Content area
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a training intervention on the dogmatism, flexibility, and attitudes of preservice students. The content of the program was based on the following two models of teaching: the Concept Attainment model and the Synectics model.
The quasi-experimental research design was used for this study. The subjects were members of two intact groups. All subjects were administered the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, Form E, as a pretest and the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory as a posttest. Flexibility was measured using the modified Flanders' Interaction Analysis System (Flanders, 1970).
Analysis of variance was the major statistical procedure used for data analysis. The alpha level for statistical significance was set at .05. The findings for this study were: (1) No significant relationships were found between dogmatism and flexibility, dogmatism and attitudes, and flexibility and attitudes of preservice students. A significant relationship, however, was detected between the levels of flexibility for preservice students. (2) No significant difference was found between the pretreatment and post-treatment teaching flexibility of senior preservice students. (3) No significant difference was detected between the teaching flexibility of junior and senior preservice students. (4) Elementary preservice students were significantly more flexible than secondary preservice students. (5) No significant difference was found in the teaching flexibility and attitudes between low dogmatic and high dogmatic preservice students. (6) Preservice students were significantly more flexible during the second teaching episode than during the first teaching episode.
The significant findings for this study indicate that the training intervention had an effect on the flexibility of preservice students, thus suggesting that the teaching flexibility of preservice students can be influenced through training. This, however, is inconclusive as pre-treatment flexibility scores were not available and comparison between the pre- and post-treatment teaching flexibility of preservice students was not possible.
