I I IIIIII II III I I 2 II I I I I I II II | I . 100 644 THS A SURVEY OF THE CURREN? STATUS OF WEECH EDUCATION OFFERED {N THE AELJLT EVIENING CLASSES OF THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thesis {or £410 Dug?“ of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Barb-am Lee Amundsen 1967 ' ”55‘s LIBRARY Michigan State A SURVEY OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF SPEECH EWCATION OFFERED IN THE ADULT m0 GLASSES OF THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCMOOLS By Barbara Lee Ammd son ATHESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ms Department of Speech 1967 \ c;iE#/3;) (¢\ \ Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Speech, College of Communication Arts, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arte degree. W 8W Director of Theeie‘ Guidance Committee: , Chairman ii c. Hal}; way and also du G. Hanc t300mm have be AMOWWTS _ The writer wiShes to express her appreciation to Dr. thid 0. Ralph fer his guidance and help during the conduct of the surb vey'and the writing of this thesis. Grateful acknowledgment is also due to Dr. Fred Alexander, Dr. Jerry Anderson, and Dr. Kenneth G. Hence for their helpful suggestions and assistance. without the cosperation of these men the completion of this study'would not have been possible. 111 ABSTRACT A SURVEY OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF SPEECH EDUCATION OFFERED IN THE ADULT.EVENING CLASSES OF THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS by Barbara L. Amundson The apparent need for this study revealed itself when the writer was asked to teach a non-credit class in public speaking for her local school systemls adult night school program. While seeking information to help structure such a class she found an abundance of material relating to specialized groups of adult learners, but very little available concerning adult speech classes for the general public. To supply a picture of these classes and help reveal exist- ing conditions in this area of Speech education a questionnaire was structured and mailed to the adult education directors of Michigan public schools as listed by the State Department of’Education and the 1965-1966 membership roster of the Michigan Association of Public School Adult Educators. These questionnaires were completed and re- turned by the director if no speech class was currently offered, and passed on to be completed and returned by the instructor if a speech class was being held. The survey had a 90.9 per cent return, or sev- enty replies to a mailing of seventy-seven. iv Barbara L . Amundson The two page questionnaire contained 31 questions covering class size, limitations, cost, hours, facilities, textbooks, activities, instructor's background, pay, professional affiliations, etc. Some questions invited comment. Response showed that in May of 1966 there were 265 adults tak- ing a class in public Speaking in these night school programs. Roughly one out of three of the school districts surveyed was holding a class in speech. When the districts that had previously offered or planned to offer a speech class in the future were added to the districts cur- rently holding classes, the figure changed to show one out of two Mich- igan school districts evidencing an interest in public speaking classes. The replies showed a direct relationship between the size of the total night school program in terms of the number of students and the offer- ing of a course in public speaking. As eXpected, programs with over 500 registrants were more apt to be offering such a class. A composite class profile emerged from the similar individual answers given by 50 per cent or more of the instructors reporting. This profile is reported in detail in the final chapter. The individ- ual questions and their replies are reported in Chapter III. Of interest to speech educators should be the fact that all but two of the instructors reporting were trained to teach high school speech. Perhaps this matter should be taken into account in future teacher training. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . LIST OF TABLES. TEXT CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER IV. APPENDIX. . BIBLIOGRAPHY. TABLE OF CONTENTS NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM. MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES. . . . PRESENTATION OF DATA. . . . . . . SUMMARY AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. vi Page iii vii 13 30 31+ 37 LIST OF TABLE Table Page 1. The Relation ship Between the Total Number of Students Enrolled in an Adult Night School and the Offering of 9. Speech masseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeee15 2. Classroom Activities Ranked by Number of Instructors Reporting Their Use . . . . . . . . . . 26 vii GIAPTERI NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE 01" THE PROBLH'I Introductig High school, college, and university speech departments have done their job well. fliers are today thousands of graduates convinced of the usefulness of a course in public speaking. These adults, par- ticularly those unable to take a speech course during their regular school years, are registering for speech training through industrial programs, clubs, Dale Carnegie courses, and the various speech clas- ses offered in the evening by the colleges and public schools. A widely used speech education textbook stated in 1952 that, . . . So extensive is the recognition in this country of the vest- tional importance of speaking skill, and so widespread is the rec- mition by adults of the practical, personal handicap of speech deficiencies, that our day has seen a great increase of speech training for adult groups. Members of the speech profession have shown an awareness of the field of adult speech training in several ways. The Speech Association of Amsrioa lists among its interest groups a Business and Hofessional Speaking Interest Grmxp. There is now a sineable amount of professional literature directly related to speech training in business and industry. Research studies have been conducted relative to non-academic lanai-aw Weaver, Gladys Borchers, and Donald Kliese anith, mg Teaching of §p_e_e_gh (New Yorkr Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952), p. 15. 2 speech courses alch as the Dale Carnegie course.2 Studies have also singled out the evening adult speech classes in the major colleges and universities.3 In 1950 the Speech Association of America sponsored a survey of the “Factors Related to Adult Speech Education in Colleges and Universities.“ Each of these studies and the areas touched upon, relates to a certain type of adult learner, whether he be in industry or enrolled in a university program. General speech classes, open to any resident of a community, not dependent upon the presence of a college or university to sponsor then, seem to be offered only by the public schools" programs of night classes. This thesis proposes to study these general speech classes. fig Fromm" The apparent need for a study such as this one revealed it- self when the writer was asked to teach a non-credit class in public speaking for her local school system's adult night school program. Information to help structure such a class was sought in professional writings and through interviews with members of several university speech departments. mile the various items read and discussions held presented some useful infomation, the picture of the general adult class in public speaking was an incomplete one. Further research revealed an abundance of material relating 2Pufl. Lotan Brownstone, "An Evaluation of the Dale Carnegie Course and Similar Programs at Brooklyn College” (unpublished Ph.'D. dissertation, Department of Speech, Pennsylvania State University, 1960 ‘. ' 3Francis E. X. Dance, "An Analysis of the Speech Programs in 108 Selected Evening Colleges in the United suitesa (unpublished ' Ph. D. dissertation, Dapar'hnent of Speech, Northwestern University, 1959)“. g _ 4Brownstone, M9 p. 102. 3 to specialized groups of adult learners, but no definable body of in- fcmation in speech education for the rapidly expanding public school adult night classes in speech. These speech classes are open to the general public and are not limited to those with any special academic or business background. it this point the miter concluded that the adult education administrators themselves would have the only true picture of these classes. To better serve the adult learner in our democratic society in obtaining the best speech training possible, speech educators need also to know what the situation is at the present manent. his study proposes to begin to find these facts and fill in the gaps in the picture, hopefully proving itself useful to those interested in the adult learner and his speech training. W Today few question the importance in our society of an adult's continuing his education or the benefits to be derived from speech training. Important as it is, when the adult learner is receiving his speech training in the night classes of our public schools, very little information is available to the teacher of such a class when she attempts to define the scope of this area of speech education. This study proposed a mrvey to deal directly with this lack of infomaticn and hopefully to supply at its conclusion, a detailed and accurate picture of this type of speech class. ally when the em- isting conditions are known can a discipline begin to establifi norms and standards and recognise existing needs. This area is of prime interest to the writer, who is still teaching the night speech classes in her cormmmity. It was the . 4 writeer hope that this survey, as mentioned in its covering letter (see the Appendix) would indicate areas of need, where a greater ex- change of ideas might be of benefit in speech education. It was felt that such a survey would help better serve the increasing need for im- proved general commication - so necessary in today's complex world. tic In order to conduct a survey that would be feasible in terms of time and’expense and would secure a reasonable workable body of infcnnation, it was decided to limit the my to adult programs within the state of Michigan. his area to be mrveyed was further defined by limiting it to only those public school districtsthat offered evening adult education classes to their communities. agig ition of Tm”: he terms used in the statement of the problem are specific; however, the term "iad'ult'r could be more carefully defined for this study as a mature person who is no longer a fulltime student. "It‘lult'r classes become then, classes that are undertaken by persons in addi» tion to their regular daily occupations. The ”current static" sought in the my means the existing stateor condition as revealed by the information secured during the may. The “survey'r itself will be the collection of data supplied by completed questionnaires and an interpretation of this data. In the truest sense it is an analysis of a previously unstudied area. ofBe Thefollowing plan of research was employed: . l. The need for such a study was established. 2. A comp‘ehensive and complete mailing list was cupiled. 3. A questionnaire was structured and approved. 4. A cover letter, combining endorsenwnt and instructions, was written, approved, and mailed. 5. A follow-up duplicate mailing was sent six weeks later to all school districts which had not yet replied. 6. Incoming replies were dated. 7. he answers were tabulated. 8. The survey report was writtu. mm This study is divided into four chapters: mapter I introduces the nature and significance of the problem; (hapter II deals with the materials and procedures used in the development of the survey; mapter III presents the tabulation of the survey; and Chapter IV offers conclusions, general observations, and suggestions for possible future studies. m1]: MATERIALS AND PROCEIIIRES The primary materials used in this study were the answers found in the returned and tabulated questionnaires. These questin- naires had been sent to a mailing list compiled fran the 1965—66 man- berdiip roster of the Michigan Association of Public School ldult Educators and a list of Adult Education Directors supplied to the writer by the Department of lducation of the State of mchigen. Hails the writer's aperience teaching adult speech classes and her previous employment in direct mailing and advertising were of definite and immediate use in the conduction of the survey, val- uable assistance was also received frm the past president of the Detroit branch of the herican Marketing lssociation in the wording of the questionnaire itself. W Since the reliability of the study depended upon asking the right people the right questions, several important steps were taken at the outset. first the writer interviewed the director of her own school district's adult education department. The director was able to supply information concerning a professional organisation within Michigan that concerned itself solely with public school adult 6. 7 education - the Michigan Association of Public School Adult Educa- tors. (Hereafter, the study will abbreviate the organisation's title and call it MAPSAE, as its members do.) It was possible to secure a_l9d5-66 Hanbership List from the organizatim‘s Embership miman. 4 'lhe writer then visited the Michigan Education lssociation in person to verify the source and accuracy of the MAPSA! list and locate other reliible sources if possible. After discussion and clarification of the purpose of the proposed survey, Hr. Richard Mass of 14.3.1. called the State Department of Education and re- quested that the departnent's listing of ldult Elucaticn Directors be forwarded directly to the writer. The actual mailing list was easpiled from both of these sources. The procedure used to guarantee mailing to each indi- vidual school district and yet avoid duplication was that each school district's name was listed on a note card and alphabetized by post office. The source of the listing was also entered on the card. Thus it was possible to detemins that of the seventy-seven total surveys mailed, fifteen of the names appeared on both the HAPSB and the State Department lists, thirty names were on the EAPSAE list only, and thirty-two names were found only on the "Listing of Adult Education Directors" supplied by the State Department of mucation. Each of the alphabetized cards that formed the actual mailing list, was keyed with an identifying mmber. This served to simplify , many procedures and aided in identification of incoming questionnaires, since both pages had been numbered to match the key given the addres- see at the time the mailing was assembled. fine second mailing used the same number key but a different color. 8 The mailing itself was sent first class and included a cover letter, a two-page questionnaire, and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope. The follow-up mailing was identical to the original-except that the writer added a note at the bottom of the cover letter. All letters were delivered; none was returned to the sender. Included in the mailing delivered to the post office was a dummy letter addressed to the writer, in order to verify the actual mailing date of the survey. 0: May 11., 1966, the seventy-seven surveys were mailed to the various Adult Education Directors throughout the state of Michigan. iithin three weeks replies were received from fifty-five school districts. Since it was now the early part of June and an exceptionally busy time for school administrators, it was decided to hold the follow-up mailing until July, when it might receive better attention. m July ll a duplicate of the first mailing was sent to the twenty-two school systems which had not replied. The only addition was the writer's handwritten note in red ink across the lower right- hand corner of the cover letter stating, 'Here's another copy of the survey in case the first one didn't reach you. Thank you.' This was followed by the writer's signature. . within a week fifteen more replies were received. During the next five weeks no more replies were forthcoming, so the writer concluded that the survey was as complete as it could be, with a 90.9 percent response (or seventy-seven mailings reduced to seventy replies.) Of the seventy replies received, fifty-six surveys were used in the study. Of these replies eighteen school districts replied 9 that they were offering adult speech classes at this time and thirty- eight of the systems replied that they were not offering speech classes in their night classes at this time. A breakdown of the complete mailing is as follows: Questionnaires returned and usable 56 Questionnaires never returned 7 Lost in mail (reply stated that the survey had been returned, but it was never received) 1 Duplicates (because school districts had combined to offer Joint adult education classes) I. No Adult Education at this tine 3 Program not open to the public (this was a prison) 1 Schools offering only Basic Adult Education financed through the Economic Opportunity Act for illiterates under Title 3-3 5 men the proposed mailing list became a reality, it was pos- sible to construct a questionnaire and to visualize a completed sir- vey. With the addresses of the school systems offering adult night school classes, the next step was to secure the facts concom- ing their speech class offerings, if any. This'study proposed to re- veal the current status of these speech classes. It was now impera- tive to find the right answers by asking the right questions in the design of the questionnaire, itself. The survey design contained one obstacle that could not be bypassed. For its success it was necessary for the recipient to pass the questionnaire on to another individual. The administrator in charge of a school's adult education program received the questionnaire ini- tially. If no speech class was being offered, he was requested to an- "h"- , t 10 swer the few necessary questions and return the forms to the writer; however, if a speech class was being offered or had been offered at any time during the year, the administrator was asked to forward the questionnaire to the speech instructor for its completion and return. This vital step had to be encouraged and made very clear for the success of the survey. The writer took this problem to an expert in market research and incorporated his several suggestions in the survey: firstly, the instructions should be stated in the cover letter; secondly, the sections to be answered by the adult education director and the speech instructor should be clearly separated and labeled; and third- 1y, instructions for forwarding the questionnaire should be repeated at the actual spot where this step becomes necessary if a speech class is being offered. This was valuable advice; seventy out of seventy- seven administrators followed it (exactly 100 percent of those replying) Using her own teaching experience as a sample of what is mean- surable, the writer began structuring the actual questionnaire by first listing separately on cards each fact concerning an adult speech class that could be easily supplied by the instructor as an answer to a single question. . At this point no effort was made to limit the number of ques- tions. This card technique helped avoid duplication and made it pos- sible to group the information sought into generally relatedareas, such as class activities, instructor‘s activities, and class size. The survey results had to consist of information easily supplied by a busy person, since this study was reaching an audience generally unknown to the researcher. In the main the answers would have to lend themselves to tabulation. Though discussion of answers was invited on the reverse sides of the questionnaires, no space was allowed for 11 this on the front side. For comparative analysis this study could not invite answers that involved subjective discussions. It was the recommendation of the marketing research expert that to help guarantee replies, the impersonal and easybto-answer questions Should come first. He suggested that to avoid ambiguity'in the interpretation of any question or its answer, whenever possible various answers be supplied. In this way only the choice, not the wording, is left to the respondent. Therefbre circling, underlining, or checking were the techniques of answering that were stressed as the best method for later valid tabulation. These suggestions also were incorporated when possible into the final questionnaire. Chapter III discusses each question as it reports the an- swers received. The first six questions were directed to the adult education directors, and the twentyhsix remaining were directed to the speech instructors. In general the last twentybsix:questions were ainp ed at gathering information relating to the speech classes themselves; these questions pertained to such things as the schedule, the cost to the student, the room facilities, the class activities, and information about the instructor. As returned questionnaires were received, they were dated and their mailing list file cards removed from the original file and also dated. Any unusual information on the envelope was copied onto the card and the card was transferred to a ”Returned” file. The question- naires were filed by'number. No tabulating of replies was done until all possible replies had been received. Because of the file card system of keeping the mailing list, when the time for the second mailing arrived, it was a simple and accurate procedure to address the envelopes and key the questionnaires 12 from the file cards remaining in the original file. At that time the date of the second mailing was noted on each remaining card. Incoming mail received after the second mailing was treated exactly as it had been after the first mailing. A master chart was made listing the alphabetized, keyed names of all school districts receiving the survey request. The source of the listing (MAPSAE, StateDepartment of Education, or both) was noted next to each listing. The date of the follow-1n) mailing was entered for each my not returned. As questionnaires were received, a I'l‘es't or 'No" was entered for that listing, depending on whether or not a speech class was being offered at that time. his chart made it possible to know the number and category of replies received at any date during the con- ducting of the survey. ‘ men 90.0 percent of the questionnaires were returned, the ones which could be used (see page 9) were removed for tabulation and study. The 'Ies" and “No" returnswere separated and e. master, alpha- betized, chart made for each group. The answers to the questions were charted in numerical order, the answers to one question being recorded before proceeding to the next. master III presents these tabulations in detail. camera III Pmn'rmn or pm This chapter presents a tabulation andanelysis of the infor- mation reported on the returned questionnaires. In general the en- swers to each question will be handled in numerical order. Group- ings, combinations, and comparisons will be used for clarity. Only 14 of the '70 returned surveys were not usable; the reasons for an unumable questionnaire included: I which was lost in the mail, but reported returned by the administrator: I. which were duplications of school districts as the districts had combined to offer evening classes: 3 districts which were not offering adult education programs; 1 whose program was not open to the public as it was a prison; and 5 which offered only Basic Adult Education financed through the Economic Opportunity Act for illiterates. This gives a response of 90.9%, or seventy replies to a mailing of 77 ques- tionnaires. 0f the 56 used surveys, 18 were from school districts that were offering a speech class at the time of the mrvey (May of 1966) and 38 from those that were not. for purposes of charting and repor- ting, this study will label the two divisions, the "Ies' Group and the ”No” Group. Since each respondent did not necessarily answer each question, it is not possible to have the same number of replies to each question. The number of replies received for each question will be listed 13 1’» . imnediately following the statement of the question it self. go“ cation 1* Name of school district (56) mos—tics gt Adult Education Director (56) These questions were necessary to identify the respondent and murce of the answers. mien the information received differed from that on the‘original mailing list, a correction was made for possible future use. Question 3: Population of school district (33) This was not a useful question, for the answers were not comparable. The replies contained qualifying comments such as 'student,‘ "Glass B,‘' or "t”ibout.’r The question merely served to leave no doubt as to the intent of the next one. glegtion ‘3 Total adult students in latest tom ('52) The adult‘progrems ranged in size from 15 (Manistique) to 16,518 (Detroit). There were 32 schools with fewer than 500 students, and 20 with over 900.. ‘ Wt 18 a class in Public Speaking now being offered? (56) Speech classes were currently being offered by 18 school districts, roughlypne out of every three adult programs in Michigan public night schools.. Since the questionnaires had been passed on and completed by the speech class instructors, these 18 classes were not just "offered'r but were taking place. In the 38 adult programs not offering speech, 12 of their ad- mini streters wrote additional comments which indicated that speech had boon or was being offered regularly (see page 16). In this case over one half of the adult pregrams have evidenced an interest in- speech dfiB$8e 15 than these replies are arbitrarily grouped according to the size of their total program, using 500 registrants as the dividing point, a relationship can be noted between program size and whether a speech class is now or ever has been offered (see the following Table 1). TABLE 1 THE WTIONSHIP BM THE TOTAL NUMBER OPSTUDENTS ENROILEDINANADIETNIGHTSGIOCL AND THE OFFERNG OF A SPEECH CLASS Adult Night Schools Adult Night Schools Is Speech Offered? , Under 500 Over 500 Yes 6 12 Sometimes '7 Never , 19 I. Total 32 Z) Question 6: If & a speech class is not currently offered, please check one or more of the following reasons and return the survey to the tabulator, adding any additional comments on the reverse side of these pages. (37) The suggested reasons for no class are listed below followed by the number of respondentswho check them. The additional camel-its are reproduced on page 16. . Insufficientintereet.. . '932 No available instructor . . . . 4 Course offered by another institution e e e e 5 Otherrfi‘meeeeeeeeeeB 16 Several slrveys indicated more than one reason for not offer- ing a class at that time, but ”insufficient interest'r was the main reason given. It‘ should also be noted that of the schools which gave no indication of ever offering a speech class, 83 per cent had under 500 adults in their total program. (See mil. 1.) These are the coxmnents given by administrators in districts not offeringspeech classes: St. Clair River Area - “We offer it regularly: some years it materializes; others, not.It Glarenceville - “Our new auditorium will be completed in the near future. At that time speech and drama will be added.. Hillsdale - ”Our adult program is oriented to hobby type OIESSOSe. Inkster - 'Too few requested course but we would like to have one next year.‘r Iron Mountain - We have offered speech over last few years with little response. We have even tried different titles such as Public Speech, Toastmaster's Glass, Speaking in Public. We have had two classes in last two years. We had good response from people who took the class.” Kalmnazoo - "masses have been attempted but turnout has been too low to sustain them on a self-supporting basis. Waverly (Lansing) .. ”We are moving in this direction thru student theatre.‘ Lincoln Park - ”forking agreanent with other schools.” Ludington - "Offered in Fall. Not enough interest to warrant holding class.“ Monroe - "All speech instructors were assigned to play pro- ductions and other school activities.‘t Mount Pleasant - "Have had speech class several, years ago." Muskegon - '.Not ready in our progressflf Niles - "was offered several years ago. Had a small class.” Richmond - 'Hope to offer again in the fall." 17 Three Rivers - "Insufficient interest to offer it every year. Population area too small." Wayne - "Glass was offered but failed to 'go" due to insuf- ficient enrollment. Will again be offered during Pall Tenn." Wyandotte - "He offered course fall, winter, and spring." The remaining questions were directed to the speech instructor. The answers reported were contained in the 18 questionnaires returned by school districts which were offering a course in public speaking in their night school programs at the time of the survey (May of 1966). For comparative purposes, the instructor was asked to answer these questions in terms of the latest class taught. gigstion 1: Course( :3) title? (17) There were 17 who replied to this question, several with more than one title. The number of respondents listing a title can be found in parentheses before the title in the following column: (8) Public Speaking (1) Public Speaking (Adult) (1) Speech (1) Speech - Adult Education- (1) Speech Improvement (1)‘ Speech for All (1) Introduction to Speech (1) Business English and Speech (1)“ Effective Speaking and Personality Development (1) Community Public Speaking (1) Effective Speaking (1) Speechcreft 92‘ cation 8: Name of instructor (18) 92 estig 2‘: Instructor's mailing address (18) 18 These two questions served to verify the answers and to supply the basis for a mailing list for possible future use. Questions-10 through 15 concern the specific scheduling of speech classes for adults. It was hoped that a pattern might reveal itself, showing certain times to be more successful in drawing students. A'chart showing the specific answers received has been prepared and can be found on page 20. Each question will be briefly discussed first, however. Qgestion 10: when is class offered? Fall Winter Spring (16) There were 16 schools that replied to this question. Of these, 81% or’13 offered speech in the fall, 75% or'12 offered speech in the winter, and 63% or 10 offered it in the spring. 43% of the group or 7 offered speech classes all three terms. Each of these latter schools had a total adult registration.of ever'902. ghostion 11% Number of weeks in term (18) The length of the terms ranged from 8 to 18 weeks. Of the 18 replies, fifty per cent had a ten-week term. The number of weeks did not reveal the length of an individual course, for several classestmet twice a week and the length of individual Glass periods varied, as the next question illustrates. Question 12': Glass hours per term (18) To thiquuestion there were more varied responses than usual. The total course hours ranged from a high of 60 to a low'of 16 hours per term. The figures supplied were validated by'the writer when tabulating the answers to questions Ill and 13 (see chart page 20 where the schools have been listed according to the total course hours per term). Obviously’some of the replies described high school credit courses. This fact also reveals itself when the cost per pupil is related to the length of the course. This too can be noted on the chart. 19 Qgestion 13:: Glass hours (Tine of day) (17) The classes were scheduled to begin as early as 6:15 P.M. and to and no later than 10:00 P.M.. Glass length varied from 1%- to 3 hours. Of the 1'7 replies to this question, over half (‘9) listed a class period of only two hours in length. Question g: Circle evening class is held (17) Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. As can be noted on the chart on page 20, four classes were held twice a week and several schools offered speech on two different week nights. Only two facts seem worth noting:- (1) no courses were offered on Fridays; and (2) 7 out of 13 schools chose Monday, when they could offer the class only once. 92' estion 15: Cost to register (16) As noted previously in the discussion of question 12, the cost to the pupil has a definite relationship to the total course hours. This will be noted on the chart on page 20. Sixteen schools replied to this question and their registration fees varied from “none" to eleven dollars. There appears to be no set fee. In general it appears that the fee is less for the individual student if the course is given for high school credit. Some programs were underwritten by industry (e.g. Albion has a Corning Glass Company Fund) and some by government aid. estion l 3- Other fees? Specify (9)1 Nine schools did not reply to this question, and six schools answered "none". One system said tapes were purchased by the students. A one dollar non-resident fee was charged by one school. _ meetions 1‘7, 18, 19, and 20 are concerned with class size. Their purpose was to discover the situation and note any administrative limitations upon class size. CHART SHOWING ANSI'JTPS T") SCFE'TDTTLING “UTTJSTIONS 10-15 6 g p v 2-. c0 0 «p m rcs s2s ()2 School <1) 0 963x 3 (H g £33 4.. % District '32 "<33 '2; .332? egg B5 433 4-3 :5 4-3 C) +3 01:” :3 Q»; be (D Q—v . O U) or) on 0% 09—4 miss—e FMS 0 BO 9: emtmo Q o Waterford 60 10 7-10 TTh - X X 2.00 Lansing 60 10 6 7-10 MW X X X 5.00 East Detroit 60 15 h 3:1; TTh X X - none :1 Sault S . Marie 5h 13' 3 gzhg TTh X - - none :2 City of Flint hSV 13' 3 7-10 W X X.X none Jackson ME 15 3 7-10 M X X X h.00 Manistique MS 1h 3 6:30 M - X X 9:30 etroit 36? 12* :3: ‘7-10 T7 X:X*X* Ann Arbor 25 10 2% 7:30 M - - - 11.00 10:00 - ‘SouthTsta WV 10 2 7:30 T - - - 15.00 9:30 Birmingham 20 10 2 48-10 M X X X _7.00 Ferndale 20 10 2 7:13 M/T X X 7.00 0:1, Owosso 20 10 2 7-9 .M X - - 7.00 Menominee 20 10 2 7:30 T X - - 5.00 9:30 Flint 20 10 2 varies aTI X X - EEO-mm Garden City 18 9 5.17.9 Th X X .77 8.00 Albion 16 8 2 7-9 Th - - X h.00 Alpena 16 8 2 7-9 MTu X X X 3.00 Th 2O 2!. ‘estion t Is the course offering dependent upon a minimum number of registrants? (18) Question 18: that is the minimum necessary? (18) Each of the adult programs did require a certain number of students to register before a class could be held. Of the replies to question 17, 13 answered ”Yes." One school was unconcerned since it had an indus- trial fund to cover the deficiency to registratiOn' fees. Three re- spondents left this item blank but proceeded to answer question 18. One instructor wrote 'No' and answered the next question by listing the minimum required. The minimum number of students required to hold a class ranged from ”hone“ to 13, with a median of 10 students. . Of the 18 schools replying, 11. required a minimum of 10 to 12 students. 92' estion 12: Glass sine limit (14) Four instructors left this question blank and two replied “none.” The twelve remaining replies each named a class size limit ranging from 18 to 30 pupils, with a median class size limit of 21 students. @estion Q (3)3- Size of latest class (18) it the time of this study 265 adults were reported studying speech. f Their class sizes ranged from '7 to 23 with a median of 14.5 students. Q egtion 20 (b): Instructor's pay per hour and per tom (17) Seventeen replies gave an hourly rate only. One school replied '_'1/6 of contractual salary." The hourly rates reported can be found to M from a low of $3.00 per hour to a high of $5.50 with a median of the 17 instructors reporting at $4.75 per hour. mere appears to be no . relationship between the instructor's pay and the length of the course. Nor was any relationship noted between the size of the adult program and the amount paid the instructor. Question at Classroom facilities available (18) In replying to this question, the instructor was asked to check one 22 or more of seven listed items. A blank was left at the end of the list asking him to specify any additional items. Again it was the witsr's hope that successful speech classes might reveal a pattern of required facilities. The responses are listed below with the number of schools . replying to each item given in parentheses before the facility and the per cent of replies given after the item. (15) "Traditional” classroom . . . . . 83% (15) Speaker's stand . . . . . . . . . 83% (14)Taperecorder.... .. . ...78% (11)Phonograph ...........61% (6)Microphone ...........33% (8) Chairs and‘tables . . . . . . . . 44$ (4)3tage..............22% The only extra facility added by a respondent was a "lecture hall. " His school system used this hall as opposed to holding class in the traditional classroom. Wt that additional facilities or improvements would you include in a ”perfect” classroom? (12) Here the ten of the twelve replying instructor's added cements. Two added no comments except 'ell facilities necessary are available" and "we have what we need for our objectives.” One answer simply stated that the additions should be I"those listed in Question 21.'. A list- ing of the individual instructor's desired extras follows: four desired chairs and tables (8 already had enough); four desired microphones (6 already had one); three desired a stage (4. already had one); three desired a practice room for taping; one desired anlayback set-up; A one desired a tape recorder (11. already had them); one desired a phue- graph (11 already had one or more); one desired flats; one desired a 23 movie camera and projector; and one desired a ”lounge area nearby for informal speech activities." Of the 18 speech instructors who answered the question concerning the facilities presently available in their classroom, only 10 listed additional items. then these answers are combined for study, one can see that certain items are either in use or desired by over one-half (9) of the instructors. By adding the answers to questions 21 and 22, it is possible to list all items of this nature and precede it with the combined figure of those already using and those simply wishing for the facility mentioned . @ASSROO‘M FACILITIES USED OR WANTED BY OVER 50% OF INSTRUCTORS (15) "Traditional” classroom-desk chairs (15) Speaker's stand (15) Tape recorder (12) Phonograph (12) Gaairs' and tables (10) Microphones It can be noted that no item appears on the list which is not readily available. It would also appear that most school systems already pos- sess the most necessary, if not the most “perfect" facilities. Question 23: Text. If one is used, please give publication date and comment as to the book's usefulness (16) Of the 18 speech classes replying, 7 instructors replied that no» text- books were used; end 2 instructors left the answer blank. Of the classes using a text,5 out of the '7 classes had a course of [.5 to 60 hours per term. These are the classes giving high school credit, and perhaps more apt to utilize their current high school text. The same text 24 was mentioned by only two instructors. The texts, the schools using them, and any comments are listed below. TEXTBOOKS USED BY AWL? SPEECH-I GLASSES 1966 Flint Markert, Edward E. Iort's gpgegh for m. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1960. Cracker, Lionel. Public Speaking for College Students. ‘ 3rd. edition. New York: American Book 00., 1956. McBurney, James and Hrage, finest. Guide to Good §meg_h. 2nd. edition. hglewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice- Hall, 1110., 1960.- Hibbs, Paul M. §pgech for Todg. St. Louis, Missouri: webster Publishing Canpeny, 1965. Gggden City and Lansing Hedda, Wilhelmina G., Brigance, William, and Powell, Victor. The Neg Amcrican Spgeg. Revised edition. Philadel- phia" J. B. LippiDCOtt 00., 1963. Comment from Lansing: "Basic stress on preparation and organization of speech.” Jackson Sarett, Lew, Foster, William, and McBumey, James. Speeg «- A Féloigh School Course. Boston: Houghton Mifflin 00., 19 . Manisti Adana, Harlan M. and Pollock, Thomas C. geek Up! Revised edition. NW York: The ”@111“ 00., 19640 Cement: "his is a book that covers the types of materials needed in a basic speech class and is easy to read and interesting enough for adults who have dropped out of school.” laisriszs Masten, Charles and Pflaum, George R. §'_ogech for IQ. Evan- stom, Illinois: Row, Peterson and Co., 1961. Qgestion g4: Extra reading: Please send along a'hand-cut" list, if you use one, or list any suggested or required reading you recommeni (1) 25 Only one set of "hand-outs" was received; it came from the Mott Adult Education Program of the Flint Board of Education. The set contained detailed assignments and lessons for the adult students set up in an eight-lesson format on colored ditto sheets. The tone of the comments to the students was simple, friendly, and encouraging. No other in- structor answered this question or included samples with the returned survey. Question 25 (a): Approximate class time allotment: Per cent instructor's lecture Per cent students' speeches5 ‘ Per cent student evaluation (16) There were 16 replies to this question. It is interesting to note that the average and median were very similar. The instructors re- ported their lecture time as ranging from 5 to 50 percent, with a median of 20. The time allotment they Judged given over the course to students' speeches ranged from [.0 to 90 percent, with a median of 60 percent. The time alloted to student evaluation ranged from 'hme" to [.0 percent, with a median of 20 percent. Question 25 (b): Speeches are evaluated by the instructor, classmates, or both (16) Sixteen answered this question with the word "both"; two instructors did not reply to the question. Question 26: (The instructors was asked here to check a list of types of speeches, types of delivery, and types pf speech activities that were stressed or used in the classroom.) The replies to this question are tabulated on page 26 where they are ranked by use. SStudent evaluation refers to an evaluation by instructors and by the class of the student's speech. TABLE 2 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES RANKED BY NUMBER 0]" INSTRUCTORS REPORTING THEIR USE Classroom Activity umber of Instructors ; Percent A. Type of speeches:- Introductory 16 94 Persuasive 16 9/. Informative 15 88 Demon stration 12 71 Oral interpretation 9 53 B. Type of delivery: Impromptu 15 9’» Extemporaneous ll. 88 Manuscrigt 8 a 50 Dramatic 5 31 C. Related Activities? Group discussion 15 9’: Tape individuals 12 '75 Conversational techniques 10 63 Parliamentary procedure '7 Al. Microphone used 5 31 These replies seem distinctly to underline the activities used by the majority of instructors. A picture of the average classroom activi- ties emerges when one notes the activities that are practiced by over 6In‘l:erpretive work such as oral reading. 7Activities which are related to speech but are not actually speeche s per se. 26 27 two—thirds of the instructors reporting. The types of speeches given, then, include introductory, persuasive, informative, and demonstration. It would appear that impromptu and extemporaneous delivery are stressed in that 94% of the instructors answering used impromptu delivery for speeches and 88% used extemporaneous delivery for speeches assigned. meetion 22: Is it possible to distinguish whether the class tends to be "delivery" or Foontent' oriented? (9) Nine instructors answered this question. Two stated they would be unable to distinguish between their stress on delivery or on content. Two others answered with the word "both” - essentially the same as answering ”no.” Three stressed delivery, and two stressed content. The four comments included with the answers follow: Many of the questions do not apply. This was a special class, infomally conducted, in improvement in diction, articulation, and general speech practices. It was not a course in speech making. Neither was it organized along procedures of a formal course. It was adjusted to the needs of the particular students. Class time was spent in exercises, speech "games," in talking and evaluating "how” it was said - all with the improvement of speech patterns 'in mind. The aim was to get the students to express themselves clearly, so that they could be readily understood. Dr. Joseph Irwin, Albion College Generally, the more mature the members of the class, the more they will be content oriented. I believe, however, that one cannot separate the two; ”delivery” will depend on the student's attitude or ”feel" for the content. I always stress content in my classes. It makes for a more interesting class. P. M. Di Giorgio, Dearborn The students are primarily concerned with how to speak/ct.- municate effectively in different situations. 50 we concentrate primarily on delivery and then on content. Marlyn E. Stroud, Waterford Delivery - this is what they desire. Marvin Frederickson, Manistique Questions 28 through 31 deal with the speech instructor and his background. 28 Qgestion 28: What is the instructor's regular employment? (16) Sixteen replied to this question; fifteen of the instructors were in some area of education and one instructor was in a business field. The positions held were reported as follows: one college professor (an undergraduate speech major); one high school principal (a former speech teacher); one high school counselor (a former speech teacher); one speech correctionist; five speech teachers; six teachers (the subject was not mentioned); and one purchasing agent (a Dale Carnegie graduate). Qgestion g2: Instructor's educational background (18) Qgestion 39: Special speech background (16) The instructors did not lack for degrees: one Ph. D., five‘M.A.'s, and nine bachelor's degrees were found. Their special speech backgrounds were reported mainly in terms of undergraduate or graduate major study area. One reported radio and television experience and one instructor was a graduate of a Dale Carnegie course. Two instructors answered question 30 with just the word "Yes.” Qgestion 3;: Instructor's professional affiliations (18) In this question the four most likely organizations were listed, and space was left for tne instructor to indicate his membership in one or more of tnese groups. The organizations which they belonged to were reported as follows: ten belonged to the Michigan Education Association; two belonged to the Michigan Association of Public Sdbodl Adult Educators; five belonged to the Speech Association in Michigan; and four belonged to the Speech Association ef’America. Five instructors either did not belong to any'of these organizations or they'did not choose to answer the question. Six were members of just one organization, and seven were members of two organizations. Thirteen of the eighteen instructors were members of at least one professional organization. \ er I , " ‘f . 29 Chapter IV will summarize these findings and make some general observations relative to this survey, suggesting possible areas for further study. CHAPTER IV SUMMARY AND GENERAL OBSERVATICNS This study was undertaken for the express purpose of securing information concerning a previously unstudied area, that of the adult speech classes offered in the public school night programs. In May, 1966, a questionnaire was mailed to the Adult Education Directors of the Michigan public school districts. A detailed report of the con- duct of the survey is found in chapter II. A 90.9 percent response to the questionnaire proved the mailing list more successful than generally anticipated. The answers contained in the returned questionnaires have been individually tabulated and reported in Giapter III. The first thing which emerged from this tabulation was the fact that an interesting profile of a composite class could be made. It was possible to assmble a composite picture from the answers reported by 50 percent or more of the instructors. These findings did not purport to present a perfect class, nor did any reporting instructor have all of his answers in the "average" or over 50 percent category. The following composite is assembled from similar individual answers given by nine or more of the eighteen speech instructors reporting. The speech class is held in a public school night program that has 500 or more adults registered in its latest term. The course is titled "Public Speaking" and is held from '7 to 9 P.M. every Monday night for 10 weeks. There is only one course fee of 36.1.0 per student per term. The class is offered Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, with a 30 31 minimum registration of 11 students required. No more than 21 students will be registered for one speech class. The current class averages 14.7 students. The class is held in a "traditional" classroom (with desk- chairs) ;' and a speaker's stand, tape recorder and phonograph are available for the instructor‘s use. For a "perfect“ classroom the instructor would like also to have a micrOphone, extra chairs, and a table. The instructor is, or has been, a high school speech teacher and is a member of the Michigan Education Association. He is paid $4.26 per hour or $85.20 per term. A textbook is not used. The instructor did not answer the question that asked whether he could distinguish if the class tended to be "delivery or content oriented.’ The instructor alloted approximately 60 percent of the class time on actual student speeches, with the rmainder of the time di- vided equally between his lectures and evaluation of the students' speeches. These evaluations were done by both the instructor and the students in the class. Both extemporaneous and impromptu types of delivery were used. During the term there was also work on group discussion; students" voices were taped; and "conversational techniques” were included for study. All of this took place in a 20 hour term, at the end of a full working day for both the students and the instructor. mug; Qmations and Conclusiong The composite picture of a speech class just reported has all the elements reported by successful classes. In May, 1966, there were 265 adults in Michigan actually taking public speaking. Since this study 32 was conducted to find these facts, not to evaluate them, the next step is to suggest further possible studies that perhaps can evaluate them. Hhile the number of reporting schools that held speech classes appeared preportiunally small to the writer (18 out of 56 schools), this might be similar to the proportion of speech classes offered in credit programs. An analysis of involvment in speech classes at one specific time in a metropolitan area, including high school and college credit courses, public school night programs, Dale Carnegie courses, and similar types, might give a rough indication of the proportion of total students in the area of speech compared to total in other disciplines. All but two of the instructors reporting were graduates trained to teach high school students. If graduates in speech educa- tion will also at one time or another undertake the teaching of speech to adults, should these be any consideration of this in speech educa- tion methods courses? The majority of administrators reporting that no speech class offered checked ”insufficient interest" as the main reason. Several developed their answers with comments which have been reproduced on pages 16 and 17. Their answers could be interpreted in several ways but do not necessarily imply public apathy toward public speaking classes. Each answer is the director's epinion explaining the situa- tion in his district. It could be apathy toward his total program, the specific instructor, the wrong evening, or’many'other variables. suggestions for Possible Future Stud: The following areas for future study have been suggested to the writer while tabulating the reSponses to this survey. 33 1. A comparison of a beginning public Speaking course in high school or college with a non-credit class offered adults in public school programs. 2. A compilation of a bibliography of all the literature pertaining to the teaching of epeech to adults. This would be of great value to the novice instructor who must structure a class of adults in addition to full time teaching. (It would be sepecially valuable to the teacher who is asked at the last minute to conduct such a class "if enough adults register.") 3. The structuring of a possible course outline for use in this type of adult program, with appropriate suggestions for further development. h. A survey of adults attending all classes in one district's or community's night school program.to ascertain their in- terest in a speech class and to determine if they felt there was interest in the community in such a class. Conclusion Included in this report are facts drawn from primary source material, presenting a picture of the size and administrative detail, and an idea of the course content of the public speaking classes offered to adults in the Michigan public school districts' night school programs in.May of 1966. The writer had no preconceived idea of the possible picture that might result and has made no attempt to evaluate the material, since this study was completed by the structuring, conducting, tab- ulating, reporting, and interpreting of the survey. With 265 adults involved in these classes in one spring term in one state, there are 265 valid reasons for speech educators to concern themselves with helping these adults to receive the best of all possible teaching. It is the writer's hope that the need to structure the speech class she was teaching, that need which preci- pitated this study, has caused some small useful body of material to be added to this area of speech education. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION ARTS - DEPARTMENT OF SPEECH May 12, 1966 Dear Adult Educator: Michigan State University's Speech Department is interested in finding as much as possible about the current status of the teach- ing of Speech to adults in the various public night schools in our State e With the hepe that a survey might indicate areas of need, where a greater exchange of ideas might benefit us all, the attached ques- tionnaire has been constructed by one of our graduate students, Barbara Amundsen. She will be tabulating the responses as a part of her Master's Program. If your school's program of adult education does not offer a class in public speaking, you need only answer the first few questions and return the survey. If, however, you are now offering a Speech class (or have offered one this school year), we would appreciate your routing this questionnaire to the Speech instructor. We are optimistic that such a survey might help us better serve the increasing need for improved communication - so necessary in today's complex world. Thank you for your part in making this possible. W4 Department of Speech Michigan State University ‘ . Michigan State University - Department of Speech SURVEY OF MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOL ADULT EDUCATION IN SPEECH Questions 1. Name of school district............................ for Director 2. Adult Education Director........................... of Adult 3. P0pulation of school district...................... Education 4. Total adult students in latest term................ 5. Is a class in Public Speqking now being offered? Yes No If YES, please route this survey to the speech instructor for completion - and accept my thanks for your courtesy. B.A. 6. If £9, a speech class is not currently offered, please check one or more of the following reasons and return the survey to the tabulator, adding any additional comments on the reverse side of these pages. Thanks for your courtesy and comments. B.A. Insufficient interest...... Other reasons(specify)...... No available instructor.... ............................ Course offered by another ............................ institution............. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Questions for Speech (Please answer in terms of the latest class taught.) Instructor 7. C0urse(s) titleoooocoo0.0000000.0.0000000000000000... 8. Name Of instructor........................................ 9. InStIUCtOI'S mailing addIQSSoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10. When is class offered? Circle one or more: Fall Winter Spring 11. Number of weeks in term.......12. Class hours per term.... 13. Class hours(e.g.8-10 p.m.).........Add comments re special reason for class hours etc. on reverse side if desired. 14. Circle evening class is held: Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. 15. Cost to register..........16. Other fees?(Specify)........ 17. Is course offering dependent upon a minimum regiStrations? Yes 18. What is minimum necessary......19. Class size limit...... 20. Size of latest class.....20.Instructor's pay.....per hour....... per term....... 35 O u I C v n u 0 s. .. .. .. ~ ~v . I U I O ’ ‘4 A . u a a O A . .. .- .M. _- _ ,- ' ht«.on. . . .l-D...: o . a '- a . ‘- ' . D . In.....U-'\. a. ' . ncoo~anr -. ... 4....y _ .. , .c‘ .. ...-~‘.. -» ‘Q-oo.:‘- gnu-"~v - -.'- . ‘. , ....L-.~ ‘. -|ll‘l|..\h4nt .~. no-ooovoy: .- . ‘ \ l , I l I:-.l ‘ , I I... a- " 0.1..~I-‘~:' ‘EI .‘ . ‘ . a l ‘ . » ' I- o . ‘ , 7 I , o..aouoopv0 ‘-‘ - n. . - . ’01:». ' § . "'4 ; ' . I -o o .- ... ., Speech Survey - continued. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. Classroom facilities available: Check one or more. "traditional"c1assroom microphone (desk chairs) tape recorder stage speaker's stand phonograph other (specify) chairs and tables What additional facilities or improvements would you include in a "perfect" C1355IO0M?oooooooooooooooooooooogooooooooooop 00.000000...soco00.000000000000000...0000000o...09.0.0000... Text: If one is used, please give publication data and comment as to the books usefulness. Use reverse side, if necessary. Extra reading: Please send along a "hand-out" list, if you use one, or list any suggested or required reading you recommend. Use reverse side, if necessary. Approximate class Per cent instructor's lecture........% time allotment-- Per cent student speeches............% Per cent student evaluation..........% Total 100 % Speeches are evaluated by - (Circle one) Instructor Classmates Both Please check each of the following, if used or utilized or taught. A. Types of speeches: B. Type Deliven/ C. Speech Activities ___Jntroduction ___lmpromptu 7' ___Tape individuals .___pemonstration ___Manuscript ___Parliamentary ___lnformative ___Extemporaneous Procedure ___Persuasive ___pramatics of ‘___Microphone used ___pral Interpretaion any type ___§roup discussion ___Conversationa1 techniques Is it possible to distinguish whether the class tends to be "delivegfl or "content" oriented?.....If so, which and why? ouc.....o.........................C0mment on reverse Side. What is instructor's regular employment?.................. His educational background(Degree, Univ.)................. Special speech background?................................ Member of....MEA.....MAPSAE.....Mich.Speech Association (Check)......Speech Association of America Please Sign here if you would like to receive a summary of the survey results THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND COMMENTS 36 Barbara Amundson .0‘... u . s . I. ~ . . . _..,., . ¢ I I .- ,, O Q . o - u u o . . r. a..-- I § I . o v u o I - u . u i C C q I n x o . . a BIBLIOGRAPHY Brownstone, Paul Lotan. ”An.Evaluation of the Dale Carnegie Course and Similar Programs at Brooklyn College.” Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Pennyslvania State University, 1960. Dance, Francis E. X. "An Analysis of the Speech Programs in 108 Selected Evening Colleges in the United States.” Unpub- lished Ph.D. dissertation, Northwestern University, 1959. Personal interviews with.Edward L. Whitaker, Past President (1963- 6h), Detroit Chapter of the American.Marketing Association, April, 1966. Weaver, Andrew, Borchers, Gladys, and Smith, Donald Kliese. The Teaching of Speech. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952. 37 M'1I'iifi\iflf\\\jl)(f\\j\\fififlflfflifliiflflififlifllflfii”