Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Education Research: Scale Validation and Analysis

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critiques of Performance (Broadly Defined) in Teacher Education

Abstract

This study seeks to examine teachers’ attitudes toward education research in order to better understand teachers’ use of research findings. The purpose of this study was to update and validate a scale designed to measure teachers’ attitudes toward education research. The updated scale was administered to teachers in a large suburban school district (n=474). An exploratory factor analysis found three factors, accounting for 50.7% of total variance in the final scale. The factors underlying teachers’ attitudes toward education research are teachers’ perception of value, engagement in teacher research, and professional skepticism. Significant differences in attitude score were found for teachers’ educational background, types and quality of professional development, teachers’ experience with and use of teacher research and teachers’ professional reading.

Authors

• Nancy Holincheck, American University

• Gary R. Galluzzo, George Mason University