Role Theory and Teacher Education

Abstract

Possible relationships between groups of teachers and their role performances are investigated. Teachers are grouped on the basis of their pupils’ socio-economic status, teacher's age, length of teaching experience, and teacher's ethnic or racial membership. These variables are studied within the conceptual framework of social role theory. The study involves a review of literature pertinent to role theory and teacher behavior. A theoretical social role model is developed to aid in investigating actual teacher behavior while performing the role of a teacher. The concept of social role is employed because it tends to integrate three major dimensions of human social behavior: the expectational, the situational, and the personal. Field application of this study involved sixty female intermediate grade teachers. These teachers were selected from twelve schools located in one of the largest urban school districts in southern Arizona.