Re-Examination of Hofstede's Cultural Value Orientations Among Beginner Palestinian Arab Teachers in Israel

The purpose of the study was to examine the cultural values orientations of beginner Palestinian Arabs teachers in Israel using the four main dimensions of Hofstede’s model of national culture. Cultural value orientations were measured using The Cultural Attitudes Inventory Instrument. Beginner Palestinian Arab teachers in Israel scored high on collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, while scoring relatively low on masculinity and power distance. MANOVA controlling for demographic variables indicated that beginner Palestinian Arab teachers differed by age, and the interaction between gender and marital status or age on specific dimensions. Older teachers (aged 30+ years) expressed higher uncertainty avoidance than younger teachers. The findings indicate that beginner Palestinian Arab teachers in Israel have maintained some of the values found to typify Arab societies traditionally (e.g., collectivism, uncertainly avoidance); but also deviate in some areas (e.g., power distance), perhaps due to their exposure to Western-oriented Israeli educational and organizational influences.