Investigating and Comparing Primary, Secondary, and High School Principals’ and Teachers’ Attitudes in the City of Isfahan towards In-Service Training Courses

Abstract

One of the factors of improving teaching and learning as well as realization of aims of educational institutes depends on improving the quality of teachers’ and principals’ in-service educational courses. The present study aims at investigating principals’ and teachers’ attitudes towards in-service course in Isfahan City. The research method employed in the study was descriptive and the data collection method was the survey research. The population includes all teachers and principals in the City of Isfahan. Participants were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling method. The sample size included 284 participants. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire including 46 close-end questions designed based on the five-point Likert scale. Its reliability was obtained as 95% based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient in the pilot study. Comparing male and female participants’ attitudes regarding professors and lecturers of in-service educational courses indicated significant differences. In other words, female participants evaluated the degree of lecturers’ skills as higher than male ones did.  But, no significant difference was observed regarding educational needs, textbook contents, assessment methods, environment and equipment, time of holding courses, and the increase in capabilities between male and female participants. No significant difference can be indicated the comparison of participants’ attitudes regarding their educational sections (primary, secondary, and high schools) in relation with educational environment and equipment as well as the time of holding courses, but the attitudes of the same participants regarding educational needs, textbook content, assessment methods of professors and lecturers, the increase in their professional and scientific capabilities indicate no significant difference. In addition, participants’ attitudes regarding educational sections and in terms of the increase in professors and lecturers’ scientific and professional capabilities indicate a significant differences. In other words, primary school participants considered the increase in their own scientific and professional capabilities higher than those of high school participants.