A Study within the Churchville-Chili Central School System to Determine the Emerging or Changing Role of the Teacher at Churchville, New York

Abstract

Educational systems are often a reflection of the society in which they exist. This study explores teachers’ and board members perceptions of teachers’ changing roles at Churchville-Chili Central School. The researchers organized a focus group consisting of three administrators and ten teachers (two teachers from each of five schools) and conducted interviews on a number of structured topics. Findings emphasize that a teacher’s primary task is the direct instruction of students, despite the proliferation of clerical-type duties during the work day. Teachers expressed the opinion that team-teaching was an excellent way to maximize student success. The researcher proposes a team-teaching format, and suggests that future research focus on determining the effectiveness of team teaching on student learning outcomes.