Change in a Pre-teacher Education Group for Democratic Maturity During College and Graduate Education.

The present study sought to assess change in the development of "Democratic Maturity" and "Self-fulfillment" during the five years of a pre-teacher training program at a number of college and universities in the United States over the past five years. It seeks to examine in some detail the nature of the "democratic soul" of teachers in a democracy, and much more important, the role of the university in developing "democratic maturity for our teachers." Love of one's country, not unlike the love for one's parents and family, must be associated with the basic elements for success in one's chosen endeavor, and "democratic maturity' must be associated directly with such patriotism. How could it be different?

Group Involved

The group included 1,452 pre-teacher education students in the freshman through graduate year of studies in universities in California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. They ranged in age from 18 through 43 years with a mean age of 21.23 years, and with a standard deviation of 4.76 years. There were 982 females ranging in age from 18 to 43 years, with a mean age of 22.20 years, and with a standard deviation of 5.28 years. Four hundred and seventy were males ranging in age from 18 to 38 years, with a mean age of 19.19 years, and with a standard deviation of 2.36 years. There were 768 freshman ranging in age from 18 to 38 years, and with a mean age of 18.39 years. There were 82 sophomores ranging in age from 19 to 24 years, with a mean age of 21.20 years, and with a standard deviation of 1.70 years. There were 334 juniors ranging in age from 20 through 27 years, with a mean age of 22.53 years, and with a standard deviation of 2.37 years. There were 168 seniors ranging in age from 22 to 35 years, with a mean of 25.10 years, and with a standard deviation of 4.31 years. One hundred and 20 of them were graduate students ranging in age from 23 to 43 years, with a mean of 31 years, and with a standard deviation of 6.93 years.

Tests Used

Two newly being developed psychological test considered to be in final stages of standardization prior to marketing were used in the study. Each one of the tests contains 200 true/false type items that are distributed in eight part scores, with 25 items in each. The tests are designed to run in a PC AT like computer using the Microsoft DOS operating system. In a sense the tests seeks to assess major elements associated with patriotism in a democracy, and which characterizes the psychological structure of a democracy. As John Dewey and others have insisted repeatedly "a democracy is the interdependence of independent individuals." The first portion of the DEMO test Personal Maturity is associated directly with "independence," while the second part, Social Integration, is directly associated with "interdependence."

Findings

Clearly the teachers from the three states included in the data contained in Table 1 below show a fervent zeal to acquire the kind of personal patriotism associated with "democratic Maturity" as defined and used in The Democratic Maturity Test (DEMO). Every single one of the 11 different scores on the DEMO test proudly displays a statistically significant gain over the five year program at the 0.000 level of confidence.

Table 1
Use of Analysis of Variance to Assess College Grade Differences
(N=1452)

               (N=768)       (N-82)       (N=334)       (N-148)
Scores         13th Gr.      14th Gr.     15th Gr.      16th Gr.

1. Self-esteem - EST:
M              70.68         81.85         77.68         76.00
SD              7.55          7.55          7.05          8.08

2. Coping Skills - COP:
M              74.29         81.27         81.99         82.16
SD             13.14         10.42          7.89         10.42

3. Assertiveness - ASS:
M              61.53         62.73         69.63         65.24
SD             12.68          9.04         13.14          9.00

4. Locus of Control - LOC:
M              68.75         81.46         77.39         77.30
SD             13.87         10.24          8.97         13.32

5. Personal Maturity - PERMAT:
M              275.2        307.32        306.68        300.70
SD             40.07         23.33         23.34         28.17

5. Conformity - CFM:
M              60.53         71.61         64.24         73.14
SD             13.76         11.65         16.20          8.39

6. Sympathy - SYM:
M              64.74         64.68         74.11         68.11
SD             11.58         11.65          8.62         11.29

7. Withdrawal - WIT:
M              56.84         66.93         64.60         61.68
SD             13.63         10.18          6.98          6.92

8. Caring - CAR:
M              58.33         80.00         78.99         68.70
SD             19.06         15.98         14.54         15.48

9. Social Integration - SOCINT:
M             240.41        283.02        281.94        271.62
SD             40.73         29.60         23.41         24.66

10. Democratic Total - DEMOTOT:
M             515.13        590.15        588.62        572.32
SD             70.02         49.80         33.21         42.36

Scores        (N=120)
              17th Gr.      F-Test      Probability

1. Self-esteem - EST:
M              82.67       119.660         0.000
SD             7.21

2. Coping Skills - COP:
M              90.67        74.960         0.000
SD              6.83

3. Assertiveness - ASS:
M              72.00        40.586         0.000
SD              4.02

4. Locus of Control - LOC:
M              74.67        51.114         0.000
SD              6.42

5. Personal Maturity - PERMAT:
M             320.00        93.378         0.000
SD             11.60

5. Conformity - CFM:
M              76.00        56.485         0.000
SD             13.72

6. Sympathy - SYM:
M              72.00        51.737         0.000
SD              7.33

7. Withdrawal - WIT:
M              75.33        91.559         0.000
SD              5.88

8. Caring - CAR:
M              79.33        119.56         0.000
SD             10.48

9. Social Integration - SOCINT:
M             302.67        159.27         0.000
SD             22.20

10. Democratic Total - DEMOTOT:
M             622.67        174.68         0.000
SD             30.30

In every one of the 11 scores on the DEMO (except for three scores: LOC, SYM, and CAR) the graduate level students gained most for the five years involved in the study, and the standard deviations tended to decrease greatly in size, often only half the size of other years, suggesting that graduate students of this study were a select group (much more like each other), and characterized by increased "democratic maturity." To this end, then, graduate programs in the school of education contribute more to the democratic maturity of teachers, than any of the under graduate programs in the study.

Factor Analysis

A principal Components factor analysis was computed using Varimax rotations, and where 8 independently organized factors were clearly extracted. One for each of the 8 part scores; showing clearly that what is being measured is independent of all other scores. The most significant finding, however, and quite different from studies of smaller populations, is that all factor identity scores (scores that identify the cluster) had a positive sign. Typically, with small studies CFM. SYM, and CAR tended to have negative loadings. It is clear that conformity, sympathy and caring are important dynamics intimately related to democratic maturity, and more.

Multiple Regression Analysis

A multiple linear regression analysis was computed using a constant where all 8 of the DEMO scores were correlated with the present grade level of students. The Adjusted Squared Multiple R=.334. This suggests that statistically gain was being accomplished through the five grades for students in general in relation to the 8 part scores on the DEMO test. This is consistent with the analysis of variance data in Table 1 where means were used to determine significance of change over the five years of pre-teacher training. A similar multiple R was obtained when just the four part scores for PERMAT were used, with the Adjusted Multiple Squared R=.186. Another Adjusted Squared Multiple R for the four part scores of the SOCINT was R=.254. The Adjusted Multiple R for two part total scores (PERMAT & SOCINT) against grade R=.276. Finally, the Adjusted Squared Multiple R for DEMOTOT against Grade was R=.273. Every one of the multiple Rs were statistically significant at the 0.000 level of confidence, and showing clearly that real gain in democratic maturity was taking place in the five year study for pre-service teacher education throughout the United States..

References

Cassel, R.N. (1998). The Self-fulfillment Inventory (SELF). Chula Vista, California: Project Innovation.

Cassel, R.N., and Airman, W.D. (1999). Comparing the democratic maturity and self-fulfillment between college AFROTC cadets and upper class college students. Education (pending)

DeMoulin, D.F. (1999). Comparing the democratic maturity and self-fulfillment achievement of college students and seniors. College Student Journal (pending).

DeMoulin, D.F., and Ritter, D.L. (1999). Comparison of democratic maturity and self-fulfillment between high school AF JROTC cadets and upper division college students. College Student Journal (pending).

Kolstad, R. (1998). Accountability in pre-service teacher education in relation to acquiring democratic maturity. College Student Journal, 33(1), 27-33.

Kolstad, R. (1999). Change in democratic maturity for a group of science majors at a Texas university. Education.

Kolstad, R. (1999). Comparison of democratic maturity test scores for freshmen from a small private college with a large university in Texas. College Student Journal (pending).

Kolstad, R., Slovar, J.P.& Ritter, D.L. (1998). Comparing the democratic maturity of 50 college science majors with 154 high school JROTC cadets. College Student Journal, 33(1), 120-123.

Dr. DeMoulin, Education Studies, University of Tennessee-Martin. Dr. Kolstad, Elementary Education, Texas A & M University at Commerce.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. DeMoulin, Education Studies, University of Tennessee-Martin, Martin, TN 38238.