Teaching experience as a determinant of middle-level teacher concerns

The purpose of the study was to identify and compare the perceived concerns of novice and experienced teachers in the middle-level teaching years. The population consisted of 200 public school teachers and 100 Catholic school teachers in grades six, seven, and eight in the state of Indiana.A forty-item questionnaire listing concerns in the areas of professional growth, classroom management and routines, instructional activities, and evaluation problems was utilized. Three null hypothesis were tested by using a multivariate of analysis of variance (MANOVA). Decisions with regard to the hypotheses were made at an alpha level of .05.Findings1. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between novice and experienced teachers.2. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between male and female teachers.3. No statistically significant differences were found to exist between public school and Catholic school teachers.4. Salary commensurate with demands for professional growth, motivating pupil interest and response, stimulating critical thinking and developing good work and study habits were identified as major professional concerns of teachers.Conclusions1. Level of experience does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.2. Sex of the teacher does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.3. Type of school--public or Catholic--does not account for major differences in the degree of concerns of teachers.4. The area of Instructional Activities causes the greatest concern followed by Classroom Management and Professional Growth. Evaluation Problems causes the least concern.5. Salary, motivating student interest and response, developing in students good work and study habits, and stimulating critical thinking are major concerns for teachers.6. Individual items causing concern for teachers have experienced modest changes during the past 14 years.Department of Educational Administration and SupervisionThesis (D. Ed.