The relationship between normative-humanistic attitudes and discipline beliefs in a turkish pre-school teachers’ sample

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-school teachers’ discipline beliefs and normative-humanistic orientations. The sample consisted of 156 female pre-school teachers from public (89%) and private (12%) pre-schools in the western Anatolian region of Turkey. A Polarity Scale consisting of 45 items related to normative-humanistic orientation, a Beliefs on Discipline Inventory consisting of seven paired items related to low-high discipline orientation, and a general survey questionnaire were administered to participants. The results from comparisons of the total scores of the two scales show a positive and significant relationship between low- high discipline beliefs and normative-humanistic attitudes. The results and correlations between discipline beliefs, normative-humanistic attitudes of the teachers and background variables such as satisfaction level with occupation, beliefs about the prestige of teaching, age, seniority, type and the properties of the institution, age of students, and in-service training opportunities were discussed with reference to teachers’ personality characteristics and belief systems © 2004 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.