“Rather than Simply Learning Statistics, We Aimed to Learn About the Bees, From the Bees”: An Exploration of the Factors Influencing the Development of Positive Teacher Attitudes Toward Statistics

Teachers' Attitudes toward Mainstreaming

Social acceptance is vital to students’ development. Being rejected by classmates can result in negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes. Finding relevant factors to be able to effectively support student social acceptance is especially challenging in inclusive classrooms because of the high heterogeneity of the student group. There is evidence that social acceptance is determined by the social behavior of students. In addition, current research suggests that affect-motivation dispositions, such as teacher attitudes, are related to teaching practices, which in turn are associated with student outcomes. This longitudinal study examines, on an individual level, the relationship between social behavior and the social acceptance of students. On a classroom level, the extent to which a teacher’s attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special educational needs affects their classroom management (i.e., implementation of clear rules and successful time management) is analyzed. In addition, the effect of teacher attitudes toward inclusion and classroom management on social acceptance in the classroom is investigated. The social acceptance of a sample of 580 students in 34 inclusive classrooms was assessed at the beginning and the end of the school year. In addition, student social behavior was rated by peers at the beginning of the school year. Teachers (n = 34) were asked about their attitudes toward inclusion at the beginning of the school year. One mathematics lesson in each classroom was videotaped to assess the teachers’ classroom management practices. Multilevel structural equation models revealed a positive relationship between student social behavior and their social acceptance in the peer group. Contrary to expectations, teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion did not predict their classroom management practices (i.e., implementation of clear rules and successful time management). As hypothesized, teachers’ classroom management predicted the level of social acceptance in the classroom, whereas teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special educational needs did not. The study results are discussed in light of previous findings and implications for teacher education are described.

This study examined preservice teacher (PT) attitudes toward fitness tests in schools. A total of 613 PTs at 10 state universities took part in the study. Participants completed a previously validated instrument designed to measure the affective and cognitive components of attitude toward fitness tests. Results suggested that PTs had only slightly positive attitudes toward fitness tests. They did not believe strongly that fitness tests were important or useful. Similar attitude responses were found as students’ professional preparation increased. Thus, physical education teacher education (PETE) programs did not appear to significantly change PT attitudes. Age, gender, associations with professional organizations, or the type of fitness test PTs had performed in their K-12 education also did not impact their attitudes. PT previous experience with fitness tests, however, did influence their attitudes. As might be expected, those who had positive experiences had more positive attitudes.

Teachers' Sense of Efficacy: An Important Factor in School Improvement

Previous articleNext article No AccessEmotionally Disturbed Children and Regular Classroom TeachersNicholas A. Vacc and Nancy KirstNicholas A. Vacc Search for more articles by this author and Nancy Kirst Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Elementary School Journal Volume 77, Number 4Mar., 1977 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/461062 Views: 7Total views on this site Citations: 22Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1977 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:John Cawley, Shari Hayden, Elsa Cade, Susan Baker-Kroczynski Including Students with Disabilities into the General Education Science Classroom, Exceptional Children 68, no.44 (Jul 2002): 423–435.https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290206800401Christine B. Malcolm, Helene J. Polatajko, Joan Simons A Descriptive Study of Adults with Suspected Learning Disabilities, Journal of Learning Disabilities 23, no.88 (Aug 2016): 518–520.https://doi.org/10.1177/002221949002300811C. Szaday, D. Pickering, P. Duerdoth Special Educational Provision the Classroom as a Unit for Analysis, School Psychology International 10, no.22 (May 1989): 121–131.https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034389102006Joan S. Safran, Stephen P. Safran Teachers' Judgments of Problem Behaviors, Exceptional Children 54, no.33 (Jul 2016): 240–244.https://doi.org/10.1177/001440298705400306T. L. Jordan, T. F. McLaughlin Concerns of Regular Classroom Teachers Regarding Mainstreaming, The Pointer 31, no.11 (Oct 1986): 43–48.https://doi.org/10.1080/05544246.1986.9944739Yona Leyser, William Bursuck A Follow-Up Study of Regular Education Students Trained in Mainstreaming Competencies, Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children 9, no.33 (Aug 2016): 136–144.https://doi.org/10.1177/088840648600900306Yona Leyser, Elliott Lessen The Efficacy of Two Training Approaches on Attitudes of Prospective Teachers Toward Mainstreaming, The Exceptional Child 32, no.33 (Jul 2006): 175–183.https://doi.org/10.1080/0156655850320305Stephen P. Safran, Joan S. Safran, Robert S. Barcikowski Differences in Teacher Tolerance: An Illusory Phenomena?, Behavioral Disorders 11, no.11 (Feb 2017): 11–15.https://doi.org/10.1177/019874298501100107 Stephen P. Safran , and Joan S. Safran Elementary Teachers' Tolerance of Problem Behaviors, The Elementary School Journal 85, no.22 (Oct 2015): 237–243.https://doi.org/10.1086/461403Richard P. Brinker, Margaret E. Thorpe EVALUATION OF THE INTEGRATION OF SEVERELY HANDICAPPED STUDENTS IN REGULAR EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS, ETS Research Report Series 1984, no.11 (Sep 2014): i–234.https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1984.tb00051.xMargaret C. Coleman, James E. Gilliam Disturbing Behaviors in the Classroom: a Survey of Teacher Attitudes, The Journal of Special Education 17, no.22 (Aug 2016): 121–129.https://doi.org/10.1177/002246698301700203Nicholas A. Vacc, Ann J. Pace Use of Attitudinal Exercises and Abridged Didactic Materials for Fostering Understanding of Exceptional Children, Teaching of Psychology 10, no.22 (Aug 2016): 107–108.https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328023top1002_15Yona Leyser, Peter D. Abrams A Shift to the Positive: an effective programme for changing pre‐service teachers’ attitudes toward the disabled, Educational Review 35, no.11 (Jul 2006): 35–43.https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191830350104Barbara Larrivee Factors underlying regular classroom teachers' attitude toward mainstreaming, Psychology in the Schools 19, no.33 (Jul 1982): 374–379.https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(198207)19:3<374::AID-PITS2310190319>3.0.CO;2-PYona Leyser, Peter D. Abrams Teacher Attitudes Toward Normal and Exceptional Groups, The Journal of Psychology 110, no.22 (Jul 2010): 227–238.https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1982.9915344Nicholas A. Vacc, Paul Siegel Children who are Physically Separated in the Classroom, Behavioral Disorders 5, no.44 (Feb 2017): 235–239.https://doi.org/10.1177/019874298000500409Joan D. Berryman, W.R. Neal The Cross Validation of the Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS, Educational and Psychological Measurement 40, no.22 (Jul 2016): 469–474.https://doi.org/10.1177/001316448004000227Joan D. Berryman, W. R., Neal, J. Elizabeth Robinson The Validation of a Scale to Measure Attitudes toward the Classroom Integration of Disabled Students, The Journal of Educational Research 73, no.44 (Dec 2014): 199–203.https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1980.10885235Jean Durgin Harlan, Yona Leyser Head Start Teachers' Use of Verbal Encouragement, Exceptional Children 46, no.44 (Jul 2016): 290–292.https://doi.org/10.1177/001440298004600410Alex B. Johnson, Carol A. Cartwright The Roles of Information and Experience in Improving Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes About Mainstreaming, The Journal of Special Education 13, no.44 (Aug 2016): 453–462.https://doi.org/10.1177/002246697901300412Melvyn I. Semmel, Jay Gottlieb, Nancy M. Robinson Chapter 6: Mainstreaming: Perspectives on Educating Handicapped Children in the Public School, Review of Research in Education 7, no.11 (Jun 2016): 223–279.https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X007001223Cara Alexander, Phillip S. Strain A review of educators' attitudes toward handicapped children and the concept of mainstreaming, Psychology in the Schools 15, no.33 (Jul 1978): 390–396.https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(197807)15:3<390::AID-PITS2310150316>3.0.CO;2-S

Teachers’ attitudes toward science, especially toward astronomy, are considered to be an important aspect of teaching and learning astronomy in school. Research findings to date remain inconclusive as to whether attitudes toward science change with the science courses taken or with increasing achievement. Therefore, preservice teacher attitudes were investigated in two contexts: the first examined how a semester-long moon phase instruction course changed preservice teacher attitudes toward astronomy, and the second considered how preservice teacher attitudes toward astronomy may change over the course of a four-year science teacher training programme. A total of 638 preservice elementary teachers participated in the study. The results indicated that a semester-long training course does not change attitudes, but the four-year programme does significantly change participant attitudes toward astronomy. Astronomy courses should be spread over the four-year programme using modules with few credit hours instead of one course with a large number of credit hours.

This study surveys elementary and secondary teachers in Taiwan and compares the findings with other studies conducted in America and Japan. The objective is to explore differences among teachers in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States in terms of their knowledge of, and attitudes toward, aging and the implementation of aging education in schools. Multistage sampling was adopted, with a total of 1038 Taiwanese elementary and secondary teachers sampled. It was found that while knowledge of aging among Taiwanese teachers appears lower in comparison with American teachers, their attitudes toward aging are largely consistent with their American counterparts. In addition, Taiwanese teachers seem to offer just as little aging education in schools as their American and Japanese counterparts. Lastly, Taiwanese teacher attitudes toward aging, rather than their knowledge of aging, correlate closely to their provision of aging education in schools. Educational authorities should, therefore, offer teachers pre- and in-service education on aging or gerontology so as to equip them with the right knowledge on, and positive attitudes toward, aging. By so doing, teachers will be more likely to teach the subject of aging in schools.

Despite federal mandates to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, teachers continue to have mixed feelings about their own preparedness to educate students with disabilities in the general education setting. However, research has demonstrated that teachers with more positive attitudes toward inclusion are more apt to adjust their instruction and curriculum to meet individual needs of students and have a more positive approach to inclusion. The purpose of this study was to examine the change in preservice teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about inclusive practices following an introductory special education course, paired with a 24-hr practicum. Results suggest that a special education course paired with a field experience working with students with disabilities can significantly influence preservice teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion.

The present study aims to determine the anxiety and attitudes of pre-service Turkish language teachers towards artificial intelligence and to examine the relationship between the two. The sample group of the study, which was based on a correlational survey design, consisted of 232 pre-service Turkish language teachers studying at 14 different universities in different provinces of Türkiye. The study data were collected using the ‘Personal Information Form’, the ‘Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale’ and the ‘General Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence Scale’. SPSS 23.0 package program was used for data analysis. Based on the findings, it was determined that the pre-service Turkish language teachers’ positive and negative attitudes towards artificial intelligence were at moderate levels while their anxiety was below moderate levels in the learning dimension, but above moderate levels in the dimensions of job replacement, sociotechnical blindness and artificial intelligence configuration. The relationship between anxiety and attitudes towards artificial intelligence was found to be negatively significant. It was determined that the variables of gender and time spent on the internet did not make a significant difference on the pre-service teachers’ anxiety and attitudes towards artificial intelligence. However, although there was no difference between the pre-service language teachers’ attitudes towards artificial intelligence in terms of grade level, differences were observed in the job replacement and sociotechnical blindness dimensions of anxiety.

Abstract: The objective of the survey was to examine the relationship between perceived teacher competencies in the era of Education 4.0 (TCEdu4.0) and teacher attitudes toward change (TATC) in Malaysian secondary schools. A total of 1,293 teachers from 80 secondary schools that were chosen using disproportionate stratified sampling method completed the questionnaires with valid data. The results demonstrated that, i) there was a significant, positive and strong correlation between TCEdu4.0 and TATC; and ii) except Functional and Research Competency, Self-Management and Interactive Competency, Leading Learning and Mentoring, Problem Solving, Technological and Digital Competency, and Pedagogical Psychology and Assessment were the five predictors of TATC that contributed 49.20% to the total variation. The study re-affirms the practicality of the competency and planned behavioural theories, provides evidence that teacher’s individual factor is a major determinant of attitudes toward change. Moreover, it expands the understanding among educational practitioners regarding the interplay between these two variables and is a significant resource for Institut Aminuddin Baki in developing future training programmes for school leaders in enhancing TCEdu4.0 and TATC. In summary, the study offers valuable insights for driving school change effectively that sustainable school change is correlated to individual factors.
 
 Keywords: Teacher Competencies, Teacher Attitudes Toward Change, Education 4.0, Fourth Industry Revolution, School change

Teacher attitudes toward stuttering

This paper examines teachers' attitudes towards their students' heritage language maintenance and their engagement in classroom practices that may or may not affirm the value of maintaining and developing heritage languages among students. Through surveys and interviews with K–12 teachers in California public schools, the data show that the nature of teacher training and personal experience with languages other than English significantly affect teacher attitudes toward heritage language maintenance and bilingualism. Teachers who did not receive training as language educators expressed negative or indifferent attitudes toward heritage language maintenance and did not see a role for themselves and schools in heritage language maintenance efforts. This study highlights the need for all educators to better understand the critical role and functions of heritage languages in the personal, academic, and social trajectories of linguistic minority students.

This paper describes a two-week cross-cultural immersion experience in the United States for preservice teachers attending a small liberal arts college in the Southeast. This immersion occurs early in their teacher training and is designed to positively affect preservice teachers' attitudes toward Latino students who do not speak English well. As a result of this short, local cross-cultural immersion, preservice teachers enhanced their knowledge, skills, and dispositions about immigration, matching their prior knowledge, culture, preconceptions, misconceptions, and feelings of isolation, with ESOL (English for Speakers & Other Languages) methods and curriculum. Through description and qualitative analyses, this study shows that an immersion of this type, along with an infused multicultural teacher preparation program, can help future teachers address issues of diversity and social justice in their classrooms.

The present study examined teacher attitudes toward dyslexia and the effects of these attitudes on teacher expectations and the academic achievement of students with dyslexia compared to students without learning disabilities. The attitudes of 30 regular education teachers toward dyslexia were determined using both an implicit measure and an explicit, self-report measure. Achievement scores for 307 students were also obtained. Implicit teacher attitudes toward dyslexia related to teacher ratings of student achievement on a writing task and also to student achievement on standardized tests of spelling but not math for those students with dyslexia. Self-reported attitudes of the teachers toward dyslexia did not relate to any of the outcome measures. Neither the implicit nor the explicit measures of teacher attitudes related to teacher expectations. The results show implicit attitude measures to be a more valuable predictor of the achievement of students with dyslexia than explicit, self-report attitude measures.

This pretest-posttest study examined the feasibility of using a curriculum-level stuttering education and bullying awareness and prevention program to improve peer attitudes toward children who stutter and attitudes toward bullying. Knowledge about potential responses to bullying and students' liking of the program also were examined. Data were obtained from 608 children who participated in the stuttering education and bullying prevention initiative that used the Teasing and Bullying: Unacceptable Behaviour (TAB; Langevin, 2000) Program. Participants completed the Peer Attitudes Toward Children Who Stutter (PATCS; Langevin, 2009; Langevin & Hagler, 2004; Langevin, Kleitman, Packman, & Onslow, 2009) scale, the Provictim scale (Rigby & Slee, 1991, 1993), and bullying involvement and knowledge questionnaires. Statistically and practically significant improvements were found for both questionnaires. Children who did not know someone who stutters had higher change scores on the PATCS than children who knew someone who stutters. In general, children who were uninvolved in bullying had the most positive changes in attitudes and liked the TAB program the most. Victims liked the program significantly more often than children who were perpetrators of bullying or were dually involved in bullying. Findings suggest that the TAB program may have the potential to effect positive changes in peer attitudes toward children who stutter and toward bullying. Further research using a randomized experimental design is warranted.