Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory

'Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory (MTAI) authors Cook, W. W., Leeds, C. H., Callis, R. (1951) was applied to measure teacher's attitudes toward pupils and teaching. MTAI consists of 150 statements measuring level of success of teacher-pupil relationship in general and the teacher's satisfaction with own profession, which is named "attitudes toward teaching" by several authors (teacher's moral evaluation of pupils with regard to their relation toward standards and moral values enforced by the adults, discipline and directing the class, and the use of different problem-solving methods, knowing the stages of development in pupils regarding their abilities, learning, motivation, results achieved and personal development, knowing the means of education regarding the education philosophy and curriculum, personal reactions of teachers.) The level of agreement with each of 150 statements is measured on the Likkert-type scale, with five levels: I completely agree, I agree, I cannot decide, I disagree, I completely disagree. At the positive end of the scale is the teacher who has the ability of creating harmony in relations with pupils, which are full of mutual understanding and loyalty. The teacher is satisfied with his/her work with pupils, motivated for work and finds in it a mean to realise own abilities and own personality. He/she creates a climate of co-operation, and the sense of security motivates pupils to state their attitudes and gives them freedom of forming own opinions.

The negative end of the scale pictures a domineering teacher, who can successfully dominate, which means ruling with an "iron fist", creating an atmosphere of tension, fear and pressure. The teacher can also be unsuccessful and become nervous, indecisive and confused. Such teacher's class becomes frustrated, the pupils nervous, inattentive and the discipline problems frequent. In classes taught by such teachers, the pupils dislike learning, there is a relationship of mistrust, even hostility between the class and the teacher. Such a teacher does not understand or know his/her pupils. He/she pays more attention on the curriculum than on the emotions and achievements of his/her pupils.