Date of Award

12-1-1972

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

Problem: The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to determine the differences among the subjects in the three elementary teacher training programs offered at the University of North Dakota (UND) during the spring semester of the 1970-71 school year; and second, to determine the relationships between the Conceptual Systems Test (CST) variables and the Ross Educational Philosophical Inventory (REPI) variables.

Procedure: The subjects for this study consisted of juniors and seniors enrolled in the three elementary teacher training programs offered at UND during the spring semester of the 1970-71 school year. The three elementary teacher training programs were: College of Education; New School of Behavioral Studies in Education; and Northern Plains Indian Teacher Corps.

On the basis of Harvey’s score profile the conceptual orientations of the 152 subjects were distributed as follows: approximately 51 per cent in System 1; 3 per cent in System 2; 34 per cent in System 3; 9 per cent in System 4; and 3 per cent admixtures.

Using the method of highest score on the REPI, the philosophical orientations of the 152 subjects yielded the following distribution: approximately 5 per cent Idealists; 3 per cent Realists; 36 per cent Pragmatists; 44 per cent Existentialists; and 12 per cent with no defined philosophy.

Both the CST and the REPI were completed by the subjects during the spring semester of the 1970-71 school year. The statistical procedures utilized in the analyses of the data consisted of: one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, Dunn's "c" test for making multiple comparisons among the means, zero-order correlation, and the Veldman method of canonical correlation. The .05 level was used for evaluating the significance of the results.

Findings: The findings of the present study are summarized below in the same order in which the research questions and hypothesis were presented:

1. There were significant differences among the programs on the following variables: age, sex, year in program, teaching experience, Divine Fate Control (DFC), Need for People (NFP), Interpersonal Aggression (IA), Anomie, Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, and Existentialism.

2. There was a significant difference for year in program among the conceptual orientations of the subjects.

3. There were no significant differences for age, sex, year in program, and teaching experience among the philosophical orientations of the subjects.

4. There was a significant canonical relationship between the CST variable, Divine Fate Control, and the REPI variable, Idealism.

Conclusion: Concerning the variables of age, sex, and teaching experience, it was concluded that the New School program recruited and trained older, experienced teachers. Also, the New School and Teacher Corps programs attracted more male teacher trainees. On the CST variables, College of Education and Teacher Corps trainees possessed a greater respect for authority; College of Education trainees compared to New School trainees were more influenced by the need to seek group approval for their actions and values; New School and Teacher Corps trainees tended toward interpersonal aggression and Teacher Corps trainees were most affected by impaired social norms. On the REPI variables, no meaningful interpretation could be placed on the higher scores of the Teacher Corps trainees.

In considering the conceptual orientations of the subjects, it was concluded that their conceptual development from junior to senior year was in accord with the Conceptual Systems Theory.

In considering the relationship between the subjects’ conceptual and philosophical orientations, it xjas concluded that authoritarianism was the mediating link between the positively related Divine Fate Control and Idealism.

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