ERIC Number: ED355325
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1992-Nov
Pages: 27
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Improving Academic Achievement in Inner-City Schools: Do Attitudes of Parents and Teachers Make a Difference?
Twillie, Less Doll; And Others
A study was done to determine whether or not the attitudes of parents and teachers were related to the academic achievement of their inner-city Memphis (Tennessee) elementary school students. Seventy-one teachers, 49 parents, and 32 fourth-grade students served as participants. Teachers' responses were used to supplement the development of the "Parent Teacher Attitude Questionnaire" (PTAQ). Parents completed pretests of the PTAQ-Parent Version (PTAQ-P), were exposed to strategies designed to facilitate academic achievement, and were then administered posttests of the PTAQ-P. Students were tested on a pretest-posttest basis in English, mathematics, and reading. Students' scores were compared using dependent "t"-tests. Performance in all academic subjects improved significantly. Parents' responses to the PTAQ-P did not change significantly. The Teacher Performance Factor of the PTAQ-P was significantly related to two academic tests: the English pretest, and the mathematics posttest. The School Requirements Factor was found to be significantly related to the reading pretest. Changes in parents' responses to the test were positively correlated with three of the students' academic gain scores. Appendixes contain the PTAQ-P and the PTAQ factor structure and associated items. Contains 12 references. (JB)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Attitude Measures, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary Schools, English, Grade 4, Inner City, Intermediate Grades, Mathematics Achievement, Parent Attitudes, Questionnaires, Reading Achievement, Teacher Attitudes, Urban Education, Writing Achievement
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A