The Effect of Student Teaching on Attitudes of Selected Elementary and Secondary Education Students at Utah State University

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine whether the attitudes of Elementary Education students and Secondary Education students toward children and teaching differ significantly prior to and after student teaching and whether these attitudes show a significant change as a result of the student-teaching experience. The study was also concerned with correlation between attitude change and the subject which the student teaches and correlation between attitude and the student \u27 s performance grade in student teaching. Method Subjects for the study were 33 Elementary Education students and 67 Secondary Education students at Utah State University who did their student teaching during the winter quarter, 1975. Secondary Education students were distributed in six areas as follows: Arts/Humanities, 11; Business Education/Distributive Education, 12; Math/Science, 5; Vocational Education, 23; Social Studies, 7; and Physical Education/Health, 9 . Students participating in the study were tested on the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI) before and after student teaching. They were rated by university supervisors on Part I of the Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) during the final weeks of student teaching. Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used to compare group means on the pre- and post-tests of the MTAI. Analysis of variance was also used to compare mean group scores on the IOTA . Pearson\u27s L product-moment correlation was used to determine significant relationships between student teachers\u27 attitude scores on the MTAI and performance scores on the IOTA. Findings 1. Prior to student teaching, Elementary Education student teachers had a significantly less realistic attitude toward children and teaching than Secondary Education student teachers had . Significance was at the .01 level. 2. After student teaching, there was no significant difference between t he mean attitudes of Elementary Education and Secondary Education students toward children and teaching. 3. Elementary Education students and Secondary Education students had more realistic attitudes toward children and teaching (significant at the .01 level) after student teaching. 4. There was no significant difference in the mean attitudes toward children and teaching , before and after student teaching, of Secondary Education students who taught in five of the six Secondary Education teaching areas. Students who taught in the area of Vocational Education had a significantly more realistic mean attitude toward children and teaching after the student teaching experience. Significance was at the .01 level. 5 . There was no significant difference in mean performance scores on the Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) for Elementary Education student teachers and Secondary Education student teachers. 6. There was no significant correlation between mean attitude scores and mean performance scores on the IOTA for Elementary Education student teachers and Secondary Education student teachers. 7 . There was no significant correlation between mean attitude scores and mean performance scores on the IOTA for students in five of the six Secondary Education teaching areas. Students teaching in the area of Physical Education/Health had a significant correlation between their mean attitudes prior to and after student teaching, and their mean performance score on the IOTA. Significance was at the .01 level