| The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the effects of staff development training on teachers. Specifically, this study intended to determine whether participants in a staff development program entitled "Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP), would demonstrate a statistically significant shift in locus of control as a result of their training.; A secondary intent of this study was to determine whether factors other than the participants' perception of improved academic achievement among their own students, acted as a mediator or predictor variable for any locus of control shift measured.; The study was conducted as a pre-experimental, non-equivalent group design. There were two groups in the study; an experiment group (trained) numbering 81, and a control group (untrained) numbering 90. Both groups comprised teachers spanning grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12. The dependent variable was measured using Thomas Guskey's Responsibility for Student Achievement Questionnaire (RSA), an instrument developed to measure teacher locus of control specific to classroom practice. The data were collected and were applied to the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at the.05 level of significance.; The ANCOVA analysis resulted in the decision not to reject the major null hypothesis. This decision held true for all three measures of the dependent variable, R+, R-, and R Total. For this reason, further investigation of mediating variables was not pursued.; The data were however subjected to further analysis, using correlated t-tests, when the ANCOVA statistic detected a directional shift in the mean scores of the experimental group that was opposite to the expected direction.; The results of this analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in mean scores of experimental group participants from pre to post on all three measures of the RSA instrument. This finding, which was contrary to prior research, suggests that, on average, the trained teachers became more external, as opposed to internal, in their locus of control orientations as a result of the training designed to improve their classroom teaching skill.; Discussion is provided regarding this departure from prior research and suggestions for further research are offered. |
