Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Howard Norris
Second Advisor
David Berry
Third Advisor
Toby Rogers
Abstract
This research examined the knowledge of the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America possessed by teachers in two secondary high schools in East Tennessee. Additionally, an attempt to evaluate the relationship between church attendance in protestant evangelical churches and the teacher’s ability to address church/state conflicts within parameters previously established by the United States Supreme Court was conducted. Finally, the role of social environment was examined in teacher’s knowledge of the first amendment. Prior research within this context has produced evidence that teachers are in fact not adequately prepared to address church/state conflicts within their school systems or their classrooms in particular (Biro, 2001; Campbell, 2002; Ramey, 2009). The result of this inadequate knowledge is the infraction of student liberties established by the Supreme Court as well as the possibility of expensive and embarrassing lawsuits for the offending schools.
Keywords
Church and state, Teachers, Freedom of religion
Recommended Citation
Taft, Gary L., "First Amendment Knowledge of Classroom Teachers" (2011). Ed.D. Dissertations. 4.
https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/edddissertations/4
