The Effects Of Teacher In-Service Training In Values Clarification On Attitudes Of Elementary School Students Toward Themselves, School, And The Teacher

Author

Michael Nathan Coy, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1974

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

First Advisor

W. Preston Gleason

First Committee Member

Armand P. Maffia

Second Committee Member

Gaylon L. Caldwell

Third Committee Member

Robert R. Hopkins

Fourth Committee Member

Kenneth L. Beauchamp

Abstract

PROBLEM: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of implementing a teacher in-service training program in values clarification on the attitudes students develop toward themselves, school, and the teacher.

PROCEDURE: Two kindergarten through sixth grade elementary schools served as the experimental and control groups for the study. Ten classes of third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students participated in the experimental group and eight third through sixth grade classes of students served in the control group. The teachers in the experimental school received sixteen days of in-service training in values clarification between August 31, 1973 and Match 21, 1974. All students in grades· three through six in the experimental and control group schools were pretested and post-tested with regard to attitude toward self, school, and teacher. Three attitude surveys: How I am ... , How School is ... , and How my Teacher is ... were developed by the investigator and used to measure the three dependent variables of the study. Twelve analyses of covariance were used with the pretest scores serving as the covariates.

FINDINGS: A total of five out of twelve research hypotheses were supported in the study. No significant difference was found between the· experimental and control group students' scores on the attitude toward self survey at any of the four grade levels studied. A significant change between the experimental and control group mean scores on the attitude toward school dimension was found for fourth grade students and it favored the experimental group; however, no significant differences were found for grades three, five, and six. Students in grades three, four, five, and six whose teachers received in-service training in values clarification made significantly more favorable changes in attitude toward the teacher than did students in grades three, four, five, and six whose teachers did not receive in-service training in values clarification. The differences were highly significant, reaching the .009 level and more.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study clearly show that the implementation of a teacher in-service training program in values clarification results in more favorable students' attitudes toward the teacher. Support for the theory of Raths et al. (1966) was provided on the attitude toward teacher dimension and was not supported on the attitude toward self and school dimensions. Perhaps the dynamics of the treatment process encouraged a more respectful, positive, and considerate approach on the part of teachers toward students' feelings, values, and opinions.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The following recommendations for further research were made: (1) Further research and replication should be made to extend the external validity of the findings to larger and more diverse populations. (2) Longitudinal research is needed to determine if attitudes toward teachers persist over time and if attitudes toward school and self begin making favorable changes. (3) Process investigations relating to the extent and nature of the specific classroom techniques implemented by the teacher need to be conducted. (4) Other pupil outcomes, such as academic achievement, social acceptance, and emotional growth, should be investigated as a potential result of teacher in-service training in values clarification. (5) Teacher outcomes, such as changes in attitudes, teaching and learning theory, and degree of flexibility, may also be related to participation in training in values clarification, and this needs further research.

Pages

140

Recommended Citation

Coy, Michael Nathan. (1974). The Effects Of Teacher In-Service Training In Values Clarification On Attitudes Of Elementary School Students Toward Themselves, School, And The Teacher. University of the Pacific, Dissertation. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3472