An investigation of possible factors affecting alienation among secondary Latin teacher

Secondary teachers of Latin are distanced from their modern foreign language counterparts throughout their preparation to teach or their job experience by such factors as Latin's status as an unspoken language, its unique teaching methodology, and its public perception. Criticism of Latin is usually centered on its being outdated or non-utilitarian, an attitude which could affect the perception of Latin teachers themselves. Latin teachers are sometimes considered oddities or curiosities by virtue of what they do. Society tends not to understand the Latin teacher, which can cause frustration or alienation from his or her administration, co-workers, or fellow citizens. It was the purpose of this study to determine whether alienation exists, to assess the degree of alienation, to investigate possible factors which affect the alienation of the secondary Latin teacher, to generate further research, and to provide (if necessary) suggestions for the possible reduction of Latin teacher alienation.;The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative measures. A survey with a quantitative instrument to explore the sense of alienation (including a section requesting demographic data), qualitative open-ended questions to investigate the perception of alienation, and qualitative interviews to strengthen and enhance the findings of the study were employed as a means of assuring validity through triangulation.;The results of the research indicate that, although secondary teachers of Latin are no more generally alienated than modern foreign language teachers, they do feel more professionally alienated and they feel misunderstood by society in general.