The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior

Working With Teachers, Parents, Students, and the Community
Caroline R. Pryor - Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior
November 2004 | 160 pages | Corwin
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Hardcover
ISBN: 9781412904452
Available from January 0001

Description

"Educational administrators will find the book to be an easily applicable tool for solving many of the dilemmas they face in their schools."
Theron Schutte, Middle School Principal
Boone Community School District, IA

"The book provides a theoretical base for practical application of strategies that will strengthen beliefs and attitudes that support behaviors that can move a school toward the fulfillment of its educational mission."
David Erlandson, Professor
Texas A&M University

"This book keeps its promises: it is truly a guide for action that will be used by educators, especially educational change agents. Each of the authors comes out of an unusual blend of theoretical sophistication and practical experience that make this book a stimulating intellectual read and a solid manual for practice."
Steven Tozer, Professor of Education
University of Illinois

Why do people behave as they do? What makes them take a stand on a specific issue?

Solving school problems and making policy decisions require that we anticipate how people will feel about an issue or how they will behave. School leaders must understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs brought to different situations. The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior makes it possible for educators to scientifically understand and influence the attitudes and behaviors of diverse constituencies, both inside and outside the school.
Using the Model of Reasoned Action (MORA) enables readers to understand how people form attitudes and make decisions about a wide variety of future behaviors. Armed with this information, educators can change attitudes and influence behavior of teachers, staff, parents, and the community. This excellent resource includes:

  • Examples of attitude scales
  • A sample questionnaire
  • A checklist of steps through an attitude-behavior study
  • Tables to organize and report data
  • Data analysis presented in an easily-applied manner
When you must know how best to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others, this remarkable book will show you. Make a positive difference in your school or district!

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Part I: A Useful Model for Changing School Behavior

  • 1. How Are Attitudes and Behaviors Formed?
  • 2. How Are Attitudes Toward People Formed and Changed?
  • 3. How Are Attitudes Toward Behaviors Formed and Changed?
  • 4. How Is Perceived Social Pressure Formed and Changed?
  • 5. Putting it All Together: The Model as a Whole

Part II: Conducting Your Study

  • 6. Narrowing Your Interest
  • 7. Collecting Your Data

Part III: Understanding and Applying Your Results

  • 8. Analyzing and Reporting Your Results
  • 9. Applying Your Results to Your Interest
  • Resource A: Glossary of Key Terms
  • Resource B: Sample Scales
  • Resource C: Sample Questionnaire
  • Resource D: Action Plan Checklist for a Study Using the Model
  • Resource E: Internet-Based Resources
  • References
  • Index

Description

"Educational administrators will find the book to be an easily applicable tool for solving many of the dilemmas they face in their schools."
Theron Schutte, Middle School Principal
Boone Community School District, IA

"The book provides a theoretical base for practical application of strategies that will strengthen beliefs and attitudes that support behaviors that can move a school toward the fulfillment of its educational mission."
David Erlandson, Professor
Texas A&M University

"This book keeps its promises: it is truly a guide for action that will be used by educators, especially educational change agents. Each of the authors comes out of an unusual blend of theoretical sophistication and practical experience that make this book a stimulating intellectual read and a solid manual for practice."
Steven Tozer, Professor of Education
University of Illinois

Why do people behave as they do? What makes them take a stand on a specific issue?

Solving school problems and making policy decisions require that we anticipate how people will feel about an issue or how they will behave. School leaders must understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs brought to different situations. The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior makes it possible for educators to scientifically understand and influence the attitudes and behaviors of diverse constituencies, both inside and outside the school.
Using the Model of Reasoned Action (MORA) enables readers to understand how people form attitudes and make decisions about a wide variety of future behaviors. Armed with this information, educators can change attitudes and influence behavior of teachers, staff, parents, and the community. This excellent resource includes:

  • Examples of attitude scales
  • A sample questionnaire
  • A checklist of steps through an attitude-behavior study
  • Tables to organize and report data
  • Data analysis presented in an easily-applied manner
When you must know how best to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others, this remarkable book will show you. Make a positive difference in your school or district!

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Part I: A Useful Model for Changing School Behavior

  • 1. How Are Attitudes and Behaviors Formed?
  • 2. How Are Attitudes Toward People Formed and Changed?
  • 3. How Are Attitudes Toward Behaviors Formed and Changed?
  • 4. How Is Perceived Social Pressure Formed and Changed?
  • 5. Putting it All Together: The Model as a Whole

Part II: Conducting Your Study

  • 6. Narrowing Your Interest
  • 7. Collecting Your Data

Part III: Understanding and Applying Your Results

  • 8. Analyzing and Reporting Your Results
  • 9. Applying Your Results to Your Interest
  • Resource A: Glossary of Key Terms
  • Resource B: Sample Scales
  • Resource C: Sample Questionnaire
  • Resource D: Action Plan Checklist for a Study Using the Model
  • Resource E: Internet-Based Resources
  • References
  • Index
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The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior

Working With Teachers, Parents, Students, and the Community


November 2004 | 160 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Hardcover 01/02/2026 9781412904452 $79.95
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412904469 $37.95

"Educational administrators will find the book to be an easily applicable tool for solving many of the dilemmas they face in their schools."
Theron Schutte, Middle School Principal
Boone Community School District, IA

"The book provides a theoretical base for practical application of strategies that will strengthen beliefs and attitudes that support behaviors that can move a school toward the fulfillment of its educational mission."
David Erlandson, Professor
Texas A&M University

"This book keeps its promises: it is truly a guide for action that will be used by educators, especially educational change agents. Each of the authors comes out of an unusual blend of theoretical sophistication and practical experience that make this book a stimulating intellectual read and a solid manual for practice."
Steven Tozer, Professor of Education
University of Illinois

Why do people behave as they do? What makes them take a stand on a specific issue?

Solving school problems and making policy decisions require that we anticipate how people will feel about an issue or how they will behave. School leaders must understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs brought to different situations. The School Leader's Guide to Understanding Attitude and Influencing Behavior makes it possible for educators to scientifically understand and influence the attitudes and behaviors of diverse constituencies, both inside and outside the school.
Using the Model of Reasoned Action (MORA) enables readers to understand how people form attitudes and make decisions about a wide variety of future behaviors. Armed with this information, educators can change attitudes and influence behavior of teachers, staff, parents, and the community. This excellent resource includes:

  • Examples of attitude scales
  • A sample questionnaire
  • A checklist of steps through an attitude-behavior study
  • Tables to organize and report data
  • Data analysis presented in an easily-applied manner
When you must know how best to influence the attitudes or behaviors of others, this remarkable book will show you. Make a positive difference in your school or district!

Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • Part I: A Useful Model for Changing School Behavior
  • 1. How Are Attitudes and Behaviors Formed?
  • 2. How Are Attitudes Toward People Formed and Changed?
  • 3. How Are Attitudes Toward Behaviors Formed and Changed?
  • 4. How Is Perceived Social Pressure Formed and Changed?
  • 5. Putting it All Together: The Model as a Whole
  • Part II: Conducting Your Study
  • 6. Narrowing Your Interest
  • 7. Collecting Your Data
  • Part III: Understanding and Applying Your Results
  • 8. Analyzing and Reporting Your Results
  • 9. Applying Your Results to Your Interest
  • Resource A: Glossary of Key Terms
  • Resource B: Sample Scales
  • Resource C: Sample Questionnaire
  • Resource D: Action Plan Checklist for a Study Using the Model
  • Resource E: Internet-Based Resources
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

“Educational administrators will find the book to be an easily applicable tool for solving many of the dilemmas they face in their schools."
Theron Schutte, Middle School Principal, Boone Community School District, IA
"Finally a book that can serve as a useful tool for aspiring and practicing school leaders. Today's school leader needs strategies and competencies in working with diverse audiences and perspectives. The Pryors have achieved this."
Luana Zellner, Director, The Principals' Center, Texas A&M
“The business of education is a ‘people’ business; the most successful school leaders are those who have a full understanding of the individuals and groups they lead. This book provides a practical framework that enables school leaders to effectively asses the attitudes and better understand the behaviors of their staff.”
Kevin Brown, Director of Personnel, Alamo Heights ISD, San Antonio, TX
"As a former public school administrator for many years, and now at the university level, I believe principals will find important topics that are though provoking and applicable . . . an excellent tool for administrators."
Larry Butler, Coordinator/Middle Grades Program, Texas A&M University
"This book fills a major void in the literature focused upon educational leadership."
Robert Fallows, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University

Recommendations