Teachers Attitudes Toward Alcoholism

The purpose of the research was to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward alcoholism. The independent variables were: gender, when formal teacher education was received, the number of years of experience in teaching, formal education in the field of alcoholism, alcoholism in the family, position, and teaching a unit on alcohol. Dependent variables were: Psychological Etiology, Social Reject ion, Physical Genetic, Humanitarian, Moral Weakness, and Medical Illness. The sample consisted of 103 public school teachers. The information was collected using two instruments, the Tolor-Tamerin Attitudes Toward Alcoholism Inventory and a self reporting Background Information sheet. Three composite null hypotheses were tested at the .05 level employing a three- way analysis of variance (general linear model). A total of 114 comparisons were made, plus 12 recurring. Of the 114 comparisons made 42 were for main effect s and 72 for interactions. Of the 42 main effects, I was statistically significant at the .05 level. Of the 72 interact ions, 7 were statistically significant at the .05 level. The results of the present study supported the findings of McCarthy (1964), who reported that most teachers have not received formal education in the field of alcoholism in their professional training. In the present study, 15 of the 103 teachers who completed the Background Information sheet indicated they had received formal education in the field of alcoholism. The results of the present study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. female teachers have a more positive attitude toward Physical Genetic than male teachers, 2. gender and when formal teacher education was received should be interpreted concurrently for Psychological Etiology, 3. gender and number of years of experience in teaching should be interpreted concurrently for Psychological Etiology, 4. gender, when formal teacher education was received and number of years of experience in teaching should be interpreted concurrently for humanitarian, 5. formal education in the field of alcoholism and position should be interpreted concurrently for Medical Illness, 6. alcoholism in the family and position should be interpreted concurrently for Medical Illness, 7. formal education in the field of alcoholism, alcoholism in the family and position should be interpreted concurrently for Medical Illness, 8. teaching a unit on alcohol and gender should be interpreted concurrently for Medical Illness, and 9. attitudes of teachers are positive for Psychological Etiology, Social Rejection, Physical Genetic, Humanitarian, Moral Weakness, and Medical Illness