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IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT CHOICES OF SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHING AS A CAREER
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify factors influential 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, preparational 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 were also included. 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 (59 percent) was returned. Conclusions drawn included: (1) The influence of persons on student decisions to enter vocational teacher education programs varies significantly among vocational areas. Most influential persons were high school vocational teachers, parents, and friends (peers). (2) Preparational experiences shown to have most influence in student decisions to enter vocational teacher education varies significantly among vocational areas. These experiences 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. Most influential intrinsic factors were (a) interest in working with people and (b) interest in the subject matter to be taught. Most influential extrinsic factors were (a) the practical aspects of the subject matter and (b) the challenge and variety offered by teaching. (4) The time at which students made the decision to enter vocational teacher education varies significantly among vocational areas. Most decisions were reported to be made (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.
Subject Area
Vocational education
Recommended Citation
FORELL, JOSEE LEE, "IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT CHOICES OF SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHING AS A CAREER" (1981). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8208350.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8208350