The effects of organizational factors on student ratings and perceived instruction

The objective of this study is to explore a) which dimension of student ratings and which aspects of perceived instruction are affected by the two organizational factors, enrollment size and academic affiliation, and b) the nature of their effect. Two thousand five hundred students participating in 125 courses evaluated their instructors on Q-1 Evaluation of Instruction by Students. The 125 evaluated instructors responded to Q-2 Perception of own Instruction indicating the extent to which they employ various teaching planning and strategy attributes (TPS). Major findings suggest that academic affiliation has no effect on student ratings yet affects abstract aspects of perceived instruction. Instructors of the social sciences, unlike those of the humanities, manifest a vocational outlook in their instruction planning. Data indicate that enrollment size has an effect on the dimensions of student ratings and the perceived instruction, referring to concrete aspects of teaching. Students participating in small classes are more critical of instruction than those in larger classes. The nature of its effect on perceived instruction is mainly in terms of practical solutions of teaching methods and strategies and is hardly manifested in the planning phase of instruction. The relevance of these findings to university administrators is also discussed.     

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE,MATRICULATION GRADES,AND GROUP INTERVIEW AS PREDICTORS OF PERFORMANCE IN NURSING SCHOOL

This study examines the predictive validity of three commonly used nursing school admission indices, that is, scholastic aptitude test scores, matriculation grades, and evaluations of performance in a group interview situation, in a sample of 321 Israeli nursing school students. Grade point average, supervisor evaluation of clinical internship, and scores on a government certification exam served as primary indices of criterion performance. Whereas composite aptitude test scores correlated moder ately with both grade point average and certification exam scores, matriculation grades correlated negligibly with all three criterion measures. Group interview ratings correlated moderately with clinical performance, but negligibly with the remaining criteria. Aptitude test scores were not found to be biased predictors of criterion performance by ethnicity or social background. The implications of these findings for the selection of nursing school candidates in Israel are discussed.     

Teacher Professional Development—the elaboration of a concept

The recent interest and need for teacher professional development calls for the clarification of the concept of professional development. The study presents a strategy of clarification by proposing a mapping sentence based on the analysis of the concepts of development and profession into their constituting elements and by juxtaposing the elements upon each other. Theoretically this maping sentence provides a conceptual framework and a rationale for the testing of hypotheses. Practically, it may guide teacher developers in planning varying programs to suit varying conceptions of professional development.     

Supervisors’ Inner World: professional perspectives

The study presents an attempt at revealing some professional perspectives of student‐teachers’ supervisors. The discussions of 12 supervisors in a teachers’ college were protocolled and content‐analysed. Content‐analysis yielded several guiding perspectives: professionalism, values, structure and organisation, integration. In addition, some personal distinct profiles emerged differentiating between emotional and rational orientations. Findings shed some light on the inner world of student‐teachers’ supervisors and these may contribute to better understanding of their supervisory behaviour and guide their professional development.     

The relation of personal and environmental variables to teacher burnout

The study investigates the relative contribution of personal and environmental variables to teacher burnout. On the basis of balance theories it was hypothesized that congruence between school climate — open/closed — and personal rigidity would explain the variance in burnout. Several measures (Rigidity Scale, Organizational climate Scale, School Perception by Teachers, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, were administered to 124 teachers. While the interaction between rigidity and closed school climate explained some of the variance in burnout, the other interactions did not. Rigidity, considered as an independent variable, not in interaction, did not explain burnout. A number of environmental variables were found to significantly predict burnout. Implications for the prevention of burnout are suggested.     

Becoming a teacher: The transition from teachers' college to classroom life

In the light of the recent literature on beginning teachers, this paper elaborates upon their concerns and how these concerns relate to school environments and to the teaching profession. The paper presents a qualitative study based upon interviews with beginning teachers and a content-analysis of the protocolled interviews. Findings indicate the co-existence of both commonalities and distinctive characteristics of beginning teachers' concerns in various types of schools. While commonalities pertain to concerns inherent in the teaching profession, distinctive characteristics pertain to school environments. The latter seem to be an influential factor in the professional socialization of beginning teachers. Practical implications are drawn for teacher educators, school advisers and inspectors.

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Zusammenfassung Angesichts neuerer Literatur über Junglehrer, arbeitet dieses Papier ihre Einstellungen heraus und wie diese Einstellungen mit dem Schulumfeld und dem Lehrerberuf in Verbindung zu bringen sind. Das Papier stellt eine qualitative Studie dar basierend auf Interviews mit Junglehrern und eine Inhaltsanalyse der Interviewprotokolle. Die Ergebnisse weisen auf eine Koexistenz sowohl gemeinsamer als auch unterschiedlicher Merkmale in den Einstellungen von Junglehrern in den verschiedenen Schultypen hin. Während die gemeinsamen Einstellungen inhärent dem Lehrerberuf zuzuordnen sind, gehören die unterschiedlichen Merkmale zum Schulumfeld. Das letztere scheint ein Faktor zu sein, der die berufliche Sozialisation der Junglehrer beeinflußt. Praktische Folgerungen werden daraus für die Lehrerausbilder, Schulbehörden und Schulinspektoren gezogen.

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Résumé A la lumière des études récentes qui existent sur les enseignants débutants, cet article examine en détail les problèmes que ceux-ci rencontrent et leurs rapports avec l'environnement scolaire et la profession d'enseignant. Il s'agit d'une étude qualitative basée sur des interviews d'enseignants débutants et une analyse du compte rendu écrit de ces interviews. Les résultats révèlent la coéxistence de caractéristiques communes et distinctives dans les problémes des enseignants débutants des différents types d'écoles. Si les problèmes communs à tous font partie inhérente de la profession d'enseignant, les caractéristiques distinctives ont trait, elles, à l'environnement scolaire. Celui-ci semble être un facteur qui influe sur la socialisation professionnelle de l'enseignant qui débute. Des implications pratiques sont présentées pour les professeurs chargés de la formation des futurs enseignants, les conseillers et inspecteurs d'écoles.

     

The role of the elementary school principal — as perceived by Israeli principals an attempt at role analysis

The study aimed to define the role of principalship, necessary because of the conflicting loyalties and responsibilities inherent in this role. Four ‘facets’ were used to classify areas of principals' activities, from which a questionnaire was constructed. Ninety principals, representing most of those in the northern part of Israel, participated in the project. On the basis of the questionnaire, they related their role activities to the degree of autonomy they felt they were granted. The findings identify the main factors in the role of the principal and show that principals' activities may be defined according to (a) the degree to which they have been planned in advance or carried outad hoc; (b) their professional or bureaucratic character; (c) the goals which they are meant to serve and whether their aim is task/product-or person-orientated. In all of these areas the principal can act with varying degrees of autonomy. The techniques employed in obtaining and analyzing the results offer a means of creating and comparing principals' profiles, hence also of indicating the position of the principal in the more general system; producing a typology of administrative styles; and identifying personal styles of principalship.