TEACHER UNIONISM AND TEACHER EMPOWERMENT - THE EVIDENCE FROM ILLINOISRURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

This study investigated the problem of how teacher unionism relates to teacher empowerment within rural Illinois school districts. Specifica lly, the study attempted to examine which variables describing teacher unions influence the attainment of a core set of conditions for teach er empowerment. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify the most significant unionism characteristics influencing the likeliho od that a rural school district would exhibit a high degree of teacher empowerment. The following were among the findings: 1) union affiliat ion conferred no advantage for achieving teacher empowerment outcomes, 2) a district's location in northern Illinois was related to teachers ' increased feelings of empowerment more so than other demographic or professional variables, and 3) teacher empowerment would appear to be as much a product of perceptions of key actors as actual empowerment p rovisions bargained into contracts.