A comparative study of student teachers in England and Egypt investigating the relationship between their perception of the status of the teaching profession and their attitudes towards education

The main aim of the research was to compare student teachers' Perceptions of the teaching profession and their attitudes to Education, in England and Egypt. Other aims of the research were: (1) To investigate how Teachers perceive the teaching profession at different levels in Terms of status, salary, using abilities fully, usefulness to Society, as well as public esteem. (2) To assess the value of R.A.C. Oliver's questionnaire "Survey of Opinions about Education", As a measure of teachers' attitudes in terms of three dimensions: Naturalism, Radicalism and Tender-mindedness. (3) To assess the Effectiveness of the Oliver Questionnaire as a measure of teacher Attitudes to education in Egyptian culture. (4) To compare Student teachers' attitudes to education in the light of certain Demographic information, viz. Sex, age, teaching subject, and Subject of course. The main English sample of respondents consisted of student Teachers in colleges of education and P.G.C.E. students at Leeds University and a small number of M.Ed. Students and serving teachers. The main Egyptian sample consisted of student teachers in Colleges of education, and a small number of serving teachers and Diploma students. The instruments used in the study were: (1) the Oliver Questionnaire; (2) a questionnaire on ranking occupations. Data Were subjected to factor analysis, analysis of variance and rank Correlation. The main results showed that a relationship between student Teachers' perceptions of the status of the teaching profession and their attitudes to education could not be established in England And Egypt. Different factor structures were found for the English And Egyptian groups. Oliver's three-factor pattern was not Replicated in the English group results. Relationships between Biographical data and attitudes were analysed, and some significant Results were found. Some relationship was found between assessments Of the status of teaching within the two countries, but Assessments for different levels of teaching and for such variables As value to society and personal satisfaction showed significant Differences between the two countries. Cross-cultural comparison Of similar occupations in the two countries showed considerable Differences on several dimensions: status, salary, personal Satisfaction, using abilities fully and value to society. These Findings tend to support the "culturalist" rather than the "structuralist" view of a society