Impact of Professional Courses on Preservice Educational Personnel Attitudes Toward Major Aspects of American Education.
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| Title: | Impact of Professional Courses on Preservice Educational Personnel Attitudes Toward Major Aspects of American Education. |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Butler, E. Dean |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 37 |
| Publication Date: | 1981 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Speeches/Meeting Papers Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Descriptors: | Adoption (Ideas), Attitude Change, Attitude Measures, Core Curriculum, Education Majors, Foundations of Education, Higher Education, Mainstreaming, Multicultural Education, Preservice Teacher Education, Program Development, Program Evaluation, Student Attitudes, Teacher Education, Teacher Improvement |
| Geographic Terms: | U.S.; Tennessee |
| Abstract: | A research study addressed the question: "If new and different information about some aspect of reality can produce attitude changes, can this be empirically verified in the case of foundational studies in teacher education?" Four hundred ninety education students, during the first two weeks of their required education classes, responded to two attitude assessments: a questionnaire of 50 Likert-type items that sampled attitudes about American schools, multicultural education, human development, mainstreaming, and teacher education; and a semantic differential scale with 36 paired terms for obtaining attitudinal responses about American schools, mainstreaming, human development, and teacher education. Students answered the two questionnaires again at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of responses supports the conclusion that, while course enrollments are associated with differing attitudinal responses on pre- and post-measures, the manner in which the specific courses influence these shifts in attitudes is not clear. Responses indicated attitude shifts in both desirable and negative directions. Support was found for the thesis that some attitudes are susceptible to change which can be detected over a brief span of time. Tables provide information on student responses to the questionnaires. (JD) |
| Notes: | Paper presented at the Regional Mini-Clinic of the Association of Teacher Educators (Carbondale, IL, April 10-11, 1981). |
| Journal Code: | RIEJUN1983 |
| Entry Date: | 1983 |
| Accession Number: | ED225944 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A research study addressed the question: "If new and different information about some aspect of reality can produce attitude changes, can this be empirically verified in the case of foundational studies in teacher education?" Four hundred ninety education students, during the first two weeks of their required education classes, responded to two attitude assessments: a questionnaire of 50 Likert-type items that sampled attitudes about American schools, multicultural education, human development, mainstreaming, and teacher education; and a semantic differential scale with 36 paired terms for obtaining attitudinal responses about American schools, mainstreaming, human development, and teacher education. Students answered the two questionnaires again at the end of the semester. A statistical analysis of responses supports the conclusion that, while course enrollments are associated with differing attitudinal responses on pre- and post-measures, the manner in which the specific courses influence these shifts in attitudes is not clear. Responses indicated attitude shifts in both desirable and negative directions. Support was found for the thesis that some attitudes are susceptible to change which can be detected over a brief span of time. Tables provide information on student responses to the questionnaires. (JD) |
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