Description and Rationale of the Survey

The Witcher-Travers Survey of Educational Beliefs is a 40 item instrument that can be used for assessing the educational beliefs of pre- and inservice educators. The instrument also can be used as a springboard for class discussion, a tool for reflective thinking and self-understanding, or as a resource for developing a personal educational philosophy. In addition, the instrument may serve as an indicator of change in or strengthening of educational beliefs when used in a pre-post course/workshop format.

Although numerous educational viewpoints exist, two major belief systems have emerged and present themselves in contemporary American public schools: the transmissive viewpoint--sometimes referred to as "traditional" or "conservative" education--and the progressive viewpoint (Doll 1996). These two belief systems are in opposition to one another regarding aims of education, educational practices, authority versus freedom, and the uses of subject matter. Doll stated that "traditionalists" espouse "what has been done in the past has been done well, therefore, we should hold on to it in the future," but noted that the "progressives" implore us to "look critically at past actions and practices to see what now can be done differently to make learning more satisfying and effective" (Doll 1996, 36).

According to Morris (1961) in his profile of the transmissive and progressive viewpoints, those of the conservative stance believe that the needs of the community and student are relatively constant; therefore, they are reluctant to revise, modify, or redesign the schooling process. In contrast, those with a progressive viewpoint generally are eager to match school programming to contemporary needs in order to make education meaningful and relevant to the interests and abilities of students. At times, the curriculum and programming of the school seem to be undergoing continuous change and revision.

The Witcher-Travers Survey of Educational Beliefs has been developed to assist pre- and inservice educators in assessing their tendency toward either progressive or transmissive educational beliefs. The term "transmissive" is sometimes used to denote belief systems in which the teacher, the one who knows, transmits important knowledge to the student, the one who does not yet know. Examples of transmissive philosophies and theories include idealism, realism and essentialism. The term "progressivism" is used to denote the notion that the students must be active learners whose own personal and social experiences are important to the educational process. Examples of progressive philosophies and theories include naturalism, experimentalism and constructivism.

The survey has been designed to include an equal number of items representing transmissive and progressive viewpoints on education. It is not intended to promote the notion that one viewpoint is better than another. Its fundamental purpose is to encourage reflective thinking and decision making regarding educational theory and practice.