ERIC_NO: ED363801
TITLE:  An Investigation of Opinions toward Selected Educational Outcomes. Part 1: Educators in Eastern Pennsylvania .
AUTHOR:  Wichowski, Chester P.; And Others
LANGUAGE:  English
DESCRIPTORS:  Academic Education; *Administrator Attitudes; *Course Content; Educational Needs; Educational Planning; *Educational Strategies; Futures (of Society); High Schools; *Outcomes of Education; *Teacher Attitudes; *Vocational Education; Vocational Schools
IDENTIFIERS:  Pennsylvania (East)
ABSTRACT:  A study was conducted to determine educators' opinions about what students must know and/or be able to do to graduate from high school and the blend of academic and vocational education courses that should be used for the achievement of the learning outcomes. Using a survey form developed for the project, data were collected from administrators, counselors, and teachers in Area Vocational Technical Schools (AVTSs) in eastern Pennsylvania and from a similar population of educators who send students to the AVTSs. A total of 2,138 educators were surveyed, with 1,089 usable returns. Data were subjected to factor analysis, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi Square tests. Results of the factor analysis yielded 9 factor groupings from the 66 educational outcome statements included on the survey instrument: general academic skills, technical skills, occupational survival skills, job search skills, affective job skills, basic skills, higher order skills, entrepreneurial skills, and "not named." Results of the Mann-Whitney U analysis identified patterns unique to the school setting of the respondents. The degree of emphasis ratings given to vocational or career-related outcome statements by AVTS respondents were higher than the ratings given to the same outcome statements by comprehensive high school respondents, and the degree of emphasis ratings given to the more academic outcome statements were higher for the comprehensive high school educators than the AVTS respondents. Chi square analysis identified most frequently a configuration that emphasized equal vocational and academic involvement. The study recommended that the skills groupings and emphases be used in formulating statements of academic and vocational goals and instructional strategies. (The report includes the following appendixes: quality goals, correspondence, and survey instrument. Contains 17 references.) (KS)
GEOGRAPHIC_SOURCE:  U.S. ; Pennsylvania
CLEARINGHOUSE_NO:  CE065132
INSTITUTION_NAME:  Temple Univ. , Philadelphia . Center for Vocational Education.
PUBLICATION_TYPE:  143; 160
PUBLICATION_DATE:  1992
EDRS_PRICE:  EDRS Price - MF01/PC06 Plus Postage.
COMMENTS:  126p.
PAGE:  126; 2
LEVEL:  1