The Identification of Factors Influencing Inservice Education Activities of Teachers

190 Pages·08.72 MB·English

by  Ulmer, David Christian

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION SERIES
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VU UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS
ANN ARBOR • M I C H I G A N
The Pennsylvania State College
The Graduate School
Department of Education
The Identification of Factors Influencing
In-service Education Activities
of Teachers
A dissertation
by
David Christian Ulmer
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Education
June, 1951
Approved:
v-ffgad of the Department of^SSducation
A GENOWLED GEKE NT
The writer gratefully acknowledges the
assistance of the following: Professor Mary
Jane Wyland and the other members of the
Advisory Committee for their helpful counseling;
Dr. Hugh Davison for his knowledge and under­
standing of the problems that arise while conduct­
ing and writing the report of an investigation of
this type; the high school teachers who cooperated
in supplying the data for the study.
Anne, a most patient, understanding and helpful
wife; Davey and Charles, my sons, who often did not
understand why Daddy had to work but nevertheless
made the best of what was, to them, a bad situation.
lii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. INTRODUCTION...................................... 1
Origin of In-service Education in This Country * . . 2
Nature of Recent Literature. .................... • 5
Summary............................................ 17
The Problem. ........... 18
II. THE COLLECTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE DATA. . . . 19
Planning the Interview....................... 20
Interview — Phase I ............................. 22
Interview — Phases II and III ................... 24-
Interview — Phase TV.............................. 26
Criteria for Scheduling of Interviews............ 28
Criteria and Method for Classifying Data ........ 31
Summary........................................... 33
III. THE DATA — WHAT TEACHERS DID THAT RESULTED IN BETTER
TEACHING.......................................... 35
“What Has Been Responsible for Your Improvement as
a Teacher?" Responses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Personal Activities of Directly Professional Concern 4-0
Analysis of Activities That Are Related to
Professional Work and Experiences.................. 4-5
Analysis of Professional Activities Concerned
Primarily with People......... . . . .......... 53
Personal Activities and Experiences Not Directly
Professional . . . . . . . . . . 58
Summary. ................................. 60
IV. THE DATA — WHY TEACHERS DID THE THINGS THEY SAID
MADE THEM BETTER TEACHERS.......................... 62
Analysis of Influences on In-service Education
Activities . 62
Conclusions Regarding Influences on Irw-serVice
Education Activities.............................. 64-
Analysis of Personal Characteristics of Teachers
and Professional Aspects of Teaching ......... 64-
Summary................................ . . . . 70
Analysis of Personal Characteristics and Non-
Professional Experiences.......................... 71
Analysis Concerned with Activities of Others . . . • 75
Conclusions. . . . . . .................. . . . . . 80
Chapter Page
V. THE DATA. — THINGS THAT TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT
THEY BELIEVE WOULD MAKE THEM STILL BETTER TEACHERS. . . 82
What Teachers Would Like to Do That They Believe Would
Make Them Still Better Teachers . .......... . . . . . . 82
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ .. 86
VI. THE DATA — OBSTACLES TO THE ACTIVITIES THOSE INTERVIEWED
BELIEVED WOULD RESULT IN THEIR DEVELOPING INTO BETTER
TEACHERS................................................ 87
Analysis of Responses Naming Obstacles to Activities
Involving People Indirectly .......................... 87
Analysis of Responses Naming Obstacles Identified
as People..................................... 93
Summary......... 95
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
VII. THE DATA — CONDITIONS THAT DISCOURAGE TEACHERS FROM
FURTHER IN-SERVICE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES................ 97
Responses Involving People Indirectly ................ 97
Summary .......................................... 99
Responses Involving People More Directly............... 101
Summary............................................... 107
VIII. THE DATA — CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO CONTINUED EFFORT
AND IMPROVEMENT IN SERVICE............................. 108
Conditions Involving People Indirectly................. 108
Summary ............. 109
Conditions That Involve People More Directly........... Ill
Summary......... 115
IX. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS.....................116
Summary............................................... 117
Conclusions ......................... 123
Implications. ....................................... 124
Further Research Needed............. 126
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................... 127
APPENDIX............................................... 134
V
LIST OF TABLES
Number Page
I. Distribution of Secondary School Teachers in
Pennsylvania by Sex ................ 28
II. Distribution of Teachers by Years of Experience in
Second, Third and Fourth Class Districts. . . . . . . 30
III. Type and Number of Districts Employing Teachers
Interviewed . . . . . . .......... . . . . . . . . . 31
IV. General Classification of Responses to Intervie\^er ’s
Question: "What Has Been Responsible for Your Improve­
ment as a Teacher?" ............................ 36
V. Personal Attitudes (Directly of Professional Concern)
of Interviewees That Are Responsible for Their
&
Improvement as Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
VI. Activities of Interviewees (Directly of Professional
Concern) That Are Responsible for Their Improvement
as Teachers........................................ 41
VII. Analysis of the Activities of Interviewees That Are
Related to Their Professional Work and Experience . . 46
VIII. Responses of Interviewees Indicating That Additional
Training Is Responsible for Becoming a Better Teacher 51
IX. Analysis of the Activities of Interviewees Involving
a Relationship with Other People............• • • • . 54
X. Analysis of Interviewees Activities That Involve
Relationships Concerned with Coming to Know and
Acquire a Better Understanding of People............ 56
XI. Analysis of Interviewees Personal Activities and
Experiences That Are Not Directly Professional. . . . 58
XII. Reasons for Personal Participation in Activities That
Are Not Directly Professional but Which Result in
Better Teaching . . . . . . . 59
XIII. General Analysis of Interview Responses to the Question,
"How Did You Come to Do the Things Which You Have Said
Are Responsible for Your Improvement as a Teacher?" . 63
vi
Number Page
XIV. Analysis of Responses Containing Reasons Closely
Related to Characteristics of the Interviewee; and That
Deal with Various Professional Aspects of Teaching. . • 65
XV. Further Analysis of Responses Involving Interviewees'
Concern with the Job as a Whole.......... 66
XVI. Further Analysis of Responses That Are Outcomes of
Teaching Experience . ........ 67
XVII. Further Analysis of Responses Involving Interviewees
Concern with Students . . . . . ........ . . . . . . . 69
XVIII. Analysis of Responses Containing Reasons More
Significantly Related to Personal Characteristics and
Non-Professional Experiences of Interviewees than to
Professional Aspects of Teaching. . . . . • • • • • • . 71
XIX. Analysis of Interviewee Responses Consisting of Reasons
Closely Concerned with the Activities of Others . . . . 76
XX. Further Analysis of Interviewee Responses Concerned
with the Influence of Professional Leadership on In-
service Education That Resulted in Teacher Improvement. 77
XXI. Further Analysis of Interviewee Responses Concerned
with Influences of Other Teachers on In-service Education
That Resulted in Teacher Improvement. 78
XXII. General Analysis of Interviewee Responses to the
Question: ’’Are There Things You Would Like to Do That
You Believe Would Make You a Still Better Teacher . . . 83
XXIII. Further Analysis of Responses Consisting of Things
Interviewee Would Like to Do That Concern Interviewee
Primarily .................... 84-
XXTV. Further Analysis of Responses Involving the Interviewee
and Concerning the Teaching-Learning Situation Directly 85
XXV. Analysis of Responses Concerning Obstacles Involving
People Indirectly, That Would Make It Difficult for
Interviewee to Do the Things Which They Believe Would
Make Them Better Teachers . ........... . . . . . . . . 88
XXVI. Further Analysis of the Financial Obstacle to Doing
What Interviewees Believe Would Make Them Better
Teachers.................... 89
v±i
Nmn.be r Page
XXVII. Further Analysis of Time as an Obstacle to Doing
what Interviewees Believe Would Make Them Better
Teachers . . . . . ................. . . . . . . . . . 90
XXVIII. Further Analysis Indicating why Physical Plant and
Equipment Is Considered an Obstacle to Doing What
Interviewees Believe Would Make Them a Better Teacher. 91
XXIX. Analysis of Responses Naming People as Obstacles to
Activities That Would Result in Improvement . . . . . 9A
XXX. Analysis of Responses Related to Conditions Involving
People Indirectly, That Have Had a Tendency to
Discourage Teachers from Further In-service Training. 93
XXXI. Further Analysis of Responses Concerned with Working
Conditions That Have Had a Tendency to Discourage
Teachers from Further In-service Activities ........ 100
XXXII. Analysis of Responses Naming People as Discouraging
Influences to Activities Believed to Result In Teacher
Improvement.. . . . . ............. . . . . . . . . . 101
XXXIII. A Further Analysis of Responses Involving the
Interviewee Directly and Indicating Discouraging
Influences on Effort That Would Result in a Better
Teacher.................... .. .. . . . . . . . . • 103
XXXTV. A Further Analysis of Responses Involving Students
Directly and Indicating Their Discouraging Influence
on Effort That Would Result in a Better Teacher . . . 105
XXXV. A Further Analysis of Responses Involving Administrative
and Supervisory Personnel Directly as Influences Dis­
couraging Effort That Would Result in a Better Teacher. 106
XXXVI. Analysis of Interviewee Responses Naming Conditions
Conducive to Continued Teacher Effort Toward
Improvement That Involves People Directly .......... 109
XXXVII. Analysis of Interviewee Responses Naming Conditions
That Are Conducive to Continued Efforts Toward Improve­
ment That Involves People More Directly . . . . . . . 110
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
What influences the ii>-servlce education activities of teachers?
The purpose of this study was to investigate (in an effort to describe)
what leads to the participation of secondary school teachers in in-service
education activities. Evidence for conclusions was obtained during
personal interviews with the teachers themselves.
In considering the significance of this question one must have
an understanding of the place of in-service education. This understand­
ing includes: (l) the relationship of in-service education to teaching,
(2) the relationship of teaching to the function of the school, (3) the
relationship of the school to education, (4.) the place of education in
our society and in the life of the individuals that compose it.
The place of education: As man carries on the usual activities
of life he has at his command a store of factual information, and has
developed both general and specific skills. His use of this information
and these skills is determined by the attitudes that collectively
form a basic philosophy of life. Growth in the amount of information
and the development of skills and attitudes is the result of experiences.
The guiding of this growth through experiences is the function of
planned education.
The place of the school and the teacher: Education is not some­
thing of recent origin. However, the development of our culture Is
such that society has felt a need to establish schools as designated
agencies for education. The responsibility of the school for education
has increased.
2
The teacher1s place in education is to plan for the experiences
and administer the activities that will result in the growth and
development of individuals.
Pre-service education of the teacher: If the work of the teacher
is to be effective, considerable time must be spent in preparing to
practice his profession. This may be thought of as pre-service
education. It takes place before accepting full-time paid employment.
In-service education. In reality teaching experience results
in the individual teacher's modifying his activities in response to
the conditions encountered. Improved teaching and a better teacher
is the result of successful modification. Though associated with
experience, this modification is the result of a series of activities
which include analysis, modification of plans and evaluation of results.
The activities take place during the professional career of a teacher
and may be considered as in-service education activities.
The aim of this study. To find out the nature of the circumstances
which, by the evidence indicated, are associated with teacher participa­
tion in the activities of in-service education.
Origin of In-service Education in this Country
The literature provides evidence that in this country educators
saw the need for greater interest in, and knowledge of, the "pedagogic
art^f as early as 1789*
i. L. Joseph Lins, "Origin of Teacher Improvement Services in the
United States", Journal of Ed. Research 38: p. 697, May, 194-5*