Personal Values and Verbal Behavior of Teachers

Abstract

THE PURPOSE of the r e s e a r c h reported here was to determine the nature and extent of the value systems of elementary school teachers communi cated through their verbal behavior to elementary schoolchildren. The specific objectives of the study were: 1) to describe and classify the role-tak ing processes and ideational content of the language used by teachers to influence the behavior of pupils, and 2) to compare these asp ects of teacher verbal statements with teacher value systems, those terests and motives of personality as measured by the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values (2). Researchers in education have been cone er ned with the study of the impact of teachers' values on students in the classroom for sometime. Bruback er, Friedman, Childs, Corey (7, 16, 10, 11) and others have suggested the possible scope of the teacher's influence upon various aspects of pupil teacher interaction. The degree of acceptance ac corded each child, methods of teaching used, em phasis given different phases of the school curricu lum , and other decisions for action in the teaching learning procese have been viewed as reflections of teachers' values. The values held by teachers may exert a greater influence in this process than is now known. Actually, they may serve as very strong de terminants of the scope of what children respond to and internalize. Values are a part of an individual's inner life, expressed through behavior. From the point of view of the behaver, his behavior represents the best and most effective judgment he is capable of at the time in the immediate situation. One author, Driscoll (13), attributes an individual's most significant at titudes and values to mediating self forces. Each individual comes to attach significant m eanings to certain experiences, to value or desire certain ex periences, and to avoid or reject others. Murphy explains the development of values through canaliza tion and conditioning which are associated with sym bols, particularly words. Thus, value systems are not entities which can be observed directly; rather, they may be inferred from the expressed thoughts, feelings and actions of individuals. Although words, facial expressions, bodily movements, symbolic and practical objects are avenues for the communi cation of values between and am ong teachers and pupils, the focus of this study was centered pri marily on teacher verbal behavior. For this study, it was assumed that value systems of individuals exist and are subject to measurement. It was fur ther assumed that verbal statements constitute one valid means of inferring an individual's value sys tem.