72-8635 BROMLEY, Phillip Eugene, 1939A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND OPENNESS BETWEEN STUDENTS IN REGULAR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 200 COURSE (INDIVIDUAL AND THE SCHOOL) AND THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE_ TEACHEk-ASSISTANT PROGRAM IN ADDITION TO EDUCATION 200. [Pages 540-5411, "Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory", not microfilmed at request of author. Available for consultation at Michigan State University Library]. University Microfilms, A XEROX Com pany, Ann Arbor, M ichigan i i 72-8635 BROMLEY, Phillip Eugene, 1939Michigan State University, Ph.D., 1971 Education, curriculum development University Microfilms, A XEROX Com pany, Ann Arbor, M ichigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFLIMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND OPENNESS BETWEEN STUDENTS IN REGULAR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 200 COURSE (INDIVIDUAL AND THE SCHOOL) AND THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE TEACHERASSISTANT PROGRAM IN ADDITION TO EDUCATION 200 By Phillip E. Bromley A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Education 1971 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ABSTRACT A COMPATATIVE STUDY OF CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND OPENNESS BETWEEN STUDENTS IN REGULAR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION 200 COURSE (INDIVIDUAL AND THE SCHOOL) AND THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE TEACHERASSISTANT PROGRAM IN ADDITION TO EDUCATION 200 By Philip E. Bromley The purpose of this investigation is to compare two educational programs offered by Michigan State University; i.e., the regular Education 200 Program with the Education 200 Program which has been revised to include the TeacherAssistant Program and to ascertain which program results in a more open pattern for positive experiences. gathered to determine: Data was (1) if the Teacher-Assistants have a more positive attitude change than the regular Education 200 group; (2) if the Teacher-Assistants group of students have become more open (receptive) to experience than the regular Education 200 group; (3) whether students who have gained considerable experience by participating in the Teacher-Assistant Program share their acquired knowledge by interacting with the students who did not take part in- the Program. Phillip E. Bromley The resolution of these objectives was sought by administering and scoring the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory and the Dogmatism Scale to determine openness. The population consisted of ten classes, selected randomly from the regular Education 200 (Spring, 1971) course. The sample was composed of 150 education students from all levels of the University. The independent variables in this study were the additional Teacher-Assistant Program and the Education 200 Program without the Teacher-Assistant Program. Individuals' scores on both tests were the dependent variables. Index of Response scores on the Minnesota Teacher Attitude In­ ventory and the Dogmatism Scale were computed for each level of the independent variables. The Finn Program of multi­ variate analysis of variance, using the univariate scores, was then computed to determine whether observed differences between response scores were statistically significant at the .05 level. The study revealed that there was significant at­ titude change in students having participated in the TeacherAssistant Program compared with the students who took part / in only the regular Education 200 Program. There was also notable difference in the attitude of the total TeacherAssistant group (participants as well as non-participants) in comparison with the regular Education 200 group which Phillip E. Bromley was composed of students with no opportunity to interact with the Teacher-Assistant participants. There was no sig­ nificant difference, however, in openness between the stu­ dents in the two programs. Based on results of the study, the following con­ clusions were reached: 1. Clinical experiences do effect a positive change in attitudes. 2. Clinical experiences do not effect a positive change in openness. 3. A change in positive attitudes for total non-par­ ticipants, as well-as participants>■does effect classroom discussion (interaction). 4. Openness (receptivity to the influence of experi­ ence) does not effect interaction. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated, with love, to my wife, Pam. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere appre­ ciation for the constant help and guidance of Dr. Troy Stearns, Chairman of the doctorial committee, and for the assistance of Dr. Dale Alam and Dr. Stanley Wronski who served on the guidance committee. Special thanks are owed to another outstanding teacher with the skill to help others to grow. Dr. John Suehr was a Committee Member who was an inspiration to work with at all times. Thanks are also extended to Mary Kennedy for guidance in statistical procedures. Deepest appreciation is owed to my wife, Pam, for her continuous support and encouragement; to our children, Chris, Scott, Peb and the triplets, Nikki, Heidi and Candi, who waited patiently for the completion of the study; and to my parents who have provided a lifetime of inspiration. Finally, a special expression of appreciation is given to my two friends and fellow doctoral students, Dr. Jim Parker and Fred Baker, not only for their invaluable assistance and advice but for the friendship and acceptance they have given to me. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. V. PAGE NATURE OF THE S T U D Y ......................... 1 Introduction ............................... Purpose of the S t u d y ....................... Hypotheses ................................. Design of the S t u d y ......................... Definitions of Terms Used ................... Limitations of the Study ................... Assumptions of the Study ................... Organization of the Study 1 5 5 6 7 9 9 10 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.................. 11 Introduction ............................... General Clinical Preparation ............... Attitudes................................... Summary..................................... 11 15 19 27 DESIGN AND RESEARCH PROCEDURE ............... 29 Introduction ............................... H y p o t h e s e s ................................. P o p u l a t i o n ................................. Research Design ............................. Summary..................................... 29 29 30 30 35 ANALYSIS OF D A T A ........................... 36 Introduction ............................... Hypothesis 1 ............................... Hypothesis 2 ............................... Hypothesis 3 ............................... Hypothesis 4 ............................... Summary............... 36 38 38 40 41 43 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ... 45 Summary..................................... Conclusions................................. Recommendations ............................. 45 47 48 PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES ....................................... 50 ....................................... A Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory .......... B Dogmatism Scale ............................. v - LIST OF TABLES PAGE TABLE 1. Cell Frequency ........................... . . 31 2. Univariate Analysis of Variance for Three Sources of Variation, based on Attitudes . . . 39 Univariate Analysis of Variance for Three Sources of Variation, based on Openness . . 39 Univariate Analysis of Variance for Three Sources of Variation, based on Attitude Interaction ........................... . . 40 3. 4. 5. Univariate Analysis of Variance for Three Sources of Variation, based on Openness Interaction ....................... 41 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Index of Response S c o r e s........................ 37 2. Design for Hypotheses 1 and 2 .................. 42 3. Design for Hypotheses 3 and 4 .................. 42 4. Statistical Interaction with Openness vii ........ 43 CHAPTER I NATURE OF THE STUDY Introduction Teacher education programs have been seeking more effective ways to prepare teachers since the advent of for­ malized instructional institutions. As society has advanced from the simple to the complex, so have the needs of educa­ tion in general and teacher education in particular. Teaching has changed from the inculcation of truths to the determination of relevance. The demands of this job establish new teacher qualifications, training, and professional experience.! During the long period of pedagogical development, there has been little doubt among most educators about the value of some type of clinical experience which may be de­ fined as on-the-job training under the supervision of certified personnel. Many other professions and even non­ professions require clinical preparation for full certifi­ cation or job qualification. Whatever their other differ­ ences, most of those advocating reform in preparation of teachers agree that a period of supervised practice is desirable. '*'Bruce Biddle, "Teacher Roles," Encyclopedia of Educational Research, 4th ed., 1969, p. 7. 1 2 For Conant, practice teaching is the one 'indisputable essential element1, for Shaplin, any denial of the worth of practice teaching represents a serious underestima­ tion of the complexity of the teaching process; for an NEA task force on, teacher education, direct experience is essential if ideas are to be made meaningful, and if 'doing' as well as 'knowing' is to result.2 Colleges of education have over the years developed many different types of programs to meet the needs of their students in the area of clinical preparation. This study c is concerned with two such teacher education programs at Michigan State University; Education 200, Individual and The School and the Teacher Assistant Program. The Michigan State University Catalog for 1970-1971 describes, Education 200, Individual and the School as: Major psychological factors in the school learningteaching situation; concepts in human development related to problems in the school situation; teacher's role in motivation, conceptual learning, problem solv­ ing, and the development of emotional behavior, atti­ tudes and values; learning of skills; retention and transfer; and measurement of student abilities and achievement.2 More specifically, the course is divided into two related but parallel sets of experiences. set is dealt with in small groups. The affective Each group of fifteen students meets together twice a week to interact about in­ dividual and group experiences which may include reading, 2 Benard Corman, The Internship in the of Elementary School Teachers (East Lansing: University, 1964) , p. T~. 3Michigan State University Catalogue, of Courses," Vol. LXIV, No. 6 (East Lansing: University Publication, 1970), p. A-32. Preparation Michigan State "Description Michigan State 3 interviewing, observing, teaching, setting objectives, analyzing experiences, and hearing resultant opinions of the group. A major goal of this portion of the course is to demon­ strate a process of self-instruction, the intricacies of self-development and growth— to provide greater awareness and understanding of self, one's values and attitudes, and how these might affect others as well as one's own continued human development, learning and self-renewal.4 The other set of experiences is cognitive in nature, and instruction comes from reading the handbook and various written handouts, carrel experiences (individualized work), and lectures. The major goal is to help integrate meaningfully a variety of experimental and conceptual phenomena that will directly help you become dynamic and effective teachers. The course is designed to wage war on 'the simple mind'— with its sure statements of unproven fact, its stereotypic response to individual differences, and its narrowminded, fragmented conceptualization of com­ plex processes.5 Both sets of experiences in Education 200, Individ­ ual and the School Program, are referred to in this study as Education 200. Students have had differing opinions as to the value of Education 200. As a result of student suggestions, the Teacher-Assistant Program was offerred as additional non­ credit teaching experience. 4 Judith E. Henderson, Individual and the School (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1971) , p. 2*7 5 Ibid., p. 3. 4 This program provides an avenue whereby, early in their education program, students may become involved in a school setting and work with pupils in a useful and sig­ nificant way. A major effort is made to correlate the needs and desires in personal growth of the trainee to the educa­ tional concept of the classroom. This program gives teacher trainees the opportunity to apply educational concepts and theories, understand student behavior and develop deeper insight into current educational practices and programs. Classroom teachers from the local public schools must express willingness to be assigned a trainee. The teacher will then identify individual and specific needs of the pupils with whom the trainee is to work. The following are examples of available teaching opportunities which were brought out during trainee group discussions: 1. Work with individual pupils who have deficiencies in subject matter. 2. Work individually with pupils who have been absent from class. 3. Work with pupils in independent study or individual projects. 4. Moderate discussion groups. 5. Work with pupils in the improvement of basic skills. 6. Assist in presentation of subject matter. 7. Correct homework or tests, working with individual pupils and learning from the pupils' comments. 5 8. Set up and conduct classroom demonstrations. An assessment of experiences is then put into focus in the small group weekly discussion seminars in Education 200 . Purpose of the Study This study proposes to compare the regular Education 200 Program with the Education 200 Program which has been revised to include the Teacher-Assistant Program, (T.A.), and to determine which alternative provides a more open pattern for positive experiences. Three important questions arise: 1. Do the T .A. participants or the regular Education 200 participants develop a more positive reaction resulting in a change in attitude toward pupils and teaching as a profession? 2. Are the T.A. participants more open to experience than the regular Education 200 participants? 3. Do the students who take part in the T.A. Program, in addition to Education 200, contribute substan­ tially to the learning experience by inter-acting with the non-T.A. students? In providing answers to these three questions, the writer has arbitrarily selected attitude formation and openness as variables. Hypotheses Answering the questions raised and on the basis of the theory to be presented, the following hypotheses are i 6 proposed: 1. There will be a greater positive change in attitudes between the students who participated in the Educa­ tion 200 Program in combination with the TeacherAssistant program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. 2. There will be a greater positive change in openness between the students who participated in the Educa­ tion 200 Program in combination with the TeacherAssistant Program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. 3. The attitudes of the students who are associated with but do not directly participate in the T.A. Program will show more positive change, than the attitudes of the students in the regular Education 200 Program. 4. There will be a greater difference in openness of the students who are associated with but did not participate in the T.A. Program, than the openness of students in the regular Education 200 Program. The Design of the Study The following is a brief discussion of the methods and procedures used in this study: 1. The first phase of the study involved random selec­ tion of ten Education 200 small group classes. 2. The second phase involved going to the classes and asking for student volunteers for the Teacher-Assistant Program. 3. The third phase involved randomly assigning classes to the experimental group and the control group. (Five classes to each group). 4. The experimental group was made up of Teacher- Trainees, while the control class represented the regular Education 200 Program. 7 5. After selection of the instruments that would de­ termine the expressed attitudes and openness to experience, (Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory and Dogmatism Scale) a pre-test was given to all classes in the study. The students not knowing to which group (experimental or control) they belonged. 6. The final phase consisted of post-testing of the classes, then data interpretation with the resulting con­ clusions and recommendations. Definitions of Terms Used In order to avoid semantic confusion or ambiguity in the interpretation of this study, the following descrip­ tions of terms are used: 1. Teacher-Assistant:— A college student who is ac­ quiring classroom experience (without academic or university credit) under the guidance of a supervising teacher or other qualified person. 2. Also referred to as teacher-trainee. Clinical Preparation:— Includes all types of on- the-job training of teachers under the supervision of certi­ fied personnel. 3. Teacher Attitudes:— ". . . the way in which teachers g see themselves and how they act and feel toward others." C. Ralph H. Walker, "A Technique for Assessing Teacher Human Relations," (unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Univer­ sity of Florida, 1954), p. 5. 8 4. Teacher Effectiveness;— A term concerned with re­ lationships between the characteristics of teachers, teach­ ing acts, and their effects on the educational outcome of classroom teaching. 5. Educational Reform;— Changing established educational structures and creating new alternatives outside these structures. 6. Openness;— "The extent to which the person can receive, evaluate, and act on relevant information received from the outside on its own intrinsic merits, unencumbered by irrelevant factors in the situation arising from within 7 the person or from the outside." 7. Experience:— "Used to include all that is going on within the envelope of the organism at any given moment which is potentially available to awareness. It includes events of which the individual is unaware, as well as all the phenomena which are in consciousness. It does not in­ clude such events as neuron discharges or changes in blood sugar because these are not directly available to awareness. Q It is thus a psychological, not a physiological definition." 7 Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind (New York: Basic Books, 1960), p. 73. g Carl Rogers, "What Psychology has to Offer to Teacher Education," Mental Health and Teacher Education, 34th Yearbook of the Association for Student Teaching (Dubuque, Iowa: Association for Student Teaching Publishing Co., 1967), p. 197. 9 Limitations of the Study Certain restrictions must be considered in inter­ preting the results of this study, because the information obtained was limited to: 1. Responses to a questionnaire which are subject to the difficulties inherent in a paper and pencil test. 2. Responses from those who voluntarily returned the questionnaire. 3. Attempts to compare the two groups of students with intervening variables such as variety of individual exper­ iences, personal values and interactings between people and communications, all of which contaminates a study. 4. A random sample of the students in the total popu­ lation. Every attempt has been made in this study to recog­ nize these limitations, to minimize their effect whenever possible, and to draw conclusions and implications from the data in view of these limitations. Assumptions of the Study Certain assumptions are made for purposes of this study: 1. The instruments as supported in the review of the literature, are assumed to be valid and reliable. 2. The attitudes stated were accurate at the time of expression. 10 3. The perception that individual teacher-trainees have of their personal and social concerns may be as sig­ nificant to their teaching effectiveness as are their pro­ fessional concerns. Organization of the Study Chapter I describes the purpose of the study and the research methods used. Chapter II presents a review of selected research including clinical preparation, openness and attitude for­ mation. Chapter III contains the design of the study, in­ cluding a description of the two types of instruments used, type of statistical analysis and the preliminary treatment of data. Chapter IV consists of the results of the statis­ tical analysis which tested the hypotheses of the study and speaks to the questions raised regarding the students of the two types of teacher preparation programs. Chapter V constitutes a summary of the entire study in which findings and the conclusions are presented. final chapter also includes the recommendations of the writer. This CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction Clinical experience, attitudes and openness are three components of education which are of major importance in this study. Therefore, they shall be subjected to spe­ cial review and scrutiny. The responsibility of teacher education is to de­ velop professional workers, people who may be counted to act with knowledge as well as possess it. Clinical prep­ aration affords an important way of learning how to act with knowledge. Combs spoke to this point by stating, We have assumed that knowing and behaving are one and that the time-honored ways of teaching subject matter are appropriate for teaching people to teach well. Our effort has been involved with teaching our students about teaching instead of helping them to become teachers. To the contrary, as we have seen, profes­ sional teacher education must be an intensely human process designed to involve the student deeply and personally. Providing adequate opportunities for student com­ mitment may become the product of the clinical experience. ^Arthur Combs, The Professional Education of Teachers (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1965), p. 2 9. 11 12 "It is apparent that teacher— training curricula must go very much further in the direction of providing and super­ vising opportunities for commitment and involvement of their students. This will also call for a greatly increased responsibility on the part of the student for his own edu2 cational experience." Lindsey adds further support to this same idea.'* Two other components, attitude and openness, are commonly recognized as indicators of teaching success, especially in testing the environment as a place of learning and m developing teaching behavior. Marsh and Wilder, 4 2 Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards, "Changes in Teacher Education," Report of the National Commission, Teacher Education and Professional Standards (Washington, D.C.: National Education Associ­ ation Publication, 1963) , p. 36. 3 Margaret Lindsey, "New Horizons for the Teaching Profession," Report of the National Commission, Teacher Education and Professional Standards (Washington, D.C.: National Education Association Publication, 1963), p. 68. 4 Joseph H. Marsh, and Eleanor W. Wilder, "Identi­ fying the Effective Instructor: A Review of the Quantative Studies, 190 0-1952," United States Air Force Research Bulletin, Vol. >:LIV (San Antonio, Texas: United States Air Force Publishers, 1954), p. 32. 13 Harvey, Jacobs,^ Berelson,^ Sheriff and others make an excellent case for attitude as an important condition in perception. 9 Attitude, therefore, becomes an acceptable characteristic of successful teaching. Objectively, Marsh and Wilder found that attitude towards teachers and teaching seems to bear a positive relation to teacher suc­ cess measured in terms of pupil gain.^ Current research implies that the success or fail­ ure of any educational endeavor rests primarily in the at­ titudes held by the teacher towards the student and the learning environment. Combs said,". . . the really im­ portant changes will only come about as teachers change.""^ 5 P. J. Harvey, "Teacher Attitudes: Subject Matter and Human Beings," Educational Leadership, Vol. XXVII (April, 1970), pp. 686-690. 6 Elmer Jacobs, "Attitudes Change in Teacher Educa­ tion: An Inquiry into the Role of Attitudes in Changing Teacher Behavior," Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. XIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1968), pp. 410-415. 7 Bernard Berelson and G. Stiener, Human Behavior: An Inventory of Scientific Findings (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1964) , pp. 557-585. g Sherif, Sherif, and Nebergall, Attitude and Atttitude Change: The Social Judgement Involvement Approach (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 1965). g Robert E. Bills, About People and Teaching. ■^Marsh and Wilder, o£. cit., pp. 5-7. 11 Arthur Combs, The Professional Education of Teachers (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1965). t 14 To prepare for this change, research must begin to focus on the situation as it exists. Combs continues, "Institutions are made up of people, and it is the behavior of teachers in classrooms that will finally determine whether or not our schools meet or fail to meet the challenge of our times." 12 Myers and Torrance, 13 Benson, 14 Emmerling, 15 Freeze,"^ Engle, ^ Bills, Wiles‘S and others believe in the concept of openness as an essential condition of Ibid., 13R. E. Myers and Paul E. Torrance, "Can Teachers Encourage Creative Thinking?" Educational Leadership, Vol. XIX (December, 1961), pp. 156-159. 14Arthur J. Benson, "An Analysis of a Guidance Work­ shop in Terms of Certain Characteristics of its Participants" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Auburn University, 1960). 15Frank C. Emmerling, "A Study of the Relationship between Personality Characteristics of Classroom Teachers and Pupil Perceptions of These Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Auburn University, 1961). 16 Chester R. Freeze, "A Study of Openness as a Fac­ tor in Change of Student Teachers" (Unpublished Ph.D. dis­ sertation, University of Alabama, 1963). 17Harry A. Engle, "A Study of Openness as a Factor in Change" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Auburn Univer­ sity, 1961). 18Robert E. Bills, "The Classroom Teacher, Mental Health, and Learning," Mental Health and Teacher Education. Forty-sixth yearbook of the Association for Student Teaching (Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown Co., 1967), pp. 1-17. 19Kimball Wiles, Supervision For Better Schools (Englewood Cliffs, New Yersey: Prentice Hall, 1967). 15 successful teaching. Attitudes and openness, because of their importance to the learning process, will serve as a major concern in this review of relevant literature. Wiles stated, "A person with sufficient positive experience develops a self concept that enables him to be more open to experience." 20 Bills has defined openness to experience as a goal of teacher education and has indicated . . . "the teaching, which makes the real difference in preparing effective teachers is that which goes beyond knowing and vitally effects bexng." 21 ". . . He is a per- son who xs open to hxs experxence and xts meaning for him." 22 General Clinical Preparation Clinical preparation in teacher education goes far back into history; like many other educational practices, it has had an up and down career. Yet, it is now fairly well accepted by most educators as an integral part of teacher education. Student teaching will be closely cor­ related with the practical experiences in this study since limited information is available about pre-student teaching programs and trends. 20 Kxmball Wxles, Supervxsxon for Better Schools (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1967^ . 21 Robert E. Bxlls, "The Classroom Teacher, Mental Health, and Learning," Mental Health and Teacher Education, Forty-sixth Yearbook of the Association for Student Teaching (Dubuque: William C. Brown Co., 1967), pp. 1-17. ^ I b i d ., p. 52 . 16 Judson Shaplin lists these five benefits of clinical preparation: 1. Teaching is behavior, and as behavior, is subject to analysis, change and improvement. 2. Much of the habitual behavior which individuals have developed in other contexts is inappropriate in the teaching situation. 3. Presently, much teaching is conducted under condi­ tions of stress. 4. Teachers, through practice, can learn to analyze, criticize and control their own teaching behavior. 5. Practice has the dual purpose of training and elim­ ination of the u n f i t . 23 Edward Johnson revealed in a survey conducted in the public school that elementary teachers felt, "More time should be allowed for professional laboratory experiences in teacher preparation programs." 24 William Glasser's sug­ gestion for improving teacher training is, ". . . for stu­ dents to take fewer formal college courses in education. . . and that they spend the time instead in additional practice teaching. 23Judson Shaplin, "Practice Teaching," Harvard Edu­ cational Review, XXXI (Winter, 1961), p. 38. 24Edward Johnson, "Teachers Indicate Need of Fifth Year," Michigan Education Journal, Vol. XLV (November, 1967), p. 40. 25William Glasser, Schools Without Failure (New York: Harper and Row, 1969), p. Ill. 17 Evan Miller, in studying the graduates of the Uni­ versity of Nebraska Teachers College for the year 1961, found that this group of beginning teachers would go into teaching if they had to make the choice again, rated student teaching as the most valuable part of their professional preparation and believed overlapping in education courses was the greatest weakness in their professional preparation. 26 John Lembo stated the case very strongly, "Schools of education are careful not to provide students with an opportunity to examine openly and honestly the current pub­ lic school conditions and the plight of students and teachers alike. In many teacher— training programs students do not see a classroom of students until their senior year when 27 they do their student teaching." Lembo further observed, "Student teaching, is not training, but a feeble trial and error experiment and screening device." 28 Kevin Ryan pointed out, "The teacher to be is a passive recipient of information about children and teaching 2 ft Evan Miller, "Comprehensive and Analytical Study of All the Graduate of the University of Nebraska Teachers College of the Year 1961," (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nebraska, 1963). 27 John Lembo, Why Teachers Fail (Columbus: Merrill Publishing Co., 1971), p. 93. ^Ibid. , p . 94 . 18 and then all of a sudden, the student must stand before thirty or so children and translate all the passive prep­ aration into skillfull action. and complete immersion." 29 This is passive exposure The number of studies which indicate that both the recipients and the professional educator believe in the necessity of the clinical program is infinite! Corrigan found a significant positive change in attitude of sixtythree students as a result of the student teaching experience. 30 Marshall Nagle, in comparing two types of programs for prospective elementary teachers, observed that in every case the change resulting from student teaching was toward a better or more desirable attitude. 31 Sandgren 32 and . Troisi, 33 also found significant changes m. attitude as a 29Kevin Ryan, "Where Are We Going and How Can We Get There?" in Criticism, Conflict, and Change (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1970), p. 439. 30Dean Corrigan, "Attitude Changes of Student Teachers," Journal of Educational Research, Vol. LVII (October, 1963), pp. 93-95. 31Marshall Nagle, "Some Effects of Student Teaching Patterns Upon Professional Attitudes," Journal of Educational Research, Vol. LII (May, 1959), pp. 355-357. 32 Duane Sandgren, "Does Practice Teaching Change Attitudes Toward Teaching?" Journal of Educational Research, Vol. XLIX (May, 1956), pp. 673-680. 33Nicholas Troisi, "The Effect of Student Teaching Upon Student Teachers Objectives and Their Relationship to Achievement and Attitudes Toward Children," (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Pennsylvania State University, 1959). 19 result of student teaching. Behavioral change from clinical preparation then becomes the basis of this study. Attitudes Encyclopedia of Educational Research defines an attitude as: A psychological construct, a latent variable, inferred from observable responses to stimuli, which is assumed to mediate consistency and co-variation among these responses. The aspects of responses which define at­ titudes are the tendencies with respect to learned stimuli, identified as goal objects, to approach or avoid them, to regard them favorably or unfavorably, and to experience pleasant or unpleasant affect as­ sociated with them, over a wide range of response in­ tensity. These characteristics of attitudes: (a) approach-avoidance direction of affect with reference to learned goal-objects, (b) affective content and (c) intensity are inferred from the nature of the response.34 The realization of the pervasive influence attitudes play in all of the experiences of life emphasizes the need for teachers to possess positive attitudes. Gage in de­ scribing those teachers on the desirable end of the scale for teacher effectiveness stated, "Teachers at this desir­ able end tend to behave approvingly, acceptably and supportively; they tend to speak well of their own pupils, pupils in general and people m general." 35 “34 Saul V. Sells and David K. Trites, "Attitudes," Encyclopedia of Educational Research, 3rd ed., Vol. (New York: The Macmillan Company, I960), p. 103. 35Nathaniel L. Gage, "Can Science Contribute to the Art of Teaching?" Phi Delta Kappan (March, 1968), p. 401. 20 The Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorder emphasized positive attitude when it stated "Studies have shown the attitudes of teachers and students have very powerful impacts upon educational achievement." 36 The value of a positive attitude towards self in teaching, as well as in other aspects of life, has been considered by several writers, notably Rogers, 37 Combs 38 and Jersild. 39 Combs, using the word "helper" to describe an effective teacher, said "For example, it has been found that helpers can be distinguished from non-helpers on the basis of their attitudes, feelings, purposes and their con­ ceptions of themselves and others. The behavior of students being related to teacher behavior was studied by Flanders, Morrison and Brode. 41 Commission on Civil Disorders, Report of the National Advisory Commission, Civil Disorders (New York: Bantam Books, 1968), p. 429. 37Carl R. Rogers, On Becoming a Person . . . 38 Combs, ££. cit., 39Arthur J. Jersild, When Teachers Face Themselves (New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1955). 40Combs, ££. cit., p. 18. 41Ned A. Flanders, Betty M. Morrison and Leland Brode, "Changes in Pupil Attitudes During the School Year," Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. L, No. 5, (October, 1968), p. 334. 21 They found a significant relationship between student at­ titude change and the student's perceptions of the teacher behavior. This relationship was further supported by Rosenthal and Jacobson in their study of student achievement and teacher expectations. 42 Additional support of this relationship was found in Abelson and Miller. 43 They noted a "boomerang effect" when the student perceived teacher attitudes as unfavorable toward himself. Dandes, in his study investigating the relationship of a teacher as a fully functioning or psychologically healthy person with desirable attitudes and values, arrived at the following conclusion; "The relationship is as pre­ dicted: the greater the psychological health, the greater the possession of attitudes and values characteristic of 44 effective teaching." For this study, the conditions under which attitude change is to take place must be of a non-threatening nature so as to allow the teacher assistant to retain his selfconfidence. The regular Education 200 course will supply 42Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, Pygmalion in the Classroom (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1968). 43Robert P. Abelson and James C. Miller, "Negative Persuasion via Person Insult," Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, (1967), pp. 321-333. 44 Herbert M. Dandes, "Psychological Health and Teaching Effectiveness," Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. XVII (Fall, 1966), p. 305. cognitive learning through readings and lectures; whereas, the Teacher-Assistant Program will be the medium for intro­ duction to the domain of effective change. The Teacher- Assistants will be learning through interaction with their pupils. The latter part of this idea is supported by Will, who stated, "Qualities such as responsibility, sensitivity, openness to experience, and acceptance of self and others . . . are developed when the individual witnesses or is involved in emotionally charged situations with meaningful 45 others." Part of the problem of effective change lies in the individual's perception of change in role from that of a student to that of a teacher. Again according to Will, "Many other teachers find the transition from the passivity of being a student to the active involvement of being a teacher too demanding. They feel it is unrealistic to be asked to take the responsibility for their actions, to exhibit genuine feelings and to become actors in, rather than reactors, to life." 46 45 R. Y. Will, "The Education of the Teacher as a Person," The Journal of Teacher Education (Winter, 1967) pp. 471-475. ^Ibid. 23 Bidwell, 47 Chase 48 and Burton 49 are much m agree­ ment in the research concerning teachers' attitudes as well as students' attitudes concerning involvement. Leiman, 50 . Pryer, 51 Redefer 52 and Richards 53 believe that attitudes held by teachers and students are more positive if they have a voice in the decision making. Banning found that teachers' attitudes towards change are more favorable if they feel involved in policy decision and their implementa­ tions. She suggests that the teachers' feelings about a 47 Harold Leiman, "A Study of Teacher Attitudes and Morale as Related to Participation in Administration," (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1961). 48Guy Pryer, "The Relationship Between Teacher's Perceptions of Administrative Dimensions and the Morale Status of Teachers in Certain Texas Schools," (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, North Texas University, 1964). 49Frederick Redefer, "The School Board and Teacher Morale," The American School Board Journal (July, 1962), p. 5. 50Phillip Richards, "A Descriptive Study of Teacher's About Different Aspects of Their Work," (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nebraska Teachers Collete, 1964). 51Evelyn Banning, "Teacher Attitudes Toward Curric­ ulum Change: The Effect of Personal Relationships on the Degree of Favorableness," Journal of Experimental Education, Vol. XXIII (December, 19547"^ p"I 143. 52Charles K. Bidwell, "The Administrative Role and Satisfaction in Teaching," Journal of Educational Sociology (September, 1955), p. 41. 53Francis S. Chase, "Factors for Satisfaction m Teaching," Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. XXX111 (November, 1951), p. 127. 24 decision are more important than the decision itself. 54 These favorable attitudes created by involvement are par­ ticularly important for the success of any educational reform measure. Openness like attitudes is very important to the developing, changing, and learning attributes of a person. The open person is continually developing, changing, and learning. He is highly susceptible to change and has personality characteristics that allow him to work ef­ fectively with other people. He is creative and original. He is ready and willing to accept new chal­ lenges and new experiences, and is able to evaluate his experiences in terms of evidence coming from his own senses. The open person does not rely upon any­ thing for the solution of his problems but uses his evaluation, and changes are made only on the basis of new evidence. Since he readily accepts change, the open person is highly receptive to new ideas and is able to find security in change.55 As a person interacts, he forms a structure of knowledge, a concept of self, of other people, and of the world about him. If, in his interaction with other indi­ viduals in the society, he has many positive experiences, he develops the kind of personality and knowledge structure that make it possible for him to dare to seek new and different experiences that will increase his range of 54Robert E. Cralle and William Burton, "An Examin­ ation of Factors Stimulating or Depressing Teacher Morale," Journal of Elementary Education, Vol. VII (August, 1938) p TT.---------------- -----------------------------------55 E. M. Berger, "The Relation Between Expressed Acceptance of Self and Expressed Acceptance of Others," Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, Vol. XLVIII (October, 1952), pp. 778-782. 25 understanding and skills. Positive experiences are those which bring satisfaction to the individual. Combs said, "The individual's self is the center of his world, the point of origin for all behavior. What he believes about himself 56 affects every aspect of his life." A positive experience is any experience that increases the individual's belief in his worth and his ability to solve problems that confront him. The open person will assume responsibility for his actions. Rokeach stated, " . . . that the more open the persons' belief system the more strength he should have to resist externally imposed reinforcements, or rewards and punishments."^^ The significance of openness to one's own inner ex­ perience is obvious in the case of the creative teacher. "He has fewer internal barriers or watertight compartments of experience. He is self-understanding, self-accepting."58 "Perhaps the most neglected aspect of teacher edu­ cation is helping the prospective teacher to understand himself," according to Silberman. "To some degree, in fact, 5^Arthur Combs, The Professional Education of Teachers (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1965) , p"! 5. 57Rokeach, op. cit., p. 58. 58John W. Gardner, Self-Renewal The Individual And The Innovative Society (New York: Harper and Row, 1965) p. 36. 26 the more open the teacher," stated Silberman " . . . the more likely he is to be thrown or even destroyed by students' expression of hostility, anger, and aggression, expressions, that in many cases may be directed less against the teacher himself than against the school as an institution, with the teacher simply serving as the nondxrect target." 59 Also, some of the most basic problems the teacher faces, may be personal and subjective rather than profes­ sional or academic. lems," "Ifteachers are to meet Professor Jersild argues, ". . them to grow in self-understanding." these prob­ . it isessential for 60 Lembo listed four criteria of a self-understanding of open teachex-: 1. He identifies with other people. He sees himself as one with other people— happy when they are happy, and sad when they are sad, concerned when they are concerned. He feels one with the human condition. 2. He sees himself as being competent to cope with life's challenges and problems. He believes that he is capable of accepting each phase of living, of rolling with the punches. He does not view himself as having major failings. 3. He sees himself as being accepted, needed and wanted by others. He believes that his judgement and skills are valued and that others see him as being a worthy person. 59Charles E. Silberman, Crxsis In the Classroom (New York: Random House, 1970), p. 495. 60T, . n Ibxd. 27 4. He can look at himself honestly-see himself with a minimum of distortion and defensiveness. He is able to confront his feelings and behavior. He can ask himself why he feels and behaves the way he does.61 In attempting to formulate the basic defining char­ acteristic of openness, one could sum up the whole matter by simply saying that the fundamental basis is the extent to which there is reliance on absolute authority. Rokeach puts it in this manner, "Reliance on absolute authority, yielding, conformance, and resistance to acculturation all may have a common cognitive basis, namely, the ability (or inability) to discriminate substantive information about the source, and to assess the two separately." 6 2 Summary In summary, the research reported in this chapter supports the following conclusions: 1. More time should be alloted for student clinical experiences. 2. Significant positive changes in attitudes may be a result of clinical experiences. 3. Positive attitudes by students and teachers have positive impact upon educational achievement. 4. Positive attitudes toward self in teaching provide positive teaching experiences. ^Lembo, op. cit., p. 82. 62Rokeach, op. cit., p. 60. 28 5. Pupil attitude change is easier if there is effec­ tive teacher attitude change. Flexible teacher attitudes in a positive direction result in flexible pupil attitudes in the same direction. 6. There is a need for effective attitude change in students. 7. Attitudes of students and teachers are more positive if they have influence in decision making. 8. The open person is generally a more creative teacher. 9. An open teacher more easily understands himself. 10. The degree of openness is relevant to the extent of the degree of absolute authority. CHAPTER III DESIGN AND RESEARCH PROCEDURE Introduction Chapter III restates the purpose of this study, the hypotheses and describes the population and samples studied. It also presents the research design, including the instru­ mentation, methodology and the statistical methods employed to analyze the data. Purpose of Study This study has proposed to compare the regular Edu­ cation 200 Program with the new Education 200 which would include the additional Teacher-Assistant Program as an al­ ternative for providing an open pattern for positive experi­ ences. Hypotheses The following null hypotheses were developed: 1. There will be no significant difference in the change in attitude between the students who partic­ ipated in the Education 200 Program in combination with the Teacher-Assistant Program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. 29 30 2. There will be no significant difference in the change in openness between the students who partic­ ipated in the Education 200 Program in combination with the Teacher-Assistant Program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. 3. There will be no significant difference in attitudes of the students who associated with Teacher-Assist­ ant participants, but did not participate in the Teacher-Assistant Program, and the attitudes of students in the regular Education 200 Program. 4. There will be no significant difference in openness of the students who associated with Teacher-Assistant participants, but did not participate in the Teacher-Assistant Program, and the openness of stu­ dents in the regular Education 200 Program. Population The population used in this study was randomly se­ lected from the total number of students (790) enrolled in Education 200, Individual and the School, at Michigan State University during Spring term of 1971. A sample size of ten classes was determined to be adequate for the purposes of this study. (See Table 1). Research Design In order to test hypotheses 1 and 3, concerning at­ titudes, the author compared the Education 200 Program with Education 200 which included the additional Teacher-Assist­ ant Program on the basis of the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI). The MTAI is designed to measure those Table 1. Cell Frequency Incomplete Factorial Void Interaction Interaction Classrooms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Volunteers 7 6 9 6 9 6 7 6 5 5 NonVolunteer 8 5 7 7 5 4 3 4 4 4 Volunteer Accepted 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 6 4 6 Regular Education 200 Program Control Teacher-Assistant Program Treatment totals Volunteers Control Non-Volunteers Control 37 32 Volunteers Treatment 29 Non-Volunteers Treatment 19 Volunteers Accepted Treatment 28 32 attitudes of a teacher that have a bearing on the establish­ ment of interpersonal relationships that are satisfying to both teachers and pupils. The intent of the instrument is to provide the examiner with some indication as to how well satisfied the respondent will be with teaching as a vocation and how well he will get along with pupils in inter-personal relationships. The Inventory consists of 150 statements in five major areas: 1. Moral status of pupils in the opinion of adults (degree of adherence to adult imposed standards). 2. Discipline and problems room. of conduct in the class­ 3. Principles of child development and behavior. 4. Principles of education administration). 5. (philosophy, curriculum, Teachers' personal reactions to children.'*' The MTAI was administered to the sample their first week of classes. The raw scores obtained by each student were tabulated and recorded as pre-test scores. During the final week of classes the same form of the same instrument was again administered to the student sample group. The raw scores obtained by each student were tabulated and re­ corded as the post-test scores on the Inventory. paringeach student's By com­ pre-test score with his post-test ^Carroll H. Leeds, Walter W. Cook and Robert Callis, Manual for Minnesota Teacher Attitude *Inventory (New York: The Psychological Corporation, 1951). 33 score, it was possible to obtain a measure of any change in attitude which took place during the course experience. This score measured by the difference is called the gain score. In order to test hypotheses 2 and 4 concerning openness, the author compared the Education 200 Program with the Education 200 including the additional Teacher-Assistant Program on the basis of Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale. The primary purpose of the Scale is to measure in­ dividual differences in openness or closedness (unwill­ ingness to learn from experience) of conscious and sub­ conscious belief systems (pre-conceived attitudes toward 2 experiences). The Scale consists of 40 statements with one major area of concentration being "Items involving the 3 belief-disbelief dimension." The term dogmatic will be used throughout as syn­ onymous with closed. People scoring high on the Dogmatism Scale will be assumed to have relatively closed systems, and people scoring low will be assumed to have relatively open systems. Rokeach considers the reliability of .84 to be satisfactory, especially when one remembers that the Scale 2 Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind (New York: Basic Books, 1960), p. 89. 3Ibid. 34 contains what appears to be an unusual collection of state­ ments that cover a wide range of ideas. The fact that the subject students agree or disagree with these statements in a consistent manner is borne out by statement analysis. The Dogmatism Scale was administered to the sample population their first week of classes. The raw scores ob­ tained by each student were tabulated and recorded as pre­ test scores. During the final week of classes the same form of the same instrument was again administered to the student sample group. The raw scores obtained by each stu­ dent were tabulated and recorded as the post-test scores on the scale. By comparing each student's pre-test score with his post-test score, it was possible to obtain a measure of change in openness, if any, which took place during the course experience. All computations of data analysis were performed using the CDC 6500 computer. 3 In order to determine whether there was any signif­ icant difference in attitudes and openness between the students who participated in the combined Education 200 3 Use of the Michigan State University Computer Center facilities was in part supported by the Office of Evaluation Services. and Teacher-Assistant Program and the students who partici­ pated in only the Education 200 Program, the Finn Program of multivariate analysis of variance was employed. 4 Summary The previous discussion of Hypotheses 1-5 has been an attempt to prove the validity of the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory and the Dogmatism Scale as satisfactory instruments for measuring the differences in change of student attitudes and openness. Assuming that these in­ struments have been accepted as satisfactorily capable of measuring such differences, Chapter IV will make use of these instruments to test the aforestated hypotheses. 4 Jeremy D. Finn, Univariate and Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Covariance; Fortran IV Program, Vol. IV Department of Education Psychology, State Univer­ sity of New York at Buffalo (New York: State University of New York Publications, June, 1968). CHPATER IV ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to present an analy­ sis of the data obtained in this study. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance was used as the statistical model. Expressed as an F-fest ratio, each value is considered significant if it reached the .05 level of confidence. The Index of Response was used to determine the gain score from the pre-test and post-test of the variables, (the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory and the Dogmatism Scale). The Index of Response = Post-test— (K x Pre-test) when K = Test-retest Reliability. K = .84 for the Dogmatism Scale and K = .88 for the Minnesota Teacher Attitude In­ ventory. (See Figure 1,) When interpreting Figure 1 it is essential to bear in mind the following: The vertical axis of the figure is a graphic representation of the degree of student change in openness, a low score being indicative of an open belief system. The horizontal axis must be interpreted as repre­ senting the degree of change in attitudes, a high score being indicative of great attitudinal change. 36 Openness 37 Groups: Volunteer control 10 - - - Volunteer treatment Non-volunteer treatment Volunteer accepted treatment - 5 0 — 10 Figure l. i— 15 20 25 30 Attitudes 35 40 Index of Response Scores lHigh gain scores on Attitudes is high Low gain scores on Openness is high 45 50 38 Because the correlation between variables (MTAI, DScale) appeared to change from cell to cell, it was decided to use two Univariate Anovas, one for each dependent measure. (Multivariate Anova assumes the correlation between the two dependent variables will be the same from cell to cell.) There is reason to believe, by looking at the cell-wise correlations, (Figure 1) that this equality does not exist. Hypothesis 1 (Null Form) There will be no significant difference in the change in attitude between the students who participated in the Education 200 Program in combination with the Teacher-Assist­ ant Program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. (Table 2.) Results Tested by Univariate Anova, F = 4.6881, was signif­ icant at the .0459 level, thus the null was rejected. The mean gain score for the experimental group (treatment) was 20.778 and for the control 9.662 thus indicating a difference of 11.116. (Table 2.) Hypothesis 2 (Null Form) There will be no significant difference in the change in openness between the students who participated in the 39 Education 200 Program in combination with the TeacherAssistant Program and students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. Table 2. (Table 3.) Univariate analysis of variance for three sources of'variation, based on attitudes. Sources of Variation V T T X V (Interaction) Error Mean Squares 142.6848 617.82373 Univariate F Ratio 1.0827 4.6881 0.1344 17.7096 131.78538 D.F. for hypotheses - 1 D.F. for error - 16 V - Volunteer vs. Non-Volunteer T - Treatment vs. Control Table 3. Probability .2201 (N. S-.) .0409 (S.) .5080 (N.S.) S. - Significant N.S. - Not Significant Univariate analysis of variance for three sources of variation, based on openness. Sources of Variation V T T X V (Interaction Error Mean Squares 738.1125 56.6498 Univariate F Ratio 6.1758 .4740 Probability .0244 (S.) .50 (N.S.) 522.6509 4.3710 .0529 (S.) 100.516247 D. F. for hypothesis - 1 D.F. for error - 16 V - Volunteer vs. Non-Volunteer T - Treatment vs. Control - - S. - Significant N.S. - Not Significant 40 Results Tested by Univariate Anova, F =0.4740 was not significant at the 0.5011 level, thus the null was not re­ jected. (Table 3.) Hypothesis 3 (Null Form) There will be no significant difference in attitudes of the students who associated with students participating in the Teacher-Assistant Program but did not participate in the Teacher-Assistant Program, and the attitudes of students in the regular Education 200 Program. Results Tested by Univariate Anova, F = 8.2723 , which is significant at .0110. Table 4. The null was rejected. (Table 4.) Univariate analysis of variance for three sources of variation, based on attitude interaction. Sources of Variation V T T X V (Interaction) Error Mean Squares 335.2167 974.6872 Univariate F Ratio 2.8450 8.2723 111.7699 .9486 117.820606 D. F. for hypothesis - 1 D. G. for error - 16 V - Volunteer vs. Non-Volunteer T - Treatment vs. Control Probability .1111 (N.S.) .0110 (S.) .3446 (N.S.) - S. - Significant N.S. - Not Significant 41 Hypothesis 4 (Null Form) There will be no significant difference in openness of the students who associated with students participating in the Teacher-Assistant Program but did not participate in this program and the openness of students who participated in only the regular Education 200 Program. (Table 5.) Results Tested by Univariate Anova, F = .0011, which is significant at .9746. The null was not rejected. (Table 5.) Table 5. Univariate analysis of variance for three sources of variation, based on openness interaction. Sources of Variation V T T X V (Interaction) Error Mean Squares 371.7806 0.1296 Univariate F Ratio 3.0206 .0011 .1015 (N.S.) .9746 (N.S.) 224.2490 1.8220 123.079962 D. F. for hypothesis - 1 D. F. for error - 16 V - Volunteer vs. Non-Volunteer T - Treatment vs. Control Probability .1969 (N.S.) S - Significant N.S. - Not Significant Three runs were made on the computer to obtain the necessary data for this study. For hypothesis 1 and 2 (Figure 2) a two-way Anova was used. Hypothesis 3 and 4 42 (Figure 3) cell-wise were changed. This change resulted in cross cells for interaction, an area of major concern. It should also be noted that the lack of difference found in openness (Hypothesis 4) is due to a statistical interaction effect brought out by the data. Volunteers Not Accepted Figure 2. (Figure 4) Volunteers Accepted Non-Volunteers Non-Volunteers Control Treatment 1--- Design for Hypotheses 1 and 2. Volunteers Not Accepted Volunteers Not Accepted Non-Volunteers Non-Volunteers 1----Control Figure 3. Treatment Design for Hypotheses 3 and 4. 43 50 40 30 20 Control Figure 4. Treatment Statistical interaction with openness Groups Volunteers Control Volunteers Treatment Non-Volunteers Control Non-Volunteers Treatment Means 36.972 23.382 38.898 45.756 Summary It has been established that there is no significant difference in change of openness between the students who participated in Education 200 combined with the TeacherAssistant Program and the students who participated in regular Education 200. There was also no significant dif­ ference in change of openness between the students who 44 associated with students who participated in the TeacherAssistant Program in combination with Education 200 and the students who associated only in regular Education 200. A significant difference was found in change of attitude between participants in the combined Education 200 and Teacher-Assistant Program and those who partici­ pated in only regular Education 200. There was also sig­ nificant difference in change of attitude between the students who associated with the students who participated in the Teacher-Assistant Program combined with Education 200 and those students who associated with students who participated in only Education 200. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary This study has been an effort to evaluate the ef­ fectiveness of the Teacher-Assistant Program of the College of Education at Michigan State University in order to de­ termine which program (Teacher-Assistant in combination with Education 200 or Education 200 standing alone) provides a more open pattern of positive experiences. More specif­ ically, a comparison was made between the Teacher-Assistant in combination with Education 20 0 Program and the Education 200 Program standing alone by testing hypotheses involving attitudes and openness. The four hypotheses were tested on a population which was randomly selected from the total number of stu­ dents (629) enrolled in Education 200 at Michigan State University during spring term of 1971, using a sample of ten classes. The following results were determined by testing the hypotheses. The test results of the first hypothesis measured possible differences in attitude change of participants in the combined Teacher-Assistant and Education 200 Program 45 46 in comparison with the attitude change of participants in only Education 200. Those students who participated in the combined Teacher-Assistant and Education 200 Program changed attitudes more often than those who participated only in Education 200. \ The test results of the second hypothesis showed no significant difference in openness between the partici­ pants in the regular Education 200 Program and the partici­ pants in the Teacher-Assistant Program. The test results of the third hypothesis showed that a significant difference (being effected by interaction within each respective group) could be found in attitudes in the students who were not Teacher-Assistants but associ­ ated with the students that participated in the combined Teacher-Assistant and Education 200 Program in comparison with the students who participated in the regular Education 200 Program (having no interaction with Teacher-Assistants). The test results of the fourth hypothesis confirmed that no significant difference in openness (being effected by interaction within each respective group) could be found in openness in the combined Teacher-Assistant and Education 200 Program in comparison with the students who participated in the regular Education 200 Program (having no interaction with the Teacher-Assistants). 47 Based on the information that hypotheses 1 and 3, pertaining to attitudes, were found to be valid, while, hypotheses 2 and 4 pertaining to openness were found to be invalid. Conclusions The results of this study lead to the following conclusions: 1. The testing of hypothesis 1 verified the theory that the Teacher-Assistant Program (clinical experience) was significantly effective in changing the attitudes of the participants. 2. The author of this study assumed there would be a high correlation between change in attitudes and change in openness. However, tests of hypothesis 2 proved this assumption incorrect. The difference between change in attitudes and change in openness was statistically insig­ nificant. 3. Testing confirmed the validity of hypothesis 3 showing that attitudes changed significantly as a result of new ideas being presented by the Teacher-Assistants to the members of the Teacher-Assistants' groups. 4. Since the test of hypothesis 2 showed that there was no correlation between change in attitudes and change in openness, tests of hypothesis 4 prove that a person may 48 become more positive in attitude toward teaching, thereby decreasing in difference in openness while increasing in difference in attitudes. The aforesaid conclusions should be worthy of con­ sideration in developing future programs in teacher educa­ tion in the College of Education. Recommendations The salient point in all these recommendations is that teacher trainees should have the opportunity to be involved in the process of becoming a teacher during their entire college experience. It is not acceptable to begin classroom teaching in the last year of undergraduate work. 1. Early in this program students should be placed in contact with mentors and guides (the teachers within the school system) who are themselves actively engaged in the process of searching, growing and changing. Assuming that a significant increase in students' attitudes is of benefit to the potential teacher, it is recommended that the TeacherAssistant Program be made available to the interested student at all stages of his college career. 2. The college instructor during group discussion, should see himself as a catalyst by encouraging the ex­ change of ideas, students have acquired through experience. The instructor is not participating as an authority figure 49 but as a facilitator who will guide the students' thinking so, that he may develop the ability to reason through ideas and reach conclusions through constructive interaction among the members of the discussion group. 3. Further research using other means (tape recorders, video-tapes and personal interviews, etc.) would be of value in reaching a more accurate evaluation of methods for training potential teachers. The two areas of major con­ cern are the relation between openness and attitudes and the period during education when a student is more open to change in attitudes. 4. A study should be made to determine the reason why clinical experience influences attitudes and not openness. 5. Also recommended, is a study to determine if there is a point at which a student is more open to a change in attitudes. 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"A Technique for Assessing Teacher Human Relations," Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Uni­ versity of Florida, 1954. Wiles, Kimball. Supervision for Better Schools. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1967. Will, R. Y. "The Education of the Teacher as a Person," The Journal of Teacher Education. (Winter, 1967) , p . 45. APPENDICES APPENDIX A MINNESOTA TEACHER ATTITUDE INVENTORY PLEASE NOTE: Pages 54c-54h, "Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory", copyright 19SI by The Psycho­ logical Corporation, not micro­ filmed at request of author. Available for consultation at Michigan State University Library. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS APPENDIX B DOGMATISM SCALE APPENDIX B DOGMATISM SCALE The following questions are desinged to study what teachers think and feel about a number of important social and personal questions. The best answer to each statement below is your personal opinion. The questions cover many difference and opposing points of view. You may find your­ self agreeing strongly with some of the statements, dis­ agreeing just as strongly with others, and perhaps uncertain about others; whether you agree or disagree with any state­ ment, you can be sure that many people feel the same as you do. Mark each statement as to how much you agree or disagree with it. Please mark every one. Thank you KEY: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. I agree very much I agree on the whole I agree a little Undecided I disagree a little I disagree on the whole I disagree very much 56 1 . The United States and Russia have just about nothing in common. 2. Even though freedom of speech for all groups is a worth­ while goal, it is unfortunately necessary to restrict the freedom of certain political groups. 3. Once I get wound up in a heated discussion I just can't stop. 4. It is better 5. If given the chance I would do something fit to the world. 6. There are a number of people I have cause of the things they stand for. 7. A man who does not believe in some great cause has not really lived. 8 . 9. to be a dead hero than a live coward. ofgreat bene­ come tohate be­ When it comes to differences of opinion in religion we must be careful not to compromise with those who believe differently from the way we do. The worst crime a person could commit is to attack publicly the people who believe in the same thing he does. 10 . My blood boils whenever a person stubbornly refuses to admit he's wrong. 11. It is often desirable to reserve judgment about what's going on until one has had a chance to hear the opinions of those one respects. 12 . In the long run the best way to live is to pick friends and associates whose tastes and beliefs are the same as one's own. 13. The present is all too often full of unhappiness. is only the future that counts. 14. If a man is to accomplish his mission in life it is sometimes necessary to gamble "all or nothing at all." 15. Unfortunately a good many people with whom I have dis cussed important social and moral problems don't really understand what's going on. It 57 16. The highest form of government is a democracy and the highest form of democracy is a government run by those who are most intelligent. 17. It is only natural that a person would have a much better acquaintance with ideas he believes in than with ideas he opposes. 18. Man on his own is a helpless-and miserable creature. 19. There is so much to be done and so little time to do it in. 20. The main thing in life is for a person to want to do something important. 21. Fundamentally, the world we live in is a pretty lone­ some place. 22. It is only natural for a person to be rather fearful of the future. 23. In a discussion I often find it necessary to repeat myself several times to make sure I am being understood 24. While I don't like to admit this even to myself, my secret ambition is to become a great man, like Einstein or Beethoven, or Shakespeare. 25. In the history of mankind there have probably been just a handful of really great thinkers. 26. It is only when a person devotes himself to an ideal or cause that life becomes meaningful. 27. In times like these, a person must be pretty selfish if he considers primarily his own happiness. 28. A group which tolerates too many differences of opinion among its own members cannot exist for long. 29. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are for the truth and those who are against the truth. 30. A person who thinks primarily of his own happiness is beneath contempt. 31. In this complicated world of ours the only way we can know what's going on is to rely on leaders or experts who can be trusted. 58 32. Most people just don't know what's good for them. 33. A person who gets enthusiastic about too many causes is likely to be a pretty "wishy-washy" sort of person. 34. Most people just don't give a "damn" for others. 35. I'd like it if I could find someone who would tell me how to solve my personal problems. 36. In a heated discussion I generally become so absorbed in what I am going to say that I forget to listen to what others are saying. 37. Of all the different philosophies which exist in this world there is probably only one which is correct. 38. To compromise with our political opponents is danger­ ous because it usually leads to the betrayal of our own side. 39. In times like these it is often necessary to be more on guard against ideas put out by people or groups in one's own camp than by those in the opposing camp. 40. There is nothing new under the sun.