The art of life as represented in Henry Fielding's Amelia

The primary purpose of the study was to examine, analyze, and describe teacher behavior in physical education classes in selected schools in Northeast Arkansas with regard to teacher function, direction, mode, and substance. Another purpose of the study was to compare the subjects' perception of their classroom behavior with actual observed behavior with regard to teacher functions. A third purpose of the study was to compare the findings of the total group. A final purpose of the study was to compare the findings of this study with the findings of similar studies in another geographic area.In order to examine the research questions above, a series of demographic descriptors was collected on each subject prior to observation. Three consecutive and two random visits were made to observe the classroom behavior of each teacher; all information was prepared for computer analysis; and all data were computer analyzed. Six null hypotheses were tested by using chi-square analysis. The 0.05 level of significance was established as the critical probability level for the rejection of hypotheses.Findings1. In six instances, there was a significant difference in the teachers' perceptions of how time was spent in the classroom and the actual observed classroom behavior with regard to the ten teacher functions.2. There was no significant difference at the 0.05 level between the results of the Northeast Arkansas, 1985, study and previous studies in another geographic area with regard to the teacher function dimension.3. Observed professional teacher direction dimension of this study population revealed some findings not consistent with findings in another geographic area.4. Observed professional teacher mode dimension of the study population of Northeast Arkansas revealed a lack of consistency with some findings of earlier studies in another geographic area.5. Multi-racial classes did not cause an alteration in professional teacher function dimension, direction dimension, mode dimension, or substance dimension.6. Teachers in the study population of Northeast Arkansas, 1985, developed unit plans and daily lesson plans, and varied teaching styles and substance.Conclusions1. A difference exists between teacher perceptions of their behavior in the classroom and their actual behavior in the classroom with regard to the teacher function dimension.2. It is not clear whether geographic location of the study group was a factor since the findings produced conflicting results with regard to teacher behaviors.3. Race of teacher revealed no significant difference in teacher behaviors with regard to teacher function dimension, direction dimension, mode dimension, and substance dimension.4. All teachers in the study population developed unit plans.5. Seventeen percent of the time, the teachers in the study population employed no daily lesson plans.6. Teachers participating in the Northeast Arkansas, 1985, study employed variety in teaching styles.Thesis (D. Ed.