Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

7-17-1972

Abstract

The Problem

Many school districts and teacher education institutions are initiating bicultural/bilingual teacher inservice training programs. Generally, these programs include two kinds of objectives. The first are "orienting" objectives, such as the development of cultural awareness and Spanish proficiency, to be achieved during the instructional period. Secondly, "performance" objectives are those which are assumed to be reached in the classroom, as a result of the achievement of the "orienting" objectives. This assumption has yet to be investigated.

Statement of the problem. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between teacher perceptions of the combined elements of bicultural/bilingual education and bicultural/bilingual affective interaction in the classroom. The study involved teacher perceptions of: 1) cultural differences among children, 2) the value of bicultural/bilingual education, and 3) self-adequacy in teaching biculturally/bilingually. The secondary focus of the study was on change in teacher perceptions of each element of bicultural/bilingual education during a six-week instructional period.

A conceptual model. The study was based on Combs model, which states that all teaching behavior is the result of teacher perceptions of: 1) her students; 2) the teaching situation; and 3) self-adequacy in the situation.

Hypotheses. The primary null hypotheses for the study were concerned with the relationship between teacher perceptions and: 1) indirect teacher influence in English; 2) indirect teacher influence in Spanish; 3) direct teacher influence in English; 4) direct teacher influence in Spanish; 5) student verbal involvement in English; 6) student verbal involvement in Spanish; 7) student nonverbal involvement; and 8) student noninvolvement. The secondary null hypotheses for the study were concerned with changes in teacher perceptions of each element of bicultural/ bilingual education during the instructional period.

Procedures for the Study

The design of the study included a primary focus and a secondary focus. In order to investigate the primary focus, two experimental groups were selected from a sample of twenty-one teachers, on the basis of their post-test perception scores. Experimental Group One consisted of eight teachers with the most accurate perceptions, while Experimental Group Two consisted of eight teachers with the least accurate perceptions, as compared with those of a panel of experts. Pre- and post-tests were used to investigate the secondary focus, that of changes in teacher perceptions.

The sample. Twenty-one teachers in an inservice training program in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the summer of 1971, and their students, were selected as the sample.

The instructional period. During this six-week period, five components were included: 1) cultural awareness; 2) theory of bicultural/bilingual education; 3) bicultural/bilingual teaching competency; 4) Spanish for the classroom; and 5) professional level Spanish.

Collection of the data. Perception data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the instructional period, using the Teacher Perception Questionnaire. Interaction data were collected in the classrooms, from November, 1971 to March, 1972, using the Douglas Interaction Analysis.

Findings

All but two of the primary null hypotheses were rejected, Hypotheses Five and Seven. All of the secondary null hypotheses were rejected.

Recommendations

It is recommended that the emphasis in teacher inservice training in bicultural/bilingual education be placed on the development of accurate teacher perceptions. It is further recommended that teachers be helped to analyze their own behavior and that of their students, in order to change it, if necessary, to maximize student verbal involvement in English and/or Spanish.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Elementary Education

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Keith F. Auger

Second Committee Member

Miles Vernon Zintz

Third Committee Member

David Wayne Darling

Fourth Committee Member

Dolores Gonzales

Fifth Committee Member

Mari-Luci Jaramillo

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