Who Fits the Procrustean Bed?: Spanish-American and Anglo Children Versus the Public Schools

The norms and behaviors appropriate to the world of work which are learned in school are expressed in teacher behavior and the classroom setting. Teacher behavior and classroom organization were examined to determine how they expressed work norms and in what ways they conflicted with the Spanish American culture. Behavioral measures were developed for those values which were most clearly related to success in the modern world of work--time, responsibility, work, and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 4th grade teachers and students in 2 Albuquerque (New Mexico) schools located in the: (1) South Valley, a predominantly Spanish American neighborhood with an almost rural small-town atmosphere, and (2) Southeast "Heights", a predominantly Anglo middle class neighborhood. Data were obtained from: observations of teachers and students over a 9-month period; a 28-item, true-false questionnaire asking whether the teacher's behavior expressed the 4 values; and interviews with 12 pupils from each classroom indicating how this behavior was expressed. Some findings were: (1) teacher behavior fell into 2 major categories--the management core and the discretionary area; (2) areas of conflict were in following rules and expectations enunciated by the teacher, keeping quiet and overtly passive, keeping busy, and dividing up available time. (NQ)