Attitudes Of School Teachers Research Articles

Authoritarian School: A Nurturing Place for Autocracy

A school is said to be a transitional place for inculcating basic values of human living across generations besides a place for learning academic disciplines. Children enter the school with a diversity of attitudes and behaviour patterns that are the outcome of environment of their family. School is a place where attitudes and behaviour patterns of tender minds are shaped according to the needs of society. School teacher is the agent of the society in relation to other role performers in education to pursue this task. For that he and other role performers should be in the possession of desirable values. Numerous reports and studies have highlighted the authoritarian attitude of school teachers and other role performers in school education system. This paper is based on a preliminary study to investigate the prevalence of undesirable attitudes and behaviour patterns among various role performers in school educational system with particular reference to school teachers in an Indian state of Punjab. A comparative prevalence of undesirable behaviour among male and female teachers is also depicted in the paper. Reasons for prevalence of undesirable behaviour also form the part of the paper.

Listeners' Attitudes Toward Children With Voice Problems

To investigate the attitudes of school teachers toward children with voice problems in a Chinese population. Three groups of listeners participated in this study: primary school teachers, speech-language pathology students, and general university students. The participants were required to make attitude judgments on 12 voice samples using a semantic differential scale with 22 bipolar adjective pairs. The voice samples were collected from 6 children with healthy voices and 6 children with dysphonia. The 22 bipolar adjective pairs were intended to cover nonspeech characteristics about the child's personality, social characteristics, and physical appearance. The mean attitude ratings received by children with dysphonic voice were significantly lower (i.e., less favorable) than those received by children with healthy voices in all of the 22 adjective pairs (all ps < .002). The attitude ratings made by the 3 groups of listeners were not significantly different from one another ( ps > .05). To our knowledge, this is the first study in which the authors examine listeners' perception toward children with voice problems in the Chinese population. The results suggest that voice problems in children warrant attention, and their effects on the child should not be underestimated. The findings also highlight the importance of early identification and intervention for children with voice problems.

Knowledge and attitude of school teachers regarding learning disabilities among children

The present study was conducted to assess the teachers’ awareness regarding learning disabilities among children. A descriptive research design was adapted to assess the knowledge and attitude of school teachers regarding learning disabilities among children in selected schools. 60 subjects were selected by convenient sampling method. The study revealed that the most of the teachers had highly favorable attitude towards children with learning ability even though their level of knowledge regarding learning disability was low and higher level of knowledge was associated with positive attitude.

Teachers′ knowledge and attitudes towards seizure disorder: A comparative study of urban and rural school teachers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Knowledge and attitude of school teachers with regard to seizure disorder has an important impact on continuation of schooling of children with seizure disorder. Though school teachers in both rural and urban settings are exposed to the same training, their perception of seizure disorder could be influenced by the environment in which they reside. To determine the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers towards children with seizure disorder, and the influence of urban residence on perception of seizure disorder by the teachers. A self-administered questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes to seizure disorder were filled by school teachers drawn from both urban and rural settings in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. One-hundred and thirty-two urban school teachers and an equal number of their rural counterparts completed the questionnaire. There were significantly more female teachers in the urban schools whereas the rural schools were dominated by male teachers with male to female ratio of 1:5.6 and 1.2:1, respectively. Majority of the urban (60.6%) and rural (57.6%) school teachers were National Certificate of Education holders. Thirty-eight (28.8%) of urban respondents versus eight (6.1%) of rural respondents thought seizure disorder was caused by evil spirits whereas 60 (45.5%) urban respondents compared to 80 (60.6%) of rural respondents felt seizure disorder was infectious. Majority of the respondents from both urban and rural schools (68.2% and 63.6% respectively) believed that the foam from the mouth of a convulsing child with seizure disorder is the infecting agent. However, 62.1% of urban respondents as well as 45.5% of rural respondents would advise that children with seizure disorder be admitted into special schools. There was no significant difference in the mean overall knowledge and attitudes of school teachers to seizure disorder in the two settings ( P = 0.33 for knowledge and 0.28 for attitudes). Teachers' high level of education however, had a positive influence on their knowledge and attitudes towards children with seizure disorder. School teachers in both urban and rural schools exhibited poor knowledge and negative attitudes towards children with seizure disorder. Residing in the urban setting did not have a positive impact on teachers' perception of seizure disorder. Massive health education on seizure disorder is therefore advocated for teachers in both urban and rural schools.

Prehospital emergency management of avulsed permanent teeth: Knowledge and attitude of schoolteachers

Tooth avulsion is one of the most serious dental emergencies in children. Often these injuries occur in school and, therefore, the knowledge of school teachers regarding the appropriate measures to be taken immediately after tooth avulsion is crucial to good prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate school teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding immediate management of avulsed teeth in children. A total of 177 teachers from seven schools of Garhshankar town, Hoshiarpur District, Punjab, India, formed the sample of the study. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 16 questions was used to assess the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers about tooth avulsion and its management. The chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for analysis. Pair-wise comparison was done using Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test. P ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Markedly low knowledge levels were noted among the school teachers. The mean knowledge score was 5 (of a maximum possible score of 10). Only 0.6% of the teachers answered correctly that they would use milk as a transport medium. The number of correct responses was not affected by previous experience with tooth avulsion, sex, educational level, teaching experience, or teacher training. Overall, 85.9% of teachers showed a positive attitude towards this campaign. Knowledge regarding emergency management of dental trauma is poor amongst school teachers. Therefore, we suggest that orientation to management of avulsed tooth be part of the teacher training education.

Mentors for Elementary School Teachers

In his News of the Week story “A way to heal science education, but is there the political will?” (24 September, p. [1582][1]), J. Mervis quotes from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report, stating that “too many American students conclude early in their education that STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] subjects are boring, too difficult, or unwelcoming, leaving them ill-prepared to meet the challenges that will face their generation, their country, and the world” ([ 1 ][2]). The PCAST report proposes some solutions but overlooks one possibility. The answer lies in elementary school, where children form their first opinions about STEM. How can they develop a passion for STEM when many elementary school teachers themselves hate or fear these subjects? I propose that all elementary school teachers be provided with real-world STEM research experiences from scientist mentors. One case study showed that after a 6-week research experience, elementary school teacher attitudes changed from “my students will not become scientists” to “my students are scientists” ([ 2 ][3]). Quality research experiences for elementary school teachers will help solve the national crisis cited in the PCAST report ([ 1 ][2]). 1. [↵][4] President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, “Prepare and inspire: K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for America's future” (PCAST, 2010); [www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-stemed-report.pdf][5]. 2. [↵][6] 1. P. Dixon, 2. R. A. Wilke , J. Elem. Sci. Educ. 19, 25 (2007). [OpenUrl][7] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.329.5999.1582 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-stemed-report.pdf [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ.%2BElem.%2BSci.%2BEduc.%26rft.volume%253D19%26rft.spage%253D25%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx

Effects of Intergroup Dialogue: Public School Teachers and Sexual Orientation Prejudice

Prejudice and hate crimes against lesbians and gay men are prevalent throughout the United States. Prejudice in public school settings is particularly problematic for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students and LGB parents. Efforts to reduce prejudice for LGB groups have met with limited success. Creating safer and more inclusive school environments is essential. An experimental mixed methods field design tested outcomes of an intergroup dialogue intervention on public school teacher attitudes, feelings, and behaviors toward LGB students and parents. Quantitative results indicate dialogue participation resulted in statistically significant positive changes in attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. Qualitative data analysis confirmed positive changes as a result of dialogue participation.

Development of the Inclusion Attitude Scale for High School Teachers

This study involved the development of a new scale to measure high school teacher attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms. A second aim was to examine the relationship of teachers’ professional development regarding inclusion, their years of experience with inclusion, access to instructional supports and resources, and gender to their attitudes toward inclusion. A principal axis factor analysis of the 27-item Inclusion Attitude Scale for High School Teachers yielded three factors accounting for 44.5% of the common variance. The coefficient alphas for the three factors and total scale were .91, .85, .77, and .92, respectively. Results of this web-based study suggest that high school teachers who have taken at least one special education course and those with several in-services about inclusion feel positively about it in comparison to teachers with no relevant coursework or in-services. Teachers with experience implementing inclusion in their own classrooms also report positive attitudes. Teachers with access to instructional resources, including curricular materials and fellow professionals with specialized skills, were positively inclined affectively and behaviorally to inclusion. Finally, male teachers reported more favorable attitudes than did female teachers. Limitations of the study and future directions for research are discussed.

A Comparison of Rural Elementary School Teacher Attitudes Toward Three Modes of Distance Education for Science Professional Development

Distance education is a significant topic of discussion among faculty at all levels of education. This study produced evidence regarding the attitudes toward three distance education delivery modes for science professional development. The study involved 94 elementary school teachers who were participating in a professional development project. The three distance education strategies studied were live, interactive television (Live); videotape presentations with live wrap-around discussions (Video); and asynchronous, Web-based sessions with streamed video presentations supported by interaction through discussion boards (Web). A repeated measures design was used to analyze the attitudes of the study participants. Data on the participants’ attitudes toward their distance education involvement were collected through the CTLSilhouette™ instrument.

Perceptions of teachers regarding sex education in national capital territory of Delhi

A cross sectional study was conducted to find out the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers regarding sex education. Information was collected from 476 senior secondary school teachers belonging both to the government and public schools, selected randomly in National Capital Territory of Delhi using pre-tested close ended questionnaires. A majority of school teachers (73%) were in favour of imparting sex education to school children. Regarding contents of sex education, 90% agreed to the inclusion of reproductive anatomy, physiology including menstruation and birth control measures like condoms and oral pills. However, a majority of school teachers did not want sex education to include topics like abortion, premarital sex and masturbation etc. Fourteen years of age was considered to be the most appropriate for imparting sex education by 28.6% of school teachers. School teachers and doctors were considered by 69.4% and 63.6% of the respondents respectively to be the most appropriate persons for providing sex education.

Analysis Of The Continuing Decline In Use Of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) In New York State

Agricultural educators are confronted with a dilemma. They continue to espouse a theory of learning that requires Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) but their students practice fewer and fewer SAEs. The various dimensions of the theory-to-practice dilemma have not been adequately addressed by agricultural educators. Researchers have recommended changes in either espoused theories or theories-inuse, but with little measurable impact. With the dilemma and decline of SAE in mind, a descriptive study was conducted in 1996 to analyze the status and importance of SAE. The findings provided a snapshot of SAE in New York state, showed measurements of secondary school teacher attitudes toward various aspects related to SAE, and comparedperceptions of teachers at central schools with those at BOCES (multipleschool programs). Data, compared with a precedent study conducted in 1983, indicated a 10% decrease in SAE practice since 1983. A low level of summer employment, limited release time for SAE supervision during the school day, decreased assistance with transportation costs, and complicated scheduling problems with competing school activities were the most formidable barriers identified. A comprehensive overhaul of thinking about andpractice of SAE was recommended in order to raise up innovative interventions that might arrest the decline of SAE.

Are Educators Racially Prejudiced?: A Cross-Occupational Comparison of Attitudes

Abstract Racial attitudes of school teachers, school administrators, other professionals, and general occupational groups are examined using data from six national samples gathered as part of the General Social Survey between 1972 and 1977 by the National Opinion Research Center (N = 9210). Respondents' attitudes were measured on the following topics: open housing, programs to integrate housing, interracial marriage, interracial social relations, segregated schools, busing, and explanations for the Blacks' inferior jobs, income, and housing. The results indicate that in areas of interpersonal relations and housing, teachers and educators do harbor prejudicial attitudes; however, educators are comparable to other professionals regarding these attitudes and less prejudiced than laborers, farmers, clerical workers, craftsmen, managers, and administrators. Within the teaching profession, kindergarten and elementary teachers appear slightly more racially prejudiced than secondary school teachers. Implications ...

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF SCHOOL TEACHERS TOWARDS EPILEPTIC SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude of school teachers towards an epileptic child. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among teachers of primary, middle and high schools from different communities in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 120 self-administered KAP questionnaires were distributed in schools selected through convenience sampling. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: Out of the total sample size, 90.9% (n=100) had heard about epilepsy. Sixteen (14.5%) teachers considered epilepsy to be contagious while 72.7% (n=80) teachers were of the view that epileptics can succeed as other normal children and sixty nine (62.7%) teachers were willing to help a child experiencing a fit, though only 15.5% (n=17) received knowledge about epilepsy during their training years. Conclusion: The research was conclusive for assessing the knowledge and attitude of teachers towards epileptic children. It highlighted the lack of awareness and negative attitude still existing among teachers. However, many were in the favor of mass education through awareness programs.