Variables related to the support of or opposition to open education schools

The introduction and rapid increase in the adoption of open education schools in the United States have not been without controversy. In spite of the many proclaimed advantages, many educators across the nation have met with frustrations and opposition, or decline in support, in their attempts to implement new and different school programs. The purpose of this study was to identify variables related to the tendency to support or oppose open education schools. Within this study, support or opposition by parents, students, and teachers was examined and relationships of various variables to such support were determined. Procedures The population for this study consisted of teachers, administrators, students, and parents associated with four open education elementary schools in areas surrounding Houston, Texas. Schools from which to draw the samples were selected from two suburban districts. Thirty students from grades three through five were selected at random from each participating school. Teachers, parents, and principals of the students selected were included in the sample. The research procedures utilized in this study involved three phases: Phase A, Phase B, and Phase C. Phase A involved the determination of open schools which had support or opposition; Phase B, involved the determination and appraisal of conditions of variables within each school as to explain that support or opposition; and Phase C, involved recognizing relationships between support or opposition in Phase A, and the variables in Phase B. In Phase A, the measurement of support or opposition schools was determined through the use of an open-ended instrument and a Likert type scale. The open-ended instrument was developed to yield a count of positive and negative responses relative to the support of or opposition to open education. The Likert type scale was comprised of basic concepts which were more frequently depicted by authors as being essential aspects of open education schools. The list of selected basic principles or concepts were: independent and happy learners, beneficial educational experiences, needs of students, real-world similar to the adult world, and individual differences. Ten statements were developed which embodied each of the concepts as they applied to parents, students, and teachers of open education schools. Five of the statements on the scale were designed to reflect attitudes toward open schools generally and five were worded to reflect attitudes toward the respondent's specific school. These statements were measured by utilizing a five-point Likert scale with responses ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. In carrying out Phase B a principal interview form, a teacher interview form, and an observation checklist were developed to analyze the respective variables, e.g., safety, discipline, teacher-pupil ratio, parent involvement, grading and reporting procedures, teacher aides, and quality of instruction. To carry out Phase C the variables were analyzed to determine which variables appeared to be positively related to the degree of support for the school and its program, which negatively related, and for which there appeared to be little or no relationship. The data collected for this study were objective, relevant, and reliable. However they did not lend themselves to tests of statistical significance. Relationships were apparent, due to consistency of findings, rather than statistically significant. [...]