan described it in the following manner: The initial teaching experience is a disappointment, if not a disaster. Myriad problems they only vaguely anticipated become searing realities. They did not realize teaching would be so complex. They had not anticipated they would have to be doing so many things at once. They have a hard time finding the pr0per level of communication to use with students. They have difficulty planning and translating plans into classroom activities They don't know why things went right or wrong. Allen and Ryan depict their version of the typical beginning teacher who has completed a college program in education. The situation is compounded for many vocational teachers. Frequently, they come into teaching directly from business and industry without education courses and/or college degrees. With the projected rapid growth of vocational education, the problem of developing meaningful induction programs becomes increasingly important. The National Commission of Teacher Education and Professional Standards states: Induction to teaching must be dealt with as a pertinent stage in career development. A new teacher should not be left to the isolation of his own classroom to succeed or fail depending on his ability, ingenuity, and re- silience. He should be treated for what he is -- a 4Milton Rokeach, The Open;gnd Closed Mind (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1960), p. 395. 5Dwight Allan and Kevin Ryan, Microteaching (Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1969), p. 10. relationship between the length of the induction program and the degree of change in teacher confidence and Open-mindedness? If the length Of the induction program is related to changes in confidence and open-mindedness, then Group I (Center I teachers) with twenty-two days of induction should incur a significantly greater positive change in confidence and open-mindedness than Groups II and III with twelve and seven induction days respectively. Other questions to be answered and relationships to be analyzed are: What relationship exists between a teacher's confidence level for teaching on the first day of employment and selected background information, i.e., years of teaching experience, number of education courses taken, and level of education. What relationship exists between open-mindedness on the first day of employment and selected background factors? Ryans reiterates: Personnel decisions are constantly being made by teacher education institutions in admitting students and by school boards and administrators in selecting and promoting teachers but there is little agreement about the relative importance of qualifications such as intelligence, formal education, pedagogical training, interests and various personal and social characteristics.9 Hypotheses The study was designed to test nine hypotheses: Hypothesis I: Group I will show a greater positive change in expressed confidence level for teaching than Groups II and III. 9D. G. Ryans, Characteristics of Teachers (Washington, D.C.: American Council of Education, 1960), p. 370. Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis Hypothesis III: 5 VII: VIII: IX: Group I will show a greater positive change in open-mindedness than Groups II and III. There is'a positive relationship between the expressed confidence level for teaching and open-mindedness. There is a positive relationship between the expressed confidence level for teaching and the number of years of prior teaching experience. There is a positive relationship between the expressed confidence level for teaching and the number of professional education courses completed. There is a positive relationship between the expressed confidence level for teaching and the level of education. There is a positive relationship between the open-mindedness and the number of years of prior teaching experience. There is a positive relationship between the open-mindedness and the number of professional education courses completed. There is a positive relationship betwen the open-mindedness and the level of education. Definition4g£;Terms Area Vocational Center - a building or complex of buildings designated by the Michigan State Board of Education to be used expressly for providing vocational education programs. High school students attend part-time sent from several school districts. Attitude - A prediSposition to react in a certain way; a readiness to react; a determining tendency. Confidence - A positive self-concept; a belief in one's own abilities; a reliance on one's own powers. Dogmatism - The degree of openness or closedness in a person's systems of belief and disbelief. Induction Program - An orientation and/or professional education program at the advent of a teacher's employment at a particular school. Selfjperception - A personal reflection, reaction or expres- sion of an individual regarding his attitudes, interests, beliefs, needs, motives, and actions. Vocational Education - Education designed to develop specific skills, abilities, understanding, attitudes, work habits and appre- ciations, encompassing Specialized knowledge and information needed by youth and adults to enter and make progress in employment on a useful and productive basis. The term excludes education designed to prepare persons for occupations generally considered professional or which require a baccalaureate or higher degree. The term also excludes education which is intended for all students and is commonly known as General Education. Delimitations 1. No attempt was made to assess the teaching effectiveness of teachers participating in the study. 1. The study investigated only two aSpects of role adjustment; i.e., confidence for teaching and open-mindedness. Only the length Of the induction program was considered; not the quality of the program. M922 Data are valid to the extent that teachers responded seriously and honestly concerning their attitudes and backgrounds. It is assumed that attitudes and beliefs can be accurately reported and that paper-pencil inventories can be used to validly assess them. The collection of data was limited to new Area Vocational Centers in'Michigan which Opened fall, 1971. However, there is no reason to believe that this pOpulation is substantively different than similarly selected vocational education teacher pOpulations. Corre3pondingly, it is believed that the findings of the present study could be generalized to other vocational education teacher populations. Since the entire faculty at three Centers were included in the study, there was no control over the possiblity of varying back- ground characteristics within or among the three groups. Study Procedure A review of literature was conducted in the areas of confidence for teaching; teacher Open-mindedness; attitudes and teacher background; and attitudinal changes in beginning and student teachers. 2. Standardized instruments were examined and two were selected to measure confidence for teaching and open-mindedness. 3. Level of education, number of education courses taken and years of teaching experience were selected as background information to be gathered from participants and utilized as independent variables. 4. Instruments were administered to the faculty at three new Area Vocational Centers in Michigan by their principals on the teachers' first day of work. Background data were gathered from participants at the same time. Post-tests were administered after teaching durations of three and six weeks. 5. The resulting data were tabulated, analyzed and interpreted. 6. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn. Overview of Chapters Chapter 11 provides a review of related research in the area of: confidence for teaching; teacher Open-mindedness; attitudes of teacher background; attitudinal changes in beginning and student teachers; and attitudinal changes during orientation and in-service programs. Chapter III discusses the procedures utilized in the investi- gation by examining: selection of the study pOpulation; description of the study pOpulation; instrumentation (Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching); and collection of data. In Chapter IV derived statistics for testing the hypotheses are presented and a summary made of the results. 10 The final chapter includes: a sumary of the investigation; conclusions; implications; and recomendations for further research. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH The related research is presented in five categories; (1) self-concept and confidence for teaching; (2) belief systems and teacher Open-mindedness; (3) attitudes as they relate to various teacher background aspects used in this study, i.e., educational level, years of teaching experience, and education courses; (4) attitudinal changes of beginning teachers and student teachers; and (5) attitudinal changes during orientation and in-service programs. Confidence for Teaching Some of the research literature investigated concerned the relationship ofinstructors' self-concepts to successful teaching. Many writers have found that a significant positive correlation exists between the two. One example is Good's1 study analyzing self-percep- tions of effective and ineffective teachers. He concluded that: (1) effective teachers are more confident of themselves; (2) effective teachers have a relatively low anxiety level; and (3) the self-concept 1Ronald G. Good, "An Anaylsis of the Self-Perceptions and Other Selected Characteristics of Effective and Ineffective Teachers: A Study Based on the Educational Philos0phy of the Fifty-Year Program in Teacher Education at the University of North Carolina" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of North Carolina), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1969, p. 4373A. ll 12 and self-perceived needs Of an individual are the most fruitful areas of research for determining correlates of teaching effectiveness. In a similar investigation, Gates2 affirmed that effective elementary teachers have a more positive attitude toward teaching than secondary ones. Self-concept scores measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale were compared to supervisor ratings of student teachers by Garvey.3 She found a positive correlation between the two, concluding that success in student teaching is affected, but not necessarily determined by a positive view of oneself, lack of confusion in self-perception, and good adjustment. Tyler's4 results also suggest that confidence for teaching scores differentiate between successful and unsuccessful student teachers. In 1960 Combs5 began five years of research at the University of Florida to assess the perceptions of effective teachers, counselors and Episcopal priests. The following major areas were determined to be crucial in the perceptual organization ofa good teacher: (1) rich, extensive, and available perceptions about the subject field; (2) accurate perceptions about what peOple are like; (3) perceptions of 2Carl J. Gates, "A Study of Attitude, Need, and Personality Trait Correlates of Effective Teaching in Three Selected School Systems" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Southern.Mississippi), Dissertation.Abstr§cts, XXIX, 1969, p. 302LA. 3Reba Garvey, "Self-Concept and Success in Student Teaching," Journ 1 of Teacher Education, XXI (Fall, 1970), 360. 4Fred T. Tyler, "The Prediction of Student Teaching Success From Personality Inventories," University of California Publications in Educ tion, XI, 1954, pp. 233-34. SArthur W. Combs, The Professional Education of Teachers (Boston: IAllyn and Bacon, Inc. 1965), p. 20. 13 self leading to adequacy; (4) accurate perceptions about the purpose and process of learning; and (5) personal perceptions about appropriate methods for carrying out these purposes. Combs6 deduced that good teachers are deeply committed to their points of View because personal involvement is essential if a point of view is to have any significant effect upon behavior. Riddle7 examined intern teachers' role adjustment, finding that their self-perceptions as teachers constituted a major factor in differentiating high and low clarity scores. High scorers lacked conceptions of themselves as teachers. Generally, the latter group had a difficult role adjustment and signifi- cantly lower role performance ratings. Most studies assessing changes in teachers' self-concepts involved student teachers. Dumas8 analyzed the direction and magnitude of changes in student teacher self-perceptions by using the Fiedler Interpersonal Scale. Seventy-one per cent of the subjects improved their self-perceptions during a one semester experience in public school class- rooms while twenty-seven per cent viewed themselves with less favor and two per cent showed no change. Dumas also found that those student teachers who worked with a ”slow learners” section tended to have a positive self-concept change. Lantz's9 research disclosed similar 61bid., p. 29. 7Dorothy D. M. Riddle, "Intern Teachers' Experienced Antici- patory Socialization and Subsequent Role Adjustment" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo), Dissertation Abstracts, XXX, 1969, p. 1055A. 8Wayne Dumas, "Factors Associated With Self-Concept Change in Student Teacher," Journal of Educational Research, LXII (February, 1969), 275. 9Donald Lantz, "Change in Student Teachers' Concepts of Self and Others," Journal of Teacher Education, XV (June, 1964), 203. 14 changes. He concluded that in order for prospective teachers to maximize the development of a positive self-concept they should be placed in non-threatening situations. Reapondents ranked their competence in twenty-five teaching techniques before and after student teaching in research conducted by Hoover, Kaiser, and Podolich.10 Significant increases in teaching confidence were evident in such categories as: conducting classroom discussions; stating behavioral Objectives; constructing tests; managing behavior; and directing study activities. A decrease in confidence was exhibited in: utilizing instructional resources; conducting panel discussions; role playing; and supervising clubs. Two doctoral studies measured changes in student teachers' confidence for teaching using the Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching (CLIT). Czajkowski11 found substantial average increases in confidence for teaching during the internship period. He also determined that scores were positively related to performance ratings. However, Czajkowski found no change in attitudes toward teaching and students as measured by 12 the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI). Similarly Smith's elementary music teachers expressed significantly positive changes in 10Kenneth H. Hoover, L. H. Kaiser, and William F. Podolich, Jr., "A Comparison of Expressed Teaching Strengths Before and After Student Teaching," Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (September, 1965), 324. 11Theodore J. Czajkowski, "Relationship of Confidence for Teaching to Selected Personal Characteristics and Performance of Student Teachers" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1968), 92-3. 12Martha L. Smith, "A Study of Elementary Student Teacher Confidence in and Attitudes Towards Music and Changes That Occur in a Student Teaching Experience" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1969), 155. 15 confidence for teaching with an increase in mean CLIT scores from 168.86 to 186.34. However, negative changes occurred in attitudes toward teaching and pupils as rated by the MTAI. Teacher Open-Mindedness The Dogmatism Scale was develOped and utilized in research by 13 Rokeach. Two generalizations supported by his investigations are particularly relevant to this study: (1) relatively closed-minded persons are less willing to entertain something unconventional or new, and (2) relatively Open- and closed-minded persons consistently differ in their ability to form new belief systems, whether these systems are 14 conceptual, perceptual or aesthetic in nature. Brown15 has shown that beliefs have a powerful influence on behavior. Instructor philoSOphical beliefs pertaining to the nature of man, reality, know- ledge, values, and ethics were the strongest ones. 16 According to Freehill's conclusions, the best predictor Of teaching quality is a scale measuring democratic attitudes. These 17 findings contradict Lewis's when he examined the relationship between 13Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind (New York: Basic Books, 1960), 284. 14Ibid., p. 397. 15RobertIB. Brown, "Experimentalism in Teaching Practice," Journal of Research and DeveloEment in Education, IV (Fall, 1970), 73. 16Maurice F. Freehill, "The Prediction of Teaching Competency," Journal of Experimental Education, XXXI (March, 1963), 311. 17Franklin G. Lewis, "The Relationship of Authoritarianism.as Revealed by the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale and Perceived Effectiveness of Teaching as Indicated by Teachers' Self-Ratings, Principals' Ratings and Supervisors' Ratings" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, North Texas State University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1968, p. 1682A. 16 Open- and closed~mindedness of teachers and the perceived effectiveness of teaching. In general, Lewis found the level of dogmatism.was not related to self-ratings of teacher effectiveness. However, principals and supervisors tended to give higher ratings to more dogmatic teachers. Various other studies have demonstrated that personality 18 utilizing three different aspects are interrelated. Korn and Giddan, scales, revealed that the more dogmatic an individual is, the less tolerant, flexible, and secure he is. Burke19 found a relationship between dogmatism and ratings of interpersonal sensitivity. Saltzman20 asserted that the degree to which a person is perceived as being empathetic and positive in his regard for others is a function of his level Of dogmatism. Research has shown that effective rapport with students is typical of an Open-minded teacher while a dogmatic one tends to dominate. Leeds21 reported a significantly negative relationship between rapport ratings and high authoritarian scores for teachers. McGee22 substantiated Leed's findings. He found that dogmatism scores correlated .58 with authoritarian teacher behavior in the classroom. 18Harold A. Horn and Norman S. Giddan, "Scoring Methods and Construct Validity of the Dogmatism Scale," Educational and Psychological Measurement, XXIV (Winter, 1964), 873. 19W. Warner Burke, "Social Perceptions as a Function Of Dogmatism," Perceptual and Motor Skills, XXIII (October, 1966), 865. 20Glenn A. Saltzman, "Programmed Materials and School Counselor Development" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Ohio State University), Dissertation Abstrpgts, XXVII, 1967, p. 2077A. 21Carroll H. Leeds, "A Scale for Measuring Teacher-Pupil Attitudes and Teacher-Pupil Rapport," Psychological Mbnographs, LXIV (June, 1950), 23. 22Henry M. McGee, "Measurement of Authoritarianism and its Relations to Teachers' Classroom Behavior," Genetic Psychology Monographs, L11, 1955, p. 137. 17 Several studies have investigated the relationships between 23 24 attitudes towards teaching and dogmatism. Rosen, Johnson, Johnston,25 Bacchiano, Schiffman and Crowell26 all confirmed a signifi- cant relationship between dogmatism and negative attitudes toward teaching. However, a high confidence level of teaching correlated with relative closed-mindedness according to Czajkowski's27 findings. Hudspeth28 related dogmatism to teacher attitudes toward the acceptance of new media and graphics. Attitudes and Teacher Backggound Certain studies have examined dogmatism and other personality aSpects as they relate to teaching experience, educational background, and education courses--the variables used in this study. There is dis- agreement among researchers concerning the relationship of dogmatism to 23Juluis Rosen, "School COunselor Dogmatism and Vocational Identity," Psychological Reports, XXIII, 1968, p. 24. 24James S. Johnson, "The Relationship of Open- and Closed- Mindedness to Success in Student Teaching" (Unpublished Ed.D. disser- tation, George Peabody College), Disserpation Abstracts, XXVII, 1966, p. 1282A. 25William W. Johnston, "Dogmatism as a Means of Predicting Insecurity, Self-Concept, Meaning, Attitude, and Effectiveness of Female Elementary Teachers" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of South Dakota), Dissertation Abstracts, XXVIII, 1967, p. 1707A. 26Ralph B. Vacchiano, David C. Schiffman, and Areta Crowell, "Attitude Change as a Function of Intensive Training, Dogmatism and Authoritarianism," Psychological Reports, XIX (October, 1966), 361. 27Czajkowski, Op.cit., p. 93. 28DeLayne K. HudSpeth, "A Study of Belief Systems and Acceptance of New Educational Media With Users and Non-Users of Audiovisual Graphics" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1966), 81. 18 teaching experience. Willower and Jones29 confirmed a positive relationship between years of teaching experience and dogmatism. They found that experienced teachers held more conservative views, Opposed changes toward permissive procedure, and dominated the informal 30 structure of the school. Rabkin was unable to substantiate 31 thesis that veteran public school teachers are more Soderbergh's dogmatic than new teachers. Hyman and Sheatsley32 found that a strong correlation exists between education level and dogmatism. They con- cluded that individuals with a higher level of education are more Open- minded. Plant33 further supported the findings by determining that students become more open-minded as they progress through the college years. Additional studies have investigated changes in the degree of 34 confirmed that a positive instructor dogmatism. For example, Jacobs attitudinal change toward a democratic point of view occurred while prospective teachers were taking professional education courses, but 29Donald G. Willower and Ronald G. Jones, "When Pupil Control Becomes an Institutional Theme," Phi Delta Kappan, XLV (November, 1963), 109. 30Leslie Y. Rabkin, "The Dogmatism of Teachers," Journal of Teacher Education, XVII (Spring, 1966), 49. 31Peter A. Soderbergh, "Dogmatism and the Public School Teacher," Journal of;Teacher Education, XV (September, 1964), 250. 32H. H. Hyman and P. B. Sheatsley, "The Authoritarian Personality: A Methodological Critique," Studies $3 the Scope and Method of the Authoritarian Personality (Glencoe: Free Press, 1954), p. 3. 33Walter T. Plant, "Longitudinal Changes in Intolerance and Authoritarianism for Subjects Differing in Amount of College Education Over Four Years," Genetic Ppychology Monographs, LXXII, 1965, p. 283. 34Elmer 1B. Jacobs, "Attitude Change in Teacher Education: An Inquiry Into the Role of Attitudes in Changing Teacher Behavior," Journal of Teacher Education, XIX (Winter, 1968), 410. 19 negative change occurred during student teaching. However, Kinard35 reported no significant change in Openness during student teaching. The Jacobs and Kinard findings supported an earlier study by Crowell36 who concluded that changes in intern teacher attitudes after an intensive training program were not related to dogmatism. Scarr disclosed that the attitudes of education students towards themselves and others are more authoritarian than other college students, but they changed markedly when enrolled in a human development course. Bledsoe38 compared selected characteristics to performance of pro- visionally and professionally certified beginning teachers. Very little difference was found between the two groups in their reactions to first year teaching experiences. However, trained observers rated profession- ally certified teachers as generally more competent. Beery39 and Hall40 35Conrad R. Kinard, ”A Study of Changes in Openness of Student Teachers During The Student Teaching Experience" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Louisiana State University), Dissertation Abstractp,L XXIX, 1968, p. 1466A. 36Vacchiano, Schiffman and Crowell, Op.cit., p. 361. 37Sandra Scarr, "How to Reduce Authoritarianism Among Teachers: The Human Development Approach,” Journal of Educational Research, LXIII QApril, 1970), 371 38Joseph Bledsoe, et 31., Comparison Between Selected Characteristics and Performance of Provisionally and Professionally Certified Beginning_Teachers in Georgia, Final Report #BR-5-1029 (September, 1967), 280. 39John R. Beery, "Does Professional Preparation Make a Difference?" Journal of Teacher Education, XIII (December, 1962), 395. 40Harry 0. Hall, "Professional Preparation and Teacher Effectiveness," Journal of Teacher Education, XV (March, 1964), 76. 20 found that fully certified teachers were more effective based on 41 determined that administrators student achievement scores. Collins rated trained teachers higher than untrained ones after the first year of teaching. She also concluded that untrained teachers are less committed to the profession based on: the number who left teaching after one year (4.8% of the trained versus 25.4% of the untrained); the number who did not affiliate with any professional organizations (15.9% of the trained versus 36.5% of the untrained); and the number who did not read any professional materials such as journals (11.1% of the trained versus 36.5% of the untrained). Other studies have contradicted the preceding findings. An overall negative relationship between the amount Of teaching experience and teaching effectiveness was postulated by Ryans.42 He reported that the amount of college training appeared to make little difference in effective teaching behavior. Hawkins and 43 Stoops confirmed that formal training and years Of experience are not significantly related to teaching competency. Similar findings 44 evolved from Soar's research. Soar determined that years of teaching 4l’Mildred Collins, "Untrained and Trained Graduate Teachers: A Comparison of Their Experiences During the Probationary Year," British Journal of Educational Psychology, XXXIV, (February, 1964), 82. 42David G. Ryans, "A Study of the Extent of Association Of Certified Professional and Personal Data with Judged Effectiveness of Teacher Behavior," Journal of Experimentgl Education, XX (September, 1951), 77. 43Edward E. Hawkins and Emery Stoops, "Objective and Sub- jective Identification of Outstanding Elementary Teachers," Journal of Educational Research, LIX (April, 1966), 345. 44Robert S. Soar, "Research in the Teaching Process: Four Studies with the OScAR Technique," National Society of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1966, p. 3. 21 experience and semester hours in education were not significantly 45 study correlated with teacher effectiveness. However, Crellin's revealed a slight tendency for subjects with more years of teaching experience to gain less on the measure of attitude change. North 46 rejected his own hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between the number of years of teaching experience and instructor attitudes. AttitudiQQIIChanges in Beginning and Student Teachers Several researchers have analyzed attitudinal changes which take place in student teachers and beginning teachers. In Langana's4 study over sixty per cent of the beginning teachers underwent an unfavorable attitude change toward students and teaching during the first five months of the initial teaching experience. School district characteristics such as number of orientation days, number Of beginning teachers hired, school pOpulation, and the number of in-service sessions had no bearing on the degree and direction of attitude change. Day's48 45David W. Crellin, "Learning and Attitude Change During an In-service WorkshOp in Value Clarification" (Unpublished Ed.D. disser- tation, University of Rochester), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1968, p. 1803A. 46Willard E. North, "A Study of the Relationship Between Teaching Experience and the Factorial Structure of Teachers" (Unpub- lished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Arkansas), Dissertation Abstracts, XXI, 1961, p. 3363A. 47Joseph F. Lagana, "What Happens to the Attitudes of Beginning Teachers?" Grade Teacher, LXXXVIII (September, 1970), 130. 48Harry P. Day, "Attitude Changes of Beginning Teachers After the Initial Teaching Experience," Journal of Teacher Education, X (September, 1959), 326. 22 beginning teachers exhibited a negative attitudinal change toward pupils and teaching during the first semester of their teaching experience. 49 An investigation of beginning teacher problems by Franc revealed that instruction and control were the major concern for the duration of the first year of teaching. Teachers did not perceive themselves as receiving help with problems from established orientation programs or from teacher organizations. Fifty per cent rated college programs as ineffective in preparing them to c0pe with teaching problems. Dewey50 concluded that being placed in a teaching situation prematurely forces neOphytes to concentrate on external forces, such as classroom control, instead of subject matter and the psychological reactions of students. Further support for this type of finding in Campbell's 51 research. Campbell discovered that perceived problems must be recog- nized and resolved with the task of teaching. The greatest concerns perceived were teaching techniques and teacher-pupil relations which confirmed the findings of an earlier study by Henry.52 49Lillian H. Franc, "Problems Perceived by Seventy-Five Beginning Elementary School Teachers" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Columbia University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1971, p. 3389A. 50John Dewey, "The Relationship of Theory to Practice in the Education of Teachers," National Society for the Scientific Study of Education, 3rd yearbook, Chicago, 1904, pp. 9-10. 51Gene Virginia Campbell, "A Descriptive Study of the Effects of Student Teaching Upon Attitudes, Anxieties, and Perceived Problems of Student Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Houston), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1969, p. 3890A. 52Marvin A. Henry, "The Relationship of Difficulties of Student Teachers to Selected Aspects of the Professional Sequence of Education" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Indiana University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIV, 1964, p. 3219. 23 InMcLevie'sS‘3 research fifty per cent of the student teachers reported concerns which indicated a lack of ease in interpersonal relationships. Five per cent viewed student teaching as a personal threat which they did not feel adequate to meet. Some educators recognizing the importance of positive attitudes on the part of teachers have sought to measure attitudes of student teachers. Varied findings have resulted. One such effort by Lipscomb54 measured forty-four elementary student teachers' attitude change and found forty-one students did have a statistically signi- ficant attitude shift even though no specific program was used to achieve this shift. A favorable attitude change toward teaching during the student teaching experience was also found by Rawlins.55 He determined that beginning student teachers tend to perceive they will encounter many problems to a significantly greater degree than they are encountered. Anderson's56 survey, however, found no significant change in attitudes toward teaching and education among fifty per cent of the student teachers. 53John G. MbLevie, "An Examination of Teaching Concerns Reported by Secondary Student Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1970), 160. 54Elra E. Lipscomb, "Study Of the Attitudes of Student Teachers in Elementary Education," Journal of Educational Research, LX (December, 1966), 159. 55George M. Rawlins, III, "A Study of Prospective Teachers' Problem Perceptions Compared With Problems EncOuntered and.Attitude Changes Occurring During Student Teaching" (Unpublished Ed.D. disser- tation, University Of Tennessee), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1970, p. 3397A. 56Sara E. Anderson, "The Changes in Attitudes of Prospective Teachers Toward Education and Teaching in Secondary Schools." (Unpublished, Ed.D. dissertation, Indiana University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXV, 1965, p. 4557. 24 Amidon and Flanders'57 studies suggest teachers should be exposed to some type of human relations. They point out that although there are many patterns of teaching behavior, a positive attitude toward the student was essential for any pattern to be successful. A significantly positive change in attitudes during methods courses and a negative attitude change during student teaching‘were discovered by McEwin.58 Conflicting results were reported by Campbell59 who determined that during student teaching, fifty per cent of the sample had positive attitudinal changes toward teaching while twenty per cent had negative changes. The remainder showed no change in attitude. Attitudinal Chapges During Orientation And In-Service Programs Several researchers have investigated the effects of 60 orientation and in-service programs on teacher attitudes. Fehl determined that an observation-participation program before student 57Edmond J. Amidon and Ned A. Flanders, A Manual for Under- standing and Improving Teachers' Classroom Behavior (Minneapolis: Paul S. Amidon and Associates, Inc., 1963), p. 61 58TomMcEwin, "Attitudinal Change of Students During Methods Courses and Student Teaching" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, East Texas State University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1968, p. 169A. 59Campbell, op cit., p. 3890A. 60Patricia K. Fehl, "The Effects of an Observation-Partici- pation Program on Attitudes and on Concepts" (Unpublished Ed.D. disser- tation, Indiana University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXVII, 1967, p. 3338A. 25 teaching reduced anxiety concerning difficulties. The more hours spent in the program, the more positive their attitudes became 61 substantiated these findings toward teaching and pupils. Funk through an investigation of anxiety and attitudinal changes resulting from a direct program of pre-student teaching professional laboratory experiences. New teachers and their commitments to teaching and job satis- faction were related to an adequate induction program by Koontz.62 He defined adequate induction programs as the total planned program of assistance provided to beginning teachers in their first year of teaching including information at the time of recruitment, pre-school orientation, classroom supervision, establishing a relationship with fellow teachers, in-service programs, and new teacher assignment policies. Koontz found that beneficial results were obtained when principals planned and conducted programs of assistance for the beginning teachers on their staff. The existence of an adequate induction program was significantly related to a teaching commitment and to a high level of job satisfaction. Beginning teachers who were employed in schools which neglected induction programs left teaching or reported planning to leave it in the near future more frequently than those who were employed in schools which provided adequate induction programs. 61Haldon D. Funk, "The Effects of Pre-Student Teaching Professional Laboratory Experiences on Selected Attitudes and Concepts Of Prospective Elementary Teachers" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Indiana University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXIX, 1968, p. 3020A. 62David E. Koontz, "Professional Attitudes of Beginning Teachers and Their School's Personnel Policies" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Kent State University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXVIII, 1968, p. 4416A. 26 Schild63 attempted to determine the characteristics and prevalence of in-service practices. Reaponses to his study items by seventy-three school districts in twenty-nine states led to the following conclusions: 1. The average system provided two formal in-service sessions per faculty member per month; the larger schools seemed to provide fewer Opprotunities. About one-half of the systems planned to expand their programs. 2. Released-time and in-service education were provided in 56% of the systems. Fewer than one-half provided for in-service education in an extended-year program; such a program affected fewer than 8% of the staff. 3. University consultants were provided in 8% of the systems. 4. All but nine districts used some evaluative procedure. Unfortunately, such procedures relied primarily on informal observations and administrative judgments. Many respondents voiced a need for more objective methods. 64 Gerheim and Cory65 found that teachers accepted and valued in-service education programs which were planned carefully, locally 63Robert J. Schild, "A Study of Certain Practices and Some Proposed Directions for In-Service Education Programs in Selected Schools of the APSS" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Columbia University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXV, 1964, p. 315. 64Mearl F. Gerheim, "Teacher Evaluation of the Nature and Effectiveness of In-Service Teacher Education in Selected School Districts" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh), Qissegpption Abstracts, XX, 1960, p. 4339. 65Noel D. Cory, "Incentives Used in In-Service Education for Teachers," (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Indiana University), Dissertation Abstracts, XX, 1959, p. 3145. 27 66 and Lucas67 concluded that the most and cooperatively. Schwalenberg successful orientation programs were those which derived their bases and objectives from.teacher needs and which were based on knowledge of the teachers' backgrounds. The relationships between human-relations training, teacher personality, and teacher behavior were examined by Bowers and Soar.68 They found that the best adjusted teachers become more effective following training but the less well-adjusted teachers become less effective. In a second study concerning the effects of sensitivity training, Soar69 cross-validated his previous findings. According to Kelley,70 workshOp evaluation results have indicated that such experiences help change attitudes or help people acquire new attitudes. One of the most common and important workshOp 66Richard J. Schwalenberg, Teacher Orientation Practices in Oregon Secondapy Schools (Eugene: University of Oregon Press, 1965), p. 110. 67John A. Lucas, The Orientation of High School Teachers (Los Angeles: University of Southern California, 1963), p. 221. 68Norman D. Bowers and Robert S. Soar, Studies of Human Relations in the Teaching-Learning Process, Part V: Final Report, USOE COOperative Research Project #469, 1961, p. 5. 69Robert S. Soar, "Research in the Teaching Process: Four Studies With the OScAR.Technique," National Societypgf Colleges for Teacher Education, 1966, p. 2. 70Earl C. Kelley, The Workshop Way of Learnipg (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1951), p. 112. 28 outcomes is change in attitudes and feelings toward human beings. When attempting to judge the effectiveness of workshOps as a means of in-service training, Karbal71 found the greatest gains to be in help given the inexperienced teacher concerning human relations, school organization and classroom management. Books and Schten72 conducted a workshOp with the objective of renewing and improving positive attitudes toward teaching and students. Significant attitudinal change resulted in a positive direction. Stanley73 found significantly positive attitudinal changes (including Open-mindedness) in teachers during a nine-month in-service program. Variables such as formal education and teaching experience appeared to have little predictive value. Donoghue74 was unable to support his hypothesis concerning a significant relation- ship between participation in an encounter group experience and changes in teacher attitudes toward self and toward students. The relationship of years of teaching experience and educational background to teachers' perceptions of in-service education 71Harold T. Karbal, "Training of Teachers" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, Wayne State University), Dissertpgion Abstrpcts, XXV, 1964, p. 1771. 72WilliamM. Books and Arnold A. Schten, "Investment Pays Off in Attitude Change," Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, 1967, p. 1. (Mimeographed). 73Gene E. Stanley, ”A Study of the Attitudinal Change of Teachers in an In-Service Education Program" (Unpublished Ph.D. disser- tation, Ohio State University), Dissertgtion Abstragts, XXXI, 1970, p. 668A. 74Paul L. Donoghue, "A Study of the Relationship of Basic Encounter Group Experience to Change in Teacher Attitudes Towards Students and Towards Self and to Student Perceptions of these Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, St. Louis University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1971, p. 4001A. 29 was investigated by Turner.75 As both variables increased, perceptions of the effectiveness of in-service education decreased. She identified the following factors as contributing to effective in-service education for a majority of the teachers: (1) relevant and practical content that could be applied in present assignments; (2) freedom to question, criticize, or express Opinions during the workshOps; (3) sharing ideas with colleagues; (4) leadership of the consultant; (5) relaxed and informal atmosphere; (6) personal involvement in the activities; (7) demonstrations with students; (8) new materials that could be used in the classroom. Turner concluded that: 1. There is no single format for in-service education that is effective for all teachers; however, there are elements which should be incorporated into all programs if teachers are to perceive them as effective. 2. The climate in which in-service is conducted is a major ingredient in teachers' perceptions of effective in-service education. 3. Teachers must be actively involved in the learning process, not passive listeners. H. S. Zurhellen76 measured Open-mindedness (using the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale), attitudes toward students, reactions to teaching situations, and self-concept during an in-service education program. He found 75Indie 8. Turner, "A Study of Teachers' Perceptions of an In-Service Education Program in Three Southern Maryland Counties" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, George Washington University), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1970, p. 2780A. 76Henry S. Zurhellen, "A Study of Teacher Attitudes During an In-Service Education Program in Selected East Tennessee Schools" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Tennessee), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1971, p. 4613A. 30 negative attitudinal changes with secondary teachers exhibiting a more negative shift than elementary teachers. J. H. Zurhellen77 using the same instruments, investigated attitudinal changes during concentrated orientation sessions and an academic-year-long in-service program. Teachers showed significant change in attitudes toward students, reactions to teaching situations, and the ideal self. The patterns of shift were positive during the orientation, negative during August to January and mixed from January to April. 77Joan H. Zurhellen, "An Evaluation of Attitude Changes Among Science Teachers DuringIan ESCP In-Service Institute" (Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Tennessee), Dissertation Abstracts, XXXI, 1971, p. 4613A. CHAPTER III PROCEDURES UTILIZED IN THE INVESTIGATION Selection ofpthe Study POpulation Secondary vocational education teachers used as subjects for the study were employed by one of the three new area vocational centers in Michigan which opened Fall, 1971. study: Several factors guided the selection of this population for It was anticipated that a new facility would be employing a number of novice teachers who would undoubtedly need to make a more significant role adjustment as compared to experienced teachers. Since new schools were utilized, all teachers were faced with a role adjustment to some extent and therefore, could justifiably be a part of the study rather than limiting the pOpulation to novice teachers. The likelihood of faculty participation at the suggestion of the principal seemed much greater at a new facility. It was anticipated that data collection would be more uniform with a higher percentage return. New facilities seemed advantageous since it would not be necessary to contend with different pre-existing, informal organization structures at various schools. Description of the Study POpulation The population is comprised of all those teachers who reported to work on the designated first day at one of the following 31 32 Area Vocational Centers: Group 1: Kent Beltline Skills Center, Grand Rapids. Group 11: Southeast Oakland Vocational Education Center, Royal Oak. Group III: Southwest Oakland Vocational Education Center, Walled Lake. The first page of the questionnaire requested background information concerning the three factors identified as independent variables.1 Table 1 presents information concerning the highest educational levels attained by the teachers at each school as well as the entire teacher pOpulation surveyed. The number of education courses taken by the teachers is depicted in Table II and the years of previous teaching experience are presented in Table 111. An examination of the total column in the three tables re- flects wide variances in background. Such heterogeniety can probably be partially attributed to the diversity of offerings encompassed in the vocational education programs offered at the Centers. Teachers are employed on the basis of their competence and experience related to a specific field. In certain program areas, they may lack a college degree and the education courses required for employment in other high school subject areas. Variances exist among the three schools investigated. Differences in emphasis on the criteria used for hiring may be a contributing factor. Another factor may be differences in program offerings among the three schools. Also the number and variety of 1The first page of the questionnaire appears in Appendix A. 33 Nooa H.HH m.m¢ m.o~ N.N~ Nu mm ma 0H NooH ma NooH NN NOOH mm m.n H m.m~ o n.~ H m.on OH w.Hm 5 «.me 0H ¢.na N w.Hm n ~.oH o u o H.m N m.nm «a A¢HOH neommo pew ooumom muoummz owOHHoo mo mums» know no mouna owoaaoo mo munch 03o no Ono mama uo mEonfio Hoonom swam uemo Hum Hon—8oz AdHOH uemo mom Moon—oz ucoo mom nooaoz ucmo uom nooanz HHH maomu HH mbomo H MDQMU Ho>oq HonoHumoovm mmmwomd AoH HmeoHuoonom mmmmu¢mfl ho HM>MH H¢ZOHHo mom 0H mH Ou HH 8 80 m on H ocoz ueoo nom nmoEoz menu new nmoEoz Ho mom oH m.o m u o N.wH e ~.N H m On 0 m.nH HH N.~ H N.wH q N.oH o m on m N.NN 0H H.mN m N.mH e m.¢N m N on H m.Nn mm n.Ho m m.o¢ m m.on HN meoz uooo nom nooaoz ueoo nom nooanz unoo nmm nooaoz neon nom nooanz ouannomxm wcHsomoH Ho anon» mo nooanz Hmmm ho mama» HHH mHm¢H 36 teacher applicants seem to vary considerably from one vocational education program area to another. Instrumentation The Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching and the Rokeach ngmatisuxScale were selected to measure the dependent variables, namely, confidence for teaching and open-mindedness. Confidence Level Inventory for Teachipg The Confidence Level Inventory for Teaching requests the subject to rate himself on a ten point scale ranging from, "extreme concern about abilities" to ”extreme confidence in abilities" for 2 Total scores twenty-four behaviorally stated aspects for teaching. were obtained by summing a subject's reSponses for all twenty-four items. High scores indicate high confidence for teaching whereas low scores indicate low confidence for teaching- Professors Shirley Brehm..and Jean LePere of Michigan State University develOped the Confidence Level Inventory for Tepghing (CLIT). The instrument is designed to measure self-concept in relation to teaching. It originated from an eighty-one item instrument used by supervisors to evaluate the effectiveness of student teacher performance 3 which LePere and Cox revised to a self-evaluation instrument in 1964. 2The CLIT appears in Appendix B. 3Jean M. LePere and Richard c. Cox, Training Elementary Teachers: Comparison of Spparate and Block Methods Courses (East Lansing, Michigan: Bureau of Educational Research Services, 1964). 37 They reasoned that a student teacher's attitude toward his own potential performance in the tasks considered critical in teaching was gg’facto evidence of his level of confidence for teaching. LePere and Brehm administered the test to several groups of Michigan State University students using item analysis to determine internal validity. The eighty-one itemIForm I Of the CLIT was then pared to forty-four items after such analysis. Form II Of the CLIT was administered to 179 subjects. On the basis of low and inconsistent itemrtest coefficients, Form III evolved with twenty-four items. Test-retest data on Form III was obtained from 126 subjects in the spring, 1967. The correlation was .47 before and after ten weeks of student teaching. Czajkowski4 used the CLIT in his study for a pre and post-test with 124 students. He also item analyzed the instrument and found results consistent with those obtained by LePere and Cox. He reported a correlation on the CLIT test-retest of .61. Smith5 also used the CLIT as a pre and post-test with sixty-six student teachers and found positive changes in confidence. 4Theodore J. Czajkowski, "The Relationship Of Confidence for Teaching to Selected Personal Characteristics and Performance of Student Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1970). 5Martha L. Smith, "A Study of Elementary Student Teacher Confidence in.and Attitudes Toward Music and Changes That Occur in a Student Teaching Experience" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1969). 38 Rokeach Dogmatism Scale The Rokeach Dogmatism Scale measures individual differences in openness or closedness of belief systems, general authoritarianism, and general tolerance. The Scale was develOped by Milton Rokeach6 as the primary measuring instrument to test theory of belief systems. The Rokeach theory resulted from work on the authoritarian personality which veiwed a personality as an organization of beliefs or expectancies having a definable and measurable structure. Rokeach characterized a person as having an Open system to the extent that the individual could receive, evaluate, and act upon external relevant information. Rokeach reported reliabilities ranging from .68 to .93 for his forty item scale. Items on the test are familiar to the average person in everyday life, and transcend specific ideological positions. The respondent indicates the relative strength of his agreement (+1 to +3) or disagreement (-l to -3) on each proposition. Zero is omitted to obviate neutral rating. For scoring purposes, the scale was subse- quently converted to a 1 to 7 scale by adding a constant of 4 to each item. A subject's score was obtained by summing each item. For all statements, agreement is scored as closed and disagreement as Open. A higher score indicated a more dogmatic individual. The short form of the Rokeach scale used in this study was developed by Troldahl and Powell7 in an effort to decrease administration 6Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1960). 7Verling C. Troldahl and Frederic A. Powell, "A Short-Form Dogmatism Scale for Use in Field Studies," Social Forces, XLIX (December, 1965), 211-214. 39 time while maintaining high reliability. Troldahl and Powell adminis- tered Form.E, Rokeach's forty item test, to two samples of adult subjects from which a split-half reliability coefficient of .84 was obtained. Respondents' scores on each item were correlated with their total scores to obtain a homogeneity index for each item. Several short forms of the scale were constructed using the items having the highest itemrtotal score correlation. Scores on each short form‘were then correlated with dogmatism.scores on the complete scale. The twenty-item version correlated .95 and .94 for the Boston and Lansing samples reSpectively. According to these figures, the twenty- item short form is a good predictor of what a reapondent would do on FormE.8 Collection of Data The principals of the three schools administered the two instruments to their respective faculty on the dates given in Table IV. TABLE IV DATES WHEN INSTRUMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED Group I Group II Group III Faculty reported to work Aug. 9 AUS- 30 Aug. 16 Faculty completed 3 weeks of classes SePt- 30 Sept. 30 Sept. 22 Faculty completed 6 weeks of classes Oct- 21 Get. 21 Oct. 13 8The twenty-item short form of the Dogmatism Scale appears in Appendix C. 40 Due to varying lengths of orientation or induction programs, the number of days between the first and second testing differed. Table V details the length of each school's initial induction program. TABLE V LENGTH OF INITIAL INDUCTION PROGRAM Group I Group II Group III Faculty reported to work Aug. 9 Aug. 30 Aug. 16 Classes began Sept. 9 Sept. 9 Sept. 1 Number of working days in induction program 22 days 7 days 12 days To limit the participant's recall of answers stated previously, the order of questions on both instruments was scrambled for the second and third testing. In addition, four questions were added to the short form of the Dogmatism Scale that were not counted in the scoring. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE DATA Nine hypotheses were tested. In the following sections, the analysis for each is presented. As explained in Chapter III, the two instruments were completed by the same participants three different times. Seventy-two individuals completed the set of questionnaires including background data the first time. Eight of these peOple were not involved in both of the subsequent repeated measures; leaving a net total of sixty-four participants included in the analysis of hypotheses one and two. The remaining hypotheses utilized only the first testing time for analysis and therefore included all seventy-two participants. To determine the significance of change for testing hypo- theses one and two, analysis of variance was used. Pearson correlations were computed to analyze hypotheses three through nine. The signi- ficance of the correlation coefficients were then determined. Hypothesis I Group I will show a greater positive change in expressed confidence level for teaching than Group II and III. Confidepcg Lgyel Ipvengory for Teaching (CLIT) self-ratings were used as the measure of expressed confidence level for teaching. The results appear in Figure I, Table I and Table II. 41 SCORES ON CONFIDENCE LEVEL INVENTORY FOR TEACHING 42 FIGURE I CLIT 210 205 200 195 190 185 180 175 170 SCORES J l I I— r I Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Repeated Measures 43 m mzHH OH H mzHH 8245 n eon N eon n an N... + a «.3 u a 98 u a «.2 u a Co + m ~52 n m. mean u m ASS u m. in + u «an .. . GEN .I. a 93 u a Na + m as: u m as: I m. 0:5 I m. TN + a 92 n a o.- u a SS u a is - m ~32 I m .22 u m «.52 n m a... + a «.3 u a man I. a n.3,. u a 92+ m :18 u m RSN u m .32 u m. mmmoom anno H MHH