Teachers’ Perceptions of the Goals of Education in the USA: responses to the educational reform literature of the 1980s |
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| Authors: | Alan J Hoffman Hugh D Hudson Jr Cathie Mayes Hudson |
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| Institution: | Georgia State University, and Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia , USA |
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| Abstract: | What do teachers in the USA perceive as the significant goals and purposes of education? To what extent are these perceptions related to those advocated in the reform literature of the 1980s? Responses to a survey administered to 279 teachers in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia are analyzed in this study. Findings indicate some areas of congruence between teachers and reformers. In areas where the reform literature is divided, especially with regard to educational purpose, teacher opinion is similarly divided. Teacher responses, however, also indicate some attempt to synthesize seemingly disparate views. To provide an expanded frame of reference, the article offers some preliminary findings based on John Goodlad's Teachers for Our Nation's Schools. The article concludes with commentary about the nature and likelihood of educational reform in the USA. |
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