Traditionalists and Trendies: teachers' attitudes to educational issues.

Questionnaires were sent to 900 secondary school teachers throughout England and Wales; 373 (41%) were returned. Teachers agreed on many issues but opinion was divided on the abolition of the remaining grammar schools and the question of mixed-ability teaching. Underlying dimensions of traditionalism, belief in equality of the sexes and feminism were identified in teachers' attitudes. Older teachers were more traditional than younger ones, and science and craft teachers were more traditional than arts teachers. Women were more emphatic about sex equality than men and London teachers were more feminist than others. Teachers in schools which had been involved in the Girls Into Science and Technology (GIST) project were slightly less traditional and more in favour of equality of the sexes than other teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]