A Statistical Analysis of Certain Educational Viewpoints Held by Teachers

Abstract

EDUCATIONAL VIEWPOINTS quite I reasonably are presumed to be important factors in determining what shall be taught in the school and how it shall be taught. The composite of educational viewpoints, or educational philosophy, accepted by the superin tendent of schools and his administrative staff (presumably with the approval o f the school board and, in turn, reflecting the sentiment of the community) and applied with the cooperation of the teaching corps, determines the objectives of teaching to which the school system iscom mitted. It is expected that individual teachers will conduct their classes in keeping with indi cated objectives. Of course, the educational viewpoints, or phil osophy, of individual teachers may or may not conform to those of the schpol system in which the teacher is employed. Furthermore, because of lack of real understanding of the implications of the viewpoint held, or inability to t r an s late the viewpoints into classroom behavior, or per haps external pressure to the contrary, a teach er may not conduct his classes in keeping with the viewpoints he holds about educational matters. Nevertheless, in terms of probable inference, we would expect teachers committed to certain educational philosophies to behave differently in specified school situations than teachers com mitted to other educational viewpoints. With such a postulate in mind?that teachers' educational viewpoints are reflected in their classroom behaviors?the present study was un dertaken in an attempt to better understand the organization of teachers' educational viewpoints. Analyses were made to determine how certain viewpoints of teachers might be intercorrelated and the extent to which such viewpoints might be developed around some central core, or, on the other hand, might be characterized by multi-di mensionality. I Hypothesis