An Analysis of Attitudes Toward Career Education PDF Download

Author: Joe H. Ghaffari
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Vocational education
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
The Purpose of the Study The overall purposes of this study were: (1) to identify and analyze the attitudes of the school board members, vocational teachers, non-vocational teachers, school administrators and career education administrators toward career education; (2) to identify and analyze the attitudes of the above five personnel groups toward career education, on the basis of the size of the school district they represent. Three sizes of school districts were represented in the study: small, medium and large. The specific objectives of the study were to identify and analyze: (1) the attitudes of schocl board members toward career education; (2) the attitudes of the vocational teachers in grades 11-12 toward career education; (3) the attitudes of the non-vocational teachers, school administrators and the career education adminis trators in grades K-12, toward career education; (4) the attitudes of the above five personnel groups toward career education, as they represent small, medium and large school districts; (5) the interaction among the five personnel groups, the size of the school district they represent and attitudes toward career education. Procedures Construction of the research instrument was accomplished through an extensive review of the literature, especially the studies using the survey research technique in measurement of attitudes. A jury panel of Oregon educators studied and finalized the research instrument. The final survey questionnaire, containing 43 statements, was mailed to 240 randomly selected respondents. A five-point Likert-type scale was used to gather the data. Six large, 12 medium and 25 small school districts were randomly selected to participate in the study. The participants were selected randomly from the above selected school districts. One hundred and fifty returned survey instruments were needed to complete the study. Each personnel group was represented by 30 study participants: 10 from small, 10 representing medium and 10 from large school districts. The F statistic was used to analyze contrasts among the mean scores for each statement with the .05 level of significance being used to determine differences existing among the personnel groups and the three school district sizes. A test of Least Significant Difference was used to determine where significant differences existed between means of statements which were rejected in the analysis of variance test. Selected Findings and Conclusions The two-way analysis of variance test indicated that the study participants representing the five personnel groups and the three school district sizes, were alike in their responses to statements contained in the research instrument, but significant differences did occur in 3 of the 43 statements. The rejection of the null hypotheses on the three statements by either the personnel groups or the school district respondents resulted in the expression of the following attitudes: (1) school district respondents did not view student organizations as a viable part of the career education concept; (2) the personnel groups viewed career education as another addition to the curricula; and (3) the personnel groups did not feel that classroom teachers are receptive to the infusion of career education into their existing program of studies. Based on mean scores, both the personnel groups and the school district respondents supported work experience, career guidance, career exploration and the preparatory role of career education for the world of work. The above populations, while supporting the major components of the career education concept, expressed negative attitudes toward the effects of career education on the quality of education and viewed it as a frill.