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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John's Road, Tyler's Green High Wycombe, Bucks, England HP10 8HR V9 0?2 0<» ' PETERSHN, AMVE ALL Y,M < HSHLR f ft R E F R PM1ERI\i5 MF SFCONDftRY SCHOOL TtACHERSr ftN FXPLCRAITKY INTERVIEW 5 f U D Y HF •<£! IU:D TEACHERS - THF (1HIJ STATE UNIVERSITY, PH.P., 3 9 7ti University Microfilms International 300 N. ZEEB ROAD, ANN ARBOR, MI 48IOG @ Copyright by Anne Allyn Rosher Peterson 1978 CAREER PATTERNS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERSt AN EXPLORATORY INTERVIEW STUDY OF RETIRED TEACHERS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Anne Allyn Rosher Peterson, B.A., A.M. ***** The Ohio State University 1978 Reading Committeei Approved By M. Eugene Gilliom Robert E. Jewett James K. Duncan Adviser Department of Humanities Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express her thanks to each member of her committee: Dr. M. Eugene Gilliom, Dr. Robert E. Jewett, and Dr. James K. Duncan. Each of these individuals made his own unique, valuable, and much appreciated contribution to the development and subsequent writing of this dissertation. In addition, the author wishes to thank each of the fifty former secondary school teachers who agreed to be interviewed for this study and who each gave so generously of his or her time and insights. ii VITA June 30, 19^5 • • • • Born - Wilmington, Delaware 1966 B.A. The University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois. 1968. M.A. The University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1972 - 197^ Teaching Associate, Department of Humanities Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1974 - 1975 Instructor, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York 1975 - 1978 Instructor, Columbus Technical Institute, Behavioral Sciences Department, Columbus, Ohio PUBLICATIONS "Should the Majority Rule?" Chapter V, Controversial Issues in the Social Studies. Raymond H. Muessig, editor. Washington, D.C.s National Council for the Social Studies, 1975« "The Quantitative Perspective on Inquiry in the Social Studies" (with James E. Harf), Chapter IV, Practical Methods for the Social Studies. M. Eugene Gilliom, editor. San Francisco: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1977. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Fields Social Science Education Minor Fields: Adult Education Curriculum and Instruction American Social and Intellectual History iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii VITA iii LIST OF TABLES vi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Research Problem.. 1 Problems Which Have Hampered Research on the Teaching Career 3 Description of the Study Completed 30 Goals of This Study 31 Value of This Study 32 Footnotes 35 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 38 Developing Perspectives for Studying the Teaching Career 38 General Stages of Adult Development ^1 Career Development Within Adulthood 57 The Impact of the Family Cycle on Adult and Career Development 70 Adult Development and the Teaching Career 76 Footnotes 87 III. METHODOLOGY 92 Introduction 92 Establishing the Research Framework 93 Obtaining the Interview Sample 101 Developing the Questionnaire 108 Summary of the Research Procedure 118 Analysis of the Data Obtained 121 Sources of Bias in the Study 12*4- Footnotes 137 iv Chapter Page IV. RESULTSt THE CAREER PATTERNS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 139 Introduction 139 General Characteristics of the Interview Group 141 Career Developmenti The External Career Pattern 154 Career Development and the Family Cycle 183 Career Development and Historical Circumstances 202 Career Development: The Internal Career Pattern 253 Summary 272 Footnotes 274 V. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY COMPLETED 275 Summary of the Research Study 275 Summary of the Results Obtained 277 Discussion of the Results Obtained 295 Discussion of Methodology 316 Need for Further Research 319 Practical Applications of This Study.... 325 Footnotes 336 APPENDIXES A. Letters to Teachers 337 B. Questionnaire 3^0 C. Data Report Form 346 BIBLIOGRAPHY 353 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Birth Years of the Interview Group 1*4-3 2. Teaching Fields of the Interview Group 1^5 3. Type of Career Patterns Exhibited by the Interview Group 152 k. Educational Background of the Interview Group.. 157 5. The Number and Duration of Teaching Assign­ ments for the Interview Group 160 6. Mobility Patterns of Teaching Assignments for the Interview Groups School Location 162 ?. Mobility Patterns of Teaching Assignments for the Interview Groupt Type of School 163 8. Average Ages and Years of Experience When Members of the Interview Group Reported Having Achieved Optimal Teaching Circumstances. 165 9. Career Trend From the Time of Achievement of Optimal Teaching Circumstances Through Retirement for Members of the Interview Group.. 167 10. Average Ages of Professional Group Membership and Activity Among Members of the Interview Group 173 11. Average Ages of Reported Curriculum Innovations for Members of the Interview Group 175 12. Average Ages of Involvement in Extra­ curricular School Duties Among Members of the Interview Group 177 13. Average Number and Age at Receipt of Teaching- Related Honors Among Members of the Interview Group 178 vi Table Page I*!-. Marital Situation at the Time of the Inter­ view for Married Members of the Interview Group 185 15. Average Age of Family Cycle and Career Landmarks for Married Members of the Interview Group 188 16. Supplementary Work Reported by Members of the Interview Group 201 17. Years During Which Members of the Interview Group Entered Teaching 20*f 18. Years During Which Members of the Interview Group Retired from Teaching 206 19. Ages of Reported Happiest Time in Teaching for Members of the Interview Group 257 20. Perceived Changes With Aging Reported by Members of the Interview Group 258 21. Perceived Changes in the School Environment Reported by Members of the Interview Group 26l 22. Reports of Late Life Revitalization by Members of the Interview Group 266 23. Average Ages of Late Life Revitalization Reported by Members of the Interview Group 267 2k. Career Landmarks Occurring in the Late Decade of the Twenties for Members of the Interview Group 286 25. Career Landmarks Occurring in the Life Decade of the Thirties for Members of the Interview Group 289 26. Career Landmarks Occurring in the Life Decade of the Forties for Members of the Interview Group 290 27. Career Landmarks Occurring in the Life Decade of the Fifties for Members of the Interview Group 292 vii Table Page 28. Career Landmarks Occurring in the Life Decade of the Sixties for Members of the Interview Group 29^ V11X• • • CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION . Cl]"t seems a safe conclusion that, when the social history of the present-day school is written, the careers of teachers will make up a long and interesting chapter. Willard Waller / The Research Problem One of the most astonishing research gaps in the field of education today is the lack of studies which provide information about the career teacher in the secondary school and the manner in which that person's career develops and changes over time. A career teacher may be defined as an individual who spends all or the majority of his or her working life in the classroom. Such a person would seem to be the typical secondary school teacher; and one would expect that a great deal of information would now exist indicating how the career teacher grows and changes within the occupation of teaching. However, such is not the case. There is no research which indicates when a secondary school teacher is likely to be most productive; or when he or she is likely to be most active in school activities or interested in and able to engage in 1 * Footnotes will be listed at the end of each chapter. 2 curriculum development efforts. There is no information as to when such a person might need and most benefit from further training or when a change in job assignments and responsibilities would be most beneficial.