Assessing the Gains of Behavioral Dynamics Essential for Success in a Democracy for Teacher Education Students

Abstract

This is a statistical assessment of gains in behavioral dynamics essential for success in a democracy by a large group of teacher education students as they progress through college and graduate school. It is based on Dewey's definition of a democracy -- interdependence of independent individuals where two critical behavior dynamics are essential for success in a democracy: (1) ability to make a living in a competitive economic society -- which involves maturity, and (2) the ability to get along with all different kinds of people -- which involves integration. The study includes a cross check on the same data (validity of outcomes) by the use of the age of students in relation to grade; since students get older as they progress through college, and even to make comparisons among varying statistical procedures for further validity purposes. Let there be no doubt, based on this data, that our teacher education students are being prepared well for successful living in a democracy. The Democratic Maturity Test (DEMO) This test is being developed to assess personal maturity and the social integration of individuals, and seeks to include the dynamics essential for success in a democracy. It is comprised of 200 true/false items, and is designed for running on a PC AT like computer. It is comprised of two separate parts with four part scores in each, and includes the essentials described by John Dewey as the basis for a successful life in a democracy: College Students Involved in Study A total of 1,452 college students largely from Tennessee, Texas, and California were involved in the study. They ranged in age from 18 to 43 years with a mean age of 21.23 years and a standard deviation of 4.76 years. It included 982 female students 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. There were 470 male students ranging in age from 18 to 38 years with a mean age of 19.19 years and a standard deviation of 2.36 years. All students were majoring in teacher education. There were 768 freshmen, 82 sophomores, 334 juniors, 148 seniors, and 120 graduate students. Age and Grade Level Correlations The pearson correlations shown in Table 1 below for column 1 depict a comparison between age and democratic maturity for the 1452 college teacher education students. Ten of the 11 DEMO scores correlate significantly with the age of the college students. This means that the older the student the higher are those scores, and the better they are prepared to compete successfully in a democratic (economically based) society, and to get along well with the widest possible assortment of people (race, religion, and culture). In the second column of Table 1 are the correlations with being a male or female, and when the correlation is negative (has a - sign) the female tends to demonstrate greater democratic maturity than the male. Every one of the DEMO scores show greater democratic maturity for females over males, and 6 of the 11 scores are statistically significant at the 01 level of confidence. Clearly females show greater democratic maturity than males; a very dramatic change from the period before 1919 when many females were not even allowed to vote in national or local elections. The third column of Table 1 shows correlations in relation to GRADE; where grades range from freshman through graduate level. Every single one of the 11 DEMO scores show statistically significant greater democratic maturity as our teacher education students progress through the college grades. The correlations for the total scores (PERMAT, SOCINT, and DEMTOT) on the DEMO test are much higher than for any of the single part scores; showing that general democratic maturity is achieved better than any single aspect, and as measured by part scores. This represents person-centered learning at its best for our teacher training institutions. …