Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication

 

Date of this Version

Winter 12-1981

Comments

A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College in the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education Major: Interdepartmental Area of Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction Under the Supervision of Professors Roy D. Dillon and Hazel M. Crain

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influentia1 in student choices of secondary vocational teaching as a career. The population for the study consisted of students entering vocational teacher education programs in public postsecondary institutions in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Vocational areas included agriculture, business education, health occupations, home economics, industrial education (including industrial arts) and marketing and distributive education. Questions investigated included the degree of influence of particular persons, preparationa1 experiences, and intrinsic and extrinsic vocational teaching-related factors on student decisions to enter vocational teacher education. Questions relating to the time at which students made the decisions to enter vocational teacher education and whether completion of high school vocational classes was influential on student decisions to enter vocational teacher education were also included in the study. From a total population of 585, a random sample of 369 students, stratified by vocational area, was drawn. Questionnaires were mailed individually to all students in the sample. A total of 254 usable questionnaires (69 percent) was returned. Data collected were submitted to statistical tests and procedures including analysis of variance, cross tabulation, chi-square, and the Tukey-HSD procedure. Conclusions drawn from the findings reported in the study were:(1) Some persons are more influential than others on student decisions to enter vocational teacher education programs; this influence varies significantly among vocational areas. Top ranking influential persons for all vocational areas included high school vocational teachers, parents, and friends (peers). (2) Certain preoperational experiences are more influential than others on student decisions to enter vocational teacher education; this influence varies significantly among vocational areas. The most influential preoperational experiences for all vocational areas combined included (a) senior high vocational classwork and (b) participation in vocational youth groups. (3) Student decisions to enter vocational teacher education programs are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic vocational teaching-related factors. The influence of the intrinsic factors varies significantly among vocational areas. The most influential intrinsic factors on vocational student decisions were (a) interest in working with people and (b) interest in the subject matter to be taught. The most influential extrinsic factors were (a) the practical aspects of the subject matter and (b) the challenge and variety Offered by teaching. (4) The point within the educational experiences of students at which the decision was made to enter vocational teacher education varies significantly among vocational areas. Most frequent responses to the question of when the decision was made were (a) while in high school and (b) after entry into college. (5) High school vocational courses in a vocational area are influential in student decisions to enter vocational teacher education in that area; this influence varies significantly among vocational areas.

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