Professional Dress of Teachers Affecting

Professional Dress of Teachers Affecting Student Behavior in the Middle School

Middle school teachers in the United States today are faced with a daunting task. Overcrowded classrooms, federal and state mandates, and an increasing number of English as second language learners frequently contribute to less-than-ideal learning environments. Therefore, identifying what works best in such settings and what does not in such settings represents a timely and relevant endeavor today. Some observers suggest that one simple way that middle school teachers can improve the effectiveness of their educational services delivery is by wearing professional attire. This action research paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning how professional dress of the teacher affects student behavior in the middle school, a description of the data to be gathered, an analysis of the data, salient conclusions drawn from the data, and recommendations based on the data collected in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Background and Overview

When young people first enter the middle school classroom, they may be in for some transitional challenges. The coursework is likely much more complex and challenging, and there will likely be numerous new faces encountered as well. In addition, an increasing number of students in American classrooms are English as second language learners, making cross-cultural considerations extremely important for middle school teachers today. In this environment, understanding what makes young people more comfortable is an important component of teaching. To this end, cultural identity can contribute to a sense of security and can make learning more meaningful. For example, "Not only does culture allow us to maintain our sense of identity and how we perceive ourselves, it also represents the lens through which we view and evaluate the behaviors of others. The perception of culture-related identities and their manifestations in the classroom are especially relevant to school achievement by students" (Neal, Mccray, Webb-Johnson & Bridgest, 2003, p. 49). Such perceptions of culture-related identities are important considerations for the middle school teacher, of course, but there are some other issues involved that transcend these considerations as well. For example, Carr (2000) suggests that, "It is hardly surprising that educationalists, particularly in conservative, culturally homogeneous places and times, have often made a fair amount of fuss about professional dress" (p. 216). This "fair amount of fuss" has not translated into a great deal of peer-reviewed studies, but despite this dearth of timely investigation, there are some important considerations involved in the need for professional dress in the middle school classroom that can be discerned from the existing body of evidence and these issues are discussed further below.

Importance of Professional Attire for Middle School Teachers

Notwithstanding the need for ensuring a recognition and appreciation of cross-cultural factors in an increasingly multicultural classroom, personal experience and empirical observations suggest that a tie can command instant respect for male teachers and comparable attire for female teachers can produce the same effect. These are virtually universal reactions to professional attire and are critically important in developing an environment in the middle school classroom that is conducive to learning. In this regard, Powell and Caseau (2004) report that the physical characteristics of teachers influence the effectiveness of classroom communications in a number of ways: "We live in a culture obsessed with physical looks so it is not surprising that attraction plays a substantial role in the classroom. Research indicates that attraction positively correlates with grades and teachers interact more with students considered attractive. Attractiveness is also related to popularity" (Powell & Caseau, p. 10).

The clothing and other materials worn or displayed by individuals in the middle school classroom are artifacts and symbols that are important factors because they play a fundamental role in identity management in the classroom. According to Powell and Caseau, "Skaters, preps, and jocks each dress a particular way to mark who they are. Many young African-American men wear do-rags over their hair, and more and more students are getting tattoos and piercings to express their individuality. In some school systems students are not allowed to wear clothing that can be construed as gang related" (p. 10). Clearly, then, the manner in which individuals dress in the American classroom communicates a great deal about them and how others perceive them.

A growing body of research has investigated the impact of different types of attire on the judgments of teachers. For example, Morris, Gorham, Cohen, and Huffman (1996) studied the effects of the attire of teaching assistants on their credibility. Three conditions of their attire: (a) formal professional, (b) casual professional, and - casual were studied and these researchers determined that perceptions of competence were directly affected by dress. According to the authors, the more casual the dress, the less competent the teaching assistant was perceived to be; the study results also showed that a casual dress style was related to an increased perception of sociability on the part of the educator (Morris et al.).

Likewise, Roach (1997) investigated the impact of the type of attire worn by graduate teaching assistants on academic performance, student conduct and ratings of instruction. This researcher identified correlations between teaching assistant attire and student learning (affective and cognitive) and determined that learning increased when graduate teaching assistants wore professional attire. Moreover, graduate teaching assistants who dressed more professionally also experienced improved student conduct in the classroom (Roach, 1994). Professional dress helped the instructor establish and maintain appropriate distance and boundaries. In addition, the graduate student teachers with professional attire received higher teacher evaluations (Roach). Based on her empirical observations, Bryant (2003) reports that, "Instructional research has provided a language for me to describe what occurs in the classroom. Applying my knowledge of instructional research, I wear professional attire to increase student cognitive and affective learning" (p. 130).

According to Powell and Caseau, "Students seem to expect professionalism from an instructor, and dress style helps teachers fulfill this expectation. This research is consistent with a wide range of studies that have examined the effects of attire. Individuals in professional contexts such as teaching positively influence their credibility by dressing in a professional fashion" (emphasis added) (p. 11). One long-time supervisory teacher summed up the importance of professional attire in the classroom in the following way: "Without a question, dress sends a strong message about who teachers are as individuals and as professionals. The message is clear -- those who want respect for themselves and their profession must dress accordingly" (quoted in Powell & Caseau at p. 293). Likewise, Scherer (1999) emphasizes that new teachers quickly learn that "professional attire is an expectation of the district and will influence students' perceptions of them" (p. 31). Finally, Cooper (2003) points out that the "conceptualization of teachers as professionals [can] be inferred from their professional dress" (p. 413).

Practical Realities and Constraints to Professional Attire

There are some fundamental realities involved in what type of attire can be regarded as professionally appropriate in the middle school classroom, though, depending on the curricular requirements involved. As Carr (2000) points out, what is considered professional teaching attire will vary from state to state, region to region and even district to district. According to this author, "The fact that what is sartorially acceptable would appear to vary from school to school may in itself appear to testify to the outdatedness of notions of professional dress in teaching. It is not just that schools differ in general ethos but that the professional roles and functions of teachers will often vary widely both within and between schools" (Carr, p. 217).

There are also some practical considerations involved in just how nicely middle school teachers can dress for their jobs. In this regard, Carr advises, "In the nature of their work, then, teachers of art, craft and chemistry require various kinds of protective clothing, PE teachers will sport tracksuits, and in the rough and tumble of nursery, infant and primary work it may be neither economic nor practically convenient to ply one's trade in clothing which is not quite beyond the pale for other presentational purposes" (p. 218).

General Professional Attire Guidelines for Middle School Teachers

Clearly, then, there may not be a "one-size-fits-all" approach available to specifying what is considered "professional attire" for all middle school teachers, but this does not mean that some type of general dress code is not possible or desirable. For example, Carr notes that, "Despite the fact that all of this makes it practically difficult to impose a universal dress code across the board of professional practice, the issue still seems to generate considerable concern... And one may not feel entirely unsympathetic towards those who still wish to insist that teachers should observe some standard of sartorial respectability" (p. 218). In this regard, there are some general guidelines available that can be discerned across the board in many school districts today. According to Diez (2007), "Some institutions have developed statements of proficiencies that include expectations for professional behavior, often focusing on characteristics such as punctuality, professional dress, and honesty" (p. 388). By ensuring that an acceptable level of professional attire is in place, middle school educators will also be sending a positive message to their students that their dress codes are equally important and the classroom teacher is the best way of communicating these. According to Carr, "It is good for the development of young people to undergo some dress discipline, and only right for teachers to set pupils an appropriate example in this respect" (emphasis added) (p. 218).

There are some common sense rules that can be followed by middle school teachers in determining what will be perceived as "professional attire" by others, especially their students. For example, in his essay, "Transition to Teaching: Putting Your Best Foot Forward," Senne (2004) recommends conservative attire and jewelry for both male and female middle school teachers. According to this author, "Female teachers should choose to wear a conservative dress (appropriate length), blouse and skirt, or blouse and dress slacks. Male teachers may opt for a dress shirt, dress slacks, tie, and suit coat. Shoes should be consistent with selected attire" (p. 46). While these are the typical choices for professional attire, they certainly do not represent the entire range of appropriate dress for middle school classrooms. For example, Senne emphasizes as well that, "Grooming should be conservative as well. Teachers should also consider the impression that visible body piercing and tattoos may have" (p. 46).