The Alienation and Commitment of Students and Teachers in Urban High Schools.

Abstract

A conceptual framework for understanding student and teacher commitment is prsen-..ed and illustrated with data from a field study of ten urban high sc,.aols. Three points are made. First, alienation and commitment is multidimensional; teachers and students make a variety of commitments that affect tLe nature of their work. Second, teacher and student commitments are mutually reinforcing. If one is low, it will depress the other. Finally, five school factors are identified that can increase commitments: relevance, respect, support, expectations, and influence.