Teacher Self-Acceptance, Acceptance of Others, and Pupil Control Ideology

The relationships between teacher self-acceptance, acceptance of others, and pupil control ideology were examined. Levels of self-acceptance and acceptance of others were measured using Berger’s instrument. The Pupil Control Ideology (pCI) Form, based on a custodial-humanistic continuum, served as the operational definition for teacher orientations toward student control. A sample of 276 teachers responded to these instruments. Pearson product moment correlations indicated that self-acceptance was not related to PCI, but that high acceptance of others was associated with humanism in PCI. Regression analysis indicated that acceptance of others, followed by teaching level and teaching experience, predicted teacher PCI. Speculations on why self-acceptance was not associated with teacher views on control were presented.