Measuring Principals' Attitudes Toward Poverty and the Poor

• In Event: Articulations of Higher Education Across the Globe

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the relationships between principals’ poverty attitudes as measured by Yun and Weaver’s (2010) Attitudes Toward Poverty Short Form (ATP SF) and the following demographic variables: social class origin, political orientation, gender, age, ethnicity/race, religiosity, Appalachian identity, experience, poverty training, school socioeconomic status and locale. The study used descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for significance testing of the independent variables, simple and stepwise regression was conducted to determine if any independent variables were predictive for poverty attitudes. Results found political orientation and age as significant predictors of poverty attitude. Implications and recommendations for future research and future investigations of poverty attitudes within public schools are discussed.

Author

• Melissa L. Gholson, West Virginia Department of Education