ymyy mmmmmmmm 1. 310725 9974 A“. 1—“ LIERJARY Michfigaa fitate University ‘4 w MSU LIBRARIES RETURNING MATERIALS: Place in book drop to remove this checkout from your record. FINES wiII be charged if book is returned after the date stamped beIow. AN EXPLORATION OF THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AS PERCEIVED BY EMPLOYED AND NONEMPLOYED MOTHERS BY Robert L. Soderman A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Administration and Curriculum 1982 ABSTRACT AN EXPLORATION OF THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AS PERCEIVED BY EMPLOYED AND NONEMPLOYED MOTHERS BY Robert L. Soderman This study was designed to determine the effects of employment status and other related independent variables on mothers' perceptions of the role of the public school. A sample of 617 mothers of elementary school children was randomly selected from a total population of 1,234 mothers. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. A factor analysis indicated a high degree of correlation among the variables on the questionnaire. The data were analyzed according to frequency of response, mean scores, and mean difference scores. A chi square sta- tistic was used to analyze the significance of effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable. Conclusions of the study are as follows: 1. Employment status has little or no effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Robert L. Soderman 2. Employed-single mothers have greater expectations for the role of the public school than employed- married, nonemployed-single, nonemployed-married mothers. 3. Young-employed mothers have greater expectations for the role of the public school than older-employed mothers. 4. Mothers who have more formal education have less expectation for the role of the public school than mothers with less formal education. 5. Mothers who have been employed for the shortest duration of time have greater expectations for the role of the public school than those employed for a longer duration of time. 6. Mothers who are employed more than 40 hours a week have greater expectations for the public school than those who are employed fewer hours per week. 7. Mothers perceive the role of the public school to be teaching the three "rs," discipline, and trans- portation. 8. Mothers perceive the greatest needs to be tutoring for the slow and fast learners, drug education, mathematics, and the opportunity for the experience of prayer. Because the number of mothers who responded to the questionnaire was 193 or only 31% of the sample, it was Robert L. Soderman concluded that there was not a sufficient response size to generalize for the Waverly Community Schools or other school districts of similar size. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Peggy Riethmiller, my major advisor, for her encouragement and assistance through- out my period of study at Michigan State University. Special thanks to Dr. Richard Farace for his direction and guidance as a member of my committee. I also wish to thank Dr. Richard Gardner and Dr. Ben Bohnhorst for their assistance at impor- tant stages of this study. Heartfelt gratitude and appreciation are due my wife, Anne, and children, Mike, John, and Randi. Without their inspiration and understanding this would not have been possible. Also, I wish to thank the Board of Education of the Waverly Community Schools and Dr. Thomas Vaughan, Superin- tendent, for the opportunity of study and research during the school year 1979-80. I hope that I will be able to give to the school district some measure of return for this opportunity to grow and learn. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF FIGURES. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER I. THE PROBLEM. . . . . . . . . . . Introduction. . . . . Statement of the Probl . Purposes of the Study. . Research Questions. . . Need for Study . . . . Limitations of the Study. Operational Definitions . II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . . . . . . History of Maternal Employment. . . . Projection for the Future. . . Why Have They Sought Employment? The Growing Part-Time Work Force Summary. . . . . . . . . Maternal Employment and Effects On the Chi 1d 0 O O O O O O I O O O smarYo O O O O O O O O O O The Employed Single Parent . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . Maternal Employment and the Role of the Public School. . . . . . . . . iii Page vi xi m qmmthH H 12 12 14 16 16 22 23 28 30 Chapter Page Interface between the School and the Home . 30 Public School Adjustment to Employed Mothers. . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES . . . . . . 37 The Population. . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . 38 Pilot Study. . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Analysis of Data . . . . . . . . . . 40 Factor Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 42 IV. FINDINGS O O O O O O O O O O O O O 44 Background of Respondents . . . . . . . 45 Participation in School Activities . . . . 51 Questionnaire Statements . . . . . 52 Mean Scores by Independent Variables . . . 54 Rank Order of Mean Scores . . . . . . . 62 A Comparison of Mean Difference Scores by Employment (-Marital) Status. . . . . 66 The Effects of the Independent Variables On the Dependent Variables . . . . . 74 Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Mean Scores by Independent Variables. . . 117 Rank Order of Mean Scores By Employment Status . . . . . . . . . 123 Rank Order of Mean Difference Scores. . . 123 A Comparison of Mean Difference Scores by Employment-Marital Status. . . . . 124 The Effect of Independent Variables On Mothers' Perceptions of the Role of the Public School . . . . . . . . 125 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . 134 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 The Problem . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Research Procedures . . . . . . . . 135 Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 iv Chapter Page Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . 145 Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . 147 BIBLIOGRAPHY. O O O O O O O O O O O O O 151 APPENDICES Appendix A. Letter of Transmittal . . . . . . . . 156 B. Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . 157 C. Ranked Order of Questionnaire Items by Type of School Role and Employment Status. . . 164 D. Ranked Order of Questionnaire Items by Employment Status . . . . . . . . . 166 E. Ranked Order of Mean Difference by Employment Status. 0 O O O O O O O O O O O 168 Table l. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. ll. 12. 13. 14. 15. LIST OF TABLES Page A Profile of Mothers of Elementary School Children in the Waverly Community Schools . 47 A Profile of Employed Mothers of Elementary School Children in the Waverly Schools, Lansing, Michigan . . . . . '. . . . 48 Participation in School Activities According to Employment Status . . . . . . . . 51 Amount of School Activity Desired by Employ- ment Status . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Mean Scores by Employment Status. . . . . 54 Mean Scores by Employment-Marital Status . . 55 Mean Scores by Employment-Age Status . . . 57 Mean Scores by Formal Education . . . . . 58 Mean Scores by Type of Employment . . . . 59 Mean Scores by Job Preference. . . . . . 60 Mean Scores by Job Satisfaction . . . . . 60 Mean Scores by Length of Employment. . . . 61 Mean Scores for Hours Per Week Worked . . . 62 Ranking by Mothers of the Five Most Important, Expected Responsibilities of the Public SChOOl. O O O O O O O O O O O O 63 Ranking by Mothers of the Five Least Important, Expected Responsibilities of the Public SChOOl. O O O O O O O O O O O O 63 vi Table 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 24.1. 25. 25.1. 25.2. 25.3. Item Ranking by Mothers' Employment Status of Five Most Important, Expected Responsibili- ties of the Public School . . . . . . . Item Ranking by Mothers' Employment Status of the Five Least Important, Expected Responsi- bilities of Public School . . . . . . . Rank Order of the Five Highest Mean Difference Scores as Perceived by Mothers of Elementary School Children . . . . . . . . . . Rank Order of the Five Lowest Mean Difference Scored as Perceived by Mothers of Elementary SChOOl Chi ldren O O O O O O O O O O A Comparison of the Five Highest Mean Differ- ence Scores by Employment Status. . . . . A Comparison of the Five Lowest Mean Differ- ence Scores by Employment Status. . . . . The Mean Difference Scores by Employment- Marital Status. . . . . . . . . . . A Comparison of Mean Scores by Subcategories and Employment Status . . . . . . . . The Effect of Employment Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . Analysis of Response for V94--Organization of School Activities (Employment Status) . . . The Effect of Employment-Marital Status on Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom). . . . . . Analysis of Response to V78--Appreciation of Art (Single Status) . . . . . . . . . Analysis of Response to V79--Appreciation of Music (Single Status) . . . . . . . . The Analysis of Response to V83--Physica1 Fitness (Single Status). . . . . . . . vii Page 64 65 68 68 69 70 72 72 75 76 77 78 79 81 Table 25.4. 25.5. 26. 27. 27.1. 27.2. 27.3. 27.4. 27.5. 27.6. 27.7. 28. 28.1. 28.2. 28.3. The Analysis of Responses to V90--Discipline of the Child Who Does Not Follow School Rules (Not Including Spanking) Single Status . . . The Analysis of Response to V94--Organization of School Activities (Single Status). . . . The Effect of Employment-Age Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . The Effect of Formal Education Status On Mothers Perception of the Role of the Public School (24 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V58--Prayer (Formal Education) . . . . . . . . . . . . The Analysis Politeness of Responses to V64--Manners and (Formal Education) . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V70--Home Mainten- ance Skills (Formal Education). . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V72--Recreational Activities (Formal Education) . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V75--Skill of Written Expression (Formal Education) . . . The Analysis of Responses to V83--Physica1 Fitness (Formal Education) . . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V90--Discipline of Child (Formal Education). . . . . . . . The Effect of Type of Employment on Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (39 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V58--Prayer (Type of Employment) . . . . . . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V7l--Homemaking Skills (Type of Employment). . . . . . . The Analysis of Responses to V96--Supervision While Parents Work (Type of Employment). . . viii Page 82 83 84 85 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 96 97 98 99 Table 29. 29.1. 29.2. 30. 30. 1. 30.2. 30.3. 30.4. 30.5. 30.6. 30.7. 31. 31.1. 31.2. 31.3. Page The Effect of Job Satisfaction On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (9 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . 101 The Analysis of Responses to V79--Appreciation of Music (Job Satisfaction) . . . . . . 102 The Analysis of Responses to V96--Supervision While Parents Work (Job Satisfaction) . . . 103 The Effect of Job Preference On Mothers' Per- ception of the Role of the Public School (6 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . 104 The Analysis of Responses to V55--Moral and Ethical Principles (Job Preference). . . . 105 The Analysis of Responses to V63--Getting Along With Others (Job Preference) . . . . . . 106 The Analysis of Responses to V68--Proper Health Habits (Job Preference). . . . . . . . 108 The Analysis of Responses to V73--Read and Comprehend (Job Preference) . . . . . . 109 The Analysis of Responses to V78--Appreciation of Art (Job Preference). . . . . . . . 110 The Analysis of Responses to V79--Appreciation of Music (Job Preference) . . . . . . . 111 The Analysis of Responses to V81--Appreciation of Nature (Job Preference). . . . . . . 113 The Effect of Length of Employment On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (9 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . 114 The Analysis of Responses to V79--Appreciation of Music (Length of Employment) . . . . . 115 The Analysis of Responses to V81-—Appreciation of Nature (Length of Employment). . . . . 116 The Analysis of Responses to V90—-Discipline of the Child (Length of Employment). . . . 118 ix Table 32. C-1. D-l. Page The Effect of the Number of Hours Per Week Worked On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (12 Degrees of Freedom) . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Ranked Order of Questionnaire Items by Type of School Role and Employment Status. . . 164 Ranked Order of Questionnaire Items by Employment Status . . . . . . . . . 166 Ranked Order of Mean Difference by Employment Status. 0 O O O O O O O O O O O 168 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. An Analysis of the Interaction Effect Between Employment-Marital Status and Perception of the Role of the Public School . . . . . . 56 2. Analysis of the Interaction Effect on Mean Difference Scores for Employment-Marital . 73 Status 0 O O O O O O 0 xi CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction Women have always been involved in work both inside and outside the home. However, in the last 75 years, the number of women employed outside the home has increased dramatically. Along with the increase of women employed outside the home, mothers have been moving into the work force in increasing numbers (Nye, 1977). In 1976, nearly one-half, or approximately 46% of the children under the age of 18, had mothers in the work force (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1977). This increase in the number of mothers in the work force has caused a decided change in the family relationships in the United States. Since mothers have generally assumed a major role in the responsibility for the child's socialization, a question may be raised as to the effect of employment upon the socializa- tion of the child (Beckman, 1978; Bronfenbrenner, 1975). In several studies, it has been concluded that mothers' employ- ment status has little or no effect upon children's self- esteem, negative behavior, or cognitive processes (Hock, 1978; Gold & Andrus, 1977; Cohen, 1978). However, since maternal employment is a variable which is difficult to isolate from others and affects children's development in a complex fashion, it remains a questionable influence. The role of the home and the school in the development of the child has been rather difficult to define. In general, there is support for schools to share responsibilities with the home in the development of child behavior and socializa- tion (Jenkins, 1977; Wynne, 1979; Miles, 1977). Several questions may be raised: How much responsibility for the child shall public schools assume? Does the school need to take more responsibility for certain aSpects of a child's development if a mother is employed outside the home? What are the present expectations for the role of the public school of mothers who are employed outside the home. What are the greatest needs of employed mothers as they perceive the school curriculum and/or special services? Statement of the Problem Because of the increasing number of mothers entering the work force, it was deemed necessary to determine the impact of this social change upon the role of the public school. There is room to believe that the phenomenon of employed mothers will continue to increase (Smith, 1979) and that it may markedly affect the needs and character of families and schools in the future. The problem in this study was to determine the effect of employment status and other related independent variables upon mothers‘ perceptions of the role and needs of the public school. A second part of the problem was to identify those responsibilities and needs for improvement of the public school that were perceived by mothers as being of greatest and least importance. Purposes of the Study The first purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any effect of employment status on mothers' per- ception of the role of the public school. This purpose also included some other related independent variables; it was the purpose to identify any effect of these related indepen- dent variables on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. The increase in employed mothers and the corresponding increased demand on their time as employee, homemaker, and mother suggested that a study be made of their expectations for the public school. A second purpose of the study was to identify and com- pare some descriptive characteristics of employed and non- employed mothers. In order to make an assessment of mothers' perceptions, it was deemed necessary to acquire background information about the mothers. Related information about age, marital status, formal education, reasons for employ- ment, job satisfaction, employment preference, hours per week worked, and length of employment were thought to be important. A third purpose of the study was to rank and compare the school responsibilities identified in the survey instrument according to their importance as perceived by mothers of varying employment status. This part of the study was to provide specific data for schools for consideration in planning curricula. The last purpose of the study was to study roles of the school in terms of needs for improvement as perceived by employed and nonemployed mothers. Specific areas in curriculum and special services offered by the public school were high- lighted in the study. Research_Questions The following research questions were set forth in this study: 1. What is the effect of employment status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? 2. What is the effect of employment-marital status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? 3. What is the effect of employment-age status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? 4. What is the effect of the following independent variables on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? 4.1 Formal education 4.2 Type of employment 4.3 Job satisfaction 4.4 Job preference 4.5 Length of employment 4.6 Hours per week worked 5. What are the demographic data for mothers from a small, suburban school district in the midwest who have children in elementary school? More specifi- cally, what are the characteristics of mothers pertaining to age, employment status, marital status, formal education, type of employment, job satis- faction, length of employment, hours per week worked, employment preference, reasons for employment, and amount of and desired participation in school activities? 6. What expectations for the role of the public school are perceived most and least important by employed and nonemployed mothers? 7. What are the greatest needs to be met by the public school as perceived by employed and nonemployed mothers? Need for Study The employed mother faces the dilemma of meeting the needs of her children as well as the demands of her job. This dilemma may add a new perspective on her expectations of the role of the public school. In order for the public school and family to be effective in accomplishing the purposes of educating and socializing children in a changing society, it is important that there be knowledge and understanding of these changes and their impact upon the expectations of mothers. The expectations of the role of the public school as perceived by employed and nonemployed mothers may add to parent and public school personnel understandings of responsi- bilities for the education and socialization of children. When additional roles are assumed by the school that once were assumed by parents (e.g., health education, driver edu- cation, career education, moral education, safety education, etc.), the clarification of the public school role becomes of great importance. There have been no identifiable studies that were speci- fically related to the effects of mothers' employment status and their perceptions of the role of the public school. This was determined by a careful review of recent studies and an E.R.I.C. search of studies made during the past four years. The data from this study may be useful in developing founda— tions for additional, in depth studies. Limitations of the Study The following were limitations of the study: 1. This study was focused on the role of the public school as perceived by selected mothers of elementary school children in'a public, suburban school district in the midwest. 2. A paper survey instrument was used to sample the perceptions of mothers. The margin of error inherent in sampling individual perceptions using a paper instrument is a limiting factor in its reliability. 3. The study was limited to the number of statements in the survey instrument related to the role of the public school. The statements may not be all- inclusive of the expectations that mothers have for the school pertaining to the education and socializa- tion of the child. 4. Of the 617 questionnaires mailed to mothers, 193 were returned with most or all questions answered. The sample is not of sufficient size to generalize for the school district or school districts of similar size and locations. Operational Definitions Employed, married mother--A mother of elementary school- age children who is employed outside the home for 10 or more hours per week and who is married with the husband present in the home. Employedl single mother--A mother of elementary school- age children who is employed outside the home for 10 or more hours per week and who is living without the father in the home. School improvement needs-—An opinion of mothers of ele- mentary school children of what programs or services need to be improved upon in the public school. In this study, "needs" were identified by statement items on a questionnaire. Nonemployed mother--A mother of elementary school-age children who is not employed outside the home for more than 10 hours per week. School role perception--A mother's belief about what goals the public school should achieve for student skill development, subject content acquisition, and school services provided. Skill develgpment--This term will represent the combined forms of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learnings that are generally associated with the developmental needs of children. Socialization of the child--The process by which the child learns to relate to and function with others in the environment or society in a way that is considered responsible and productive by other members of that environment or society. School services--Those supportive services that are related to assisting the student in a public school in acquiring an education (e.g., transportation, hot lunch, breakfast, counseling, etc.). These services are generally performed outside the classroom and are not considered directly related to the act of learning. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The literature pertinent to this study was reviewed in four general areas. The following t0pics were determined as significant to this study: (1) History of Maternal Employ- ment, (2) Maternal Employment and Effects On the Child, (3) The Employed Single Parent, and (4) Maternal Employment and the Role of the Public School. History of Maternal Employment The advent of the age of industrialization has been the forerunner to women and mothers seeking employment outside the home. Ivan Nye (1974) states that: Economically productive women are a phenomena as ancient as humanity itself, and their employment for wages and salaries was a familiar part of the Industrial Revolution. By 1940, with one worker in four a woman, the gainful employment of women was a well established and accepted aspect of the American economic structure. However, prior to World War II, most employed women were single; in 1980, only 14% of emplo ed women were married and, in 1900, 15%. Therefore, alt ough approx1mately one paid worker in five was a woman in 1900, only a seventh of these, or about 3% of the total working force, were married. We have no data on what proportion of those married women had minor children, but the propor- tion of all workers who were mothers with dependent children at home must have been less than 1% of all workers in gainful employment. (p. 2) 10 Women in the work force in the nineteenth and twentieth century were not unusual. However, the working conditions were less than desirable and women did not usually view their occupations as careers. Degler (1980) reports that work for women during those years was hard. Hours were long, wages were often inadequate, ventilation, lighting, and safety precautions were usually poor, and, to make matters even less acceptable, most working women knew that they received lower wages than men. Generally, women accepted these conditions. The overwhelming majority of these were young and single. Work outside the home was largely a temporary phenomenon in their lives. They abandoned it when they married. It was generally understood that the woman's position and, more specifically, the mother's role, was primarily in the home prior to World War II. But, with the impact of World War II and with the changes in the lives of most Ameri- cans because of economic, social, and technological change, there was a sharp increase in women working outside the home. Hayghe (1976) says that with the advent of available labor-saving devices and consumer goods substantially decreas- ing the amount of time needed for housework andother related tasks, the need to remain at home diminished. In addition, World War II brought millions of wives into the work force to meet the demands of war production. With these new developments at and around the time of World War II, the number of working women increased following 11 the second World War. Along with the increase of working women, we find a similar increase in the number of married working women with children. According to Cohen (1978) the proportion of preschool children whose mothers work has shown a rapid rise--18% in 1948, 20% in 1960, 29% in 1970, and 37% in 1976. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (1977) included a review of statistics of working mothers. It states that nearly one-half (46%) of the children under age 18 had mothers in the labor force in 1976, up from 39% in 1970. In addition, the great majority of employed women, three out of four, on the average, work full- time; that is, they usually work 35 hours or more per week. Of married women with children under 3, 66% of these women worked full-time in 1976. In addition, 13.3% of the families in the U.S. are headed by women. Of these women-headed fam- ilies, 1.8 million are married with husbands absent, 2.6 million of this group are divorced, and 2.4 million are widowed. The trend of working women and mothers seems to be one that will continue. Dale (1977) suggests that this trend will continue and that there will be an increase in working women and mothers. By 1990, there will be 65% of the projected proportion of adult females in the work force. Perun and Bielby (1978) predict that over 90% of women today will be employed at some point in their lives. 12 Projection for the Future According to Smith (1979) most of the economic, social, and demographic factors that have contributed to the rapid growth in the female labor force in recent years will continue to entice women into the labor market. He predicts that by 1990 about 55% of the female population ages 16 and over are expected to be in the labor force. This participation trend, combined with the expected growth in population would lead to a projected total of 52 million women working or looking for work in 1990, 11 million more than in 1978. Most of these additions to the labor force will be married and many will have young children. Why Have They Sought Employment? With the increase in the number of women and mothers working outside the home, there is the inevitable question of why? Moore (1978) states very succinctly that it is inflation, smaller families, wider employment opportunities, desire to pursue a career, and increase in one-parent families. Rallings and Nye (1979) examined this question rather exten- sively and identified the following reasons: value placed by society on goods and services, as compared to leisure and visiting; the demand in occupations customarily staffed by women; the level of specialization of the economy; the avail- ability of substitute care for dependent persons; the avail- ability of labor-saving devices in the home; societal approval of women's employment; the degree of expected psychic 13 satisfaction from working; and the increase in the level of women's education. In addition to the economic and convenience reasons for women seeking employment, there may be psychological reasons. A study by Feld (1963) showed that working women are health- ier, showing more self-acceptance, satisfaction for life, greater freedom from emotional disturbance, and fewer physical symptoms. Intensive studies of depressed women showed that women who worked outside the home while depressed were less impaired in their functioning than housewives, and that this was not a function of differences in the severity of the illnesses, leading the researchers to conclude that there was "something protective in the work situation" (Weissman & Paykel, 1974, p. 72). Some studies indicate that if the woman enjoys her work, there are additional beneficial attributes to herself and family. In one of the few studies using women's work enjoy- ment as a variable, the higher status jobs were better liked and had more positive impact on the family (Hoffman, 1961). They are also the jobs that provide more responsibility, security, and autonomy and boost self-esteem. Whether a woman has an opportunity for self-expression and the exercise of power at work can be important, both for her own mental health and as a shaper of relationship orientations. Among the highly educated, the fact of a woman's work may increase marital satisfaction (Hoffiman & Nye, 1974). In small 14 families, employed mothers may get more pleasure from their children (Nye & Hoffman, 1963). The Growing Part-Time Work Force In the past, many of the part-time employed in the labor market were persons who could not find full-time employment. These persons were generally considered to be under employed. According to Barrett (1979), many people today prefer part- time employment to full-time work in order to accommodate home responsibilities or desires for more leisure time. Barrett (1979) states that between 1965 and 1977, the number of workers on voluntary part-time schedules increased nearly three times as rapidly as the number of full-time workers. Most of this increase in part-time employment was among women. In 1965 there were approximately 5 million women in the part-time labor force and in 1977 there were approximately 7.8 million. For men there were approximately 2.7 million men in the part-time labor force and by 1977 that number had increased to only 3.4 million. Barrett (1979) reports that nearly half of all women who worked part-year or part-time gave "taking care of home" as the reason for not working full-time. For men, unemployment and school attendance were the main reasons for part-time work. Nye and Hoffman (1963a) studied the degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of employed and nonemployed mothers. They identified seven broad areas of their lives: family income, house and furniture, recreation, children, husband, community 15 as a place to live, and their daily work. To obtain a more general measure of satisfaction, the seven items were com- bined into a single index. The association between employ- ment and satisfaction total scores was significant, in general favoring the employed, particularly the part-time employed. Both part-time and full-time employed mothers were somewhat better satisfied than were those not employed. However, employment may be associated with satisfaction under some conditions and not others; it may be reversed under some. Nye and Hoffman (1963a) reported that employed mothers were found generally better satisfied whether the family was large or not, and the presence or absence of preschool children failed to have an appreciable effect as a test variable. The employed mothers of preschool children verbalized more satis- faction with their daily lives than did their nonemployed equivalents. Employed mothers with a college education showed a considerably smaller proportion in the dissatisfied and a larger proportion in the highly satisfied categories. Considering this study and the overall general satisfaction of part-time employed mothers, there is an implication that part-time employed mothers may be a significant part of the recent, rapid increase in part-time employed women as described by Barrett (1979). This indeed may be an area for additional study for future trends in part-time, employed mothers. 16 Summary Women have been involved in the labor force for many years. The reasons for their employment and working condi- tions have changed, mostly since World War II. The projection for the future of women in the labor force is more mothers with young children. There will also be an increase in the number of part-time employed mothers. The reasons for this increase are due to economics, convenience, as well as improved mental health and improved family relations for the mother. Maternal Employment and Effects On the Child One of the basic questions asked about mothers entering the work force is, "What is the effect of mother absence on the child's basic security? Is there a relationship between the absence of the mother and a child's behavior and develop- ment?" These questions, admittedly, are broad and encompassing. The question of maternal employment and effects on the child is still a relative unknown because of the many variables that can affect a child's development. However, some of the most recent studies on maternal employment suggest minimal effects on children. Two authors who perceive problems and general effects in children of employed mothers are Beckman and Bronfenbrenner. Beckman (1978) says that there is support for the implication that a conflict occurs between family and work for married women with children. Participation in the labor force makes 17 demands on the time and energy of a.woman and limits the amount of time available for children and domestic obliga- tions, thereby creating role conflicts of allocation. Bronfenbrenner (1975) suggests that the shift in numbers of mothers (and fathers) working and other changes in the American family, have put a tremendous strain on the family and combined to produce one important result: the isolation of children from adults. He notes that parents are not home and says that children spend this time in segregated settings. Although these two authors present a case for the problems that may result from maternal employment, others minimize the effect upon child development. Moore (1978) says that there is very little evidence to suggest pervasive negative effects of maternal employment on child behavior and development. She believes that, on most measures that have been used to compare the children of employed and nonemployed mothers, the two groups of children show no reliable differences; the children of employed mothers are functioning as well as children whose mothers are not employed. Hock (1978) generally supports this position of limited or no effect upon the child, but suggests that other factors such as the nature of the employment, family circumstances, and attitude of the mother toward various roles may be more critical than the actual employment status. In her literature review, Hock theorized that, "mothers who are satisfied in their roles, whether employed or not, have the best adjusted children" (p. 38). 18 In a study by Gold and Andrus (1977) it was hypothesized that maternal employment was related to the development of children according to sex of the child and the social class of the family. They reasoned that girls are primarily social- ized by a same-sex adult. The processes and content of sex- role identifications differ for girls and boys. Since mothers are identified as the major source of socialization in the home, employed mothers change both the models and processes of sex-role identification, and these changes have different effects on children of different sex and background. Results of the study purport that children of employed mothers have broader, less sex-typed concepts of males and females. The prediction that maternal employment would have more salience on middle than on working class children received some support. Also, that the older the child was when the mother took a paid job, the less the influence of maternal employment was sup- ported. Gold and Andrus (1977) emphasized the importance of parental behaviors and attitudes in mediating the influence of the mother's employment status on the children's develop- ment. The role of the father is of particular importance for the development of the son, especially in achieving appro- priate sex identity. If the mothers' roles are altered by employment while the fathers' behaviors and attitudes remain unaffected, it can be predicted that sons would have greater problems of sex identity and associated cognitive difficulty. However, if the fathers participate actively in child care 19 and present a model of acceptance of similar sex roles, then maternal employment should not hinder boys in developing their sex identity. In these circumstances, the absence of distinct sex roles of unequal status should not prove detri- mental to the development of sons of employed mothers. A study of mother-child interaction of Zl—month-old children by Cohen (1978) examined the difference between employed and nonemployed mothers. Cohen (1978) found that nonemployed mothers gave more positive attentiveness to their children. In turn, the children of the mothers who were not employed vocalized more to their mothers. Additionally, there were more reciprocal social interactions between non- employed mothers and their children. Differences between the groups were not found in negative behavior. Miller (1975) supports the conclusions that parental roles are less traditional in families where the mother is employed outside the home, leading to less traditional sex- role stereotypes on the part of the daughter. Self-esteem was not found to be related to maternal employment, but interests of the child may be affected, though in a rather complicated manner. There was some evidence in this study to indicate that daughters of working mothers may be more aggres- sive and less passive than daughters of nonworking mothers. Dellas and others (1975) investigated the relationship between maternal employment and behaviors and attitudes of preadolescents and adolescents. The behaviors and attitudes studied were personal problems, educational/career 20 relationships, and future life, sex role ideology. The results suggested full-time maternal employment has fewer effects on behaviors and attitudes of school age children from intact families. Dellas and others (1975) determined that there was no substantial evidence indicating that maternal employment has a detrimental effect or even a con- sistently differentiating effect on behavior and attitudes of children. In her Ph.D. dissertation, Warshaw (1976) investigated the effects of maternal employment on a child's academic per- formance, family adjustment and sex-role stereotypes. Her subjects in the study were 321 seventh and eighth grade students from three different schools. Her conclusions were that despite the similarities in the subjects' age and grade in school, it was not useful to consider them as a homogeneous group. For most children, having a working mother seems to have no measurable effect. A concern that has been raised about the relationship between maternal employment and juvenile delinquency was examined in a study by Glueck and Glueck (1957). They studied lower-class boys and regularly employed mothers. These mothers were not more likely to have delinquent sons than were nonemployed mothers. However, their study did support the idea that inadequate supervision seemed to lead to delinquency whatever the mother's employment status, and employed mothers, whether employed regularly or occasionally, were more likely to provide inadequate supervision. 21 McCord and McCord (1959) also found a tie between super- vision and delinquency in their longitudinal study of lower-class boys (unlike the Glueck study, it included only intact families), but there was little difference between the employed and nonemployed mothers as to adequacy of super- vision (McCord & coworkers, 1963). The above data suggest that in the lower class families, employed mothers may provide less than adequate supervision for their children and that adequacy of supervision is linked to delinquency. However, there is no direct evidence that the children of employed mothers are more likely to be delinquent. One very important aspect of effects on children of employed mothers pertains to academic achievement. As in many cases, there are conflicting studies. A few of the significant studies in this area will be reported here. Gold and Andrus (1978) studied 15 year old children with different sex and social class background in order to deter- mine the relation between maternal employment and the develop- ment of adolescent children. Their predibtions that the sons of employed mothers would have more adjustment and academic problems than the sons of nonemployed mothers was not sup- ported. In fact, the data generally indicated that both sons and daughters were better adjusted when mothers were employed. However, they also concluded that maternal employment is a hetereogeneous variable and its influence on childrens' development varies with the type of behavior studied. It 22 appeared to them that for 15 year old children, maternal employment per se is unrelated to academic achievement, and more related to adjustment than to sex-role concepts. Hoffman (1963c) found that the elementary school children of employed mothers showed lower school performance than did the matched sample with nonemployed mothers, using teacher ratings of performance to measure the dependent variables. Brown (1970) found lower scores on the California Achievement test for middle-class eighth and ninth grade sons of employed mothers. Studies of high school age children generally report no difference in school achievement for girls and slightly less achievement for boys of middle-class parents. A study by Banducci (1967) indicated higher scores on the Iowa Tests of Educational Development for the sons of employed mothers in the lowest socioeconomic group, laborers, than the sons of nonemployed mothers in the same class. However, neither Nye (1963), Nelson (1969), nor Keidel (1970) reported signifi— cant differences in academic achievement as a result of maternal employment. Summary There appears to be few, if any, researchers who can attribute significant differences in a child's behavior or development as a direct result of maternal employment. Some authors readily admit the heterogeneity of effects upon child behavior and development and the difficulty of isolating 23 specific behaviors and stages of development and attributing them to one causation variable, maternal employment in this instance (Warshaw, 1976; Hock, 1978; Gold & Andrus, 1978). If maternal employment is of some significance in affecting behavior and development, there is support for it being of a positive nature (Gold & Andrus, 1978; Nolan, 1963; Hock, 1978; Gold & Andrus, 1977). One factor that was reported as being important was the role of the father as it pertains to maternal employment and the sex identity of a son(s) (Gold & Andrus, 1977). This factor suggests numerous variables that need study to determine their ulti- mate effect on the children of employed mothers. A few studies reported some negative effects on a child's academic achievement (Hoffman, 1963c; Brown, 1970). Several studies show positive influence on academic achieve- ment (Branducci, 1967; Nye, 1963; Nelson, 1969; Keidel, 1970). The Employed Single Parent One of the striking changes in family structure since 1970 has been the increase in the number of one-parent families. According to Epstein (1979), 11.7 million children lived in one parent families and accounted for one of five children living in.families in 1978, up from one of eight in 1970. Epstein attributes the increase in percent of children living with single parents mostly to children living with single mothers. Although more men may currently be raising 24 children than in previous years, these male-headed, one parent families contain fewer children than their female- headed counterparts. Epstein (1979) contends that the demands of single- parenting may compete or interfere with those of earning a living. For example, a single parent may turn down overtime work or business trips because of child-care responsibilities or may miss work because a child is ill. Such responsibili— ties may affect earnings by limiting hours worked and oppor- tunities for advancement. Unlike two-parent families, the one-parent family cannot rely on the income of a spouse to supplement its income. Johnson (1980) reports that children in single-parent families are more likely to have working mothers than those in two-parent families. In March 1979, about six of ten children living with their mothers had mothers in the labor force compared with five of ten of those living with both parents. Johnson (1980) states that a high proportion of the mothers who head single parent families have not completed high school and relatively few have completed college. In March 1979, 37% of these mothers had less than a high school education and just 6% had four years of college or more. Even though there appears to be additional stress, greater financial burden, and fewer parental models in single- parent families, there are some who advocate the values for children of the single-parent family over the unhappy intact 25 homes. Burchinal (1964) and Nye (1957) have reported more delinquency in unhappy intact homes than in single-parent ones. Schorr and Moen (1979) state that some children from single-parent homes pay a penalty, and that they may suffer more from maternal than paternal absence, since a single mother without family, friends, or the money to purchase help often must deprive a child of her company and attention. According to a study by Brandwein, Brown, and Fox (1974) the deprivation of a mother's company and attention is most keenly felt by the child. This is consistent with the British finding that damage to school attainment and social adjustment, when they are observed, result from poverty rather than single parenthood itself. Rosenthal (1978) suggested in his doctoral dissertation that family dissolution and maternal employment may result in an unbalancing of the family system thus creating differ- ences in a child's perception. Rosenthal's continuum was that either or both family dissolution and maternal employ- ment could affect the levels of children's self-concept, school achievement, occupational aspirations and vocational maturity. There was a failure to find any differences in children's perceptions and behaviors which could be attri- buted to maternal employment. However, differences were found among children from homes with different family structures. Children from non-intact homes did not perceive their mothers any differently than children from intact 26 homes. They did, however, perceive their fathers differ- ently. Children from intact homes perceived their fathers as significantly more loving and casual than children not living with both of their maternal parents. Children from divorced homes perceived their fathers as least demanding while children from separated homes perceived their fathers as most rejecting. The results of this study suggested that vocational maturity, occupational aspirations, self-concept and school achievement are significantly related to the child's per- ception of his/her mother and father. Furthermore, the child's perception of mother and father's love appears to be a good self-concept indicator. High love scores were significantly related to high self-concept scores. A recent study by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Institute for Development of Edu- cational Activities (1980) reveals some interesting facts and statistics concerning the status of employed—single parents. This report indicates the rapid rise of one-parent families and predicts that if current trends continue, two- parent families will actually be in the minority within a few generations. According to the Census Bureau, female- headed families (and that means nine out of ten one-parent families) are increasing ten times as quickly as are two- parent families. The number of families maintained by only one parent rose nearly 8% in the last decade--from 11% of all families in 1979 to 19% in 1979. The study also reports 27 that most of the single parents are employed because of financial necessity. In examining approximately 18,000 different students from a cross-section of school districts and locations in the United States, the findings of the study help to confirm the assumption that children from one-parent families have lower achievement in school and present more discipline problems than do their two-parent peers in both elementary and high school. In the elementary schools surveyed, 38% of the one- parent children are classified as low achievers (that is, earning letter grades of D or F or number grades of 50 to 70), compared to only 23% of the two-parent children. The pattern is similar, but not as pronounced at the secondary level. The number of discipline referrals in the school office in an average elementary school also reveals a distinct differ- ence between single-parent and two-parent families. Sixteen percent of the children referred came from single—parent families as Opposed to 10% from two-parent families. A conclusion made as a result of the first year of study is that there is a definite correlation between school per- formance and family status. All of the specific findings which were reported were statistically significant. The report concluded with some implications for schools: (1) be aware and keep records of current and changes in family status, (2) provide in-service programs for staff which will sensitize them to behavior changes of children related to 28 family status change, (3) update course offerings and learning materials, (4) provide for counseling services, and (5) allow for different and accommodating times for extracurricular activities, counseling services, parent involvement activities, and homework assignments. Summary The increase in the number of working women and mothers in the labor force is well—known. The dramatic increase around the time of World War II was caused by several factors including the increased need of persons in war production and the increased availability of consumer goods and labor-saving devices. The phenomenon has continued to the present time and is projected to continue in the future (Dale, 1977; Perun & Bielby, 1978; Smith, 1979). The fear of what employed mothers might do to the behavior development of children has been expressed by Beckman (1978) and Bronfenbrenner (1975). How- ever, studies by Hock (1978), Gold and Andrus (1977), Cohen (1978), Miller (1978), Dellas and others (1975), and Warshaw (1976) suggest that there is little or no negative effect upon the development of children of working mothers. Some of these studies (Gold & Andrus, 1978; Miller, 1975; Hock, 1978) might lead one to hypothesize that maternal employment is a heterogeneous variable and that it affects children's development in a complex fashion depending upon many vari- ables, including the sex of the child. 29 Some reasons cited for the presence of women, particu- larly married women and mothers, in the work force were improved mental health and marital relations (Feld, 1963; Weissman & Paykel, 1974; Hoffman & Nye, 1974). These addi- tional benefits of being in the work force may be a partial explanation to the greater desire on the part of married women to be involved in the growing phenomenon of part-time employment (Barrett, 1979; Nye & Hoffman, 1963a). Another growing phenomenon in the United States is the employed single parent. This change in family structure has been increasing at an amazing rate (Eypstein, 1979; National Association of Elementary Principles and Institute for Devel- opment of Educational Activities, 1980). The employed single parent generally faces greater challenges in child rearing than does the intact family (Epstein, 1979; Schorr & Moen, 1979). However, some studies have indicated that the single parent family may be better than the unhappy intact family (Burchinal, 1964; Nye, 1957). Even though this may be true, there are several studies which have suggested some dis- tressing information about school achievement and discipline, self-concept and occupational aspiration of children from single parent families (Schorr & Moen, 1979; Brandwein, Brown, & Fox, 1974; National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Institute for Development of Edu- cational Activities, 1980; Rosenthal, 1978). 30 Maternal Employment and the Role of the Public School With the increase of mothers in the working force, it might seem logical to assume that these mothers would be in need of assistance in the child rearing process, especially those who are single parents who head the household. Whereas the intact family with mother and father present and both working may present a problem of child rearing, there are still two persons available to share and reassign responsi- bilities. In the single-parent family, this option is not available. Is responsibility for child development in the area of socialization and behavior still the dual domain of the home and school, or is it just the school that has this responsibility for the children of employed mothers? There appears to be little available research as to the VieWpoints of employed mothers about the role of the public school. Interface between the School and the Home As the American society has become more technologically oriented, the nature of the interface between school and home has shifted considerably. Swick and Duff (1978)suggest that this shift has initiated considerable change in school oper- ations in terms of size, program, staffing, finance, and locale. They acknowledge that parents are "the first and potentially the most continuous educators children ever have during their lifetime," teaching values, attitudes, and moral behaviors by the examples they set daily. They see the 31 school, however, as an extension of the family where the formation of productive behavior is encouraged and supported. Croft (1979) notes that families and schools have under- gone more changes in the last decade than in any previous 50 years. Roles are no longer clearly defined between home and school and, with the phenomenal increase in working mothers and single-parented families, the task of parenting has become much more complex. She cites the increasing amount of parental time that must be spent in the labor force to provide the family with basic needs, impacting negatively on the time spent with children in guidance and home teaching. Many nuclear families are experiencing a critical need for additional support in the rearing of their children and, as pointed out by Yankelovich, Skelly, and White (1976-1977), they are more inclined to look to the schools for that support than family agencies, social workers, or other such support services. Nedler and McAfee (1979) charge that the school as an institution is often perceived as intimidating by both well-educated and less-educated parents or that schools are often seen by parents as distant and unsympathetic to the many pressures of their everyday lives. Broudy (1975) believes that the schools in our society are undergoing an inversion of function. He states: Instruction, once the school's primary and distinctive function, is in many schools becoming an ancillary one, and what it once regarded as incidental to instruction is becoming its primary mission. 32 The school is supposed to serve in loco parentis, in loco communitatis, and in loco humanitatis. Then there must be a discernible concensus on the ideal family, the ideal community, and the ideal human being. (p. 255) This View is also supported by two very renowned names in the study of families in the United States, Urie Bronfen- brenner and Margaret Mead. Bronfenbrenner (1975), in a speech to the members of the American Philosophical Association, suggested that parents abdicate their educational responsi- bilities to schools, not necessarily because they are irre- sponsible, but because they have no time. He implied that because adults have less and less time and support for their role as parents, what children experience now is a cultural void that is filled more by television and peers than by parents or teachers. Margaret Mead was quoted by Nancy Edwards (1978) in a speech at U.C.L.A. accordingly: The decline of the significant caring of the family is a chief detractor to stability in our society. When the family fails, its children may fail as well to cope with the world at large. Hence, there is no immediate place to shelter these children than the public schools. A teacher is often asked to compensate for so many areas of students' neglect or rejection ranging from poor health, poor nutrition, to overt neglect or abuse. (p. 6) Seiden (1977) believes that certain changes in today's families are making enormous differences in what parents expect of school. The increase in employed mothers, the increase in number of single parents, women's liberation, and the increase in divorces have all assisted in shaping these 33 differences. Seiden (1977) also believes that, when examin- ing working mothers' expectations for the school, there is an interesting paradox: working women want a greater voice in their children's education, but they have less time to do much about it. Critics of formalized schooling and advocates of strong familial socialization have challenged the all-encompassing influence of teachers in the lives of children. Illich (1970) claims that the schools have taken total control over the lives of children and that the teacher has become custodian, preacher, and therapist. The dilemma of who is and/or should be responsible for the socialization of the child is more clearly identified by Lightfoot (1977). She maintains that, though the roles differ, parents and teachers continue to share many of the same responsibilities for the socialization of the child. Much of the difficulty between them comes from the fact that their exact spheres of influence are not clearly delineated. Anna Freud (1952) delineated the role between mother and teacher. She proposed that the teacher's role be far more emotionally circumscribed and objective. She talked about the need for mothers and teachers to perform distinctly separate roles. The teacher's role is not that of a mother- substitute. If teachers play the part of mother, they get from the child the reactions which are appropriate to the mother-child relationship-~the demand for exclusive attention 34 and affection, the wish to get rid of all the other children in the classroom. Public School Adjustment to Emplpyed Mothers If there is, or should be, greater responsibility in the development of the child by schools because of changes in the family, what type and how extensive should these changes be? Jenkins (1977) cites the need for moral education and teaching values in the schools because of our high crime rate and divorces. He contends that the Gallup Poll, reported in December 1975, indicated that 72% of Americans favor values education and only 15% are opposed to instruction in the schools that would deal with morals and moral behavior. Miles (1977) suggests that schools need to sponsor pro- grams to help parents understand their child's development and ways of spending time with them usefully. She offers that schools might consider training programs for substitute mothers, giving them certificates at the end of a 6-month program in which they study child development and elementary pediatrics and do six months of field work. She believes the school has no choice but to move toward more responsibilities, but they must also set guidelines for cut-off points. For example, the extended day should be an option, not an understood necessity. The understood first choice for any child is that he return home after school. The school should not simply make it possible for two-parent 35 families of means to spend larger hours working or playing away from their children. However, single-parent families and poor families should be able to have the option of healthy after-school care. Surridge (1978) reports that the extended day has already begun in England. The hours of certain nursery schools in the London area have been extended to accommodate working mothers. These schools begin at 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 6:00 p.m. This convenience has reportedly made it better for the preschooler and the mother. If socialization of the child is important to parents and society, then schools may need to improve their programs to aid in the child's development. Wynne (1979) maintains that schools have to do a better job of preparing youth for responsible adulthood. He contends that good socialization skills take time to develop, and we learn these skills by being in close touch with appropriate role models and by spending time in environments where the skills are routinely practiced and participants are under pressure to learn and apply their skills. This environment is more appropriate to the school. 1 There is a great deal of uncertainty about whether schools should assume more responsibility for the child's development. The answer may be forthcoming after there is more data obtained concerning the present needs of children and families. Seiden (1977) summarizes this assumption by stating the following.: 36 Being aware of the demand on parents, schools can better understand what parents want for their children, and parents will be more motivated to find the time to collaborate with the school that needs and seeks their full partnership in the education of their children. (p. 16) Summary The numbers of employed mothers in the labor force have caused a concern that mothers may be less than effective in carrying out their responsibilities of child development. This concern has been shown in general to be invalid. There is support for schools to share responsibilities with the home in the development of child behavior and socialization (Jenkins, 1977; Wynne, 1979; Miles, 1977). There is also a belief that adjustments need to be made in the public school to accommodate the needs that arise from new conditions (such as employed mothers) in our society (Lightfoot, 1977; Seiden, 1977). Seiden (1977) believes that we need to explore and examine these needs before we educators decide what parents want the school role to be. CHAPTER III RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES This chapter presents the research design for this study. The following elements are discussed: the population, the sample and sampling technique, the survey instrument, the pilot study, and the statistical analysis of the data. The Population The population for this study consisted of the mothers of elementary school-aged children in the Waverly Schools in Lansing, Michigan (grades K-5). The total number of names of mothers in the population was 1,526. A complete and updated list of all parents of all ele- mentary school children in the Waverly Schools was obtained. It was necessary to review this list and identify names of mothers that were repeated because of having more than one child in grades K-5. This list of names was reduced to the number of 1,234 after the name repetitions were identified and deleted. The Sample A sample of 617 mothers was selected from the list of 1,234. In order to obtain a representative sample size for 37 38 the study, one-half of the total population of mothers was identified to participate in the study. Every other name on the list of all mothers was selected to participate. The number of mothers who responded was 193. This was 31% of the number of questionnaires mailed to mothers (N = 617) and 16% of the population (N = 1234). Instrumentation In designing this study, it was decided that a question- naire was the most logical method of collecting the data. A copy of this survey instrument appears in Appendix B. Part I of the questionnaire was designed to collect the necessary data pertaining to the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. This part of the questionnaire was developed by examining two samples of needs assessment instruments used by local public schools. Forty-eight items were identified as representative items of possible responsi- bilities of public schools. Each respondent was asked to evaluate each item according to: (a) present or actual responsibility of the school, and (b) expectations of responsi- bility the public school should assume. The specific scale description and directions used for Part I of the questionnaire are as follows: This portion of the questionnaire is concerned with your opinions about how you see the role of the public school. We expect that the school assumes a portion (some or most) or all or none of the responsibility for certain skills, knowledge, or services. You will be asked to give your estimate or opinion in two columns. 39 (a) First, you will be asked to give your estimate about how much responsibility the school presently takes for certain, selected skills, knowledge, or services that children seem to need. (b) Secondly, you will be asked to give your opinion about how much responsibility you think the school should take for these same items . Directions: Please write the number that represents your best estimate or opinion according to the following scale: 1 = The public school presently takes/should take pp responsibility 2 = The public school presently takes/should take some responsibility 3 = The public school presently takes/should take most responsibility 4 = The public school presently takes/should take all responsibility 5 = Not important skill, knowledge, or service Part II of the survey instrument was designed to collect the necessary demographic data for comparisons of age, marital status, employment status, formal education, participation in public school activities, type of employment, length of employment, job satisfaction, employment preference, and reasons for employment. These data are summarized in Table l. The questionnaire, a cover letter, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope were mailed to the 617 mothers in the sample. One hundred and ninety-three of the questionnaires were returned with the complete information needed for the study (31.3%). 40 Pilot Study In order to obtain information about the ability of the respondents to understand and complete the questionnaire correctly, a pilot study was conducted. Twelve mothers of elementary school children in the Waverly Community Schools were randomly selected to complete the questionnaire. These mothers were notified by telephone; questionnaires were delivered to their homes. Eight of the questionnaires were returned by mail. Several changes were made in the question- naire as a result of the pilot survey. Analysis of Data The design of this study was to use nine independent variables and one dependent variable. The independent variables were: 1. Employment status 2. Employment-age status 3. Employment-marital status 4. Formal education 5. Type of employment 6. Job satisfaction 7. Length of employment 8. Hours per week worked 9. Job preference The dependent variable was: 1. The perception of the role of the public school by mothers of elementary school children 41 Frequencies and percentages were used in quantifying the data received from Part II of the questionnaire. This information was tabulated in Tables 1 and 2. The data from Part I were analyzed in two different ways. First, each of the 48 items was judged according to a value on a S-point Likert scale as perceived by the mothers. These 48 items were also judged in two columns according to the role the public school presently assumes and the role the public school is expected to assume. The value for each item and for each column was identified by a mean score. Secondly, the data from Part I were analyzed according to the difference that existed between the mean score of the responsibility the school is expected to assume and the mean score of the responsibility the school presently assumes (expectation minus responsibility presently assumed). This difference was represented for each item by a mean differ- ence score, either negative or positive. A negative score indicates that mothers' expectations are higher than the present responsibility the school assumes, while a positive score indicates that the expectations are lower than the responsibility the school presently assumes. This negative or positive score represented the mothers' perception of peed for change on the part of the public school for each questionnaire item. In addition, a chi square statistic was used to analyze the significance of effect of the independent variables on the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. 42 Each item on the questionnaire was tested for each indepen- dent variable. Those questionnaire items that had a signi- ficance level of .010 were analyzed for identifiable trends and possible reasons for the low significance level. Factor Analysis A factor analysis was made to determine the variance in the questionnaire items in measuring the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. The decision was made to separate the questionnaire items into two groups because of the dual rating scale. All 48 variables were rated according to the mothers' perception of the present and expected roles for the public school. Consequently, there were a total of 48 variables to be rated on two scales for a total of 96 items. A total of 86 out of the 96 variables loaded .3 or higher on the factor. Those variables that were below the .3 level for the expected role are listed below: V58 (.28400)--The experience of prayer as an act of worship V86 (.20316)--Providing the child's breakfast V87 (.l64l7)--Transportation to and from school V88 (.29942)-—Transportation home from after-school activities V91 (.26127)--Spanking of a child for more serious violation of school rules V93 (.27133)--Cost of providing additional or enriched learning opportunities V96 (.07375)--Supervision of a child while parents are at work 43 This analysis also included percentage of variance scores for each variable for the factor. There was a 30.4% or higher for factor 1 for each column of variables. The factor analysis indicated a high degree of correla- tion among the variables as described in the questionnaire. CHAPTER IV FINDINGS This chapter presents the analysis of the responses from the mothers of the elementary school children who participated in the study. Due to the large amount of data collected by the survey instrument, this analysis is divided into four main sections. The first section presents background information on the respondents. Frequency counts and percentages of responses are presented for each profile. The second section provides an item analysis by ranking of the top and bottom five questionnaire statements according to employment status. The third section identifies the mean difference scores between the Present Role (a) and Expected Role (b) columns of the survey instrument by employment status. Mean differ- ence scores were compared by employment and marital status and by the subcategories of skill development and school services. The fourth section of this chapter addresses the rela- tionship between employment status and mothers' perception of the role of the public school. The effect of employment status on the mothers' perception of the role of the public 44 45 school was tested using the chi square test of statistical significance. Each item in the questionnaire was tested for statistical significance using the independent variables of employment, employment-marital, and employment-age. These items were compared and listed by significance level of .100 and lower. Those items which had significance levels of .010 and lower were analyzed for additional information. In addition to the above independent variables related directly to employmentstatus, each test item was tested for statistical significance using the independent variables of formal education, type of employment, job satisfaction, job preference, length of employment, and hours per week worked. Each test item was listed and analyzed according to the pro- cedures listed in the preceding paragraph. The dependent variable in each test was the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Background of Respondents The data summarized in this study were compiled from the responses of the 193 mothers who returned the question— naires. The population identified was the mothers of ele- mentary school children in the Waverly Community Schools, Lansing, Michigan, during the 1979-80 school year. A random sample of 617 mothers was identified to participate in the study. Of the 617 questionnaires that were mailed home there were 193 that were completed and returned (31.3%). 46 Of the 193 mothers who responded to this survey request, 29 or 53.2% said they were employed outside the home for 10 hours a week or more. This percentage of working mothers closely corresponds to the national average cited by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1977). This Bureau stated that nearly one-half (46%) of the children under 18 had mothers in the labor force in 1976. However, this report did not stipu- late the number of hours per week the mothers were employed. The 53.2% of women in the work force in Waverly is an increase over the 46% in 1976 reported by the Bureau of Labor Statis- tics. This corresponds to the projection of Dale (1977) that there will be an increasing number of employed women and mothers in the United States in the future. Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the frequency counts and per- centages of responses for the data collected in Part II (Related Information) of the questionnaire. Based on the answers most frequently selected for each of the variables in Tables 1 and 2, the typical mother of elementary school children in the Waverly Schools was as follows: married; employed for 10 or more hours outside the home; between the ages of 31-40; having a high school diploma with 2 years advanced training in a trade school or college; employed in clerical services for financial reasons for the past 6 months to 5 years; satisfied with her employment, but would prefer to be part-time employed as opposed to full-time employed or homemaking; active in school activities, and considers this amount of school activity about right. 47 o.ooH owe m.oq km a.mm mm Hayes h.~ m 0 .MI u.~ NI. undo» ghosts .omoHHOU 6.5 4H >.~ m m.¢ m autos mum .momHHoo «.ma an m.m ma m.m on auto» «um .mmmaaoo m.am mm m.~H mm a.mH on aunts m .ommHHoo s.~ m H.H N o.H m mama» N .Hooaom mummy o.w ma m.v m ~.m o How» H .Hoonom comma a.mm aw o.wH om a.~H mm outnumum Hoosom sane H.~ a o.H m m. H «Hum mutate m. H m. a o o soflwnum venue cowumocpo amsuom o.ooH mad a.mv hm a.mm mm Hmuos H.6H om ~.m mu. a.mH .mm mamcnm a.mm oma 6.44 mm m.mm ma tmnuumz depends o.ooa mma a.ma km «.mm mm Haves m.va pm H.m mm. 4.6 mm. nm>ouov H.oo mug a.mm am H.sm mo canam a.ma on h.m ma k.m ma cm soamm mac o.ooH oma a.ma kw «.mm mm unmamoamsa unwound Mocosoouh unmouom aococvoum unmouom wocosoouh 63352, Hmuoa cohonemcoz cowoao5fi cmucaaru Hoozom mumuamemam mo mumruoz «0 manmoum a mHoocom muaccseou >HHo>m3 on» cfl H OHQMB 48 Table 2 A Profile of Employed Mothers of Elementary School Children in the Waverly Schools, Lansing, Michigan (N = 99) Variable Frequency Percent Type of employment Administration and manager Natural science and mathematics Social scientist and lawyer Engineer and architect Teacher, librarian, counselor Health diagnosing and treating pract. Nurses and pharmacists Writers, entertainers, athletes Health technologists and tech- nicians Technologists and technicians (exc. health) Marketing and sales Clerical Service Agriculture and forestry Construction Transportation Mechanics Production Material handlers and laborers Military Miscellaneous Total hOl—‘OO‘ bOHom O O O O H H y-nb HONNOOOOOOQH H Hm» Pb HowwoooooofiH H Hm» HOHHooooHOHH H HHH HOHOH \O \D H O O O Job Satisfaction Very satisfied 38 38.4 Satisfied 52 52.5 Dissatisfied 7 7.1 Very dissatisfied 2 __ZLQ Total 99 100.0 Table 2 (cont'd.) 49 Variable Frequency Percent Length of employment 1 day-6 months 9 9.0 6 months-5 years 44 44.0 5-10 years 24 24.0 10 years or more 23_ 23.0 Total 99 100.0 Hours per week employed None 63 33.9 1-10 hours 24 12.9 11-25 hours 32 17.2 26-40 hours 46 24.7 40 or more hours 21 11.3 Total 186 100.0 Employment preference Full-time employment 33 33.3 Part-time employment 59 59.6 Homemaker _1 7.1 Total 99 100.0 Reason for employment Financial 1st choice 58 61.6 2nd choice 15 16.0 3rd choice 11 11.7 4th choice 4 4.3 5th choice _6 6.4 Total 92 100.0 Contact with others lst choice 15 17.3 2nd choice 35 40.3 3rd choice 25 28.7 4th choice 11 12.6 5th choice _1 1.1 Total 87 100.0 Status lst choice 1 1.2 2nd choice 1 1.2 3rd choice 14 15.9 4th choice 50 60.1 5th choice 18 21.6 Total 84 100.0 Table 2 (cont'd.) 50 Variable Frequency Percent Reason for employment (cont'd.) Need to achieve lst choice 19 22.9 2nd choice 28 33.8 3rd choice 27 32.5 4th choice 8 9.6 5th choice _1 1.2 Total 83 100.0 Other reasons lst choice 5 14.3 2nd choice 5 14.3 3rd choice 5 14.3 4th choice 7 20.0 5th choice .l§ 37.1 Total 35 100.0 51 Participation in School Activities The amount of participation in school activities as identified by mothers of elementary school children, according to their employment status, is presented in Table 3. Table 3 Participation in School Activities According to Employment Status Employment Partic1pation Status very Active Active Seldom Never Total Active Active N 7 4O 48 4 99 Employed % 3.9 21.5 25.8 2.2 53.2 - N 11 49 25 2 87 Nonemployed % 5.9 26.3 13.4 1.2 46.8 N 18 89 73 6 186 Totals % 9.6 47.8 39.2 3.4 100.0 The two cells with the highest percentage of respondents were nonemployed-active (N = 49, 26.3%) and employed-seldom active (N = 48, 25.8%). Sixty-eight point nine percent of the nonemployed mothers said they were very active to active as opposed to 47.5% of the employed mothers. Thirty-one per- cent of the nonemployed mothers said they were seldom to never active as opposed to 52.5% of the employed mothers. The amount of school activity desired by employment status is presented in Table 4. Forty-two point seven percent 52 Table 4 Amount of School Activity Desired by Employment Status Activity Desired Employment Status More Less About Right Total N 41 3 52 96 Employed % 22.5 1.6 28.6 52.7 N 26 3 57 86 Nonemployed % 14.3 1.6 31.4 47.3 N 67 6 109 182 Total % 36.8 3.2 60.0 100.0 of employed mothers said they would like more school activity as opposed to 30.6% of nonemployed mothers. According to Seiden (1977) there is an interesting paradox when examining the expectations for school activity by employed mothers; employed mothers want a greater voice in their children's education, but they have less time to do much about it. The totals in Tables 3 and 4 support Seiden's assumption. Questionnaire Statements There were a total of 48 statements listed on the question- naire in Part I (Responsibilities of the Public School). Of these 48, the first 36 (numbers 1-36) were subcategorized (without special questionnaire identification) as skill 53 development variables. The last 12 statements (numbers 37-48) were subcategorized (without special questionnaire identifi- cation) as school services. Mothers were asked to rank the score for each statement based on their estimates in two columns: (a) "the responsi- bility the school presently takes," and (b) "the responsibi- lity you think the school should take." The following rating scale was provided: 1. The public school presently takes/should take 29 responsibility 2. The public school presently takes/should take ppm; responsibility 3. The public school presently takes/should take most responsibility 4. The public school presently takes/should take all responsibility 5. Not important skill, knowledge, or service A mean score was calculated for each statement 129 responsibility equals 1 point; some responsibility equals 2 points; most responsibility equals 3 points; and all responsi- bility equals 4 points). The scores for number 5(not impor- tant) were excluded from the mean calculations. The mean values for the 48 statements in column a (present role) ranged from 1.05 to 3.06 with a grand mean score of 2.16. The mean scores for column 6 (expected role) ranged from 1.17 to 3.38 with a grand mean score of 2.48. 54 Column b (expected role) was identified as the perceived role of the public school. Mean Scores by Independent Variables The mean scores by independent variables are recorded in the following Tables 5-13. As identified in Table 5, there is little difference in mean scores between employed and nonemployed mothers. Table 5 Mean Scores by Employment Status N = 186 Status Employed Nonemployed M 2.48 2.47 2.48 N 99 87 N = 186 Table 6 indicates that employed-single mothers have the greatest expectation for the role of the public school (M = 2.59). The nonemployed single mother has the lowest expecta- tion of the role of the public school (M = 2.14). The cell size of 4 in nonemployed-single, however, is a very small sample. This table indicates that employment status is not a great factor when combined with married status. However, when combined with single status, it increased the impact on the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Figure 1 illustrates the difference between the marital and employment status in mothers' perception of the role of 55 Table 6 Mean Scores by Employment- Marital Status Marital Status Employment Status Married Single M 2.43 2.59 2.48 Employed N 73 26 99 M 2.49 2.14 2.47 Nonemployed N 83 4 87 M 2.46 2.54 M = 2.48 N 156 30 = 186 the public school. This is a disordinal interaction for marital status. In Table 7, the mean scores for employed mothers become smaller by age suggesting that employed mothers perceived the role of the school to a lesser degree as they increase in age. Table 8 points out a difference between the mean score of a high school graduate (2.61) and the mother with two years of college (2.42). Although this is not clearly dis- tinguished, this table might be interpreted that mothers with more formal education perceive the role of the public school to a lesser degree than do mothers with less formal education. In Table 9, it is very difficult to identify any per— tinent trends because of the generally low samples by cell. 56 Married Mean ----- Single Scores 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.6 . 2.5 / 2.4 ’ 2.3 ’ 2.2 / Nonemployed Employed Figure 1 An Analysis of the Interaction Effect Between Employment-Marital Status and Perception of the Role of the Public School 57 Table 7 Mean Scores by Employment-Age Status Age Status Employment Status 30 & Under 31-40 40 & Over M 2.56 2.44 2.41 2.48 Employed N 18 69 12 99 M 2.59 2.41 2.59 2.47 Nonemployed N 18 54 15 87 M 2.58 2.43 2.51 M = 2.48 N 36 123 27 N = 186 58 omH mv.m n oma m «a on mm m ma me v H mv.m mv.m mm.m mv.~ mv.m mo.m m¢.~ Ho.m w¢.N mm.m .muh .mum mum .mu» vim .mu» m .mum N .Hh H coho «Hum soamm onoanh omcHHoo omoaaoo omoaaoo Hoonom Hoonom .m.m macaw um omoaaoo moons mucus comma coaumosom Hmauom ma monoom coo: m OHQMB Table 9 Mean Scores by Type of Employment Type of Euploynent guinea 3 59 snoauvttaosru fizvnxttu czazoqeq a ”eleven "my vetaanpoza scrutqaon uoraeqzodsuezi uoraanxasuoo 51389103 5 ornatnotzbv oornras I'DIIBID sates a buxaoxztn (untvan 10) quaam 3 'ouqoam 'Oxuuoam 9 'ouqoam garean senatqav s '°za:u3 'szenjxn sacrovmzvqa 3 sasznn -aae1a '39311 t '6uxsoubvxa untvaa Jotasunoo 'uvrxvzqrq 'zaqaeam aaonrqozv a zeeurbua ‘IDS I'IOOS corqeuaqqeu 9 'TDS '39s zobeuvu a °uxupv 17 16 14 15 13 2.48 29 2. 3.13 2.46 2.00 2.17 2.40 2.40 2.57 2.43 2.48 2.47 1.85 2.54 2.68 99 10 4O 14 H - 2.48 N = 99 60 Table 10 indicates that those mothers who prefer a full- time job perceive the role of the school greater than those who would prefer homemaking or a part-time job. Table 10 Mean Scores by Job Preference Job Preference Part-Time Job Homemaking Full-Tbme Job M 2.42 2.51 2.53 2.48 N 59 7 33 99 M = 2.48 N = 99 Table 11 has low cell samples for dissatisfied and very dissatisfied. However, the table shows higher mean scores for dissatisfied and very dissatisfied which indicate that these mothers perceive a greater role for the public school. Table 11 Mean Scores by Job Satisfaction Job Satisfaction Very Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Dissatisfied M 2.39 2.47 2.51 2.49 2.48 38 52 7 2 99 M = 2.48 99 61 In Table 12 the mothers who are employed for the least amount of time (1 day-6mos.) show the highest score. The frustration and anxiety of learning a new job and possibly working for the first time may prompt these mothers to per- ceive a greater role for the public school. Table 12 Mean Scores By Length of Employment Length of Employment 1 Day- 6 Mos.- 5-10 lO-More 6 Mos. 5 Yrs. Yrs. Yrs. M 2.70 2.37 2.39 2.50 2.48 N 9 44 24 23 99 M = 2.48 N = 99 In contrast, mothers who have been employed the longest (10 yrs.-more) indicate the next highest mean score (2.50). These mothers are likely to be career employees who need or wish to rely more heavily on the public school for assistance in child rearing. Table 13 indicates the highest mean score for those mothers who work 41 hours or more per week. It may be understandable that they perceive the role of the public school greater than mothers who work fewer hours. 62 Table 13 Mean Scores for Hours Per Week Worked Hours Per Week Worked 1-10 Hrs. 11-25 Hrs. 26-40 Hrs. 41 Hrs.-More M 2.51 2.44 2.44 2.62 2.48 N 24 32 46 21 123 M = 2.48 = 123 Rank Order of Mean Scores Tables 14 and 15 rank the five most and the five least important responsibilities the public school was expected to assume according to the perception of the mothers. Tables 16 and 17 list the five most and the five least expected responsibilities of the public school based on the mothers' perception by employment status (a complete list of all ranked mean scores may be found in Appendix C). The range of mean scores for the expected role for employed mothers was 1.20 to 3.38. The range of mean scores for nonemployed mothers was 1.17 to 3.24. As indicated by a comparison of mean scores for the five most important expected responsibilities in Table 16, there is considerable agreement between employed and nonemployed mothers and the first three rankings. However, employed mothers rank item number 29 (the desire to learn new ideas 63 Table 14 Ranking by Mothers of the Five Most Important, Expected Responsibilities of the Public School Overall Item . . . Mean Res on51bilit Rank No. p y Score 1 25 The ability to read and comprehend in 3.304 order to obtain necessary information 2 28 The ability to use numbers for solving 3.281 problems in daily life 3 27 The skill of written expression of ideas 3.228 and information 4 42 Discipline of a child who does not fol- 2.995 low school rules (not including spanking) 5 39 Transportation to and from school 2.979 Table 15 Ranking by Mothers of the Five Least Important, Expected Responsibilities of the Public School Overall Item . . . Mean Res on31b111t Rank NO- p y Score 48 48 Supervision of a child while parents are 1.196 at work (before and after school and weekdays when school is not in session 47 38 Providing the child's breakfast 1.428 46 10 The experience of prayer as an act of 1.702 worship 45 43 Spanking of a child for more serious 1.761 violations of school rules 44 9 A belief in the value of religion 1.884 64 Table 16 Item Ranking by Mothers' Employment Status of Five Most Important, Expected Responsibilities of the Public School Employment F I Item , , . Mean Status No. ResponSibility Score Employed l 28 The ability to use numbers for 3.38 solving problems in daily life 2 25 The ability to read and compre- 3.35 hend in order to obtain neces- sary information 3 27 The skill of written expression 3.24 of ideas and information 4 42 To discipline a child who does 2.97 follow school rules (not including spanking) 5 29 The desire to learn new ideas 2.91 and skills Nonemployed 1 25 See above (2) 3.24 2 27 See above (3) 3.21 3 28 See above (1) 3.21 4 39 Transportation to and from 3.12 school 5 42 See above (4) 3.01 65 Table 17 Item Ranking by Mothers' Employment Status of the Five Least Important, Expected Responsibilities of Public School Employment Item . . . Mean Status Rank No. Respon51bility Score Employed 48 48 Supervision of a child while 1.20 parents are at work (before and after school and weekdays when school is not in session 47 38 Providing the child's breakfast 1.47 46 10 The experience of prayer as an 1.62 act of worship 45 40 Transportation home from after- 1.69 school activities 44 9 A belief in the value of 1.84 religion Nonemployed 48 48 See above (48) 1.17 47 38 See above (47) 1.39 46 40 See above (45) 1.40 45 43 Spanking of a child for more 1.64 serious violations of school rules 44 10 See above (46) 1.76 66 and skills) as the fifth most important and nonemployed mothers rank item number 39 (transportation to and from school) as its fourth most important. Employed mothers did not rank item number 39 in the top five and nonemployed mothers did not rank item number 29 in their top five most important expected responsibilities. In comparing rankings of the five least important expected responsibilities of the public school listed in Table 17, employed mothers ranked item number 9 (a belief in the value of religion) as the fifth least important and nonemployed mothers ranked item number 43 (spanking of a child for more serious violations of school rules) as their fourth least important expected responsibility of the public school. Employed mothers did not rank item number 43 in their five least important and nonemployed mothers did not rank item number 9 in their least important expected responsibilities of the public school. The order of rankings were very similar on the other items. The grand mean for column a (present role) was 2.16 and the grand mean for column b (expected role) was 2.48. A Comparison of Mean Difference Scores By Employment (-Marital) Status A comparison of the mean scores between columns (a) and (b) indicatesai-.32 difference. All items, with the exception of one, indicated a higher mean score in column (b) than in column (a). That one item was number 37 (providing the 67 child's lunch). The mean for the expected responsibility for this item was identified as greater than the present role by employed and nonemployed mothers. The purpose of comparing the mean difference scores between the present and expected roles of the school was to identify the perceived school needs of mothers by employment and employment-marital status and by subcategories of skill development and school services. These differences represent mothers' opinions of the differences between present school role and expected school role for each statement on the questionnaire. The analysis is primarily concerned with the differences which exist between the mothers' perception of the present and expected roles of the public school. The grand mean difference between columns (a) and (b) was -.32 (N = 186). A table ranking all mean difference scores by employment status may be found in Appendix E. The five highest and the five lowest mean difference scores are identified in Tables 18 and 19. The greatest difference in mean scores is statement number 45 (cost of providing for a child who learns easily [-.73]). The lowest mean difference score is statement number 37 (providing the child's lunch [.09]). Tables 20 and 21 list the five highest and the five lowest mean difference scores by employment status. In Table 20, the employed mothers ranked statement numbers 28, 25, and 42 in their top five mean difference statements. 68 Table 18 Rank Order of the Five Highest Mean Difference Scores as Perceived by Mothers of Elementary School Children Mean Differ- Overall Item ' ' ' ence Score Rank No. Respon51bility l 45 Cost of providing additional or -.73 enriched learning opportunities for a child who learns easily 2 44 Cost of tutoring a child who is behind -.63 in learning 3 17 The harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, -.61 and illicit drugs 4 28 The ability to use numbers for solving -.60 problems in daily life 5 10 The experience of prayer as an act of -.57 worship Table 19 Rank Order of the Five Lowest Mean Difference Scores as Perceived by Mothers of Elementary School Children Overall Item Re ’b'l't Mean Differ- Rank No. spon51 1 1 y ence Score 48 37 Providing the child's lunch .09 47 39 Transportation to and from school -.02 46 24 The enrichment of recreational activ- -.O8 ities such as hobbies, games, out- door activities 45 48 Supervision of a child while parents -.11 are at work (before and after school and weekdays when school is not in session) 44 36 Physical skill for athletic competition -.12 69 Table 20 A Comparison of the Five Highest Mean Difference Scores by Employment Status Employment I 1 Item . . . Mean Differ- Status No. ResponSibility ence Score Employed 1 45 Cost of providing additional -.72 or enriched learning oppor- tunities for a child who learns easily 2 44 Cost of tutoring a child who -.66 is behind in learning 3 28 The ability to use numbers -.65 for solving problems in daily life 4 25 The ability to read and com- -.63 prehend in order to obtain necessary information 5 42 Discipline of a child who does -.59 not follow school rules (not including spanking) Nonemployed 1 45 See above (1) -.74 2 17 The harmful effects of tobacco, -.64 alcohol, and illicit drugs 3 10 The experience of prayer as an -.62 act of worship 4 9 A belief in the value of —.61 religion 5 44 See above (2) -.59 5 27 The skill of written expression -.59 of ideas and information 5 22 Home maintenance skills -.59 (repairing, painting, etc.) 70 Table 21 A Comparison of the Five Lowest Mean Difference Scores by Employment Status Employment 1 Item . . . Mean Differ- Status No. Respon51b111ty ence Score Employed : 48 37 Providing the child's lunch .10 47 39 Transportation to and from .01 school 46 36 Physical skill for athletic -.ll competition 45 24 The enjoyment of recreational -.14 activities such as hobbies, games, outdoor activities 44 48 Supervision of a child while -.15 parents are at work (before and after school and weekdays when school is not in session) Nonemployed 48 37 See above (48) .08 47 47 Supervision for after-school -.04 activities 46 48 See above (44) -.06 46 39 See above (47) -.06 44 46 Organization of school activ- -.07 ities 71 Nonemployed mothers ranked statement numbers 17, 10, 9, 27, and 22 in their top five mean difference statements. The opposite group did not include these statements in their top five mean difference ranking. Table 21 is a ranking of the five lowest mean difference scores by employment status. Employed mothers include state- ment numbers 36 and 24 in their five lowest mean difference scores; whereas, nonemployed mothers include statement numbers 46 and 47. The opposite group did not include these state- ments in its bottom five mean difference ranking. Table 22 lists the mean difference scores by employment- marital status. The highest mean difference score by employ- ment status is -.34 for employed status. The highest mean difference score by employment-marital status is -.48 for employed-single mothers. An analysis of the 48 statements was made according to the subcategories of skill development and school services. Table 23 lists the mean scores by subcategory and employment status. The mean of the mean difference is presented by sub- category and employment status. The greatest difference between the subcategories of skill development and school services is for school service (-.06, N = 186). The highest mean of the mean difference score by employment status is employed mothers and school service variables (-.42, N = 99). The highest mean scores are for the expected role in the subcategory of skill 72 Table 22 The Mean Difference Scores by Employment-Marital Status (N == 186) Mean of the Variable N N Mean Difference Employed 99 -.34 Married 73 -.29 Single 26 -.48 Nonemployed 87 -.31 Married 83 -.30 Single 4 -.37 Total 186 186 Table 23 A Comparison of Mean Scores by Subcategories and Employment Status (N = 186) Employment Present Expected Mean of Mean Subcategory Status Role Role Difference Skill development statements Employed 2.23 2.53 -.30 (N = 99) Nonemployed 2.26 2.55 -.29 (N = 87) School service statements Employed 1.90 2.32 -.42 (N = 99) Nonemployed 1.91 2.27 -.36 01= 7) 73 development (2.53, 2.55) and the lowest are in the subcategory of school services and present role (1.90, 1.91). Figure 2 illustrates the difference of the mean differ- ence scores for employment-marital status. These scores indicate an ordinal interaction for marital status. Single mothers, whether they are nonemployed or employed, have higher mean difference scores than do married-nonemployed and employed mothers. Married mean difference scores ---------- Single -.50 /O -.45 I, /’ / ,, -.40 ,,” 0/ / -.35 -O 30 ' .1_-__NW“NN“M‘ -.25 "“4 Nonemployed Employed Figure 2 Analysis of the Interaction Effect of Mean Difference Scores for Employment-Marital Status 74 The Effects of the Independent Variables On the Dependent Variables As stated in Chapter I, it was a purpose of this study to determine the effect of employment status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. In addition, there were other related independent variables such as: employment-age, employment-marital, formal education, job satisfaction, type of employment, length of employment, job preference, and hours per week worked. In order to test the significance of effect of these independent variables on the dependent variable, a chi square test of significance was used. Each questionnaire item for expected role was tested for the significance of effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. A summary of the significant level scores below .100 will be listed for the independent variable on the dependent variable in Tables 24-32. An analysis will be made for significance level scores below .010. This will be done by using contingency tables. In Contingency Table 24.1, nonemployed mothers express some extreme perceptions. They indicate a higher row per- centage of no responsibility (84.6%) and all responsibility (61.9%). Employed mothers indicate the highest row percent- age in some responsibility (61.5%) and most responsibility (53.4%). The extreme difference in scores for nonemployed mothers suggest that they have greater uncertainty of what the role of the public should be in organizing school activities. 75 Table 24 The Effect of Employment Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom) Variable Raw Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V79 Appreciation of Music 6.27559 .0989 V88 Transportation After School 8.42429 .0380 V91 Spanking 6.99120 .0722 V94* Organization of School Activities . 11.92515 .0076 In contingency Table 25.1 it is apparent that a signi- ficant number of employed-single mothers (76%) believe that the public school should assume most of the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of art. Whereas nonemployed single mothers believe that the public school should only assume some or none of the responsibility. Unfortunately the sample size is small for nonemployed-single mothers. The indication here is that marital status is an impor— tant factor affecting the employed mothers' perception of the role of the public school in teaching the appreciation of art. In contingency Table 25.2 the response to appreciation of music is very similar to the response to the appreciation of art. There is one more response to ggmg responsibility and one less response to most responsibility for employed single mothers. The indication is similar to V78 that single status is an important factor affecting the employed mothers' 76 Contingency Table 24.1 Analysis of Response for V94--Organization of School Activities (Employment Status) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed Nonemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 2 11 15.4 84.6 2.1 12.8 13 1.1 6.0 7.1 Some responsibility 56 35 61.5 38.5 91 57.7 40.7 49 7 30.6 19.1 ° Most responsibility 31 27 53.4 46.6 58 32.0 31.4 31 7 16.9 14.8 ' All responsibility 8 13 31.1 61.9 21 8.2 15.1 11 5 4.4 7.1 ° Count 97 86 183 % 53.0 47.0 100.0 The Effect of Employment-Marital Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom) 77 Table 25 Variable Raw Chi Significance Controlled Number Description Square Level For V55 Moral & Ethical Principals 6.62453 .0849 Married V58 Prayer 5.38462 .0677 Single V70 Home Maintenance Skills 7.19022 .0661 Single V75 Skill of written Expres- sion 5.63889 .0596 Single V77 New Ideas & Skills 5.26388 .0719 Single V78* Appreciation of Art 12.18000 .0023 Single V79* Appreciation of Music 11.33900 .0034 Single V80 Appreciation of Drama 10.65091 .0138 Single V81 Appreciation of Nature 4.84249 .0278 Single V83 Physical Fitness 13.23125 .0042 Single V85 Child's Lunch 7.55716 .0561 Married V87 Transportation 7.61325 .0547 Married V90* Discipline of Child 10.65091 .0049 Single V91 Spanking 7.58396 .0554 Married V93 Cost of Enriched Training 8.36574 .0390 Single V94 Organization of School Activities 11.24753 .0105 Married V94* Organization of School Activities 13.67511 .0034 Single V95 Supervision After School Activities 7.52902 .0568 Single *Significance level below .010. 78 Contingency Table 25.1 Analysis of Response to V78--Appreciation of Art (Single Status) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed Nonemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 l 0 100.0 1 0 25.0 3 4 0 3.4 ° Some responsibility 6 3 66.7 33.3 9 20 7 10.3 ' Most responsibility 19 0 100.0 0 76.0 0 6595 65.5 0 ' Count 25 4 29 % 86.2 13.8 100.0 79 Contingency Table 25.2 Analysis of Response to V79--Appreciation of Music (Single Status) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed Nonemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 1 0 100.0 1 0, 25.0 3 4 0 3.4 ' Some responsibility 7 3 70.0 30.0 10 28.0 75.0 34 5 24.1 10.3 ° Most responsibility 18 0 100.0 0 72.0 0 6281 62.1 0 ' Count 25 4 29 % 86.2 13.8 100.0 80 perception of the role of the public school in teaching the appreciation of music. In contingency Table 25.3 employed-single mothers indi- cate that physical fitness should be Egg; or all of the responsibility of the public school (80%). Nonemployed single mothers believe that it should be at best just §gmg responsibility of the public school. In contingency Table 25.4 employed-single mothers indi- cate that the discipline of the child is mostly the responsi- bility of the school (68%). Nonemployed-single mothers believe that it is at best some of the responsibility of the school (75%). The employment status is an important factor in single mothers' perception of the role of the public school for disciplining the child. In contingency Table 25.5 employed-single mothers believe that the public school should assume most or all of the responsibility for organizing school activities (68%). Nonemployed-single mothers respond that the school should assume none or some of the responsibility (75%). Again, the employment factor is important in the mothers' perception of the role of the public school concerning organizing school activities. In contingency Table 27.1 mothers who have more edu- cation have a tendency to believe that the public school should take a lesser amount of responsibility in having <1hildren experience prayer as an act of worship. Eighty percent of the mothers who have seven or more years of 81 Contingency Table 25.3 The Analysis of Response to V83--Physical Fitness (Single Status) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed Nonemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 1 0 100.0 1 0 25.0 3 4 O 3.4 ° Some responsibility 5 3 62.5 37.5 8 20.0 75.0 27 6 17.2 10.3 ' Most responsibility 17 0 100.0 0 68.0 0 5876 58.6 0 ° All responsibility 3 0 100.0 0 3 12.0 0 10.3 0 10.3 Count 25 4 29 % 86.2 13.8 100.0 82 Contingency Table 25.4 The Analysis of Responses to V90--Discip1ine of the ChiLd Who Does Not Follow School Rules (Not Including Spanking) Single Status Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed Nonemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 1 0 100.0 1 0 25.0 3 4 0 3.4 ' Some responsibility 8 3 72.7 27.3 11 32.0 75.0 37 9 27.6 10.3 ' Most responsibility l7 0 100.0 0 17 68.0 0 58 6 58.6 0 ' Count 25 4 29 % 86.2 13.8 100.0 83 Contingency Table 25.5 The Analysis of Response to V94--Organization of School Activities (Single Status) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Employed NOnemployed Row Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 2 0 100.0 2 0 50.0 6 9 0 6.9 ' Some responsibility 8 1 88.9 11.1 9 32.0 25.0 27.6 3.4 31°C Most responsibility 14 1 93.3 6.7 15 56.0 25.0 51 7 48.3 3.4 ° All responsibility 3 0 100.0 0 3 12.0 0 10.3 o 10'3 Count 25 4 29 % 86.2 13.8 100.0 84 Table 26 The Effect of Employment-Age Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (3 Degrees of Freedom) Employment-Age Status Variable Row Chi Significance Controlled Number Description Square Level For V54 Positive Self-Image 7.36364 .0612 40-over V55 Moral & Ethical Principle 7.2000 .0658 40-over V68 Proper Health Habits 7.25625 .0642 40-over V76 Numbers for Problem Solving 7.18384 .0786 40-over V81 Appreciation of Nature 7.18946 .0694 40-over V83 Physical Fitness 6.50631 .0877 Below 30 V84 Physical Skill 5.36867 .0683 Below 30 V87 Transportation 6.50944 .0893 31—40 V88 Transportation After School 10.16780 .0172 31-40 V88 Transportation After School 6.51326 .0924 40-over V90 Discipline of Child 5.48975 .0643 40-over V91 Spanking 8.44837 .0376 31—40 V94 Organization of School Activities 6.32804 .0967 40-over V95 Supervising After School 9.83812 .0200 40-over Note: There were no significant levels below .010 for employment-age status variables. I L A .1... -..-_..‘__n A. I. 85 Table 27 The Effect of Formal Education Status On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (24 Degrees of Freedom) Variable Row Chi Significance 'Number Description Square Level V54 Positive Self-Image 39.62794 .0234 V57 Value of Religion 42.15686 .0124 V58* Prayer 57.24897 .0002 V60 Personal Values 37.73966 .0369 V64* Manners & Politeness 45.46683 .0051 V67 Moral Responsibility Reproduction 33.70230 .0901 V70* Home Maintenance Skills 44.75002 .0062 V72* Recreational Activities 46.62472 .0037 V75* Skill of Written Expression 30.81142 .0059 V78 Appreciation of Art 34.62962 .0741 V82 Conservation 22.36516 .0714 V83* Physical Fitness 52.44050 .0002 V90* Discipline of Child 56.98035 .0000 *Significance levels below .010. 86 college said the school should have no responsibility for teaching the experience of prayer. Whereas the percentage decreased according to number of years of formal education for no responsibility: College 5-6 years 60.0% College 3-4 years 52.9% College 2 years 42.4% Trade school 2 years 60.0% Trade school 1 year 37.5% High school graduate 29.2% In contingency Table 27.2 the largest percentage of respondents indicated that the public school should provide sgmg responsibility for teaching manners and politeness (67.7%). Mothers who have more than four years of college edu- cation tend to rely less on the public schools to teach manners and politeness. However, there seems to be a gen- eral argument that the schools should have §gmg responsibi- lity in teaching manners and politeness. In contingency Table 27.3 there is a general consensus that public schools should have §9me responsibility to teach home maintenance skills (59.4%). The tendency for mothers ‘who have more than four years of college to rely less on 'the school to assume responsibility for home maintenance is also apparent. In contingency Table 27.4 most mothers believe that the ENJblic school has some responsibility in teaching recreational 87 o.oo~ s.~ o.» a.mH o.~n p.~ 6.8 ~.m~ H.~ m. o no“ m ms on mm m as me e H ucsou ~.n o o o o o m. ~.~ o m. o o o o o o n.o n.o o o.oo~ o o o o o 5.6H 5.06 o 5.6H o o o o o H c o H 32342083 :4 o.s o o o.” ~.H m. H.H ~.~ m. o as o o o.o v.n o.o~ m.- n.m o.m~ o o o a.mN «.ma 5.» «.ma m.on 5.” o o o n ~ H u v a o susaansncomnou umoz 0.64 m. ~.n o.h H.hs m. n.” o.ns o o om o.o~ o.ov «.om ~.vm o.o~ m.nv «.vm o o ~.H 0.5 a.md ~.pn ~.« ~.o ~.on o o a m «A «n H n o~ o o suwusnaacoauou «now a.mv H.~ m.v o.o v.nH o.~ ~.m m.s o.” o «a o.oo o.oo m.~m v.~v o.oo m.hn u.m~ o.nh o m.q o.- o.~n m.on ~.n n.h H.53 p.m o v a as m~ n o «A n o suaaundacoauou a: OHQOF muflflfi INQON .UUQ HQUOH. H38. 98:1. sum Tn ago» ~ who» N nous H 680 2.8 33 .6 m .qu 5.38 soc goosgoo ooodaoo nooasoo confidoo sacrum venue ”carom «anus Hoozom ems: .uum ya: unsou 30.1.3058 «2.505 uguumnémer 3 non—.090». no 30332 05. H.>~ «anus aucoocsucoo 88 6.665 5.5 6.6 5.65 5.55 5.5 5.6 5.65 5.5 6. a 665 5 65 65 65 6 55 56 6 5 66666 5.6 6 6 5.5 6.5 6. 5.5 6.6 6 6 55 6 6 6.6 5.5 6.65 5.55 5.65 6 6 6 6 6.55 6.55 6.6 6.55 6.56 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 66555656666666 556 5.65 6. 6 6.6 5.6 6. 5.5 5.6 6. 5. 65 6.65 6 5.55 6.55 6.65 5.55 6.55 6.65 6.665 6.5 6 5.55 6.55 6.5 6.6 6.55 6.5 6.5 5 0 N5 6 5 N o .5 5 5655353055695 660: 5.56 5.5 5.6 5.65 5.65 6.5 6.6 5.65 6.5 6 655 6.66 6.56 6.65 5.65 6.66 6.66 6.65 6.65 6 6.5 6.55 5.55 5.55 6.5 5.5 5.55 6.5 6 5 65 65 56 5 6 65 5 6 66555656666666 6666 6.6 5.5 6. m. m. 6 5.5 5.5 6 6 6 6.66 5.6 6.5 5.5 6 5.55 5.6 6 6 5.55 5.55 5.55 5.55 6 5.55 5.55 6 6 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 6 6 56555656666666 6: 8305 6.566» 6.56.65 .uum .5608. 56666. 6662-5 6-6 6-5 66666 5 66666 5 6665 5 6666 55-6 663 66 6 .666 6.558 :66 6665566 6665566 6665560 6665566 566666 66669 566666 66659 566666 665: .666 :66 66666 2505660553 5.3.50.8 6605.50.65.58 v5.5a 6535:0605» 0» 6066055695 uo uuuaag use 5.55 65666 66666656666 89 6.665 6.5 6.6 6.55 6.55 6.5 5.6 6.55 5.5 6. 6 665 6 65 55 66 6 65 56 6 5 6668 6.6 6 6 5.5 6. 6. 6 6.5 6 6 6 6 6 5.6 5.5 6.65 6 6.55 6 6 6 6 5.55 5.55 5.55 6 6.66 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 66555656666666 556 6.55 5.5 6 6.6 6.5 6 6.6 6.6 6 6 56 6.66 6 6.65 5.55 6 6.66 5.55 6 6 5.6 6 6.65 6.55 6 6.65 5.55 6 6 5 6 6 65 6 6 65 6 6 66555656666666 666: 6.66 6. 5.5 5.55 5.55 5.5 5.5 5.55 5.5 6 565 6.65 5.56 6.56 6.66 6.66 6.66 5.56 6.65 6 6. 5.55 5.65 6.65 5.5 6.6 6.65 6.5 6 5 55 65 65 6 6 55 5 6 66555656666666 6.666 5.55 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 6 6 5.5 6. 6. 55 6.66 6.65 5.6 5.65 6 6 6.65 6.65 6.665 6.6 5.65 6.6 6.65 6 6 6.65 6.6 6.6 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 5 5 56555656666666 62 9.560% ONGON 0:0” ovum H0009 5666.5. 89.5 6-6 6-5 66666 5 66666 5 6665 5 6666 55.6 666.5 66 6 .666 6.5566 :66 6665566 666558 666558 6665566 566666 6666.5. 58666 66655. 566666 6656 .666 .66 6668 560566696a 56:60». 655536 6066666656: oso=un05> 06 66666966: «0 656656c4 may n.6N manna aucoocwucou 9O o.ooH h.~ n.m o.oH H.Hn ~.~ ~.m p.mw H.H m. . HmH m 0H en nm e mH be e H assoc o.w o o m. m. m. m. m.n o o HH o o ¢.~ a.H o.m~ h.o m.QH o o o o H.a H.m H.m H.a o.no o o o o H H H H h o o HuHHHnHucomnou HH< H.oH m. H.H o." v.« m. H.H o.o o o mm o.o~ m.~H o.o~ o.vH a.mN p.mH m.m~ o o m.~ 5.m o.o~ m.- a.~ v.HH n.vn o o H w n m H v NH o o auHHHancomnou unoz m.sw H.H o.o H.MH H.m~ H.H m.m s.nH H.H 0 «NH o.oe a.mm o.o~ ~.om o.om h.oo ~.nm o.ooH o o.H a.o v.mH H.pn o.H H.m ~.o~ H.H o w HH «H ow ~ oH m~ v o auHHHnHucoaaou oaom H.H H.H o.H H.H H.H o o o.H o m. nH o.ov a.mH a.m m.n o o v.o o o.ooH «.mH H.n~ o.mH «.mH o o H.n~ o 5.5 ~ n N a o o n o H auHHHnHucoauou oz «aqua macaw nudes .uom Hauoa choa ouoxun cum cum mummy N nucma H uuoa H nauo «H.o anuq no a .uua alsHao so: ouoHHoo nooHHoo mooHHoo nooHHou Hoozum moons Hoozom mucus Hoogom anz .uum soc assoc Accuuuoaua unlucky nouuw>wuu< macawuuouooznn~h> cu coacoamom uo cananuct 0:9 9.5N manna aucuucwucoo 91 activities (67.8%). High school graduates have a greater tendency to rely more heavily on the public school than do mothers with more formal education: High School Grad College :-4 Years No responsibility 6.4 5.9 Some responsibility 53.2 70.6 Most responsibility 25.5 20.6 All responsibility . 14.9 2.9 In contingency Table 27.5 most mothers believe that the public school has the mpg; responsibility in teaching the skill of written expression (57.3%). Those mothers who have more than two years of college education tend to put most or all responsibility on the public school for this skill (98.1%). Those with less than three years of college edu- cation put less emphasis on.mggt or all responsibility for the public school for their variable (87%). In contingency Table 27.6 (physical fitness) the highest percentage of responses is in the most responsibility row (49.2%). There is an indication that a high school graduate perceives the role of the public school greater (all--26.5%) as opposed to the person with two years of college (13.6%). In contingency Table 27.7 over 50% of the mothers in the sample said that the disciplining of the child who vio- lates the rules of the public school should be mostly the responsibility of the school (52.2%). Seventy-six and four 92 o.ooH ~.~ o.m a.nH o.Hn n.~ H.m a.mN ~.~ a mmH m 6H mm on m mH we v acaou o.mn ~.~ o.H o.a n.m m. .~ p.m o Ho o.om a.mH «.mm m.on o.o~ n.o~ n.5n o 6.6 o.v H.HH m.a~ o.H 6.6 m.m~ o v n nH mH H v «H o auHHHaanocmou HH¢ n.5m m. o.n m.oH m.mH H.H o.m m.HH H.H on o.o~ m.Hm o.pm o.Ho o.ov n.m~ m.mv o.om o. a.mH m.aH o.em m.H e.oH m.o~ o.H H «H oH on H HH mm N auHHHancoauou awe: n.m o o m. h.~ H.H o n.v H.H mH o o o.« m.@ o.oe o 5.6H o.om o o m.m m.s~ H.HH o q.vv H.HH o o H m N o o ~ auHHHancomnou «sow o o o o o o a o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o suHHHnH-comuou oz annoy humor annoy .uom Adana H32. 98:4. 6.... e...” 33a n mucus N new» H 386 ~Hno Jam 538 3a: ouoHHoo oooHHoo mooHHoo oooHHoo Hoonow moans Hoozom queue Hanson :uHu .uom you guano Anewunosoa Huauomv scannouaxn couuauz no anwxwunmh> cu nonconoom no auoauuc¢ 0&9 m.n~ oHnue aucoocHucoo 93 o.ooH h.~ o.m o.aH o.Hn ~.~ o.o ~.o~ H.H a smH m 6H an mm m 6H av v aasou o.oH m. o ~.~ n.v m. H.H o.n c on o.o~ o ~.mH o.nH o.o~ m.~H m.o~ o H.H o a.mH h.o~ H.H 5.6 n.nv o H o m a H ~ nH o suHHHnHacomuou HH< a.m. m. «.6 h.oH m.nH H.H n.v H.HH H.H Hm o.o~ a.mh o.oo H.vv o.ov o.om o.~v o.om H.H a.mH n.H~ n.o~ ~.~ h.@ o.- ~.~ H ~H ow on ~ o Hm m auHHHancomuou uno: ~.vn o.H H.H n.v v.nH m. H.H o.o H.H we o.oo a.mN ~.v~ v.~e o.o~ m.pn o.on o.om h.v n.m m.~H H.mn o.H e.a v.n~ H.H n e a ma H o mH ~ suHHHnHucomuou 030m m. o o o o m. o o o H o o o o o.o~ o o o o o o o . o.ooH o o o o o o o H o o o suHHHnH-coaaou oz Quay IHQNN 030% . 00n— H1909 Hones cactus o-m cum magma ~ «ago» ~ nun» H cacao «Hue .uom :IaHoo 30¢ nooHHno mooHHoo oooHHoo auoHHoo Hoogom ovens Hoonum ovens Hoonum :oHs .uum so: guano 30.30053 H39: was»: Hanugsmuang ou woo—.838 no 93322 05. o.p~ oHnaa socoocHucoo 94 o.ooH s.~ H.m s.nH a.Hn h.~ o.m n.o~ ~.~ o omH m mH mm mm m 6H av a 0:500 ~.v~ m. n.” o.n m.v o ~.~ p.m m. we o.o~ H.H" ~.H~ a.mH o a.mN n.6n o.m~ ~.~ H.HH o.mH o.o~ o a.» o.ov ~.~ H m p a o v «H H auHHHnHucoauou HH< a.mm o.H n.v h.m a.mH H.H m.v o.oH H.H pm o.oo a.mm m.vm o.hm o.oo o.om o.oe o.om H.n ~.o a.mH H.mn H.v ~.o o.o~ H.~ n o oH en v o ca ~ suHHHancomnou ago: H.n~ m. H.H n.v o.o m. «.N a.m o n. o.o~ n.nH ~.e~ H.- o.o~ o.m~ o.- o n.~ 5.. o.mH «.pm n.~ n.m o.m~ o H m m 6H H v HH 0 auHHHnHucommou oeom m. o o o o o o o m. H o o o o o o o a.mN o o o o o o o o.ooH o o o o o o o H suHHHnHacomuuu 0: nudflfl 0:0? QHNOh ugh Hfifig Houoa «Hat's can vna annoy ~ name» ~ anus H cacao «Hum .uom :IsHoo so: mooHHoo mouHHoo ooeHHoo muoHHoo Hoozum mucus Hoonom «anus Hebrew :mHz .uum so: assoc 303:0an 1330.3 3.20 no sfimqoan—ulomHH cu noncommun— uo 30332 It. h.- oHnua sucoocHucoo 95 tenths percent of the mothers believe that it is at least most of the public school's responsibility. This percentage does not vary much up through college 3-4 years. However, mothers who have had five years or more of college tend to believe more strongly in the idea that the school should assume at least most of the responsibility (86.6%). Mothers who have seven years or more college also believe that the public school should take most or all of the responsibility (80.0%). The high school graduates believe this to a lesser degree (77.5%). In contingency Table 28.1 (prayer) the number of responses in each cell are quite small. Over 50% of the employed mothers felt that the school should assume gem; responsibility for its students experiencing prayer as an act of worship. It is interesting to note that teachers, librarians, and counselors had one of the highest percent- ages in the no responsibility column. In contingency Table 28.2 most of the employed mothers perceived the public school as taking figmg responsibility in teaching homemaking skills (62.1%). However, 60% of the mothers employed in service occupations felt that the public school should assume meg; or all of the responsibility in teaching homemaking skills. In contingency Table 28.3 a very high percentage of the employed mothers surveyed believe that the school should assume 29 responsibility for supervision of children while parents are at work (86.2%). 96 Table 28 The Effect of Type of Employment On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (39 Degrees of Freedom) Variable Raw Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V53 Listening 40.95415 .0314 V58* Prayer 75.66504 .0004 V60 Personal Values 58.42625 .0235 V69 Safety Practices 53.03350 .0663 V71* Homemaking Skills 71.15538 .0013 V72 Recreational Activities 55.84475 .0393 V77 New Ideas 5 Skills 41.03149 .0308 V88 Transportation After School 56.30530 .0359 V94 Organization of School Activities 53.36083 .0625 V96* Supervision While Parents WOrk 64.12038 .0068 *Significance level below .010. 97 o.ooH em m.uv on a.ma a.mv m.nv bu 5 H O H H H o H H I H H H O>O*O O O O 010 O O O O (O O’O’O 0 0'0 O 0’0 0'0 01010 O 010 O O O'O>O>O F! 0'0 0 O O 010 O 0.6 N.mo H.MN ObOcH '4 OIO'O'O 9'0 0 O '4'; O O 010 #:500 auHHHnHacommou HH< suHHHancomnou Hoax mudaanwncomaou oaom >vwdwndasonnuu oz Hayes HQOAHOHU .uuocfiouuognu cuedoacuoo .mcwfiucunwA .nHQSUQOB .uom Hanna .uufi GIBHOU .uom so: acaoo H.o~ oHnua sucoocHucoo Hucos>onafl uo cushy unhuumnuom> 09 noncoaoom no nuahauct use 98 0.00H ma a.mN QN H.No mm 000° 0000 0000 H 000° 000° HF: 0000 .H .OOA .nn H MOO-4 0000 N ' 0 V 000° 000° 0°00 0000 0:500 HuHHHancoaaou HH¢ huwuununconwou woo: auuuanaucomaou 030m auHHHnHucomuou oz A6009 nouoHsu¢ .auoCAMuhounm ucdwo :HuuocuoHn :uHama uuauucouum a nuouuauu .uom Hauoa Jun 538 .uom sea assoc Hucuahoamflfi no omhh. aaauxu ocwxaaososlluh> o» noncomaom uo auuhduct ash ~.cn manna incoo:«ucoo 99 3:: «.8 od H.H H.H H.H o... In m.HH H.H a6 a 5 mm a H H H H. n S H o 958 H.H H.H o o o o o o o H.H o H a.~ o o o o o o o 92: o can o o o o o o o 0.8 o H o o o o o o o H o auHHHnHBomumu HH¢ H.H o o o o o H.H o o o o H o o o o o H.H o o o o o o o o ,. 0.02 o o o o c o o o c H o o o o 3338593 HS: n.oH n.~ H.H o o o H.H H.H o o H.H a H... H.HH o o o 9% «.8 o o 5.3 «.2 H.HH o o o «.2 H.HH o o H.HH ~ H o o o m H o o H auHHHAanomnuu 0.8m ~60 a.m.” m6 H.H H.H H.H o... n.~ m.HH 0 Hum ma «.8 H38 92: 902 92: H.H.m Hum... 92: o 28 5.2. o6 H.H H.H H.H ma H.H «.8 c To 2 m H H H v N 2 o m 3:32:83... oz HGUOB HflOdNGHU ufldflm ”undo 09GHOOH DOUOHH-u‘ BQwOflflhflp—m mgwu GHQ—00:58 UHO§ a Quads: .UOA Hflug 30¢ 6.59933. nan—~08. loo—.008 .auocHduuoucu £00.32 tuuuocmoHa .ucdHuaunHH numHucoHom a uuouoauu .uom SBHOU 5H8: 5H3: .3232. H.Hoom -3512 .uum :3. u2.500 HuchHm-fl we as. 8.33 02.8qu 0.3:: :oHaHBmx—amulwfia o» noncomuom «o 32332 can. view 0.33. aucgcwucoo 100 In contingency Table 29.1 over 50% of the employed mothers said they were satisfied with their jobs (52.6%). Only 8.4% of the mothers were dissatisfied or very dis- satisfied with their jobs. A little more than half of the mothers felt that this item was mostly the responsibility of the school. The column percentage comparisons between very satisfied and satisfied did not vary more than 4.6% between some responsibility and most responsibility. In contingency Table 29.2 most employed mothers in the sample believe that the public school should assume no responsibility for supervising students while parents work (85.1%). A few employed mothers believe that the school should assume some responsibility (11.5%), and, even fewer felt that the public school should assume most or all of the responsibility (3.4%). In contingency Table 30.1 most employed mothers would prefer a part-time job (59.1%). Only 7 mothers of 93 would prefer to be a full-time homemaker. Those mothers who had a part-time preference generally indicate that the school should assume more responsibility for moral and ethical principles (42.9%). In contingency Table 30.2 most of the employed mothers who responded to the job preference question believe that the school should assume 52mg responsibility for children getting along with others (57.4%). However, only a few of the mothers who preferred a full-time or a part-time job 101 Table 29 The Effect of Job Satisfaction On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (9 Degrees of Freedom) ‘Variable Raw Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V66 Understanding Reproduction 20.89335 .0131 V77 New Ideas & Skills 12.12558 .0592 V78 Appreication of Art 20.24457 .0165 V79* Appreciation of Music 22.22282 .0082 V80 Appreciation of Drama 20.38612 .0157 V92 Cost of Tutoring 16.57096 .0559 V96* Supervision While Parents Work 22.64520 .0070 *Significance level below .010. 102 c.00H H.m m.o p.mm a.mm H mm m o om hm ucsou m.m o H.H «He 0 m o s 0H 0 m o o o.om 0.0m o o H e o HHHHHnHmcommmu HHH m.om H.~ m.m m.m~ o.o~ mo o.ooH 0.0m o.mv v.Hm N.¢ m.o 0.0m a.mm N m «m mH muHHHQHmcommmH umoz o H.H ~.m~ a.mH o h.oH o.vv m.m¢ «.mw o H.H p.mm a.mq muHHHnHmcommmu meow . o H.H o o HHH o b.oH o o o o.oOH o o o H o o muflaflndmcommmu oz .uom Hmuoa Hmuoa pmHmmHummmHo pmHmmHummmHo pmHmmHumm ponmHumm .uom cssHou 30m hum> >Hm> .uom 30m assoc HcOHuommmHumm pony owns: «0 coauMHomHmm¢||m>> on noncommwm mo mwmhamcm one H.mm oHnma mocmquuaoo 103 o.oOH m.m m.m F.Hm H.mm a km N 6 ms em assoc m.~ H.H o o H.H m o om o o m N o.om o o 0.0m H o o H HuHHHnHmcommou HH< . o o H.H o HHH o o ~.~ o o o o.ooH o o o H o wuHHHnHmcommmH umoz . o H.H b.m m.¢ mowH o p.mH H.HH m.HH o o.OH o.om o.o¢ o H m w huHHHnHmcommmu meow H.mm H.H h.m m.ve m.mm we 0.0m a.mm 5.6m m.mm H.H m.m p.mm «.mm H m mm mm auHHHnHmcommmu oz Hmuoe conmHummmHa cmHmmemmmHa emHHmHumm cmHHmHumm .uom Hmuoa 30m fiwxr t0> .UOAH EH00 .uum 30m uqaoo HnoHuomHmHumm bony xuoz mucwumm wHHSS conH>nomdmIImm> on momcomwmm mo mHmmHmcd ~.m~ anma accomcHucou was 104 Table 30 The Effect of Job Preference On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (6 Degrees of Freedom) variable Raw Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V55* Moral & Ethical Principles 22.42655 .0010 V57 Value of Religion 16.62298 .0108 V63* Get Along With Others ' 14.27287 .0065 V65 Harmful Effects 12.95258 .0438 V66 Understanding Reproduction 15.32954 .0178 V68* Proper Health Habits 20.18670 .0026 V73* Read & Comprehend 13.86374 .0077 V75 Skill of Written Expression 8.61655 .0714 V77 New Ideas & Skill 9.61945 .0473 V78* Appreciation of Art 27.05900 .0001 V79* Appreciation of Music 28.10299 .0001 V80 Appreciation of Drama 16.42654 .0116 V81 Appreciation of Nature 13.87760 .0077 V89 Advice & Counsel 12.68500 .0483 V95 Supervision After School 12.28048* .0560 *Significance level below .010. 105 Contingency Table 30.1 The Analysis of Responses to V55--Moral and Ethical Principles (Job Preference) Count Row Pct. Full Time Part Time Row Column Pct. Job Job Homemaker Total Total Pct. No responsibility 4 l 0 80.0 20.0 0 5 12.9 1.8 0 5.4 4.3 1.1 0 Some responsibility 19 44 4 28.4 65.7 6.0 67 61.3 80.0 57.1 72 0 20.4 47.3 4.3 ' Most responsibility 8 9 1 44.4 50.0 5.6 18 25.8 16.4 14.3 19 4 8.6 9.7 1.1 ' All responsibility 0 l 2 0 33.3 66.7 3 0 1.8 28.6 3 2 O 1.1 2.2 ° Count 31 55 7 93 % 33.3 59.1 7.5 100.0 106 Contingency Table 30.2 The Analysis of Responses to V63--Getting Along With Others (Job Preference) Count gigtéct Full Time Part Time Row Total Pct. Job Job Homemaker Total No responsibility 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Some responsibility 16 34 4 29.6 63.0 7.4 54 51.6 60.7 57.1 57 4 17.0 36.2 4.3 ' Most responsibility 12 20 0 37.5 62.5 0 32 38.7 35.7 0 34 0 12.8 21.3 0 ’ A11 responsibility 3 2 3 37.5 25.0 37.5 8 9.7 3.6 42.9 8 5 3.2 2.1 3.2 ' Count 31 56 7 94 % 33.0 59.6 7.4 100.0 107 felttflm public school should asswme all the responsibility (9.7&,3.6%). Those who preferred to be a full-time home- maker felt more strongly that the public school should assume all of the responsibility for this item (42.9%). inlcontingency Table 30.3 those mothers who prefer full- timelxmmmaking indicate the greatest percentage of responses in the all responsibility column (42.9%). Most of the mothers prefer that the public school assume some of the responsibility for teaching proper health habits (71.6%). In contingency Table 30.4 once again the greatest per- centage of mothers who prefer full-time homemaking believe that the public schools should assume all of the responsibi- lity for teaching reading and comprehension (57.1%). Most of the employed mothers believe that the public school should assume most of the responsibility for teaching reading and comprehension. The mothers who prefer full-time homemaking have the highest percentage of responses for the public school assum- ing all the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of art. In contingency Table 30.5 a slightly greater percentage cxf‘all the mothers believe that the public school should assume most of the responsibility for teaching the apprecia- tion of art. 131 contingency Table 30.6 most of the mothers who responded to this question believe that the public school 108 Contingency Table 30.3 The Analysis of Responses to V68--Proper Health Habits (Job Preference) Count waPct. . . Column Pct. Full Time Part Time Row Total Pct. Job Job Homemaker Total No responsibility 1 l 1 33.3 33.3 33.3 3 3.2 1.8 14.3 3 2 1.1 1.1 1.1 ' Some responsibility 20 45 3 29.4 66.2 4.4 68 64.5 78.9 42.9 71 6 21.1 47.4 3.2 ° Most responsibility 8 9 0 47.1 52.9 0 17 25 8 15.8 0 17 9 8 4 9.5 0 ° All responsibility 2 2 3 28.6 28.6 42.9 7 6.5 3.5 42.9 7 4 2.1 2.1 3.2 ' Count 31 57 7 95 % 32.6 60.0 7.4 100.0 109 Contingency Table 30.4 The Analysis of Responses to V73--Read and Comprehend (Job Preference) Count Row Pct. Column Pct. Full Time Part Time Row Total Pct. 30b JOb Homemaker Total No responsibility 0 0 0 o o o ’; 0 0 0 d 0 0 0 1 Some responsibility 1 1 2 " 25.0 25.0 50.0 4 3.2 1.8 28.6 4 2 1.1 1.1 2.1 ' Most responsibility 19 34 1 35.2 63.0 1.9 54 61.3 59.6 14.3 56 8 20.0 35.8 1.1 ' All responsibility 11 22 4 29.7 59.5 10.8 37 35.5 38.6 57.1 38 9 11.6 23.2 4 2 ’ Count 31 57 7 95 % 32.6 60.0 7.4 100.0 110 Contingency Table 30.5 The Analysis of Responses to V78--Appreciation of Art (Job Preference) Count Row Pct. . . Column Pct. Full Time Part Time Row Total Pct. Job Job Homemaker Total No responsibility 0 0 l 0 0 100.0 1 0 0 14.3 1.0 0 0 1.0 Some responsibility 9 29 4 21.4 69.0 9.5 42 29.0 50.0 57.1 43 8 9.4 30.2 4.2 ’ Most responsibility 21 26 0 44.7 55.3 0 47 67.7 44.8 0 49.0 21.9 27.1 0 All responsibility 1 3 2 16.7 50.0 33.3 6 3.2 5.2 28.6 6 3 1.0 3.1 2.1 ' Count 31 58 7 96 % 32.3 60.4 7.3 100.0 lll Contingency Table 30.6 The Analysis of Responses to V79--Appreciation of Music (Job Preference) Count Row Pct. . . Cblumn Pct. Full Time Part Time Row frotal Pct. Job Job Homemaker Total No responsibility 0 0 1 0 0 100.0 1 0 0 14.3 1 0 0 0 1.0 ° Some responsibility 9 28 4 22.0 68.3 9.8 41 29 0 48.3 57.1 42 7 9.4 29.2 4.2 ' Most responsibility 21 28 0 42.9 57.1 0 49 67.7 48.3 0 51 0 21 9 29.2 0 ' A11 responsibility 1 2 2 20.0 40.0 40.0 5 3.2 3.4 28.6 5 2 1.0 2.1 2.1 ° Count 31 58 7 96 % 32.3 60.4 7.3 100.0 112 should assume most of the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of music (51.0%). The mothers who expressed their preference for full-time homemaking had the highest percentage of responses for the public schools assuming all the responsibility for this item. In contingency Table 30.7 the highest percentage of mothers believe that the public school should assume % of the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of nature. The mothers who prefer full-time homemaking have the highest percentage of responses for the public schools assuming all the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of nature (28. 6%). In contingency Table 31.1 the greatest percentage of mothers who responded to this question believe that the school should assume most of the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of music (51.6%) . Those employed mothers who have been employed the shortest length of time (1 day to 6 months) indicate the highest percentage of responses in the most or all responsi- bility rows (66.6%) . This would suggest that the shorter the time that mothers are employed, the greater responsibi- lity they believe the school should assume for teaching the appreciation of music . In contingency Table 31.2 the greatest percentage of mothers who responded to this item believe that the public 113 Contingency Table 30.7 The Analysis of Responses to V81--Appreciation of Nature (Job Preference) Count 2°: PC: t Full Time Part Time Row ° “m“ C ' Job Job Homemaker Total Total Pct. No responsibility 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Some responsibility 12 31 5 25.0 64.6 10.4 48 38.7 53.4 71.4 50 0 12.5 32.3 5.2 ' Most responsibility 18 25 0 41.9 58.1 0 43 58.1 43.1 0 44 8 18.8 26.0 0 ° All responsibility 1 2 2 20.0 40.0 40.0 5 3.2 3.4 28.6 5 2 1.0 2.1 2.1 ' Count 31 58 7 96 % 32.3 60.4 7.3 100.0 114 Table 31 The Effect of Length of Employment On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (9 Degrees of Freedom) Variable Raw Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V54 Positive Self-Image 16.94786 .0495 V57 Value of Religion 17.25836 .0448 V60 Personal Values 20.71732 .0140 V63 Get Along With Others 14.42190 .0253 V64 Manners & Politeness 15.06759 .0891 V70 Home Maintenance Skills 15.70250 .0734 V72 Recreational Activities 16.12644 .0643 V78 Appreciation of Art 20.30175 .0161 V79* Appreciation of Music 25.64479 .0023 V81* Appreciation of Nature 22.72439 .0009 V85 Child's Lunch 15.85087 .0701 V89 Advice & Counsel 14.81856 .0960 V90* Discipline of Child 18.04024 .0061 V96 Supervision While Parents WOrk 16.78521 .0522 *Significance level below .010. 115 0.00H ~.m~ m.m~ ~.v¢ m.m m mm mm mm mm m assoc . H.H o o N.m New m.¢ o o m.mm o.m~ o o o.mh H o o m sumamnmmcommou Hem m.Hm m.oa m.~H m.mm m.m me m.mv m.vm H.em m.mm v.o~ m.v~ o.m¢ H.@ OH NH «N m muHHanwmcommmu pmoz «.me o.aa m.m a.ma m.m as 0.0m m.0¢ a.mv m.mm a.mm o.- m.m¢ m.> HH m we m spadenemcommmn meow . o H.H o o HHH o m.v o o o 0.00H o o o H o o huflaanflmoommou oz .uom Hence H6308 0H0: HO memfi mHmwM m 0.... BUGOZ m .urum SEHOU 30m momma OH oa on m mango: m on sea H .uom 30m assoc snowshonem mo numomqv news: no scanneooummdlnmh> ou noncommom mo mammamcfl one H.Hm manna mocomowuooo 116 o.ooa ~.m~ ~.mm ~.¢¢ m.m a mm mm mm mv m undoo . H.H o o m.m mvv m.v o o m.mm o.m~ o o o.mh H o o m muflawnwmcommou Ham m.mv m.m m.oa m.m~ H.m mv m.oe m.mv «.mm N.- m.o~ m.m~ N.Hm h.v m 0H «N N auflawnwmcommon uwoz m.om a.ma m.~H H.HN ~.¢ mo m.vm m.¢m m.hv «.vv o.m~ o.mN h.Hv m.m NH NH om e muflawnwmcommon meow o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o muflawnwmoommmn oz .uom amuoa Hmuos who: no ammo» mummy m 0» mnucoz m .uom sesaou 30m mane» ea oH on m mango: m on sea H .uom 30m ucoou Aucmssoamsm mo numemqv musumz mo coflumwooummdulam> on momoommmm mo mamaamcm one N.Hm OHQMB hooomcfluooo 117 school should assume spmg of the responsibility for teaching the appreciation of nature. Those mothers who have had the shortest length of employment have the highest percentage of responses in the .all responsibility column (33.3%). In contingency Table 31.3 the greatest percentage of mothers believe that the public school should assume most of the responsibility for the discipline of the child (58.9%). Those mothers who have had the shortest length of time of employment have the greatest percentage of responses in the all responsibility column (55.6%). There were no questionnaire items with a significance level below .010. Discussion In order to provide additional insight into the data collected and the literature reviewed, a discussion of findings is presented. This discussion will analyze the results of the findings in the following areas: (1) Mean Scores by Independent Variables, (2) Rank Order of Mean Scores by Employment Status, (3) A Comparison of Mean Differ- ence Scores by Employment (-Marital) Status, and (4) The Effect of Independent Variables on Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School. Mean Scores by Independent Variables When comparing mean scores by the independent variables, there is little apparent difference in the scores for employed 118 0.00H «.mm N.MN N.¢v m.m w mm mm mm mo m ucooo . ~.e m.m H.m m.m wwwH ~.wH >.m~ m.v o.mm o.m~ m.Hm m.~H m.Hm v m N m muHHHnHmoommmH HHd a.mm h.MH h.¢H m.m~ ~.¢ om H.mm m.mo m.mm «.mv ~.mm o.m~ p.mv H.h MH vH mm v muHHHnHmcommou umoz . m.m ~.m a.mH o mmwm h.- o.MH p.mm o 5.H~ o.mH . m.mo o m m mH o muHHflnHmoommmu meow o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o hueHHnHmoommmH oz .uom Hmuoe Hmuoe who: no mumow momma m on mango: o .uom ceuHoo 30m anew» 0H 0H on m mango: m on sea H .uom 30m assoc HuemesoHeem Ho numemae oHHnU on» no moflHmHomflollom> ou mwmoommom mo mHmMHmofl one m.Hm manna hocmmofluooo 119 Table 32 The Effect of the Number of Hours Per Week Wbrked On Mothers' Perception of the Role of the Public School (12 Degrees of Freedom) Variable Row Chi Significance Number Description Square Level V62 Understanding & Tolerance 22.98259 .0279 V82 Conservation 15.66496 .0474 and nonemployed mothers. However, when marital status is included with employment status there is a noteable change in scores, particularly for single status. The employed-single mean score was 2.59 as opposed to the mean score of 2.14 for the nonemployed-single mothers. The little difference in scores by employment status was not expected. It was thought that employment status, would have a greater influence on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. However, the literature basically supports the position of little or no effect. There is little evidence to support the premise that employed mothers' children are any worse off in their academic achievement and social-emotional deve10pment than children of nonemployed mothers (Warshaw, 1976; Hock, 1978; Gold & Andrus, 1978). In fact, there is support for maternal employment having a positive effect on children (Gold & Andrus, 1978; Nolan, 1963; Hock, 1978; Gold & Andrus, 1977). 120 The difference in scores for employment-marital status seems to follow the results of some of the studies that indi- cate that employed-single parents are finding it difficult to meet all the needs of their children (Schorr & Moen 1979; Brandwein, Brown, & Fox, 1974; Rosenthal, 1978; National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Institute for Development of Educational Activities, 1980). Thus, when employed-single mothers perceive the role of the public school greater than do their counterparts (employed-married, non- employed-single, nonemployed-married), it is with the implication that they are seeking more help and assistance from the public school in addressing the needs of their children. When comparing mean scores by employment-age status, it was found that the 30 and under age group had the highest mean score (M = 2.58). The highest scores for individual cells were nonemployed 30 and under (M = 2.59), and nonemployed 40 and over (M = 2.59). The lowest individual cell scores were nonemployed 31-40 (M = 2.41), and employed 50 and over (M = 2.41). It is interesting to note that employed mothers' perception of the role of the public school decreases with the age of the mother while nonemployed mothers' perception fluctuates to both extremes (M = 2.59, M = 2.41, M = 2.59). The thought may be advanced that younger mothers with less experience in child rearing and contact with schools, may feel a greater reliance on the public schools. With age, maturity, and greater experience on the job, they feel more 121 confident in being able to fulfill both roles of employees and mothers. The mean scores for formal education indicate a decrease in the perception of the role of the public school with more formal education. The three cells with the highest number of responses would support this trend. Mothers who were high school graduates (N = 49) indicated a higher mean score (M = 2.61) than did mothers with two years of college (N = 59, M 2.42), and those with 3-4 years of college (N = 34, M 2.46). The theory in this instance would be that mothers who have more formal education are more likely to feel more competent in helping their children and less reliant on the schools than would those mothers who have less formal edu- cation. There were few discernible differences in mean scores by type of employment. The cell sizes were low for this inde- pendent variable. The mean scores for job preference indicated a lower perception of the role of the public school for part-time job preference (M = 2.41) than for full-time homemaking (M = 2.51) and full-time job preference (M 2.53). The part-time job preference is the most pOpular (N 59) and may be a good compromise for those mothers who have had some occupational training and yet want to devote as much.time as possible to their children. According to the literature, the number of mothers in part-time employment is increasing rapidly (Barrett, 122 1979) and that they are the most satisfied with their lives (Nye & Hoffman, 1963a). In Table 11 there is an indication that mothers' job satisfaction generally foretells a perception of the role of the public school that is less than for those who are dis- satisfied. If Table 11 is a true indication of mothers' per— ception of the role of the public school, than it would support the study by Hoffman and Nye (1963a) and the findings in Table 10. The mean scores for length of employment indicate the highest score for those mothers who have been employed for one day to six months (M = 2.70). This is understandable in light of the mothers' efforts in learning a new job. The realities of child rearing may seem to be more imposing to the newly employed and they are likely to perceive the role of the public school to be greater than mothers who have been employed for a longer period of time. According to the mothers who are employed for 41 hours or more per week, their perception of the role of the public school is greater than those who work fewer hours per week (M = 2.62). This would seem to be a logical extension of the theory that mothers who have greater demands outside the home would perceive the role of the public school to a greater extent than those whose demands are less. 123 Rank Order of Mean Scores By Employment Status As we examine the mean scores of mothers by employment status, it is noticeable that regardless of employment status the mothers favor a more traditional approach for the public schools. Questionnaire item numbers 25, 27, 28, and 42 were ranked in the top 5 regardless of employment status. Item number 39 was ranked in the top 5 by nonemployed mothers and number 29 was ranked in the top 5 by employed mothers. These rankings indicate a great emphasis on the development of the basic, cognitive skills of reading, writing, and math. Also, there is an expectation for discipline in the public schools. From other informal observations made of the Waverly school community and the reporting of nation-wide studies, such as the Gallup Poll, these rankings were not unexpected. This comparison would suggest that there may be little significant difference in those top 5 or 6 items when tested for employment status. Rank Order of Mean Difference Scores The greatest mean difference score is the cost of pro- viding additional or enriched learning opportunities for a child who learns easily (item number 45). It may be diffi- cult to decipher mothers' exact feeling of need; whether it is related to the "cost factor" or whether they are actually concerned about programs for the gifted students. This com- munity has recently been involved in developing programs for the gifted and talented, so this might attribute to this 124 perceived need. It is interesting to note that employment status does not make a difference in the ranking of this item (Table 11) . After this first ranking it seems that employed and nonemployed mothers perceive the needs of the public school differently. Employed mothers perceive the needs to be in mathematics (no. 28), tutoring a child who is behind in learning (no. 44), reading (no. 25), and discipline (no. 42). While nonemployed mothers perceive the needs in the items of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs (no. 17), prayer (no. 10), religion (no. 9), writing (no. 27), and home maintenance skills (no. 22). By comparison one might suggest that employed mothers perceive greater needs in the development of cognitive skills and discipline. Whereas, nonemployed mothers perceive the need more in moral education with concerns about illicit drugs, prayer, and religion. Mothers who are gainfully employed outside the home may see the immediate occupational and monetary rewards of a "basic 3 r" education. Nonemployed mothers may have more time to consider and reflect on values and morality as they affect their children. A Comparison of Mean Difference ScoresgbyiEmployment- Marital Status As supported in the literature by several studies (Epstein, 1979; Schorr & Moen, 1979; Brandwein, Brown, & Fox, 125 1974; National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Institute for Development of Educational Activities, 1980), there is a growing concern for the effect of employed- single status of the mother upon the academic and emotional development of the child. The findings of this study indicate that employed-single mothers perceive a greater difference in the present and expected role of the public school (-.48) as opposed to employed-married (-.29), nonemployed-married (-.30), and nonemployed-single (-.37) mothers. It might be projected that employed-single mothers would seek assistance and help in the process of educating and rearing their children. The frustration of inadequate time and resources to provide for the needs of their children may be reflected in this finding of perceived need. Employed- single mothers may see the public school as a source of help and assistance for the demanding role of parenting. The Effect of Independent Variables On Mothers' Perceptions of the Role of the Public School An analysis will be made of each independent variable and its effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school as indicated by the test statistic Significance level for the test items. Employment status.--As indicated by the rank order mean scores as depicted in Tables 16 and 17, there appears to be few or little effect of employment status on mothers‘ per- ception of the role of the public school. There were only 126 four items that indicated a significance level of .100 or less and only one that was significant at the .010 level. That item was V94--Organization of School Activities. Non- employed mothers were more inclined than employed mothers to assign 2933 or all responsibility for their activity to the public school. These extreme choices suggest a strong dichot- omy in perception for nonemployed mothers on this variable. Employment-marital status.--Eighteen test items were at the significance level of .100 or less. Half of the 18, or 9 were significant at the .050 level or below. It is interesting to note that of these 18 items, 13 were controlled for single status while the other 5 were controlled for married status. Single status when combined with employ- ment is much more likely to be significant when tested for an effect on the perception of the role of the public school. The five items that tested below .010 significance level were: V78-~Appreciation of art V79--Appreciation of music V83--Physical fitness V90--Discipline of the child V94--Organization of school activities Aesthetics and activity appear to be important in the consideration of the role of the public school. All five of the above items show a decided preference of employed-single mothers for the role of the public school to be greater in the most-all responsibilities and less in the some-none responsibilities when compared with nonemployed-single status. 127 Unfortunately, the significance of this effect must be qualified by the low sample size (N = 4) for nonemployed- single mothers. Employment-age status.--There were 14 items on the questionnaire that showed a significance level of .100 or less, but only three of these items showed a significance level between .050 and .011 and none between .010 and lower. Even though there were several items with significance levels below .100, there are very few below .010. There is little indication that employment-age status is of impor- tance when considering an effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Formal education.--A total of 13 items were identified as significant at the .100 or less level. It is important to note that seven items were significant at the .010-lower level. Those items were: V58--Prayer .0002 V64--Manners & politeness .0051 V70--Home maintenance skills .0062 V72--Recreational activities .0037 V75--Skill of written expression .0059 V83--Physica1 fitness .0002 V90--Discipline of child .0000 In each of these variables (with the exception of V15, V90) the tendency for mothers with more formal education was to perceive the role of the public school less than mothers with less formal education. However, when it comes to teaching a cognitive skill, such as written expression, the tendency reverses. Those with more formal education may 128 appreciate the need of the art of teaching a cognitive skill. Whereas, when it comes to something other than a cognitive skill they feel more reliant on the home. There is not a very clear delineation between formal education and the discipline of the child. The percentages vacillate without a precise indication of responsibility pre- ference as it relates to formal education. Type of employment.--There were ten questionnaire items that were below a .100 significance level. Of those ten, there were three items that were below the .010 significance level. Those three items were: V58--Prayer .0004 V7l--Homemaking skills .0013 V96--Supervision while parents work .0068 Because of the generally low totals in the cells, there was difficulty in drawing any meaningful assumptions from this independent variable. Job satisfaction.--There were seven questionnaire vari- ables that indicated a .100 significance level or less. Two of these variables were .010 or less significance level. These two variables were: V79--Appreciation of music .0082 V96--Supervision while parents work .0070 Generally, mothers who were satisfied-very satisfied (2.47, 2.39) with their jobs indicated less responsibility for the role of public schools than did those who were dissatisfied-very dissatisfied (2.51, 2.49). This might be 129 true because mothers who indicate satisfaction in their jobs may also be experiencing more satisfaction at home and not expecting more from the school. This assumption is not reflected in the two variables that were significantly below .010. Job preference.--Fifteen questionnaire variables showed a significance level of .100 or less. Seven variables showed a significance level of .010 or less. Those variables were: V55--Moral & ethical principles .0010 V63--Get along with others .0065 V68--Proper health habits .0026 V73--Read & comprehend .0077 V78--Appreciation of art .0001 V79--Appreciation of music .0001 V81—-Appreciation of nature .0077 Those mothers who would prefer a part-time job perceive the role of the public school to a lesser degree (M = 2.42). Those who preferred to be a homemaker (M = 2.51) or to hold a full-time job prefer a more expanded role of the public school (M = 2.53). Time involved outside the home does not appear to be a factor; those who prefer a part-time job as most desirable may feel that this would provide for the time to be a mother and also meet some of the personal and economic needs. Length of employment.--There were 14 questionnaire vari- ables that showed a significance level of .100 or less. Of that 14, there were three questionnaire variables that showed a significance level of .010 or less. These were: 130 V79--Appreciation of music .0023 V81--Appreciation of nature .0009 V90--Discipline of child .0061 The above three variables indicate a trend that supports the proposition that those newly employed mothers (1 day-6 mos.) perceive a more expanded role for the public school. This trend is supported over most of the variables as indicated in Table 12 (M = 2.70). The next highest overall mean score is for those mothers who are employed more than 10 years (Table 12, M = 2.50). It may be expected that mothers who are newly employed and somewhat preoccupied or even overwhelmed in learning a new job, may expect the public school to assume a greater role. Mothers who have been employed more than 10 years are probably career employees and may see a need to devote much of their time to their job. Hoursgper week worked.--Obviously, this independent variable had little impact on the perception of the role of the public school. There were two questionnaire items that indicated a significance level between .050-.011. Summary Employment status appears to have little or no effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Evidently, employment status is not important enough to make any appreciable difference in mothers' perception of the role of the public school. 131 The research studies, as reported in Chapter II, gen- erally indicate that employment status has little negative effect upon the academic achievement or social-emotional development of the child. These results may be thought to be consistent with the findings of this study as presented in Tables 5, 16, 17, and 24. If there were findings of employment status having a negative impact upon the develop- ment of the child, then it would be conceivable that this effect would create greater need on the part of the mother to seek help and assistance from outside social agencies such as public schools. This impact might be enough to change the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. There was evidence to indicate that marital status, when combined with employment status, makes a difference in how mothers perceive the role of the public school. More specifically, employed-single mothers perceive a more expanded role of the public school than do employed-married, nonemployed-single, and nonemployed-married mothers. The independent variables that appear to have the greatest effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school are: Employment-marital status Formal education Job preference In employment-marital status the employed-single mother indicated a consistent need for a greater or expanded role of the public school as evaluated on the five items that 132 were significant at the .010 level. These data are con- sistent with the belief that employed-single mothers perceive the role of the public school as greater than that perceived by nonemployed-single mothers. Formal education status had seven items with a signi- ficance level of .010 or less. There was a tendency of mothers with more formal education to perceive the role of the public school as less broad than those mothers who have less formal education. The exception was, "the skill of written expression"; mothers with more formal education per- ceived a greater role for the public school in developing this skill. It might be assumed that those mothers with more formal education see the value of having the school teach cognitive skills. When it comes to other kinds of services or skill development for their children, they pro- jected more confidence in handling these responsibilities in the home. Job preference is an interesting paradox. There were seven items that were significant at the .010 level. The general tendency was for mothers who preferred part-time employment to perceive the role of the public school less broad, while those mothers who preferred to be a homemaker or to hold a full-time job perceive the role of the public school as greater. It is difficult to explain the relatively high scores for the mothers who preferred homemaking. There are two factors that might contribute to this. One, it may be that part-time employed mothers are very happy and 133 contented with part-time employment and still have plenty of time for their children. The other factor may be related to the small number of mothers who said they preferred full- time homemaking (N = 7); this number may not be of sufficient size to adequately represent the employed mothers who prefer full-time homemaking. Since the number of part-time employed mothers is growing rapidly in our society, it is interesting to note that these mothers also prefer a lesser role for the public school. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary The Problem A purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any effect of mothers' employment status on their per- ception of the role of the public school. In conjunction with employment status, it was the purpose to identify the effect of age status, marital status, formal education, type of employment, job satisfaction, length of employment, hours per week worked, and job preference on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. A second purpose of the study was to identify and com- pare descriptive characteristics of employed and nonemployed mothers. This information was obtained to develop an identity profile that would reveal a more delineated picture of the mothers who participated in the study. A third purpose of the study was to achieve ranking and comparison of 48 school responsibilities by employment status of mothers. This ranking and comparison revealed 134 135 those school responsibilities which were deemed most and least important by the mothers. The last purpose of this study was to identify aspects and programs of the public school that had the greatest and least need for change and improvement. These items were identified for the purpose of helping curriculum developers understand the perceived needs of employed and nonemployed mothers. The problem in this study was: (1) to determine the effect of employment status (with other related independent variables) on mothers' perceptions of the role of the public school, and (2) to identify the areas of responsibility of and improvement for the public school role as perceived by mothers according to employment status. Research Procedures The population for this study was 1,234 mothers of ele- mentary school children in a public elementary school from a small, suburban, midwestern school district. From this population, one half of the mothers (617) were mailed a survey questionnaire pertaining to the topic of this study. A total of 193 mothers (31.3%) returned a completed questionnaire. Part I of the questionnaire collected the data pertain- ing to the mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Part II of the questionnaire was concerned with the respondents' demographic data. It was designed to identify the respondents' age, marital and employment status, and related information pertaining to employment status. 136 Findings The data presented in this study were compiled from the responses of the 193 mothers of elementary school children in the Waverly Community Schools who returned the questionnaire mailed to their homes. A summary of findings relating to the specific research questions for this study is as follows: Research QueStion #1 What is the effect of employment status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? As indicated in Table 5, there is little differ- ence in the mean scores for employment status (employed M = 2.48, nonemployed M = 2.47). When using the chi square test statistic for each test item, there was only one item out of 48 (number 94-- Organization of School Activities) that indicated a .010 level of significance. When comparing the mean difference scores for employment status in Table 22 there was a .03 mean difference between employed and nonemployed status. There is little data to support the assumption that employment status has an effect on mothers' perception of the role of the public school. Research Question #2 What is the effect of employment-marital status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? In Table 6, there is an indication that employed- single mothers have the greatest expectation for the role of the public school (M = 2.59). When using the chi square test statistic there were five of 48 items on the questionnaire that were signi- ficant at the .010 level of significance. In each case, the test items were controlled for single status. These items were: No. 78--Appreciation of art No. 79--Appreciation of music No. 83--Physical fitness No. 93--Discipline of the child who does not follow school rules No. 94--Organization of school activities 137 In each of the above items the employed-single mothers perceived the role of the public school as being greater than did the nonemployed-single mothers. When comparing the mean difference scores for employment-marital status in Table 22, the greatest mean difference score was for employed-single mothers (MD = -.48) and the lowest mean difference score was for employed-married mothers (MD = -.29). According to the data above, employment-marital status does have an effect on mothers' perceptions of the role of the public school. Employed-single mothers perceive the role of the public school as being greater than employed-married, nonemployed-single, and non- employed-married mothers. Research Question #3 _ What is the effect of employment-age status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school? A comparison of mean scores for employment-age status (Table 7) indicates that nonemployed mothers 30 and under or 40 and over have the greatest expectations for the role of the public school (M = 2.59). The lowest perception of the role of the public school was by employed mothers 40 and over and nonemployed mothers between the ages of 31 and 40 (M = 2.41). Mothers who were aged 30 and below had the greatest expectation for the role of the public school (M 2.58), and mothers between the ages of 31 and 40 (M 2.43) had the second greatest expectation. There were no significant relationships of .010 when using the chi square test statistics for each of the questionnaire items as reported in Table 26. Research_guestion #4 What is the effect of the following independent vari- ables on the mothers' perception of the role of the public school? (4.1) Formal Education (4.2) Type of Employment (4.3) Job Satisfaction (4.4) Job Preference (4.5) Length of Employment (4.6) Hours Per Week Worked 138 (4.1) Formal Education The mean scores by formal education in Table 8 suggest that mothers who are high school graduates per- ceive the role of the public school as being greater than do those with two or more years of college. Of the 48 test items reported in Table 27, there were seven that indicated a .010 level of significance on the chi square test. Those were: No. 58--Prayer No. 64--Manners & Politeness No. 70--Home Maintenance Skills No. 72--Recreational Activities No. 75--Skill of Written Expression No. 83--Physical Fitness No. 90--Discipline of Child There was a tendency in each of these items (with the exception of No. 75) for those mothers with more formal education to perceive a reduced role of the public school than those with less formal education. (4.2) Type of Employment The low number of responses for each cell made it difficult to detect any trends according to mean scores (Table 9) . However, there were three items of 48 on the questionnaire as reported in Table 28 that indicated a .010 level of significant for type of employment. Those were: No. 58--Prayer No. 7l--Homemaking Skills No. 96--Supervision While Parents Work (4.3) Job Satisfaction According to the mean scores in Table 11, those mothers who were very satisfied-satisfied with their jobs indicated a perception of the role of the public school that was less broad than those who were dis- satisfied-very dissatisfied. Of the 48 test items on the chi square statistic in Table 29, two indicated a .010 level of significance. Those were: No. 79--Appreciation of Music No. 96--Supervision While Parents Work Therefore, one might say that mothers who expressed general satisfaction with their jobs expected less from the public school. 139 (4.4) Job Preference Mothers who preferred a part-time job perceived the role of the public school to be less (Table 10, M = 2.42) and mothers who preferred a full—time job per- ceived the role of the public school to be greatest (Table 10, M = 2.53). When using the chi square test statistics for each of the 48 test items, there were seven with a .010 level of significance. Those were: No. 55--Moral & Ethical Principles No. 63--Getting Along With Others No. 68--Proper Health Habits No. 73—-Read & Comprehend No. 78--Appreciation of Art No. 79--Appreciation of Music No. 81--Appreciation of Nature There was litle discernible trend in the difference in scores for these test items. (4.5) Length of Employment According to the mean scores in Table 12, mothers who were employed for the shortest time (1 day-6 months) had the greatest expectations for the role of the public school (M = 2.70). Of the 48 test items on the questionnaire as re- ported in Table 31, three indicated a .010 level of significance using the chi square statistic. They were: No. 79--Appreciation of Music No. 81--Appreciation of Nature No. 90--Discipline of Child In each of these items the mothers who were em- ployed for the shortest duration of time gave the highest score for the expectation of the role of the public school. (4.6) Hours Per Week Worked Mothers who worked the most hours per week (41 hours-more) perceived the role of the public school as being the greatest (Table 13, M = 2.62). There were no test items at the .010 level of sig- nificance when using the chi square test for each item as reported in Table 32. 140 Researchguestion #5 What are the demographic data for mothers from a small, suburban school district in the midwest who have children in the elementary school? If the sample is an accurate representation of the total population then: --53.2% were employed for ten hours or more per week out— side the home --40.0% are employed in the clerical occupation --60.3% mothers have a minimum of two years of a college education --66.1% are between the ages of 31-40 --83.9% are married --38.4% are very satisfied with their job --52.5% are satisfied with their job --44.0% have been employed for l day-6 months --59.6% prefer part-time employment --61.6% of employed mothers indicated financial reasons as a first choice as a reason for their employment --40.3% of employed mothers indicated contact with others as a second choice for a reason for their employment --60.1% of the employed mothers indicated status as a fourth choice for a reason for their employment --47.8% of the mothers considered themselves active in the public schools --60.0% of all mothers indicated that the amount of time they are able to spend on school activities was about rig t Researchguestion #6 What expectations for the role of the public school are perceived most and least important by employed and non- employed mothers? As indicated in Table 16, the five most important expected responsibilities of the public school according to employed mothers are: 1. Item no. 28--The ability to use numbers for solving problems in daily life (3.38). 2. Item no. 25--The ability to read and compre- hend in order to obtain necessary information (30 35) o 3. Item no. 27--The skill of written expression of ideas and information (3.24). 5. The 141 Item no. 42--To discipline a child who does not follow school rules (not including spanking (2.97)). Item no. 29--The desire to learn new ideas and skills (2.91). five most important expected responsibilities of the public school according to nonemployed mothers are: l. 5. Item no. 25--(Same as no. 2 for employed mothers (3.24)). Item no. 27--(Same as no. 3 for employed mothers (3.21)). Item no. 28--(Same as no. 1 for employed mothers (3.21)). Item no. 39--Transportation to and from school (3.12). Item no. 42--(Same as no. 4 for employed mothers (3.01)). As indicated in Table 17, the five least important expected are: responsibilities according to employed mothers Rank 48. Item no. 48--Supervision of a child while 47. 46. 45. 44. The parents are at work (1.20). Item no. 38--Providing the child's breakfast (1047) 0 Item no. 10--The experience of prayer as an act of worship (1.62). Item no. 40--Transportation home from after- school activities (1.69). Item no. 9--A belief in the value of religion (10 84) 0 five least important expected responsibilities according to nonemployed mothers are: Rank 48. 47. 46. 45. 44. 142 Item no. 48--(Same as no. 48 for employed mothers (1.17)). Item No. 38--(Same as no. 47 for employed mothers (1.39)). Item no. 40--(Same as no. 45 for employed mothers (1.40)). Item no. 43--Spa’nkingofa child for more serious violations of school rules (1.64). Item no. lO--(Same as no. 46 for employed mothers (1.76)). Research Question #7 What are the greatest needs to be met by the public school as perceived by employed and nonemployed mothers? According to employed mothers, the five greatest needs to be met are (Table 20): Rank 1. Item no. 45--Cost of providing additional or enriched learning opportunities for a child who learns easily (-.72). Item no. 44--Cost of tutoring a child who is behind in learning (-.66). Item no. 28--The ability to use numbers for solving problems in daily life (-.65). Item no. 25--The ability to read and compre- hend in order to obtain necessary information (-.63). Item no. 42--Discipline of a child who does not follow school rules (not including spanking (-.59)). Nonemployed mothers identified the following seven greatest needs to be met as (Table 20): Rank 1. 2. Item no. 45--(Same as no. 1 for employed mothers (-.74)). Item no. l7--The harmful effects of tabacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs (-.64). 143 3. Item no. 10--The experience of prayer as an act of worship (-.62). 4. Item no. 9--A belief in the value of religion (-.61). 5. Item no. 44--(Same as no. 2 for employed mothers (-.59)). 6. Item no. 27--The skill of written expression of ideas and information (-.59). 7. Item no. 22--Home maintenance skills (-.59). Conclusions Based on the findings of this study the following con- clusions were made: 1. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then employment status has little or no effect on mothers' perception of the role of the Waverly Community Schools. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then employed-single mothers have greater expectations for the role of the Waverly Community Schools than do employed-married, nonemployed-single, and non- employed-married mothers. If this sample is a random sample of the population, than young-employed mothers (30 and under) have greater expectations for the role of the Waverly Community Schools than older-employed mothers (40 and over). If this sample is a random sample of the population, then mothers who have more formal education have 144 less expectation for the role of the Waverly Com- munity Schools than mothers who have less formal education. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then employed mothers who have been employed for the shortest duration of time (1 day to 6 months) will have the greatest expectations for the role of the Waverly Community Schools. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then employed mothers who work more than 40 hours per week will have greater expectations for the role of the Waverly Community Schools than those mothers who work fewer than 40 hours per week. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then mothers in the Waverly Community Schools per- ceive the most important roles of the public schools to be: teaching the basic three rs of reading, writing, and mathematics, providing discipline for children who do not follow school rules, and pro- viding transportation to and from school. If this sample is a random sample of the population, then mothers in the Waverly Community Schools per- ceive the greatest needs for change and improve- ment in the public school curriculum to be: the cost of providing additional tutoring or enriched learning for those who learn easily or slowly, teaching the harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, The l. 145 and illicit drugs, teaching how to use numbers for solving problems in daily life, and providing the experience of prayer as an act of worship. Recommendations following recommendations are made: That descriptive research be conducted in other school districts to determine or validate trends in the public school role as perceived by mothers according to employment and marital status. If the role of the public school must change and adapt to the changing needs of children and parents, then it would be important for each school district to know the perceptions of the mothers that reside within the district. That descriptive research be conducted to determine the effect of mothers' employment and marital status upon the role of the public school as perceived by mothers of secondary school children. Mothers of secondary school children may perceive the role of the public school differently than do mothers of elementary school children. That additional research be conducted to determine the priorities and needs for change and improvement on the part of the public school as perceived by the single parent. Single mothers indicate a need for the school to assume a greater role in the lives 146 of their children. A study to determine specific priorities and needs for change and improvement on the part of the public school as perceived by single parents would help in clarifying the role of the public school in assisting these parents. That additional research be conducted to determine the impact of the role of the father in the home upon the employed mothers' perceptions of the needs for change and improvement on the part of the public school. What is the influence of the behavior of the father in assuming additional responsibilities in the home when the mother is employed? Do em- ployed mothers see the needs of the child and the school differently as determined by responsible or irresponsible behavior of the father? That follow-up research be conducted in 2 or 3 years on a similar, if not the same, sample of mothers of elementary and middle school mothers in the Waverly Schools to determine if the perceptions of the role of the public school have changed. If the same mothers were available to respond to a similar questionnaire, would there be similar responses? If not, what might be the cause of the different perceptions? That additional study be made to identify fathers' perception of the role of the public school. Does it coincide with mothers' perception of the role of 147 the public school? What effect does mothers' employment status have on fathers' perception of the role of the public school? 7. That there be additional study concerning the impact of part-time employed mothers. Is it a positive experience for mothers to work part-time? Does the impact of part-time employment affect mothers' involvement in the public school? 8. That there be additional documentation of the effect of employment-marital status on mothers' perception of the role of the public school, and that there be development and implementation of curriculum pro- posals that address those perceived needs of the employed-single mothers. Reflections As a result of this investigation there were some findings that were surprises. A.mi1d surprise was that employment status apparently makes little or no difference in a mother's perception of the role of the public school. Before the study was attempted, it was thought that mother's employment would put such stress on her that she would look for additional help from the public school in raising her children. This did not prove to be the case. Evidently the employed mother is capable of handling her employment without feeling the need for additional help from the public school. 148 However, when marital status was combined with employ- ment status an interesting and surprising phenomenon occurred. Employed-single mothers perceived the role and need for improvement of the public schools greater than did the employed-married, nonemployed-married, and nonemployed- single mothers. Evidently, the "breaking point" for employed mothers is when the husband is not in the home to help with the.raising of the children. Consequently, employed-single mothers see the role of the public school in greater dimen- sions than do other mothers. Another very interesting and surprising result occurred when mothers' perception of the role of the public school was examined according to formal education. It was inter- esting to learn that mothers who had more formal education perceived the role of the public school to a lesser degree on those items which did not involve the teaching of a basic skill. In other words, mothers with more formal education thought that the role of the public school should be less when teaching such concepts or skills as: manners and politeness, home maintenance, recreational activities, physical fitness, etc. But when it came to teaching a child the skill of written expression, mothers with more formal education viewed the role of the public school to be greater than did mothers with less formal education. One other finding that was a surprise was that the mothers who were surveyed said that they thought that the fifth greatest need for improvement in the public schools was 149 to provide "the experience of prayer as an act of worship." Since this item was ranked very low (no. 46) by mothers when judging the role of the public school, it raises questions as to what mothers were saying. Do they recognize that con- stitutionally it cannot be taught or practiced as a form of religion in the public schools? Disregarding the constitu- tionality, do they see a need for some form of spiritual help for their children? Or, are they simply concerned about their children having some time to pause and collect their thoughts in silence during the school day? This finding has raised some interesting questions that are worthy of follow- up. One aspect of the study that was disappointing was the small percentage of mothers who chose to respond to the survey (31.3%). In future studies it is recommended that a smaller sample be identified and that there be a planned follow-up process to obtain a greater percentage of sample respondents. This could be done by coding the initial survey instrument and then identifying and contacting those who did not respond. Or, a follow-up telephone call or letter could be used to contact Ell potential respondents after a set period of time following the initial mailing. In conclusion, a few other recommendations are offered to school officials who would like to take some steps in analysis and problem solving related to the changing family status in our society. One suggestion is that the school district conduct a needs assessment. This needs assessment 150 should include a plan for collecting data on the needs for improvement as perceived by mothers by their employment and marital status. The needs assessment plan should include a priority ranking of needs and a method for validating those priority rankings. Once these data have been obtained and validated then a process of developing statements of objectives should be devised. These objectives should identify the what, when, and how of need satisfaction by priority. An implementation strategy is very critical to the success of this process. In addition to the above, there are some procedures that public school officials should consider in providing immediate help for children and parents in different family structures. The following are procedures that school officials may be able to put into practice rather easily: (1) be aware and keep records of current status and changes in family structure, (2) provide in-service programs for staff which will sensitize them to behavior changes of children related to family status change, (3) provide parent or family seminars at times accommodating the participants on topics unique to their concerns and problems, (4) update course offerings and learning materials, (5) provide for counseling services, and (6) allow for different and accom- modating times for extracurricular activities, counseling services, parent involvement activities, and homework assign- ments . BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Banducci, R. 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Times Educational Supple- ment 3298 (September 15, 1978): 19-20. Swick, K. J., & Duff, R. E. The Parent-Teacher Bond. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1978. United States Working Women: A Databook. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Washington, D.C., Bulletin, 1977. 155 Warshaw, Rhonda. "The Effects of Working Mothers on Children." Ph.D. Dissertation, Order No. 76-22,820, Adelphi Uni- versity, 1976. Weisman, M., & Paykel, E. "Moving and Depression In Women." Society 9 (July-August 1972): 24-28. Wynne, E. "Schools and Socialization." Educational Leader- ship 36 (April 1979): 454-458. Yankelovich, Skelly, & White, Inc., Raising Children in a Changing;§9ciey. The General Mills American Family Report, 1976-1977. APPENDICES APPENDIX A LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL APPENDIX A LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Dear Participant: We need your assistance. As a concerned parent, you have been selected to share your opinion about education. We are conducting a study of mothers' views on the role of the public school. We wish to learn more about how mothers perceive the responsibility of the public school for services, childrens' skill development, and knowledge acquisition. This is a study being conducted through Michigan State University with the cooperation of the Waverly Schools. It is not intended to represent the beliefs nor philosophy of the Waverly Schools. However, the results of the study will be shared with educators in the Waverly Schools and with interested educators in other school districts. Please participate in our study by completing the enclosed questionnaire. It will take approximately ten to twenty minutes to complete. It is necessary to have your opinions and not those of others to make an accurate assessment of the responses. Feel free to answer all questions openly as your responses will be treated confidentially. Your time and thought in answering the questionnaire are greatly appre- ciated. we look forward to receiving your early reply in the enclosed return envelope. Sincerely, Robert L. Sodenman Researcher Dr. Petty Riethmiller, Professor Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum 156 APPENDIX B QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX B QUESTIONNAIRE PART I--RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL This portion of the questionnaire is concerned with your opinions about how you see the role of the public school. We expect that the school assumes a portion (some or most) or all or none of the responsi- bility for certain skills, knowledge, or services. You will be asked to give your estimate or opinion in two columns: (a) First, you will be asked to give your estimate about how much responsibility the school pgesently takes for certain, selected skills, knowledge, or services that children seem to need. (b) Secondly, you will be asked to give your opinion about how much responsibility you think the school should take for these same items. Directions: Please write the number that represents your best estimate or opinion according to the following scale: The public school presently takes/should take pp responsibility The public school presently takes/should take some responsibility The public school presently takes/should take most responsibility The public school presently takes/should take all responsibility Not important skill, knowledge or service U'lubWNH NONE SOME MOST ALL NOT IMPORTANT 1 2 3 4 5 FOR EXAMPLE: If you believe the school presently takes SOME responsibi- lity for the skill of "jumping rope" and you believe the school should take SOME of the responsibility, your responses would be: (a) (b) 157 158 Please write one number for (a) RESPONSIBILITY (b) RESPONSIBILITY each column that represents THE SCHOOL YOU THINK THE your best estimate or opinion PRESENTLY TAKES SCHOOL SHOULD TAKE of the items below: 1. The management of money.... 2. The knowledge of different types of occupations....... 3. The ability to tell others what one really means (self- expression)................ 4. The skill of making wise choices (decision-making).. 5. The skill of hearing and understanding what others have to say (listening).... 6. A positive self-image. . . . . . 7. The will to follow community accepted moral and ethical principles................. 8. Patriotism and allegiance to the United States.......... 9. A belief in the value of religionOOOOOOOOOOOOO...0.. 10. The experience of prayer as an act of worship.......... 11. The understanding of a demo- cratic way of life......... 12. The development of personal values such as honesty, responsibility, and dependa- bility..................... 13. The ability to identify and compare similarities and differences of objects..... 14. The understanding and toler- ance of others' beliefs, race, and national origin.. 15. The ability to get along with others................ 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 159 (a) RESPONSIBILITY (b) RESPONSIBILITY Appropriate manners and POIiteneSSooooooooooooooo. The harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs............. The understanding of human sexual reproduction....... The moral responsibility for human sexual repro- ductiontOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... Proper health habits and care of the body.......... Good safety practices for home and recreation....... Home maintenance ski lls (repairing, painting, etc.)....O...0.0.0.0000... Homemaking skills (cooking, sewing, money management). The enjoyment of recreational activities such as hobbies, games, outdoor activities. The ability to read and com- prehend in order to obtain necessary information..... The enjoyment of reading for leismeOOOOOOO0.00.0000... The skill of written expres- sion of ideas and infor- nationOOOOOOOOOO0.0.0.0... The ability to use numbers for solving problems in daily lifeOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. The desire to learn new ideas and skills.......... THE SCHOOL PRESENTLY TAKES YOU THINK THE SCHOOL SHOULD TAKE 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 160 (a) RESPONSIBILITY (b) RESPONSIBILITY The appreciation of art.... The appreciation of music.. The appreciation of drama.. The appreciation of nature. The conservation of energy and resources.............. Physical fitness........... Physical skill for athletic competition................ Providing the child's lurlChOOOOOOOOOOOIOOOOOOOOOO Providing the child's break- fastOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Transportation to and from SChOOJ-OOOOOOO0.00.00.00.00. Transportation home from after-school activities.... Giving advice and counsel to a child with personal PIOwaSOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.0... Discipline of a child who does not follow school rules (not including spanking)... Spanking of a child for more serious violations of school ruleSOOOOIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Cost of tutoring a child who is behind in 1earning...... Cost of providing additional or enriched learning oppor- tunities for a child who learns easily.............. Organization of social acti- vities after school........ THE SCHOOL PRESENTLY TAKES YOU THINK THE SCHOOL SHOULD TAKE 161 (a) RESPONSIBILITY (b) RESPONSIBILITY THE SCHOOL YOU THINK THE PRESENTLY TAKES SCHOOL SHOULD TAKE 47. Supervision for after- school activities.......... 48. Supervision of a child while parents are at work (before and after school and week days when school is not in session)................ PART II. RELATED INFORMATION DIRECTIONS: Please check (/) the appropriate response(s) or give a brief answer to the questions below: (a) For All Respondents: 1. Your present age bracket a) Below--30 b) 3l--40 c) 4l--over 2. Marital status a) Married b) Married-separated c) Single __ 3. Grade level(s) and sex of child(ren) (Please use double check /V for two children in the same grade) Grade Level(S) Sex (M or F) K— —— l— —— 2— — 3— 4 ____. 5— —— Younger or older children III! E? Hll "3 162 4. Formal Education Highest Grade or Level Degree or Diploma a) High School Grade 8 or below Between grades 8-12 Graduate b) Trade or Vocational School 1 year or less 2 years or more c) College 2 years or less 3-4 years 5-6 years 7 years or more 5. How much do you participate in the activities of the school? a) Very active b) Active c) Seldom active d) Never active 6. Would you like to be more or less active than present? a) More b) Less c) About right 7. How many hours per week do you work outside the home? a) 0 b) l--10 c) ll--25 d) 26--40 e) 4l--more (B) FOR EMPLOYED MOTHERS ONLY (MOTHERS WHO WORK FOR PAY OUTSIDE THE HOME FOR MORE THAN 10 HOURS PER WEEK). 1. What type of job do you have? Title or name of job Brief description of what you do 163 2. How long have you been employed outside the home? (From last date you.were not employed to present) a) 1 day - 6 months b) 6 mos. - 5 years c) 5 - 10 years d) 10 years or more 3. How satisfied are you with your job? a) Very satisfied b) Satisfied c) Dissatisfied d) Very dissatisfied 4. Check your preference: a) Full-time employment outside the home b) Part-time employment outside the home c) Full-time homemaker 5. Rank the following reasons for outside employment in order of most important (1), least importance (5). a) Contact with others b) Financial need c) Status d) Need to achieve e)Oflmr THANK YOU VERY MUCH! COMMENTS: Please Return to: Robert L. Soderman 3113 Snowglen Ln. Lansing, Michigan 48917 APPENDIX C RANKED ORDER OF QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS BY TYPE OF SCHOOL ROLE AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS Table C-l Ranked Order of Questionaire Items by Type of School Role and Employment Status Present Role Employed Nonemployed 115:? “6:22:28: 1:33;? “3422:“ 1 39 2.83 l 39 3.06 2 28 2.73 2 25 2.74 3 25 2.72 3 37 2.73 4 27 2.69 4 28 2.66 5 35 2.62 4 35 2.66 6 13 2.56 4 13 2.66 7 36 2.54 7 47 2.64 8 37 2.48 7 36 2.64 9 29 2.43 9 27 2.62 10 42 2.38 10 31 2.57 11 31 2.37 11 42 2.53 12 30 2.31 12 32 2.48 13 46 2.28 13 30 2.45 13 32 2.28 14 41 2.42 15 8 2.27 14 46 2.42 15 2.27 16 29 2.38 17 47 2.25 16 33 2.38 17 11 2.25 18 26 2.36 19 34 2.24 19 2 2.33 20 41 2.23 20 34 2.32 21 33 2.22 21 11 2.31 21 15 2.22 22 5 2.30 23 5 2.19 23 15 2.28 24 26 2.17 24 3 2.26 24 3 2.17 25 24 2.25 26 17 2.12 26 8 2.23 27 14 2.10 27 14 2.20 164 165 Table C-l (cont'd.) Present Role Employed Nonemployed 22:1 maxed 1:32? “6:2sz 27 18 2.10 28 20 2.14 27 23 2.10 29 18 2.13 30 24 2.08 30 12 2.11 31 20 2.06 31 4 2.09 32 12 2.05 31 17 2.09 32 21 2.05 33 1 2.08 34 6 2.03 34 23 2.07 34 16 2.03 35 7 2.06 36 4 2.02 35 6 2.06 37 7 1.98 37 21 2.05 38 45 1.97 38 16 2.00 39 7 1.93 39 45 1.96 40 19 1.88 40 44 1.71 41 44 1.79 41 19 1.69 42 22 1.78 42 22 1.64 43 43 1.45 43 9 1.31 44 9 1.33 44 43 1.29 45 40 1.27 45 38 1.19 46 38 1.21 46 40 1.14 47 10 1.11 46 10 1.14 48 48 1,05 48 48 1.11 APPENDIX D RANKED ORDER OF QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS Table D-l Ranked Order of Questionnaire Items by Employment Status Expected Role Employed Nonemployed Rank 113:“? ”83422:“ Rank 1153‘? Weizi‘fied l 28 3.38 1 25 3.24 2 25 3.35 2 27 3.21 3 27 3.24 2 28 3.21 4 42 2.97 4 39 3.12 5 29 2.91 5 42 3.01 6 39 2.82 6 11 2.84 7 2 2.81 7 29 2.80 8 13 2.80 8 35 2.79 9 34 2.79 8 36 2.79 9 35 2.79 8 13 2.79 11 17 2.70 11 2 2.74 12 45 2.69 12 17 2.73 12 5 2.69 13 34 2.71 14 11 2.68 14 45 2.70 15 26 2.67 15 8 2.69 16 36 2.65 15 26 2.69 16 3 2.65 17 5 2.68 18 30 2.60 18 47 2.66 18 32 2.60 18 31 2.66 20 41 2.59 20 37 2.65 21 31 2.57 21 30 2.64 22 33 2.54 22 3 2.63 23 47 2.53 23 32 2.62 23 15 2.53 24 33 2.59 25 2.49 25 41 2.58 26 2.48 25 15 2.58 27 46 2.46 25 6 2.58 27 14 2.46 i 28 14 2.50 166 167 Table D-l (cont'd.) Expected Role Employed Nonemployed 11:? “9122? 1:32? “9:22:96 27 6 2.46 29 46 2.49 30 44 2.45 30 12 2.43 31 12 2.44 31 7 2.41 32 37 2.38 32 23 2.39 33 18 2.37 33 1 2.36 34 23 2.35 34 4 2.35 35 16 2.30 35 16 2.33 36 20 2.29 35 20 2.33 37 1 2.28 37 18 2.32 38 21 2.27 38 44 2.30 39 7 2.23 «39 21 2.28 40 22 2.22 , 40 24 2.27 40 24 2.22 41 22 2.23 42 19 2.11 42 19 2.15 43 43 1.85 43 9 1.92 44 9 1.84 44 10 1.76 45 40 1.69 45 43 1.64 46 10 1.62 46 40 1.40 47 38 1.47 47 38 1.39 48 48 1.20 48 48 4 1.17 APPENDIX E RANKED ORDER OF MEAN DIFFERENCE BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS Employed Table E-l Ranked Order of Mean Difference by Employment Status Nonemployed Weighted Means Weighted Means Rank 132m Present Expected :::2. Rank Iggm Present Expected 3:22. 1 45 1.97 2.69 '-.72 l 45 1.96 2.70 -.74 2 44 1.79 2.45 -.66 2 17 2.09 2.73 -.64 3 28 2.73 3.38 -.65 3 10 1.14 1.76 -.62 4 25 2.72 3.35 -.63 4 9 1.31 1.91 -.61 5 42 2.38 2.97 -.59 5 44 1.71 2.30 -.59 6 17 2.12 2.70 -.58 5 27 2.62 3.21 -.59 7 27 2.69 3.24 -.55 5 22 1.64 2.23 -.59 7 34 2.24 2.79 -.55 8 28 2.66 3.21 -.55 9 2.27 2.81 -.54 9 11 2.31 2.84 -.53 10 9 1.33 1.84 -.51 10 6 2.06 2.58 -.52 10 10 1.11 1.62 -.51 ll 25 2.74 3.35 -.50 12 26 2.17 2.67 -.50 12 42 2.53 3.01 -.48 12 5 2.19 2.69 -.50 13 19 1.69 2.15 -.46 14 3 2.17 2.65 -.48 13 8 2.23 2.69 -.46 14 29 2.43 2.91 -.48 15 29 2.38 2.80 -.42 16 4 2.02 2.48 -.46 16 2 2.33 2.74 -.41 17 22 1.78 2.22 -.44 17 34 2.32 2.71 -.39 18 11 2.25 2.68 -.43 18 5 2.30 2.68 -.38 18 6 2.03 2.46 -.43 19 3 2.26 2.63 -.37 20 40 1.27 1.69 -.42 20 7 2.06 2.41 -.35 21 43 1.45 1.85 -.40 20 43 1.29 1.64 -.35 22 12 2.05 2.44 -.39 22 16 2.00 2.33 -.33 23 41 2.23 2.59 -.36 ' 22 26 2.36 2.69 -.33 23 14 2.10 2.46 -.36 24 12 2.11 2.43 -.32 25 l 1.93 2.28 -.35 24 23 2.07 2.39 -.32 26 32 2.28 2.60 -.32 26 14 2.20 2.50 -.30 26 33 r 2.22 2.54 1 -.32 26 15 2.28 2.58 -.30 168 169 Table E-l (cont'd.) Employed Nonemployed Weighted Means Weighted Means Rank 1;:T Present Expected 3:22. Rank 1:2? Present Expected g:::. 28 15 2.22 2.53 -.31 28 1 2.08 2.36 -.28 29 30 2.31 2.60 -.29 29 40 1.14 1.40 -.26 3o 47 2.25 2.53 E -.28 29 4 2.09 2.35 -.26 31 18 2.10 2.37 g -.27 31 21 2.05 2.28 —.23 31 16 2.03 2.30 i -.27 32 33 7 2.38 2.59 -.21 33 38 1.21 1.47 -.26 33 38 i 1.19 1.39 -.20 34 7 1.98 2.23 . -.25 34 20 i 2.14 2.33 -.19 34 23 2.10 2.35 ‘ -.25 34 18 E 2.13 2.32 -.19 36 13 2.56 2.80 -.24 34 30 i 2.45 2.64 -.19 37 19 1.88 2.11 -.23 37 41 E 2.42 2.58 -.16 37 20 2.06 2.29 i -.23 38 36 I 2.64 2.79 -.15 39 21 2.05 2.27 g -.22 39 32 2.48 2.62 -.14 39' 8 2.27 2.49 l -.22 4o 35 2.66 2.79 —.13 41 31 2.37 2.57 i -.20 4o 13 2.66 2.79 -.13 42 46 2.28 2.46 g -.18 42 31 2.57 2.66 -.09 43 35 2.62 2.79 i -.17 43 46 2.42 2.49 ; -.07 44 48 1.05 1.20 -.15 44 39 3.06 3.12 : -.06 45 24 2.08 2.22 -.14 44 48 1.11 1.17 -.06 46 36 2.54 2.65 -.11 46 47 2.64 2.66 -.04 47 39 2.83 2.82 .01 47 24 2.25 2.27 -.02 48 37 2.48 2.38 .10 48 37 2.73 2.65 .08