The gap between the declared and actual attitudes of Arab teachers in Israel

Abstract AR

This research examines the relation teachers’ attitudes to cultural domain.

The sample includes 12 Arab teacher groups, each group contains 15-25 teachers (N=320) in different times.

The research instrument is “hidden attitude exercise” (Laboratory Exercise) that is similar to Laboratory tests in the medical sciences.

In the exercise, which includes a description of seven female teachers, each one represents a certain type of behavior and values.

The members of the groups are requested to rank the teacher who is likely to be a candidate for termination as number 1 and the last candidate for termination as number 7.

Also the teachers are requested to take declared position about the same issues in the “hidden attitude exercise” such as: alternatives versus old teaching methods, Content discipline versus teaching process, Authorities versus freedom.

The findings of the research show significant gap between the declared and actual levels of the teachers’ attitudes.

This shows that in the traditional society, which is characterized by conservatism, low exposure, low openness and unwillingness to accept criticism, there is also a desire to please others (Almisaira) which weakened the school organizational culture and form a serious obstacles for development of the teacher’s professional attitudes.

It is necessary to minimize the influence of Arab conservative culture on schools by developing the school’s organizational culture.