An inquiry into the relationship between elementary teacher's art training and their general attitude toward art

Includes bibliographical references (pages [58-60])The Problem and Method of Inquiry In determining the possible relationships between art background and experience to general art attitude of a selected group of elementary classroom teachers, two questionnaires, which sought this information, were sent to all the elementary classroom teachers in Community Consolidated School District #59 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Questions which pertained to art attitude, along with all the answers in determining art attitude by a jury of experienced art teachers. The average evaluation for both the questions and answers was determined, and an Art Attitude Scale was devised. The Art Attitude Scale was used to establish the overall art attitude score and rating for each of the thirty-one elementary classroom teachers who comprised the group under study. RESULTS Data from the two questionnaires were compared with the attitude scores for possible relationships. Definite relationships were found with respect to the quantity of art courses in semester hours to art attitude, and minutes of art taught per week by the respondents to art attitude. Elementary classroom teachers in the study with twelve or more semester hours of art training had a one-hundred percent Positive art attitude, while these with less than twelve semester hours of art had a fifty percent or more Negative attitude. The number of minutes of art taught per week by the respondents increased proportionately with an increase in percentage of Positive art attitude scores. The proportion of teachers in the Negative category increased with a proportionate decrease in time allotted to art activities by the respondents. Slight tendencies or trends were found in the data with respect to years of teaching experience, and the grade level of the respondents in relation to art attitude. Elementary classroom teachers in the study with twelve or more years of teaching experience registered a seventy-five percent Negative art attitude, while the subjects with six to eleven years of teaching experience were one-hundred percent in the positive category. The kindergarten and first grade teachers in the study were rated "good" (Positive) on the Art Attitude Scale, while the second, third and fifth grade teachers rated "Fair" (Negative)M.S. (Master of Science