FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VOCATIONAL CHOICES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE Thesis for the Degree cf Ph. D. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY WiIIiam Herbert Knight 1958 A 7F ’7 .4", This is to certify that the thesis entitled FA," " f"“r\l’""AfT‘ V. ' '1’_Y "' ("1 mr PituI ICILJ ALJUKJKJJLI‘LLI-L) HI LIA T 1;; VCK/"L J. L:J::[‘LL r r _‘ ‘1 \ -1 V:: N ‘ iT 'IVY‘YT" C: 1C“ CL J L Li] JI. ' CICII\1_; S - JAJL LTS CF 7/ r‘ \"r . f‘YTm" ‘. JLJ Ix- J. .2114 ALIJLLIV U'QLVJLL presented by has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for I“; T +' : ‘t . I .1“). degree inVocaLnorm]. Ldueatlon 129% aZJ we, Major ' less Date November 10, 1058 / 0-169 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VOCATIONAL CHOICES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE By WILLIAM HERBERT KNIGHT ANIABSTRACT Submitted to the School for Advanced Graduate Studies of Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education 1958 Approved Vocational educators have recognized a need for knowledge concerning factors associated with the vocational choices of students, and effective techniques of guidance. This study represents an attempt to provide same of this information as it relates to students of vocational agri- culture. Purpose.--To determine (1) the guidance practices used by teachers of vocational agriculture, (2) the vocational choices of students of voca- tional agriculture, and (3) the location and description of the factors associated with the vocational choices of these students. Method.--The schools included in the teacher and student surveys were those in which each teacher had had a minimum tenure of four years. A representative sample of Michigan schools was selected for the study ‘with consideration being given to the size of the school and its geo- graphic location within the state. Forty-two teachers responded to the teacher survey. Five-hundred seventeen freshman and 261 senior enrollees in these schools responded to the student survey. Findings and Interpretation.--"Interest in agriculture" was indicated by teachers as being the most frequent basis by which they selected students. The continuance of students in subsequent courses was con- tingent upon passing grades, student attitudes of cooperation and interest, satisfactory farming programs, and the teacher's decision as 2 to the desirability of continuance. No one factor received significantly more emphasis than any other by teachers. Information concerning farming opportunities was presented to stu- dents by all teachers. All except one of the forty-two respondents presented information concerning Opportunities in agricultural occupa- tions other than farming. Sources used by teachers in presenting occupational information included field trips, audio-visual materials, resource persons, and commercial guidance service aids. Twenty-nine percent of the parents of freshmen and 41 percent of the parents of seniors were full-time farmers. Forty-eight percent of the parents of freshmen were engaged in part-time farming. Forty-seven percent of the senior's parents were part-time farmers. Half of the freshman and senior respondents aspired to an agricul- tural occupation. ‘Approximately half of each class expected to enter agricultural occupations. However, less than 5 percent of the total sample aspired to part-time farming or to an occupation related to farm- ing. Significantly, more of the students whose parents were full-time farmers desired and expected to farm. Over 50 percent of the students indicated that their knowledge of occupational requirements and their personal vocational qualifications came from sources outside the school. School sources of help in developing vocational understandings were rated as somewhat more impor- tant in schools with guidance personnel than in schools without guidance personnel. 3 The deve10pment of needed vocational skills was indicated by more than 60 percent of the students as one contribution of vocational agriculture to their vocational preparation. Nineteen percent of the freshman enrollees felt that vocational agriculture would be of little or no value to them in their vocational planning while only 9 percent of the seniors responded in this manner. The requirement that the student have the Opportunity to carry on a farming program and develop a satisfactory farming program were not found to be associated with the choice of an agricultural occupa- tion. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VOCATIONAL CHOICES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY William Herbert Knight A THESIS Submitted to the School for Advanced Graduate Studies of Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Teacher Education 1958 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere appreciation and grati- tude to those who have contributed to the development of this study. To Doctor Harold Byram, advisor, for his guidance and help in conducting the study. To other members of the graduate committee who gave generously of their time and efforts: Doctor George Brandon, Department of Teacher Education; Doctor Willa Norris; and Doctor Fred Vescolani, both of the Department of Administrative and Educational Services, College of Education. To teachers and their students of vocational agriculture in the State of Michigan who, by their responses, made the study possible. To graduate students in Seminars in Vocational Education and Doctor Norris' Guidance class for their helpful criticisms. To Doctor Raymond Clark, Department of Teacher Education, and Mrs. Clark for their wise counsel and warm personal encouragement. To Doctor Ralph Bender, Chairman of the Department of Agricul- tural Education, Ohio State University for his encouragement, and to fellow-staff members of that Department, Doctor Lowery Davis and Doctor Richard Wilson, whose constructive comments have added much to the study. To Mrs. Jane Laughlin for her work in preparing the manuscript. To his wife, Helene Marie, and children, Bernice, Sylvia, and Billie, for their cooperation and assistance. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. .PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Background for the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . Reason for the Study . . . . . . . . . Need for the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scope of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some Basic Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . Explanation of Terminology . . . . . . . . . Limitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . Procedure of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES . . . . Theories of Vocational Choice . . . . . . . . . Vocational Choice and School Youth . . . . . . . Findings with Specific Application to Vocational “ti-culture O O I O O O I O O O O O O I O I O SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WERE STUDIED . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE YOUTH THAT WERE STUDIED . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii PAGE 10 10 15 15 20 25 32 43 45 72 74 74 84 88 9O 95 TABLE II. III. IV. VI. VII. VIII. IX. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. LIST OF TABLES BASIS ON WHICH STUDENTS WERE ADMITTED TO FIRST COURSES IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE . . . . . . . . BASIS ON WHICH STUDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO ENROLL IN SUBSEQUENT COURSES IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE . METHODS BY WHICH STUDENTS WERE MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN FARMING . . . . . . . . . . TIME AND DURATION OF METHOD BY WHICH STUDENTS WERE MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN FARMING STATUS OF INSTRUCTION DESIGNED TO ACQUAINT WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER THAN FARMING O C O C C O O O O O O I O O O O O O VARIOUS SOURCES OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION AND HOW THEY WERE USED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OTHER ORGANIZED SOURCES OF VOCATIONAL INFORMATION OFFERED BY SCHOOIDS O O O O O O C O O O O C C O 0 USE OF SELECTED GUIDANCE PRACTICES BY TEACHERS . . USES OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENT RECORDS BY TEACHERS . . COMPOSITION OF SAMPLE AS TO PARENTAL FARM STATUS . STUDENTS WHO CHOSE AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS IN RELATION TO PARENTAL FARMING STATUS . . . . . . STUDENTS WHO EXPECTED TO ENTER AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS IN RELATION TO PARENTAL FARMING STATUS THE TYPE OF WORK STUDENTS INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE MOST TO DO WHEN THEY FINISHED SCHOOL . THE TYPE OF WORK STUDENTS INDICATED THEY EXPECTED TO DO WHEN THEY FINISHED SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . RATING OF VARIOUS FACTORS AS TO THEIR IMPORTANCE AS SOURCES OF HELP IN MAKING VOCATIONAL PLANS . . RATING AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS IN THE PLANS OF YOUTH . . . iii PAGE 33 34 34 35 37 38 40 41 42 47 47 48 50 52 55 59 iv TABLE PAGE XVII. EVALUATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY THE ENTIRE SAMPLE OF STUDENTS, AND BY THOSE CHOOSING TO ENTER SPECIFIC CATEGORIES OF AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER THAN FULL-TIME FARMING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 XVIII. VARIATIONS IN THE EVALUATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY PARENTAL FARM STATUS OF STUDENTS CHOOSING TO EN'ER FULL‘TIEE FARMING o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 65 XIX. VARIATIONS IN THE EVALUATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS WITH AND WITHOUT GUIDANCE PERSOWEL O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 66 XX. MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WORK STUDENTS INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE MOST TO DO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 XXI. SOURCE INDICATED BY STUDENTS AS BEING OF MOST HELP IN UNDERSTANDING QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE WORK THEY WOULD LIKE MOST TO DO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 XXII. VARIATIONS IN CHOICE OF AN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATION OF FRESHMAN ENROLLEES WITH AND WITHOUT LIMITATION AS TO OPPORTUNITY FOR CARRYING ON A FARMING PROGRAML . . 7O XXIII. VARIATIONS IN EXPECTATIONS OF ENTERING AN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATION OF SENIORS FROM SCHOOLS WITH AND WITHOUT ENROLLMENT LDMITED TO THOSE DEVELOPING SATISFACTORY FARMING PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. Agricultural Divisions of Michigan as Used in the Sampling Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Student Rating of Various Sources of Help in Making Vocational Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Student Rating of Factors Associated with Vocational Planning 0 C C O O O O O O . C O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O CHAPTER I PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY INTRODUCTION One of the important decisions that the individual makes in his lifetime relates to his choice of a vocation. The wisdom exercised by youth who may initiate the process of making this choice while yet in secondary school, may materially affect success attained in later life. The school, by virtue of provision for vocational education and guidance activities, has a stake in the vocational planning of its students. In this study attention has been given the identification and description of the processes by which choices are made and the association of these processes to selected guidance activities of teachers of vocational agriculture. Background for the Study .Agricultural education is not new in the United States. Washington and Jefferson were among the early leaders who promoted the study of agriculture as a science. Franklin's concern with the need for agricultural education resulted in an agricultural teacher being associated with the University of Pennsylvania in 1790. Prior to 1917, however, most in-school agricultural education was of college grade. In 1917 the Smith-Hughes Act was passed by Congress establishing Federal grants for the purpose of promoting vocational education in the 2 states. The original legislation has been supplemented several times by additional acts. In a statement of the original act, one of its purposes was, "to train present and prospective farmers for proficiency in farming."1 Under the stimulus of the Smith-Hughes and succeeding acts, vocational agricultural education spread rapidly throughout the United States and its possessions. Latest available figures (1956) indicate that there are 10,188 departments of vocational agriculture in the United States and 785,599 students enrolled in high school classes.2 Reason for the Study Recent years have seen profound sociological and technological changes taking place in agriculture. Farms have been getting larger in size, fewer in number, and have an increasing amount of machinery. The capital requirements to achieve full ownership of a farm may range as high as $50,000 or higher.3 The high initial investment and the de- creasing number of available farms have made it increasingly difficult for graduates of vocational agriculture to become established in farming. Vocational educators have been aware of this situation. Their concern is registered in the large numbers of studies of graduates to 1Federal Security Agency, Administration of Vocational Education, Vocational Education Bulletin No. l (WasEIngton, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1948), pp. 1—7. 2Division of Vocational Education, Digests of Annual Reports of State Boards gf Vocational Education (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Office of Education, 1956), pp. 7, ll. ' 3 Lloyd J. Phipps, Your Opportunities in Vocational Agriculture (Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Press, 1957), pp. 55-57. determine their occupational choice, occupational placement, and success. Of 186 studies reported in the 1955-1956 Summaries 2E Studies 33 Agricultural Education,4 23 were specifically in this area. The Agricultural Education Magazine, the professional journal of agri- cultural education, in its last 30 issues (July 1955 to December 1957) has had 42 articles that are definitely characterized as dealing with the guidance area. For the most part, studies in agricultural education, with implications for the guidance of firm.youth, have been follow-ups of their placement and success. The occupations which farm youth enter are known, but there is a void in our knowledge of the factors associated with their vocational choices. Deyoe, in concluding his study5 of Michigan youth enrolled in vocational agriculture, listed among the needs for further study "....factors associated with vocational choice...." and effective guidance techniques used with students of vocational agriculture. This study was one of the pre- liminary steps to over-all study of guidance as it related to voca- tional agriculture in Michigan. Teachers of vocational agriculture are in unique positions to cooperate in vocational guidance activities. Their profession, per se, gives them an interest in the area. Characteristically they 4Summaries of Studies in Agricultural Education, Supplement No. 10, Vocational— Division, United States Department of Health, Education, and'Welfare, Office of Education (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1957) 5G. P. Deyoe, Young Men From Michigan Farms, Department of Education, Michigan State College (Lansing: The State Board of Control for Education, 1939), pp. 15, 16. 4 work with their students for relatively long periods daily and through- out their high school careers. Moreover they have contacts with parents through home visitation. For these reasons teachers of voca- tional agriculture are in positions to have good unierstandings of the plans and goals of their students as well as parental aspirations for them. In order to more effectively c00perate in the vocational guidance and planning of their students, a knowledge of factors asso- ciated with the vocational choices of farm youth and those guidance practices most effective with them is in order. In this study an attempt was made to locate and describe some of the methods associated with the vocational choices of high school students and association between selected guidance practices and vocational choice. What guidance practices were being used by teachers of vocational agriculture and with what effect? Was there an asso- ciation between selection practices and a choice of an agricultural occupation? What sources of guidance did students recognize as being of importance as aids in their vocational planning? What were the vocational choices of the youth studied and what factors appeared to be associated with these choices? These were among questions for which answers were sought. Need for the Study Studies cited in the Review of Literature6 show that there are less than 50 percent of the youth taking vocational agriculture in the 60f. post,p.15et seqq. high schools of the nation who become established in farming. That vocational training in any area should not be considered training for a specific job is fairly well accepted. A statement from the National Manpower Council indicates that "one of the errors (that have been made in the past) is to conceive of vocational courses as a means of preparing students for specific jobs (ed.: farming, for example) rather than as providing them with a broad base for later training."7 8 DeGraff and others estimate there are as many as one-fourth of all occupations classified as being related to agriculture, and it is to this broad category of occupations that graduates may well look. The importance of being able to aid students who have made or are in the process of making vocational choices within the broad field of agriculture may be seen in two statements from Bingham. He said, We must learn to ascertain more precisely the distinctive marks of promise in agricultural pursuits so that potential talent or its lack may be appraised with a sureness no less warranted than that of the judges awarding blue ribbons to the best colts at the State Fair. .... There is a possi- bility that the human race can substantially improve the average competence of its farmers and conserve the pro- ductivity of their lands, not only through research and education in agricultural science, but also through pro- viding adequate occupational guidance to farmers' sons as 'well as to others who are drawn toward life on the farm.Ci 7National Manpower Council, A.Policy for Skilled Magpower (New York: Columbia University Press, 1934), p. 23. 8Herrell DeGraff, "Who Is The Farm Worker", The Countqugent, Vo-Ag Teacher, Vol. 13, No. 9, September 1957, p. 16 "In Summing Up", Editorial, The County Agent, Vo-Ag Teacher, Vol. 14, No. 2, February 1958, p. 68. 9W. V. Bingham, "Who Should Farm", 223 Land, 12 (Winter, 1953-54), pp. 307-311, 397. 6 The effects of an unwise decision is pointed out by the National Manpower Council. It states, "When a person makes an educational or occupational decision without due consideration of his strengths and his opportunities, he wastes his potential abilities, and the community's manpower resources are correspondingly weakened."10 Without in any way depreciating the value of the citizenship activities and opportunities for developing leadership that are integral parts of vocational agriculture and its youth organization, the Future Farmers of America, the need for guidance both toward and away from agricultural pursuits is recognized. The cost of vocational education should not be overlooked. Any type of vocational education requires specially trained instructors and unique provisions as to working conditions and facilities. Instruction in vocational agriculture is commonly offered over a four-year sequence. Little is known about the reasons why students select vocations in which they can utilize little or none of their specific vocational training. By knowing the factors associated with the vocational choices of stu- dents, it should be possible for educators to make a more profitable use of the students' time and the taxpayers' monies. This may be done by helping students to select courses of instruction and experiences that they will utilize in the vocation of their choice. Scope of the Study The study was limited to Michigan high schools offering voca- tional agriculture. It was further delimited to responses from 10National Manpower Council, op. cit., p. 25. freshmen and seniors and their vocational agriculture instructors. There were specific reasons for these delimitations. The latter two are less obvious than the first and deserve an explanation. Freshmen were studied since they, for the most part, have received no prior systematic exposure to vocational agriculture, or the guidance practices of the high school. It seemed to the writer that in order to effectively guide freshmen students, their level of aspiration and those factors associated with their vocational plans must be known. To a degree, the study of these same factors with seniors was considered an evaluation of the effectiveness of techniques employed in guiding students. It appeared as a means of assessing what was being done, and develOping methods for future activities. The study was limited to those schools whose instructors had taught four or more years in the school being polled. In these situations the instructors of vocational agriculture had the Oppor- tunity to develop techniques of instruction and understandings which teachers with less experience or tenure in the school may not have developed. These teachers were more familiar with other personnel and techniques employed in the guidance of the school youth. Some Basic Assumptions Certain assumptions were considered basic to this study. They were: 1. Among functions of a teacher of vocational agriculture are the selection of students to enroll in vocational agriculture, the presentation of occupational information, and guiding in its interpretation by individuals. 2. High school freshmen and seniors are able to indicate their vocational choices with an acceptable degree of validity. Furthermore they are able to indicate factors that may be associated with their choices. Explanation of Terminology Vocational Choice was used in this study as synonymous with occupational choice and may be defined as the process of making a decision by an individual as to his vocation or occupation.11 Vocational Guidance - "The process of assisting an individual to choose an occupation, prepare for it, enter upon and progress in it}2 Vocational Agriculture - The teaching of agriculture of less than college grade which is done in high schools. In this study ref- erence to only high school programs of agriculture and not agricultural education for out-of—school youth or adults was made. Occupational Information - "An accurate, up-to-date treatment and interpretation of data important to the process of occupational 11Donald Super, The Psychology pf Careers (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1957), p. 184. 12National Vocational Guidance Association. Principles and Practices of Vocational Guidance. Occupations, Vol. 15, 1937, pp. 772-778. selection, preparation, placement, and adjustment."13 Occupations Related £9 Farming - Those occupations in which a knowledge of the farm and ability to perform farm skills are necessary to success. Examples are feed store Operators, machinery sales and service, agricultural agent, etc. These occupations are also referred to as "agricultural occupations other than farming”. Guidance Personnel as used in this study referred to school counselors, full-tbme and/or part-tbme, and others with specific training for the guidance of youth. Agriculture as used here was an all inclusive term includ- ing careers in farming, part-time farming, and occupations related to farming. Significance was used only in its statistical sense. Items were considered statistically significant in this study if, when tested, they had a probability of five or less chances in one hundred of occuring differently in another sample. Aspirations as used in the present study refers only to voca- tional aspirations, and includes responses secured from the student survey as to the type of work students would like most to do. Expectations refers to vocational expectations in the present study. The type of work students indicated they expected to do are included under this term. 13Federal Security Agency, United States Office of Education, Division of Vocational Education, Counselor Competencies in Occupational Information, Miscellaneous Publication 3314;3— (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1949), p. 1 10 Selection - herein is considered as the process of advise- ment for enrollment. Prestige is interpreted as the regard that peeple have for an occupation and those engaged in it. Limitations of the Study This study was lhmited in that it was confined to a selected number of schools and students. The study was confined to those aspects of the school program with which it was believed the respondents were sufficiently familiar to give valid responses. The student data were subjective and valid only to the extent that personal biases were excluded from.responses. Due to varied backgrounds and levels of experience the respondents may have applied differing standards in their reactions to evaluative questions. Procedure of the Study The procedures used in this study developed as outcomes of two seminars in vocational education at Michigan State University in 1955 and 1956 and the guidance of an advisory committee. After a study of the procedures and techniques of securing information used in related studies, a preliminary set of instru- ments for teachers and students was developed. These instruments were tried out with twelve different teachers of vocational 11 agriculture in Michigan. In addition, the student questionnaire was tried out in a University guidance class conducted by Dr. Willa Norris. Both the teacher and student questionnaires in their original form consisted largely of Open—ended questions. Responses secured from these pilot studies were organized and worded in a simple and uniform manner to form the checklists of the instruments included in the Appendix of this study. The author's guidance committee aided in this final formulation. It was not felt necessary to determine the validity of the instruments since they were adapted for a study of students of vocational agriculture frmm other accepted studies of shmilar nature but representative of different populations. Reliability, however, was determined by the test-retest method. Retesting was done after an interval of six weeks with a group of freshmen and senior students at the Williamston, Michigan, High School. Responses were secured from thirty-two students, half being freshmen and half seniors. .A correlation of .83 was obtained between results of the tastings. The method and procedure of sampling was dictated by several concerns. First, the requirements outlined under "Scope and Delimitations" had to be met. This limited the sample to 118 schools located throughout the state. Next, it was recognized that occupational opportunities varied throughout the state and with type of farming area. Since emphasis in the study was on occupational opportunities in 12 agriculture, it appeared logical to divide the state into agricul- tural regions. The crop reporting divisions used by the Michigan Department of Agriculture were modified as shown in Figure One to include relatively large and homogenous agricultural areas. Finally, in recognition that school offerings may vary with size of school, the 118 schools were classified according to size. The divisions found in the 1956-1957 directory issue of the Michigan High School Athletic Association14 served as the basis for this classification. This classification places schools with over 900 students in the upper four grades in Class A, those with 375 to 899 in Class B, 175 to 374 in Class C, and less than 175 in Class D. It was thought an adequate sample could be obtained by dividing the number of schools in each class by four. This gave a sample consisting of 54 schools, or slightly less than half of the population. This number represents roughly one-fifth of the total number of departments of vocational agriculture in the state. The sample included 3 Class A schools, 19 Class B schools, 26 Class C, and 6 Class D. These schools ranged in enrollment in vocational agriculture from.89 to 21, with an average of 53. Range in F.F.A. membership was from.77 to 16, with an average enrollment of 50. Six of the schools had two teachers of vocational agriculture, the remainder had one. 14Michigan High School Athletic Association Bulletin. Vol. XXXIII No. 4-8, November 1956. 13 Marquette Alger SEhool-l i Districts Indicated by Romsn Numersls FIGURE I Divisions of the Stats ct Michigsn into districts for sampling purposes. 14 The following is a list of the schools by district: District 1, Felch; District 2, Petoskey, Manton*; District 3, Lowell, Lawrence, Niles, Scottville*, Shelby, Grant, Caledonia, Buchanan, Mattawan, Zeeland, Wayland; District 4, Dansville, Delton, Edmore, Stockbridge, Union City, Weidman, Mt. Pleasant, Owosso, Pittsford, Portland, Reading, St. Louis, Grass Lake, Hastings, Hillsdale, Vicksburg, Colon, Athens, Bellevue, Charlotte, Alma, Leslie; District 5, Hartland, Holly, Milford, Romeo, South Lyon, Tecumseh*, Clio, Fowlerville, Carleton A. C-, Chelsea, Britton; District 6, Bay City, Caro, Pinconning, St. Charles, Harbon Beach*, Elkton, Hemlock. *Indicates schools cooperating in the try-out surveys. In addition to the four starred and for try-out only, responses were secured from.seven other schools. 15 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES It will be the purpose of this chapter to review, by way of background for the present study, some of the theories of vocational choice and findings on vocational choice for both the general school population and students of vocational agriculture. The relation as seen in earlier studies of guidance services to the general school program and specifically to the program of vocational agriculture will be presented. The interests and concerns of youth with the subject of vocations will be shown by several studies. And finally specific findings in the area of vocational agriculture having implications for guidance will be cited. Theories of Vocational Choice Man's thoughts have often dwelt on the subject of voca- tional choice. One of the earlier statements having meaning pertinent to this subject is that of Socrates, who is reputed to have said, "Know thyself". His pupil, Plato, writing in his Republic is credited with some very definitive statements on 1 selection and placement of individuals in various occupations. Seneca, the Roman philosopher, writing in the first century A. D., 1 Francis M. Cornford, A Translation pf the Republic 2f Plato (New York: The Oxford University Press, 1950), pp. 53-59, 127-129. 16 took a less autocratic view than that of Plato. He stated, "Shun no toil to make yourself remarkable by some talent or other. Yet do not devote yourself to one branch exclusively. Strive to get clear notions about all.”2 That man would, however, have a choice as to his vocation was only imperfectly recognized or allowed until comparatively recent times. From the beginning of modern vocational guidance, theories of vocational choice have been implied. Ginzberg and 3 found that vocational choice is influenced by a his co-workers number of factors, no single one alone affecting vocational choice. He listed environmental factors, influence of the educational process, emotional needs and desires, and the values held by the individual. He divided the process of occupational decision-making into three periods: the period of fantasy choice, the period of the tentative choice, and the period of the realistic choice. These periods roughly correspond with the ages of pre-adolescence, adolescence, and early adulthood. Other researchers, including 4 Strong , MacKayeS, and Hartson6, have found that vocational choice 2Ralph Emerson Browns, et al., The New Dictionagy pf Thoughts (New York: Hanover House, 1957), p. 337. 3Eli Ginzberg, et al., Occupational Choice, An Approach_ to a General Theory (New'York: Columbia University Press, 1951), pp. —56, 60, 271. 4E. K. Strong, Change of Interest with Age (Stanford, California: Stanford University szss, 1931). 5D. L. MacKaye, "The Fixation of Vocational Interest”, American Journal pf Sociology, XXXIII (1927), pp. 353-370. 6L. D. Hartson, "Vocational Choices Before and After College", 17 tends to crystalize and become stabilized in late adolescence or early adulthood. Meadow7 cited Small's findings which indicate that there is no linear relationship between age and changes toward reality of choice. He suggested a holistic approach with the inclusion of pyschoanalytic findings to develop a theory of vocational choice. His approach was determined after an examination of the economic approach advocated by Clark8 which indicates the law of supply and demand is the determinant of where a person will work, 9 in which parental and edu- the sociological approach of Caplow cational forces and social mobility and class are influential, and Ginzberg's vocational guidance approach. Super10 and Kaplan11 suggested vocational choice as an outcome of individual needs and the way the individual perceives himself in relation to his environment. The latter suggested that vocational choice as made in high school or college is compounded in varying degrees of: the desire for prestige, security, or Occupations, XVI (1937), pp. 138-142. 7Lloyd‘Meadow, "Toward a Theory of Vocational Choice", Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol, 2, No. 2, Summer, 1955). .v 8F. E. Clark, Economic Theory and Correct Occupational Distribution, (New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1931.) 9 ’ T. Caplow, The Sociology pf Work, (Minneapolis, Minnesota: The University of Minnesota Press, 1954.) 10Super, op. cit., p. 362 11O. J. Kaplan, Ed., Engyclppedia of Vocational Guidance, Philosophical Library, Vol. I (1948), pp. 621:853, 626. 18 affluence; family influence; romantic conceptions of actual work- ing conditions in a specific job; frequently inaccurate self-appraisal; and doubtfully accurate estimates of the needs of the labor market. One of the most recent theories of vocational choice is that 12 Rather than being a totally new concept, it of Robert HOppock. appears to be a synthesis of older theories. It holds occupational choice to be based on needs. These needs may be conscious or ”only vaguely felt”. Occupational choice has its beginning in a recognition of need being met by occupation. It changes with change in needs. The role of vocational guidance in this theory is one which helps the individual to understand his needs and the probability of satisfying them through various occupations. What should be the basis for making a vocational choice? The answer does not appear to lend itself to simplicity. Super pointed out, It is not enough to know one's aptitudes, abilities, and interests; these must be related to conditions in the outside world, to occupational trends and requirements which are likely to affect one's ability to make use of his aptitudes and to express his interests.13 He did, however, state that interest seems to lead to greater job satisfaction than when a choice is directed by some extraneous l4 reason. The use of measured interest as a criterion of 12Robert HOppock, Occupational Information (New York: McCraw—Hill Book Company, 1957), pp. 74-85. 13Donald E. Super, The Dynamics of Vocational Adjustment (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1942), p. 159. 14Ibid., p. 151 l9 appropriate vocational choice is complicated, however, by the difficulty of defining interest and of establishing criteria of the valid existence of interest patterns.15 Interest apparently need not be an essential part of vocational choice in all cases. Darley and Hagenah16 did not feel that all people find work an end in itself. Such persons may not need to be ”interested in" their job in order to find it satisfying. They find satisfaction for their "real interests” in their chosen avocations. Hahn and MacLean17 emphasized attitudes and interests as being important concomitants of apprOpriate educational and vocational choices. Related to attitudes are values which Arsenian18 found an important factor in vocational interest and choice. Extraneous factors have been found important to vocational choice and job satisfaction in some industrial research. 15Kaplan, loc. cit. 16John G. Darley and Theda Hagenah, Vocational Interest Measurement (Minneapolis, Minnesota: The University of Minnesota Press, 1955), pp. 10-13. 17 Milton E. Hahn and Malcolm S. MacLean, General Clinical Counseling (NeW'York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1950), pp. 85-87. 18Seth Arsenian, "The Relation of Evaluative Attitudes to Vocational Interest and Social Adjustment", Journal pf Social Psychology, 17 (February, 1943), pp. 17-24. 20 Roethlisberger and Dickson19 found job success and satisfaction in some instances are related to the social status that the worker perceives he has in the eyes of his fellows. Darley and Hagenah20 took a similar position implied in Roethlisberger and Dickson's findings, namely, that occupational choice "is part of the individual's striving for an adequate life adjust- ment...." In sum, no single factor or group of factors alone are indicated as being adequate bases for making a vocational choice. Findings indicate that both the individual's inherent and acquired characteristics, his self-concept, and external conditions are all necessary in developing an appropriate individual vocational choice.21 Vocational Choice and School Youth Is the school a factor to be considered in studying the vocational choices and guidance of youth? Ginzberg22 pointed out that because of the need for selecting a high school curriculum the thirteen year old actually is determining the direction his life will take vocationally. He emphasized that the family is unprepared to give adequate guidance, and indicated that the school v—f 19F. J. Roethlisberger and William J. Dickson, Management and the Worker (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1943), Chapters XXIV-XXVI. 201bid., p. 190. 21FredM. Fowler, Selection.p£ Students for Vocational Training, Vocational Division, Federal Security Agency, United States Office of Education, (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1945). 22Ginzberg, Op. Cit., p. 238. 21 must assume the major responsibility for these choices. He went on to state, "The major challenge to guidance is to help the individual to make a choice commensurate with his intellectual and emotional development.23 Organized guidance activities pointed toward vocational choice and planning prior to course selection are suggested in a brochure published under the auspices of the Ohio State Department of Education.24 These activities prepare the way for wise course selection, this source states. Vocational educators as well as guidance personnel are aware of youth's needs for guidance. Byram and Wenrich, leaders in vocational education in Michigan, recognized guidance as being the "keystone"of the school program.25 They stated that while vocational education and vocational guidance are not synonymous, they are very closely related and inseparable parts of a compre- hensive secondary school program.26 Struck27 indicated that sociological, technological, and economic factors combine to make vocational guidance an essential service to vocational education. 23Ibid., p. 247. 24Division of Vocational Education, Course Selection and Career Planning (Columbus: Ohio State Department of Education, January, 1955), p. 2. 25Harold M. Byram and Ralph C. Wenrich, Vocational Education and Practical Arts 13 the Community School (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1956), p. 277 (Quoted from the Education Policies Commission, National Education Association, Education for All American Youth) 26Ibid., p. 278. 27Theodore F. Struck, Vocational Education for g Changipg World (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1953), p. 312. 22 Students themselves are concerned with vocational guidance and choices. Of a number of studies which are indicative of this concern, one will be taken as representative of the findings of the group. Doane28, in a study of over two thousand high school youth found that sixty percent expressed interest in taking courses dealing with vocational choice and placement. "Deciding what kind of work to do when you finish school" was ranked second to "how to find a job". It was found that as their ages in- creased, boys became increasingly concerned with securing train- ing that would fit them for employment when they finished school. Their concern appears to be warranted in view of research findings on the lack of appropriateness of vocational choices of youth. Super29 called attention to the fact that those who have studied the vocational choices of youth are impressed by the "spuriousness and superficiality of their preferences". In this connection several research findings on thelack of realism in the vocational choices of youth were representa— 30 of over seven thousand tive of the majority. In a study fifteen-year-old pupils of Erie County, New York, (including Buffalo) schools, 43.3 percent of the boys and 38.7 percent of the girls said they planned to enter professional, managerial, 28Donald C. Doane, "The Needs of Youth", Contributions to Education, No. 848 (New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers Cgllege, Columbia University, 1942). 299k cm, pp. 150-151 30Division of Research, Erie County Needs More Vocational Education (New York: The University of the State of New York, 1954), pp. 19-22. 23 or semi-professional occupations. Only 19.4 percent of the male employees and 18.7 percent of the female at the time of the study were engaged in occupations in these areas. In a study31 of 6,789 high school youth and their attitudes toward work and working, it was found that a large percentage had unrealistic educational and vocational plans. The res- pondents were allowed to place their occupational choices, in this study, in two categories: (1) those occupations they REESE to enter, and (2) those which they egpected to enter. Even in the "expected" category of occupations it was found that the choices were unrealistic and those of many students would under- go drastic change when they became regular workers in the labor force. Interestingly enough, the study found that the preportion of former high school students engaged in farming was about the same percentage of the boys who indicated they plan to enter that occupation. Conclusions from the study indicate that the youth surveyed are more practical and level-headed than is commonly believed, and that they expect rewards to come from effort and group loyalty. The youth who responded to this study possibly place a higher premimm on security than their predecessors did in the past. 32 Other findings of the Social Research study emphasize the importance accorded the prestige ranking of an occupation. 31Social Research Service, Youth and the World of Work (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State College, Szptember, 1949), pp. 18 et segg. 321bid., p. 73. 24 In agreement with the findings of Roethlisberger and Dickson33 are the findings that the youth surveyed indicate job satisfaction or dissatisfaction may depend partially on the prestige level the occupation holds in the eyes of their peers. A number of other studies with similar findings might be reported which would show that not only do high school youth, but even college students, have unrealistic vocational choices. Bennett34,in her book, reported Sparling's study which shows of 888 college students, 70 percent were trying to gain entrance into three of the most overcrowded occupations in the United States, and 95 percent were attempting to prepare for entrance into four of the most crowded occupations in metrOpolitan areas. She reports that more recent studies show only slightly more realism. One study having dissident findings is mentioned. 35, that 61 percent of Stubbins found, as reported by Thorne their sample of youth had made appropriate vocational choices. It must be recognized, however, in this minority report, that 39 percent with inappropriate choices constitutes a rather large percentage. Another finding that appears compatible with the theories of vocational choice is that the choices of youth are subject to 3Roethlisberger and Dickson, loc. cit. 34M. E. Bennett, College and Life (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1952), pp. 345-346. 3 5F. C. Thorne, "Principles of Directive Counseling and Psychotherapy”, The American Psychologist, Vol. III (1948), pp. 160-165. 25 36 considerable change. A study reported in the American Personnel and Guidance Association Journal found that two-thirds or 347 of the high school youth studied changed their vocational choice at least once during high school. About one-third, however, held the same choice throughout high school. Sixty-six and nine-tenths percent of those who had a consistent choice throughout high school entered the occupation of this choice. Those having consistent choices in their junior and senior years entered the occupation of that choice in 41.7 percent of the cases. 37 reported that the occupational interests of Anderson high school students electing farming are quite stable as compared with those who selected occupations other than farming. Findings With Specific Application to Vocational Agriculture There are few studies of the vocational choices of high 38, made a school students of vocational agriculture. One study decade ago, has been cited. The author has not found any recent study of vocational choice by students of vocational agriculture in relation to the availability of guidance services. There are, however, numerous follow-up studies of graduates and representive findings are presented. 36"Variability of Vocational Choices of High School StudentS". (Washington, D. C.: The American Personnel and Guidance Journal, November, 1955), p. 142. 37C. S. Anderson, "Occupational Interests of Farm Boys and Their Significance in Guidance", The Agricultural Education Magazine, Vol. 20 (1947), pp. 107, 109. 381bid. 26 In a digest of data39 from the Summaries pf Studies is Agricultural Education, Supplements 3 to 10, 1950-1957, of 122,484 former students included in these studies, there was a range in percentages of those in farming from 5.0 to 74.5 percent. The averages of all studies showed 28.2 percent in farming, 11.9 percent in the Armed Forces, 8.9 percent in related occupations, and 7.1 percent in college. The most recent study available to the author is one by 40 Rougeau , of Missouri. It is a ten-year study of former students of vocational agriculture in Missouri and was completed August, 1957. This study indicates that 32.4 percent of graduates with known occupations are in farming, 6.6 percent are in occupations re- lated to farming, 48.1 percent are in occupations not related to farming, and 12.9 percent are attending college. These findings are not strikingly different from the data of Hamlin and Ekstrom.41 39 Date from Sppplements‘g‘pp 8 summarized by H. M. Hamlin, University of Illinois. Data from Supplements 2 228.19 summarized by G. F. Ekstrom, University of Missouri. Studies included in these summaries are: 1072, 1094, 1139, 1167, 1176, 1189, 1190, 1205, 1307, 1389, 1402, 1409, 1421, 1497, 1561, 1588, 1675, 1690, 1699, 1758, 1787, 1814, 1846, 1872, 1953, 1964 (two studies), 1966, 1970, 2009, 2014, 2070, 2105, 2107, 2132, 2138, 2140, 2235, 2256, 2272, 2314, 2341, 2369, 2403, 2407, 2424. 40Amos B. Rougeau, "A Ten-Year Study of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture in Six Reorganized School Districts in Missouri" (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, August, 1957), Table XLV, Abstract. 41Hamlin and Ekstrom, loc' cit. 27 Bender42 reported that in the second year out of school, there would be a lesser percentage of young men engaged in agri- cultural occupations than in the first year. Fraker43 found that former students who were self-employed in farming had had more educational experience in young farmer, adult farmer, and veterans institutional on-farm training. He reported that the number of years enrolled in vocational agriculture did not seem to be a major factor in the choice of an occupation. Zahn44, Lamarhs, and Ketcham46 reported an increased percentage engaged in farm- ing or related occupations for those who had completed four years of vocational agriculture over those who dropped out of school or did not complete four years of vocational agriculture. Bjoraker47 found no significant association at the five percent level between mental ability, size of family, and level f 42Ralph E. Bender, "Vocational Status of Students in Vocational Agri- culture Graduating in 1953 and 1954" (Unpublished non-thesis study, Ohio State University, Columbus, 1956), p. 14. 43John W. Fraker, "A Follow-up Study of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture in Kenton High School, 1942-1952" (Unpublished Master's thesis, Ohio State University, Columbus, 1954), p. 79. 44Edward B. Zahn, "A Study of the Occupational Distribution of the Former Vocational Agriculture Students of the Iola, Kansas, High School" (Unpublished research problem, Oklahoma A.and M College, Stillwater, 1953), p. 63. 45Carl F. Lamar, "A.Ten-Year Study of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture in Kentucky, 1940-1950" (Unpublished non-thesis study, The University of Kentucky, Lexington, 1954), p. 68. 46Harry Mack Ketcham, "A Study of the Education and Occupations of Former Vocational Agricultural Students in the Greenville Central Rural School, 1932-1950" (Unpublished Master's thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1951), p. 57. 47Walter T. Bjoraker, "A Study of Upper Classmen in Vocational 28 of formal education attained by the parents, and farm ownership by the parents and the son's level of desire to remain on the farm. He concluded that, in general, the boy's total attitude toward farming was probably more important in relation to his desire to remain on the farm than most of the other personal, farm, and family factors. In a study somewhat parallel to that of Bjoraker's, Ahalt and Murray48 found that, of 185 young men who became farmers, 37 percent indicated a "liking for farming" as being most influential in their decision, 16 percent in- dicated family influences other than bad health or death, 15 percent the opportunity to get a farm, and 15 percent the free- dom and independence afforded by farming. Deyoe49 in his study of Michigan farm youth, found associated with the likelihood of farming such factors as number of years of vocational agriculture taken by the student, the quality of the home farm, recency of leaving high school, and the degree of participation in the work of the home farm. Town-reared young men who enrolled in vocational agriculture engaged in farming in small numbers. Individuals engaged in occupations related to farming were found to have graduated from high school and "showed evidences” of leadership in larger Agriculture, to Identify Certain Factors Associated with the Level of Desire to Remain on the Farm" (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1951), p. 181. 48Arthur M..Ahalt and Ray A. Murray, How Young Farmers Become Established (College Park, Maryland: The University of Maryland Experiment Station, 1956), p. 17. 49Deyoe, op. cit., pp. 9-12. 29 percentages than those who entered farming or non-farm occupations. Deyoe associates interest and initiative with the opportunity to farm. Deyoe in his study hypothesized that an actuarial approach might be taken to the likelihood of a youth's engaging in farming. He was careful to point out that this was not the equivalent of a cause and effect relationship. Selective service has had an effect on the plans of some high school graduates. Duda50 found 67.7 percent expected their plans to change because of military obligations. Some findings appear to indicate that there is a greater need for cooperation and understanding between teachers of voca- tional agriculture and guidance workers. Mostowski51 in his study of eighty schools, found only half of the agricultural teachers were satisfied with the guidance program, and 25 percent of the agriculture teachers considered their department a "dumping ground" for poor students. Clear52 noted that students had received little assistance in the selection of subjects and that too few participated in the co-curricular activities offered by the school. 50Charles J. Duda, "The Effects of Selective Service on Students of Vocational Agriculture in Becoming Established in Farming" (Un- published Master's thesis, The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1953), p. 69. 51John J. Mostowski, "The Guidance of Students in High School with Emphasis on Vocational Agriculture" (Unpublished Master's thesis, The University of Maryland, College Park, 1956), p. 59. 52Charles Edward Clear, "A Study of the Guidance Needs of Vocational Agriculture in Southwest Virginia" (Unpublished Master's thesis, The Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, 1951), p. 96. 30 One should not infer from these studies that guidance per- sonnel are not doing their jobs. Many of the schools offering vocational agriculture do not have trained counselors. Byram 53 noted that many of the activities indicated as being and Nelson important guidance functions of teachers are not being implemented by many teachers of vocational agriculture. In a separate study54, Nelson found greater participation in guidance activities where there was a trained counselor who could provide time and leader- ship to teachers. That teachers of vocational agriculture are aware of their need of assistance and lack of skill for many guidance activities was shown by Nelson. The studies cited present some rather cogent arguments for more guidance in vocational agriculture. A number of practical and specific recommendations have come from these studies, based on the findings. Included among these is the recommendations that more occupational information be available and that it include farm as well as non-farm vocational Opportunities.55 Buie56, after 53Harold M. Byram and Kenneth G. Nelson, "Guidance and Placement in Agricultural Education”, The Agricultural Education Magazine, Vol. 24, No. 2 (August, 1952), pp. 33-35, 43. 54Kenneth G. Nelson, Guidance Handbook for Michigan Teachers of Vocational Agricultugs (East Lansing, Michigan: The Michigah State College Press, 1950), pp. 3, 4. 55CharlesM. Gaffney, "The Farm Background, Course of Study Pursued, and Occupations of Graduates of the New York State Institute of Agriculture and Hmme Economics" (Master's problem, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1950), p. 50; and.A11en R. Shotwell, "The Occupational Status of Former Pupils of The Union Springs Central Rural School Areas as Related to Occupational Opportunities of the Area" (Unpublished Master's thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1954), p. 63. 56Tollie R. Buie, ”Critical Factors Involved in the Evaluation and 31 recognizing the value of occupational information, pointed out the importance of up-to-date, reliable occupational information and the value of visual aids in color. Worthington57 among others deve10ped a method of estimating the number of farming opportunities for full-time and part-time operators. Korpi58 found that the freshman year was one in which a broad orientation program became critical to the student's adjustment. Studies of the process of vocational choice revealed it to be complex and developmental in nature. Youth did not approach the matter with a high degree of realism. Studies by vocational leducators are not in complete agreement as to'factors contributing to a choice of and establishment in agricultural occupations, but interest and opportunity appeared associated in most studies with entrance into farming. The studies cited provide a basis for an understanding of some of the work that has been done in the area of vocational choice and in other phases of vocational guidance which have implications and applications for succeeding chapters in this study. Use of Occupational Information in Agriculture in the North Central Region" (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State College, East Lansing, 1953), p. 188. 57John E. Worthington, "Determining the Number of New Opportunities for Youth to Enter Farming in Each of Ohio's Counties” (Unpublished non-thesis study, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 1956), p. 52. 58Milton L. Korpi, ”A Study of High School Drop-Outs of Rural Children in the Belle Plaine High School, Belle Plaine, Minnesota, 1936-1950" (Unpublished Master's problem, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1952), p. 56. 32 CHAPTER III SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WERE STUDIED The purpose of this chapter will be to describe selected features of the program of vocational agriculture and of the guidance services in schools responding to the survey. No further description will be attempted here of those characteristics of the sample included in the section on Scope and Delimitations or Procedures of the Study. Responses were secured from forty-two of the fifty-four schools contacted. Schools responding were found to be well dis- tributed throughout the divisions set up in the sampling procedure with the exception that no response was secured from the division constituting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One of the moot questions facing educators today is the basis on which students should be admitted to specific courses. Teachers who responded to this study were asked to report the basis on which students were admitted to the first course in voca- tional agriculture. From these responses the eight schools in which 50 percent or more students reported agriculture as the work they would like most to do were singled out for special attention. Reporting of the eight schools separately from the forty-two of which they were a part will be followed throughout this chapter in indicating the results of the teacher survey.* Table I shows the *In the tables included in this chapter these schools will be indicated as "Schools receiving special attention". 33 results for the forty-two schools and the eight schools singled out for special attention. It may be quite readily seen that the two categories of schools were quite similar in respect to the selection of students. "Interest in agriculture” followed by the'bpportunity for carrying on a farming program” were the two most common requirements. TABLE I BASIS ON WHICH STUDENTS WERE ADMITTED TO FIRST COURSES IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Interest in agriculture ........... 36 85.7 7 87.5 Opportunity for carrying on a farming program .............. 23 54.8 6 75.0 Willingness to join the F.F.A. .... 6 14.3 2 25.0 Student has a farming background .. 7 16.7 1 12.5 No restrictions for first year .... 6 14.3 2 25.0 Other ............................. 5 11.9 0 0 Number of teachers that responded . 42 8 Teachers were asked the basis on which students were allowed to enroll in subsequent courses. Table II shows this information. The students' attitude as to interest and c00peration was the consideration receiving most attention in the all-schools category. Here, again, there was seen similarity between the bases reported by the two categories of schools. 34 TABLE II BASIS ON WHICH STUDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO ENROLL IN SUBSEQUENT COURSES IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Passing grades ....................... 18 42.9 4 50.0 Attitude of cooperation and interest . 28 66.7 5 62.5 Teachers' decisionaas to desira- bility of continuing ............ 14 33.3 1 12.5 Development of a satisfactory farm- ing program ..................... 22 52.4 5 62.5 other ............OOOOOIOOO00.0.0.0... 1 2.4 0 0 Number of teachers that responded .... 42 Attention of this study was next focused on the methods by which students were made acquainted with the opportunities in farm- ing, and the time and duration of such instruction. This was most commonly done through classroom instruction as seen in Table III. Farm visitation, it was indicated, was one of the methods used least. TABLE III METHODS BY WHICH STUDENTS WERE MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN FARMING Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Classroom instruction and discussion . 41 97.6 8 100.0 Field trips and resource persons ..... 33 78.6 6 75.0 Instructional aids, bulletins, movies, etc. .................... 37 88.1 8 100.0 Farm visitation ...................... 28 66.7 5 62.5 Other (summer camping trips, etc.) ... 4 9.5 2 25.0 Number of teachers that responded .... 42 8 35 It will be recalled that Korpi's study, reported in the Review of Literaturel, pointed out crucial periods for the guidance of en- rollees in vocational agriculture. Table IV shows the time at which students were acquainted with opportunities in farming. Not all teachers included in the study responded to this question. It was thought that this may have been due to the placement of the question as a sub-head under the main question. However, teachers in the pilot studies did not fail to complete this section. From those who responded it would appear that the first and fourth years were the times at which students were commonly acquainted with Opportuni- ties in farming. The lower section of Table IV indicates that, for the most part, this was a continuous process within the year in which such instruction was offered. TABLE IV TIME AND DURATION OF METHOD BY WHICH STUDENTS WERE MADE ACQUAINTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN FARMING Time Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention First year ........................... 4 0 First two years ...................... 1 1 First and fourth years ............... 7 1 Number of teachers that responded .... 12 2 Duration Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Continuously ......................... 38 8 One week ............................. 2 0 Other ............................... 2 0 Number of teachers that responded ... 42 8 le. ante, p. 31. 36 As previously pointed outzmany opportunities exist for the agriculturally trained and/or experienced in agricultural occupations other than farming. In Table V it is seen that all but one school reported offering instruction designed to acquaint students with the opportunities in agricultural occupations other than farming. This instruction was most commonly offered each year, although four of the eight selected schools offered it only during the freshman year. No teachers reported offering it only during the sophomore year, but the junior and senior years, and senior year groups constitute over one-third of the total. Not all schools reported the duration of this instruction. In the all-schools category, twelve of twenty—three schools that reported indicated a duration of one week. The four schools in the selected schools category reported a duration of two weeks or longer. It was thought important to know the materials and methods used in presenting occupational information. Selected sources and methods of presenting occupational information are shown in Table VI. The Table indicates that about half of all the teachers used commercial guidance services as a source of infor- mation. Commercial guidance services were agencies that pub- lished tests, literature on occupational opportunities, and the 2Cf. ante, p. 5. 37 TABLE V STATUS OF INSTRUCTION DESIGNED TO ACQUAINT STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER THAN FARMING Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Offering instruction on Opportunities in agricultural occupations other than farming 41 97.6 7 87.5 When given Each year of agriculture ........ 26 61.9 2 25.0 Freshman year ................... 6 14.3 4 50.0 Junior and Senior years ......... 9 23.8 1 12.5 Senior year ..................... 7 16.7 1 12.5 Given only on an individual basis ...................... 2 4.8 0 0 Number of teachers that responded .... 42 8 Duration One week ........................ 12 52.2* 0 - Two weeks or longer ............. 6 26.1* 4 100.0* Less than one week .............. 2 8.7* 0 - Other ........................... 3 13.1* 0 - Number of teachers that responded .... 23 4 *Percent of the number of teachers that responded. 38 n.5m a o.ooH w o.ma o o.ma a coaucmpua swappam woq>fiooom mHoooom 4.: on 0.2 mm Tom am «a... mm 302% :4 "magma Hoaanz o.m~ N m.NH H 0.0m a o.mN N pooucpuu< swappam moa>aooom mHoooom m.mm «a o.mH w m.¢m mm m.m~ m maoooom Had mom: mo dowumafinaoo o o o o m.~a H m.NH a coaucmuua swappam wow>wooom mHoonom o o o o T: m T: m 385m H3. msomuom mum u mGHOufiH OH un—Olvgm o o o o m.NH a o o coauamuu< swappam wow>aooom maoooom m.N H o o w.¢ N w.¢ N mHoonom HH< coauonuumsH Honofi>fiosH m.~o m m.mw a o o o.mN N acauapuufiooom mHoonom n.mm ma m.mm mm m.a q m.¢H o mHoonom HH< composuumaHpaooummoHo ”om: udoouom nooasz uaoouom Monasz unmouom nooabz ucoouom Hooasz .ouo .mcomuom‘ moad moousom oow>hom mosooasu cowuoahomcH mo mouaom ooHDOmou Hosmw>noaos< mumunfiq amaouoaaou .maapu pupae Mm: mHmmH 92¢ ZOHH¢ZMOhZH A¢ZOHH mqm¢H 39 like, and sold their product to schools and/or other institutions. Library sources, audio-visual aids, and field trips, etc., were used by over seventy percent of the teachers who reported in the two school categories. Resource persons and the like were the most important means of presenting occupational information in the classroom. Over one-third of the teachers indicated this was the only method they used. Few of the teachers used any of the sources shown in Table VI for presenting information to individuals. Library and commercial guidance service materials were used by over ten per- cent of the teachers for hand-out to interested persons. About one-fourth of the teachers stated that they used commercial guidance material in combination with other sources of information. Half of the teachers supplemented library materials with other sources. Audio-visual aids were most commonly used as the only source of occupational information. In the all-schools category only 19 percent used audio-visual aids in combination with other sources, and in the schools receiving special attention less than 13 percent combined audio-visual aids with other sources of information. Field trips, resource persons, etc., were supple- mented by 25 percent of the teachers in school receiving special attention, and in one-third of the schools in the all-school category. Nineteen of the responding schools, including three of the schools receiving special attention, reported that they offered 40 vocational counseling by guidance personnel. This information is shown in Table VII. From the Table it may be seen that field trips to places of business and industry and instructional units on occupations in other classes were the more popular guidance activities in both categories of schools. TABLE VII OTHER ORGANIZED SOURCES OF VOCATIONAL INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCES OFFERED BY SCHOOLS Schools Receiving All Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Courses emphasizing educational Opportunities beyond high school .......................... 7 16.6 3 37.5 Courses providing information on the "world of work" ............. 6 14.3 0 0 Courses providing personal and social information .............. 12 28.6 1 12.5 Field trips to places of business and indUStry ......OOOOOIIOOOOOOO 34 81.0 7 8705 Units on occupations within other Classes sccsscccsssccccscsscscsso 27 64.3 6 75.0 Assemblies where vocational informa- tion is presented ............... 12 28.6 4 50.0 Vocational counseling by guidance personnel ....................... 19 45.2 3 37.5 Work experience supervised by school personnel OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 11 26.2 2 25.0 career days .0......OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIO 22 52.4 4 50.0 other O.........OOOOOOOOOICOCOOOOO.... 4 9.5 o 0 Number of teachers that responded .... 42 8 41 From Table VII it appears that courses providing information on the "world of work", and courses specifically emphasizing educa- tional opportunities and planning beyond the high school were Offered less commonly than the shorter units on occupations that became a part of such classes as civics and the social sciences. The category of schools receiving special attention did not show atypical trends from.the all-schools category. That teachers of vocational agriculture do participate in guidance activities has been already mentioned. Table VIII shows the number and percentage of both categories of schools that used selected guidance practices. 'The Table shows that a majority of teachers used these activities and techniques. TABLE VIII USE OF SELECTED GUIDANCE PRACTICES BY TEACHERS Schools Receiving All-Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Discussing students' vocational choice With parents ......OOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 25 59.5 4 50.0 Keeping individual records on each StUdent O......OOOOOCOOIOOOIOOOOO... 29 69.0 4 5000 Making use of cumulative records, interest inventories, etc. ......... 32 76.2 7 87.5 Making follow-up studies ................ 28 66.7 6 75.0 Number Of teachers that responded ....... 42 8 42 Guidance personnel recognize individual records as being Of great importance. It was thought important to determine if teachers of agriculture were keeping individual records. Table IX. shows that twenty-nine teachers in the all-school category and four in the special-attention category kept individual student records. More important than the mere keeping of records and assembling of information is the use made of the data. The lower part of the Table indicates uses that teachers made of these data. About equal numbers of teachers used them for improvement of the students' individual farm projects, for guidance of individuals, for applications for degrees in the Future Farmers of America, TABLE IX USES OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENT RECORDS BY TEACHERS Schools Receiving All-Schools Special Attention Number Percent Number Percent Teachers that reported keeping individual student records ......... 29 69.0 4 50.0 Uses Orientation of new teacher ......... 4 13.8* 1 25.0* Improvement of individual projects . 21 72.4* 3 75.0* Basis for individual guidance ...... 23 79.3* 3 75.0* Application for F.F.A. degrees ..... 22 75.9* 3 75.0* Planning students' long-time program. 22 75.9* 1 25.0* Placement recommendations .......... l 3.4* 0 0 *Percent of the number of teachers that responded. 43 and for planning the long-time program of instruction and project work of students. This table shows no significant differences between the all schools category and the schools singled out for special attention. Summary This chapter provides a description of selected features of forty-two schools Offering vocational agriculture in Michigan. Eight schools that had 50 percent or more of their students who selected careers in agriculture were singled out of the forty-two for special attention. Interest in agriculture and Opportunity for carrying on a farming program were the most common criteria used to determine admittance of students in courses of vocational agriculture. En- rollment in subsequent courses was contingent upon the development Of a satisfactory farming program and an attitude of interest and cooperation. Students were, in general, acquainted with occupational opportunities in agriculture over a period Of more than one year. The duration varied, but for the most part was longer than two weeks. Occupational information was presented in a number of ways. Library and commercial guidance material were most frequently used in combination with each other or other sources of information. Audio-visual aids, resource persons, field trips, etc., were most commonly used without being supplemented from other sources. 44 Less than half of the schools had persons designated as guidance personnel. A number of guidance activities were shown to be typical of the schools studied.. The teacher Of vocational agriculture participated in guidance activities in such areas as keeping records on individual students, using other schools records in the guidance of youth, and making follow-up studies. Many of these types of activities by the teacher of vocational agriculture were associated with the development of individual farming programs and progress in vocational agriculture. There were no significant differences between the eight schools singled out for special attention and the total sample. 45 CHAPTER IV THE YOUTH THAT WERE STUDIED The purpose of this chapter is to describe the youth who res- ponded to the student survey as to their home status, their aspira- tions and expectations, and their ratings of selected factors that may be associated with their vocational plans. In this chapter, as in the previous one, will be found a number of tables and figures. Differences will be noted in the percentages and numbers responding and in the manner of reSponse. Not all of these differences are statis- tically significant. In order to better interpret the differences, the writer has made use Of a Table developed by Cuthbert Daniel1 and the critical ratio or t test. Daniel's Table, a copy of which is included in the Appendix, was calculated on the basis Of 95 percent certainty that differences Observed between percentages is not due to the size of the sample. The procedure, followed by Daniel in determining the significance of the difference found in observed percents, is to find the lower per- cent and the size of the sample. The figure, in the Table at the point where a line drawn from the size of the sample intersects one drawn from the lower percent, is the difference necessary in order to be significant at the five percent level Of confidence. 1Cuthbert Daniel, "Statistically Significant Differences in Observed Percents", Journal pf Applied Psychology, Vol. 24, 1940, pp. 826-830. 46 Table X shows the home situation of the respondents. Of a total sample of 776 students, 774 responded to the question concerning their home situation. Of these,513 were freshmen and 261 were seniors; 28.5 percent of the freshmen and 41.0 percent of the seniors were from full-time farms. It would seem to the author that this difference was due to selection on the part of the teachers and selection on the part of the students. In other words, the teachers may have guided the student without a full-time farm situation out of vocational agri- culture because among other possible reasons his potentialities of becoming a farmer were quite limited. The student after having had the first year or so of vocational agriculture may have decided that other courses within the school were more nearly in line with his interests and needs and dropped out of the program. The percent of freshmen and seniors with a part-time farm back- ground were approximately the same; 47.6 percent Of the freshmen and 46.7 of seniors came from part-time farms. The percentage of freshmen and seniors in the renter-tenant category were the same, 4.6 percent. The non-farm group Of freshmen constituted almost 20 percent of the respondents. The senior group in this category constituted only 7.7 percent of the total senior responses. It appears evident that the selective process was intensified between the freshmen ani senior years at the expense of this group. The concern of vocational educators over the selection of stu- dents has been mentioned elsewhere. Are teachers of vocational 47 TABLE X COMPOSITION OF SAMPLE AS TO PARENTAL FARM STATUS Freshmen Seniors Number Percent Number Percent Full-time farmers 146 28.5 107 41.0 Part-time farmers 244 47.6 122 46.7 Renters or tenants 24 4.6 12 4.6 Non-farmers 99 19.3 20 7.7 Total responses 513 100.0 261 100.0 agriculture justified in admitting students to a study of vocational agriculture who do not come from full-time farms? If interests and expectations of students may be considered criteria for use in selection, Table XI shows that among freshmen, approximately similar percentages of students whose parents were part-time farmers, renter-tenants, and non-farmers desired to enter agricultural occupations. Differences in the percentages of seniors from full-time and part-time farms who aspired to farming are significant at the 5 percent level. Over half TABLE XI ASPIRATIONS TO AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS IN RELATION TO PARENTAL FARMING STATUS * Parental Farming Status Full-time Part-time Renters and Non-farm Farmers Farmers Tenants Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Freshmen 84 60.4 105 44.7 11 47.6 40 43.5 Seniors 57 55.3 44 26.6 5 45.5 13 50.0” ‘ *This Table should be interpreted as shown on page 47A. 47A There are four categories of parental farming status shown in Tables XI and XII, full-time, part-time, renters and tenants, and non-farm. The number of freshmen and seniors under each category Of parental farming status represent the number who, in Table XI, aspired to agricultural occupations, and in Table XII the number who expected to enter agricultural occupations. For example, in Table XI eighty-four freshmen whose parents were full-time farmers aspired to agricultural occupations. This was 60.4 percent of the total number of freshmen whose parents were full-tbme farmers. Table XII shows that there were ninety-four freshmen whose parents were full-time farmers who expected to enter agricultural occupations. These ninety-four individuals represented 68.1 percent of all freshmen whose parents were full-time farmers. 48 of the seniors whose parents were full-time farmers aspired to farming whereas only a fourth of those whose parents were part-time farmers aspired to farming. Senior students in the renter-tenant and non-farm categories had about the same aspirations as those whose parents were full-time farmers. .About half of the seniors in the former two categories aspired to farming. It is interesting to note that, if all freshmen from cate- gories other than full-time farmers are lumped together, their agri- cultural aspirations differed significantly at the 5 percent level from.the full-time farmer category, but when seniors are similarly lumped together this does not hold true. From Table XII it may be seen that the expectation of entering an agricultural occupation varied more with the parental farm status than did the desire to enter an agricultural occupation shown in Table XI. Among freshmen from full-time farm.status to non-farm status there was a steady decline percentage-wise in the expectation Of entering an agricultural occupation. Figures from seniors show a similar trend. An increased percentage in the renter-tenant category TABLE XII EXPECTATIONS OF ENTERING AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS IN RELATION TO PARENTAL FARMING STATUS* Parental Farming Status Full-time Part-time Renters and Non-farm Farmers Farmers Tenants Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Freshmen 94 68.1 95 40.3 7 35.0 29 31.2 Seniors 65 62.5 38 33.6 5, 50.0" 5 20.89,- 7 *This Table should be interpreted as shown on page 47A. 49 is not statistically significant. Apparently students associated their Opportunities of entering agricultural occupations rather closely with parental farm status. The type of work students indicated they would like most to do is shown in Table XIII. The Table is divided into three parts for both freshmen and seniors. There were 517 freshmen and 259 senior res- pondents from all schools. These groups are further divided into students who had guidance personnel available to them in the school, and those who did not. There were 241 freshmen with guidance per- sonnel available to them, and 276 without available service. In the senior group it will be noted that 116 had guidance personnel avail- able tO them in the school, and 143 did not. Freshman data in Table XIII indicates that there were very slight differences in any of the three school categories. The lar- gest difference occurred between schools with guidance services and those without in the area of choice in mechanical occupations. The five percent more who chose mechanical careers in those schools with guidance personnel, is not, however, statistically significant. The vocational aspirations of seniors were not strikingly different from those of the freshmen. It should be noted that the differences lay chiefly between students in schools with and without guidance per- sonnel, and not between freshmen and seniors as such. None of the differences between freshmen and seniors are significant at the 5 per- cent level Of confidence. The fact that decreased numbers of students selected careers in the professions where guidance personnel were TABLE XIII THE TYPE OF WORK STUDENTS INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE MOST TO DO WHEN THEY FINISHED SCHOOL Freshmen Schools With Schools Without Type of Guidance Guidance Work yfiflf All Schools Personnel Personnel Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Professional 93 18.0 39 16.1 54 19.6 Service 21 4.1 11 4.6 10 3.6 Clerical & Sales 6 1.1 3 1.2 3 1.1 Agricultural 260 50.3 123 50.8 137 49.6 Mechanical 54 10.4 32 13.2 22 8.0 Manual 18 3.5 6 2.5 12 4.3 Military 33 6.4 12 _ 5.0 21 7.6 Uncertain 32 6.2 16 6.6 17 6.2 TOTAL 517 100.0 241 100.0 276 100.0 Seniors Schools With Schools Without Type of Guidance Guidance Wopkfip All Schools Personnel Personnel Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Professional 53 20.5 16 13.5 37 25.9 Service 5 1.9 3 2.5 5 3.5 Clerical & Sales 13 5.0 5 4.2 8 5.6 Agricultural 127 49.0 64 53.8 63 44.0 Mechanical 39 15.1 21 17.6 18 12.6 Manual '6 2.3 4 3.4 2 1.4 50 51 TABLE x111 (Continued) Seniors Schools With Schools Without 'Type Of Guidance Guidance WOrk All Schools Personnal Personnal Number PercEEt Number Percent Number Percent Military 3 1.2 3 2.5 0 0 Uncertain 13 5.0 3 2.5 10 7.0 TOTAL 259 100.0 116 100.0 143 100.0 available as compared with those where guidance personnel were not available should be observed. The increased numbers who elected agricultural and mechanical careers whereguidance personnel were available, and the decrease in the number of seniors who were un- certain of their vocational choice in those schools having guidance personnel available are facts worthy of note. .A significantly greater percentage in all categories, chose an agricultural occupa- tion as the type of work they would like most to engage in when they finished school. If it is to be assumed that the youth included in this study were to enter the general labor market, their aspirations with adjust- ments in terms Of Opportunities that have been shown to exist in the various occupational areas should be reconciled. The numbers of these youth who aspired to enter service, clerical, and sales occupations were notably low. Table XIV shows the expectations of 502 freshmen respondents and 274 senior respondents. The Table is divided into the same categories as is Table XIII. The expectations of these youth varied 52 considerably from their aspirations in the areas of professional and manual careers. Both freshmen and seniors in the all-school category showed a decrease that is statistically significant in their expecta- tions of entering the professions over those who aspired to enter occupations classified as professional. On the other hand, there was an increase in the percentage of those who expected to enter occupations classified as "manual" over the percentage of those who aspired to this type occupation in the "all-schools" category. This TABLE XIV THE TYPE OF WORK STUDENTS INDICATED THEY EXPECTED TO DO WHEN THEY FINISHED SCHOOL Freshmen Schools With Schools Without Type of All Schools Guidance Guidance Work Personnel Personnel Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Professional 35 6.9 18 8.0 17 6.2 Service 12 2.4 8 3.5 4 1.4 Clerical & Sales 0 10 2.0 3 1.3 7 2.5 Agricultural 244 48.6 108 48.0 136 49.2 Mechanical 44 8.8 22 9.8 22 7.9 Manual 64 12.7 26 11.6 38 13.7 Military 56 11.2 20 8.9 36 13.0 Uncertain 37 7.4 20 8.9 17 6.1 TOTAL 502 100.0 225 100.0 277 100.0 53 TABLE XIV (Continued) Seniors Schools With Schools Without Type of All Schools Guidance Guidance Work Personnel Personnel Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Professional 32 11.7 9 7.6 23 ‘14.7 Service 2 0.7 2 1.7 0 0 Clerical & Sales 4 1.4 3 2.5 l 0.6 Agricultural 144 52.5 59 50.0 85 54.5 Mechanical 27 9.9 17 14.4 10 6.4 Manual 35 12.8 16 13.7 19 12.2 Military 18 6.6 9 7.6 9 5.8 Uncertain 12 4.4 3 2.5 9 5.8 TOTAL 274 100.0 118 100.0 156 100.0 difference approaches significance at the 5 percent level of confi- dence for the freshmen, but does not for the seniors. Other differences of note in the all-school category, though not statistically significant, occur in the areas of aspiration and expectation of entering mechanical occupations and military. There is little difference between the aspirations and expectations of freshmen with regard to the mechanical occupations. The difference between the aspirations and expectations of seniors in regard to mechanical occupa- tions is not significant. Differences between the aspirations and expectations of both freshmen and seniors with regard to military service are not significant. 54 Ina comparison of expectations and aspirations between schools with and without guidance personnel for both freshmen and seniors one finds decreased numbers who expected to enter the professions over those who aspired to enter them, similarity between aspirations and expectations as to the service, clerical and sales areas, and agricul- tural areas, and increased numbers who expected to enter manual and military occupations over those who aspired to enter them. MOre seniors from schools with guidance personnel expected to enter mechani- cal occupations than freshmen in this same category. The expectations and aspirations of seniors with regard to mechanical occupations were similar in schools with guidance personnel. In those schools without guidance personnel there were fewer seniors who expected to enter mechanical occupations than who aspired to them. There is little difference between the amount of uncertainty as to aspirations and expectations in all categories. Worthy of possible note is the slightly increased surety that seniors felt relative to their ex- pectations. Seniors were more certain of their aspirations and expectations in those schools where guidance personnel were available. None of the differences between schools with and without guidance per- sonnel are statistically significant. They are cited here as being possible trends having value for further study. What factors have students found to be of importance in helping them make their vocational plans? Table XV shows how freshmen and seniors from the forty-two schools ranked various factors. Figure 2‘ contrasts freshmen and senior ratings graphically. In general, it will be noted that freshmen were slightly more conservative in their 55 ratings than seniors, but they followed a similar pattern to that of the seniors. Among the factors rated by both freshmen and seniors as most important in order of rank were work experience other than that sponsored by the school, and parents. already in the occupation, their study Of vocational agriculture, STUDENT RATING OF VARIOUS SOURCES OF HELP IN MAKING VOCATIONAL PLANS* TABLE XV Seniors rated others Freshmen Schools With Schools Without Guidance Guidance ,All Schools Personnel Personnel ‘_ Parents 1.55 1.52 1.58 Friends 0.96 0.99 0.96 Experience 1.56 1.58 1.56 School work experience 0.97 0.95 1.01 School study of occupations 1.15 1.11 1.19 Counselors, teachers, or principals 0.74 0.71 0.76 Agriculture teacher 1.07 1.08 1.12 ‘ Study of agriculture 1.24 1.25 1.25 Career, similar special days 0.82 0.69 0.94 Class discussion of vocations 1.02 0.94 1.08 Participation in the F.F.A. 1.17 1.05 1.30 School athletics 0.69 0.64 0.76 Others already in the occupation 1.17 1.17 1.20 56 TABLE XV (Continued) Seniors Schools With Schools Without Guidance Guidance All Schools__ Personnel Personnel Parents 1.55 1.59 1.53 Friends 1.12 1.10 1.18 Experience 1.72 1.70 1.74 School work experience 0.95 0.92 1.03 School study of occupations 1.21 1.11 1.31 Counselors, teachers, or principals 0.80 0.76 0.90 .Agriculture teacher 1.09 1.11 1.06 Study of agriculture 1.39 1.44 1.37 Career, similar special days 0.96 0.93 0.97 Class discussion of vocations 1.08 1.08 1.12 Participation in the F.F.A. 1.40 1.44 1.42 School athletics 0.69 0.53 0.83 Others already in the occupation 1.40 1.44 1.42 *The higher the numerical value the more important the source of help. the participation in F.F.A., and study of occupations in that order as important, but less so than experience and parents. Freshmen differed significantly from seniors only in one respect: they rated others already in the occupation less important than their study Of vocational agriculture. Parents Friends Ewes-isms School work eocperience School study of occupations Counselors . teachers principals Agriculture teacher Study of agriculture Career, similar special days Class Discussion of vocations Participation in the F.F.A. School athletics Others already in the occupation Student rating of various sources Of help in maldng plans for a vocation. The higher the numerical value the more important the source Of help. 2.0 57 58 A further study of the rating given these various factors was made by dividing the schools into two categories: (1) those with guidance personnel and (2) those without. Table XV shows that on the basis of this division school study of occupations, visits with the school counselor, principal or a teacher or teachers, partici— pation in the F.F.A., and sports in school show greater differences for both freshmen and seniors in the two categories of schools than do the other factors. At the five percent level of confidence, however, those ratings found significant were, in schools without guidance personnel: (1) the seniors' higher rating of visits with school personnel other than the teacher of vocational agriculture, (2) the higher rating of participation in the F.F.A. by freshmen, and (3) the higher rating of sports by seniors. Without more in- formation on reasons for these ratings, any explanation of them is conjecture. However, information shown by Table XV indicates that students feel the most important aids to them in terms of voca- tional planning were factors outside the school, work experience, their parents, and others already in the occupation of their choice. Another question asked the students was related to their attitudes toward the vocation of their choice. Table XVI shows the responses of freshmen and seniors from forty-two schools. Figure 3 graphically depicts the results of responses to this question. From the Table and Figure it may be seen that interest in the job rated with both freshmen and seniors as being most important. In following order were the feeling of havingthe qualifications for the job, the working conditions and security afforded by the occupation. Least 59 TABLE XVI STUDENT RATING 0F FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH VOCATIONAL PLANNING* Freshmen Schools With Schools Without Guidance Guidance All Schools Personnel Personnel Personal qualifications for job 1.62 1.59 1.65 Good salary 1.45 1.40 1.49 Working conditions 1.59 1.59 1.60 Interest 1.89 1.92 1.90 Security 1.42 1.39 1.44 Opportunities for advancement 1.37 1.42 1.44 Opportunity to serve mankind 1.32 1.31 1.10 Prestige 1.19 1.10 1.28 Seniors Schools With Schools Without Guidance Guidance All Schools Personnelfi Personnel Personal qualifications for job 1.71 1.76 1.68 Good salary 1.48 1.44 1.55 Working conditions 1.70 1.74 1.69 Interest 1.91 1.93 1.91 Security 1.64 1.64 1.67 Opportunities for advancement 1.44 1.54 1.41 Opportunity to serve mankind 1.39 1.37 1.42 Prestige 1.30 1.25 1.40 *The higher the numerical value the more important the factor. Personal qualifications for the job Good salary working conditions Interest Security Opportunities for advancement Opportunity to serve.mankind Prestige 6O Freshmen Seniors 0 FIGURE 3 Student rating of factors associated with vocational planning. The higher the numerical value the more important the factor. 2.0 61 important were the items labelled Opportunities for advancement, the Opportunity to serve mankind, and prestige. It is interesting to note the areas in which freshmen differed significantly from.seniors. Working conditions, security, and prestige were of less concern to freshmen in making their vocational plans than to seniors. Otherwise freshmen and seniors were not significantly different in their ratings. Respondents to this rating were also divided into those from schools with guidance personnel and those without to determine other possible differences. Freshmen were significantly different from seniors in schools without guidance personnel in that they rated as less important in their vocational plans security and the opportunity to serve mankind. In schools with guidance personnel, freshmen were significantly different from seniors in that they rated as less important in their vocational plans having personal qualifications for the job, security afforded by the occupation, the Opportunities for advancement, and prestige. The greater importance accorded working conditions by seniors borders on being.a significant difference between freshmen and seniors in these schools. The only statistically significant difference in responses from schools with and without guidance personnel lay in the greater impor- tance accorded the Opportunity to serve mankind by freshmen in schools with guidance personnel. This may not be attributable directly to the work of guidance personnel since the author's experience indicated that they had only slight contact with freshmen in most of these schools. 62 It seems natural to question the value of vocational agriculture to those students who do not plan to enter full-time farming. Table XVII shows evaluative responses from 468 freshmen and 248 seniors without reference to their occupational choice, and their responses when divided into those who have made part-time farming or related occupa- tions choices. It will be seen that in the ”All Students” category one in five freshmen felt that their training in vocational agriculture was of little or no value in the work they would like most to do. Questions as to why these students elected to take the subject or were allowed to enter it might well be raised. Only one in twelve seniors in the TABLE XVII EVALUATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY THE ENTIRE SAMPLE OF STUDENTS, AND BY THOSE WHO CHOSE TO ENTER SPECIFIC CATEGORIES OF AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER THAN FULL-TIME FARMING Freshmen _9_ Related Part-Time Occupation All Students Farming Choice Choice Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Helped develop needed skills 312 66.7 2 66.6 16 100.0 Helped develop needed attitudes 204 43.6 2 66.6 12 75.0 Helped develop leisure-time interests 97 20.7 0 0 O 0 Of little or no value 91 19.4 1 33.3 2 12.5 Number of students who responded 468 3 16 63 TABLE XVII (Continued) Seniors Related Part-Time Occupation All Students Farming Choice Choice Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Helped develop needed skills 154 62.1 3 75.0 14 100.0 Helped develop needed attitudes 154 62.1 3 75.0 9 64.3 Helped develop leisure-time interests 55 22.2 0 0 3 21.4 Of little or no value 21 8.5 1 25.0 2 14.3 Number Of students who responded 248 4 14 "A11 Student" category rated this training of little or no value. ‘Apparent- 1y the selective process previously noted was effective in eliminating many for whom.vocationa1 agriculture was not meaningful. Four students indicated a choice of part-time farming. Of these one felt his training in vocational agriculture would be of little or no value. This group is too small in number to apply tests of significance to its responses. Table XVII shows that fourteen students chose related occupations and they valued their experiences in vocational agriculture more highly. lAll indicated that the training helped develop needed skills although some felt it would be Of little or no value. Several inferences can be drawn from.this Table. First, part-time farming and related occupations were not popular choices of students who 3 responded to this study. If £indings reported by the Michigan Department 3"Facts for Administrators and Guidance WOrkers" (Lansing, Michigan: Department of Public Instruction, 1957). 64 Of Public Instruction related to the size of the working force en— gaged in these occupations may be taken as an indication of the opportunity in these areas, farm boys did not avail themselves of opportunities in which presumably they could use their skills and training. Second, student responses did not indicate recognition Of F.F.A. recreational activities as developing leisure time interests. Lastly, students apparently did not recognize the relationship that may exist between vocational agriculture training and preparation for part-time farming or careers in related occupations. Table XVIII shows the same evaluation items, but responses are from students who elected full-time farming. The reapondents are classified by parental farm status. This Table shows that regardless of parental farm status a significantly large percentage Of both fresh- men and seniors recognized the value of their vocational agriculture training in the occupation of farming. A very small number in each case felt the training to be Of little or no value. Nelson's study cited in the Review of Literature2 disclosed that in schools having guidance personnel, the teacher of vocational agricul- ture employed more guidance techniques as part of his instructional pro- gram. With this in mind, student ratings of the value of vocational agriculture were compared in Table XIX for schools With and without guidance personnel. It may be seen that freshmen in both categories of schools gave very similar responses. Seniors differed, although not significantly. In schools that had guidance personnel, a larger 2Cfe ante, p. 300 65 0 n.H H o.ooH 0 o.ooH 0 0.00 d mumjhmhncoz m o o m.mm H o o o.ooH m muddamH no muuuaom 0H H.n H n.mm m m.~m mH 5.00 NH muoaHoH eaHunanm on N H o.0H m 0.00 mm o.~m He mumaunw uaHunHHsh 11 mHOHfimW11 1 1 1 1 on o o 0.0 N m.m¢ MH o.ooH om mpthdhunoz m o o o o o o o.o0H m mummcmH no mueudmm mm ¢.m H 0.00 MH m.mn NN H.mm nu mumaunm oaHunuunm mu 0.0 q H.0H HH m.n¢ mm N.Nm 00 muuaumm OaHunHHom vowsommom 0:3 udmouom Honabz unmouom Honarz unmoumm Hmnabz unmoumm Hmaasz maunum muooeaum mo 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 153. Hsuomuwm Henaoz kuoa 11 11 11 tmmmmmuh 1 11111 dHom oz mummuousH moosuHuH< popoez mHHme wovmmz no eHuuHH mo maHHnmnsmHmH moHe>mn oedem aon>mn vemHmm moHo>mn,odemm UZHZMdN mzHHIHHDh mmomu om3 mfizmnbam um MDHde 2M4m Hdemm¢m OB Hummmmm mHHR NMDBHDUHmU<.H¢ZOHHduo> mo ZOHH4§H4>H HHH>N mqde I 66 TABLE XIX EVALUATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE BY STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS WITH AND WITHOUT GUIDANCE PERSONNEL Schools Having Guidance Personnel Freshmen Seniors Number Percent Number Percent Helped develop needed skills 144 44.6 79 45.1 Helped develop needed attitudes 93 28.9 68 38.9 Helped develOp leisure-time interests 47 14.5 22 12.6 0f little or no value 39 12.0 6 3.4 Total 323 175 Schools Not Having Guidance Personnel Freshmen Seniors Number Percent Number Percent Helped develOp needed skills 168 44.0 75 35.9 Helped develop needed atti- tudes ’ 111 29.3 86 41.1 Helped develop leisure-time interests 50 13.1 33 15.8 0f little or no value 52 13.6 15 7.2 Total 381 209 percentage Of senior responses indicated vocational agriculture as having helped develop needed skills, and a lesser number of responses indicated the training as having little or no value when compared with responses from seniors in schools without guidance personnel. These differences were not significant. 67 In vocational planning, two very important considerations are one's qualifications for the work, and the requirements of the work. Students in this study were asked to indicate the most important source of help in understanding their qualifications. Table XX shows that students recognized sources outside the school as being the most important help in understanding the requirements for the work which they would like most to do. The next Table, Table XXI, likewise indicates that sources outside the school were more important than school sources in helping students understand their qualifications for the work they would like most to do. Significance exists in all categories in both Tables with one exception. The one exception is in those schools with guidance personnel. The following factor con- tributed to this exception: in those schools with guidance personnel, school sources of help were recognized by seniors as more important than in schools without guidance personnel, although not more important than out-Of-school sources. In those schools with guidance personnel it was the teacher of vocational agriculture who was rated.most important as a source of help by seniors, but other school sources of help also were rated more highly than in those schools without guidance personnel. It might be expected that freshmen ratings would show little difference in schools with and without guidance personnel; since these data were gathered early in the school year freshmen contacts with guidance personnel were limited largely for reasons already inferred. Practices encouraged or implemented by guidance personnel in the schools 68 0.00H 00H 0.00H MdN 0.00H NHH 0.00H mNN 0.00H muN 0.00H 0.H0 mm m.H0 00H 0.Hm mm 5.00 NMH 0.00 0¢H 0.00 0.0 NH N.mH hm n.0H NH .m.NH mN 5.0 0N H.¢H N.0m Ho m.mN um 0.0m mq 0.0N 00 0.mm «w m.mN 00¢ HmuOH Ham HooaUm «as Ovauno season 00 season Hoonom umauo HNH mouoom ousuHOOHuwm HdcoHusoo> unmonom umaaoz unmoumm Heaaoz unmoumm nonanz unmoumm Honabz unmouom Honasz unmouom Hmeaoz DHOHd—wm fimgmmhh mHOHQUm fimaflmwhh . mHOfid—Um HHMEQMHN Hon:Omumm mocmvHou Hmoaomuom mommoHso usoaufiz_mHoosum and: mHooaom maooaum Haa on o9 amoz mqu sumo: Hume nua4OanH mazmnsam use: may no mazszMHpomm may anoma.onaazeoa2H mo mompom azaamoazH Baez MN mandH 69 0.00H 0.50 5.0 0.0N 00H H0 00 0.00H n.00 n.0N HmN mNH 0N Nm 0.00H NHH 0.Hm 0m 0.HH 0H 0.00 H0 0.00H 0.00 0.5 0.0N mNN HmH NH H0 0.00H mdN 0.H0 00H H.m NN 0.mN Nu 0.00H 0.00 0.0 0.0N 00¢ Hnuoh 0N0 Hoonom can Ovauno mouaom H0 condom Hoonom umeuo mHH menace unauHsuHumm anoHumoo> unmoumm Honaoz unmoumm umaauz unmoumm Hmnasz unmoumm umnasz unmouem Heaanz unmouem Hmaabz mHOHOOm amanmoum Housemumm monandu usonqu nHoonom mHOHaOm Hmcsomnmm ooauoHou 033 385m dmanmmum HNN MHde mHOHnmm amanmeuh mHoonom HH< on OH HmQZ HMHH 0H303_wmmfl MMOBmeB mom mZOHH¢UHhHH¢§Q UZHQZdemeZD ZH MANN 9002 no UZHmm m4 mflzmnDHm Wm nMH¢UanH MUM500 70 would have had little effect. Seniors (in schools with guidance per- sonnel), however, have had more extensive contacts with these practices and their responses indicated greater help in their vocational plan- ning from school sources. It will be recalled that Chapter Three was devoted to a des— cription of the program of vocational agriculture in the schools studied. A.atudy of this information was made to determine the possible association between the choice of an agricultural occupation and the Opportunity of fieshmen for carrying on a farming program. Table XXII indicates that of 169 freshmen in schools that limited enrollment tolhose having a farming program, half had selected an agricultural occupation as the work they would like most to do. TABLE XXII CHOICE OF AN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATION BY FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL WITH AND WITHOUT ENROLLMENT LIMITED TO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR.CARRYING ON.A FARMING PROGRAM Agricultural Occupation Choice Number Percent Enrollment limited on basis of Opportunity for carrying on farming program. 169 50.6 No limitation of enrollment on basis Of Opportunity for carrying on farming program. 91 49.7 There were 91 freshmen in schools which did not have a require- ment that enrollees have the opportunity for carrying on a farming program. Of these 91 freshmen approximately half chose an agricultural occupation. On the basis of this sample, it would appear that the 71 Opportunity to carry on a farming program was not associated with the choice of an agricultural occupation. TO further pursue this subject, the expectations of seniors were studied in an effort to determine possible association between the development of a satisfactory farming program and the expectation of entering an agricultural occupation. Table XXIII shows that there were 95 seniors in schools where a satisfactory farming program.was a prerequisite for subsequent enrollment in classes of vocational agri- culture. Forty-five seniors responded where there was no farming program prerequisite for subsequent enrollment. Approximately half of the students in both categories expected to enter agricultural occupa- tions. The findings reported in Tables XXII and.XXIII somewhat parallel those of Bjoraker cited in the Review of Literature.4 They indicate TABLE XXIII EXPECTATIONS OF SENIORS OF ENTERING AN AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATION IN SCHOOLS WITH AND WITHOUT ENROLLMENT LIMITED TO THOSE DEVELOPING SATISFACTORY FARMING PROGRAMS Expectation Of Entering An Agricultural Occupation Number Percent Prerequisite of development Of a satis- factory farming program for enrollment 95 50.3 NO farming program prerequisite for enrollment 45 52.9 40f. ante, p. 27. 72 that external factors of Opportunity cited in the present study were not significantly associated with vocational choice and expec- tation of entering agricultural occupations. Summary This study shows that the majority of students of vocational agriculture came from either full-time or part-time farms. About half of all students aspired to enter agricultural occupations, but their expectations varied directly with the degree of parental involve- ment in farming. Next in importance to agricultural occupations in stu- dent aspirations were professional and mechanical occupations. Student expectations showed a decided change in favor of entering unskilled occupations. School factors were less important in helping students ‘make their vocational plans than were parents and experience. Interest was found to be very important in student vocational planning, with concerns relative to working conditions and security slightly less important. Respondents indicated that sources outside the school were most important as sources of information on the requirements of the work they would like most to do, and their qualifications for this work. Within the school system the teacher of vocational agriculture was rated as the most important source of help and information in understanding job requirements and personal qualifications. Most students felt that their study of vocational agriculture had helped them develop skills and attitudes needed in the work of their choice. In those schools with guidance personnel there were few statistically 73 significant differences when compared with those not having guidance personnel, however, increased numbers of students in schools with guidance personnel expressed a concern in helping mankind. Students in these schools, for the most part, were more certain of their vocational plans and chose to enter mechanical occupations when not choosing agriculture. Senior students in schools with guidance per- sonnel indicated school sources Of help to be somewhat more important in vocational planning than in schools without guidance personnel. Choice of an agricultural occupation, the expectation of entering one, and Opportunity were not significantly related in this study. 74 CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY This study is a report of an investigation into the vocational choices Of students of vocational agriculture. Selected factors, parti- cularly school factors, that might be associated with the choices of these youth are described. Information was obtained from.forty-two schools in Michigan that offered vocational agriculture. The data were collected by means of questionnaires mailed to the teachers and their freshman and senior students. Forty-two teachers responded to the teacher questionnaire. Eight schools from which teachers responded were singled out for special attention. In these schools 50 percent or more students selected an agricultural occupation as the work they would like most to do. In interpreting the findings reported here one should view them as being characteristic of the population of this study. They are not necessarily characteristic of the universe. Those that are statisti- cally significant have been indicated. Some findings that are not antistically significant have been reported when considered worthy of further investigation. Teachers who reSponded in this study indicated they engaged in a number and variety Of guidance activities. The purpose of many of these activities was to promote student farming programs. 75 One of the guidance activities of teachers could be labelled, "selection of students". Teacher responses showed that "interest in agriculture" was the most frequent basis for admission to the first course in agriculture. Significance was at the five percent level. Continuance in subsequent courses was on several bases such as passing grades, an attitude of cooperation and interest, the develop- ment of a satisfactory farming program, and the teacher's decision as to the desirability of continuance in subsequent courses. None of the major bases showed significant differences from.each other. Among other guidance activities in which teachers engaged was the presentation Of occupational information. Information included Opportunities in farming and agricultural occupations other than farming. There was only one teacher who did not report having engaged in the presentation of information on Opportunities in farming. One teacher indicated that he did not present information on Opportunities in agricultural occupations other than farming. In presenting occupational information a number of methods were used. The most common method was through classroom discussion. Other 'methods included field trips and use of resource persons, the use of instructional aids, and farm visitation. Most teachers indicated that these methods were carried on continuously. Instruction designed to acquaint students with the opportunities in agricultural occupations was offered to some extent in each year of agriculture. Turning from methods of instruction in occupational Opportunities to the various sources of occupational information used by teachers, it 76 was found that commercial guidance services were used by about half of the teachers. Materials from these sources were used in classroom instruction, for individual instruction, and for distribution to interested persons. ‘About a third of the schools that reported the use of these materials indicated combined use with other sources of occupational information. Library sources of occupational information were used in the classroom and for use by individuals. In half of the schools they were used in combined ways. Audio-visual materials were among more frequently reported sources of occupational information. They were more Often reported as the only source of occupational information than were the other sources. Mbre than half of the teachers that reported audio-visual sources of occupational information indicated that they were used in the classroom. Field trips and resource persons were reported by about three-fourths of the teachers as sources of occupational information. About one-third of the teachers who provided these sources of occupa- tional information supplemented them from other sources. Teachers in schools selected for special attention reported using the various sources of occupational information proportionately less for individual instruction than did the total sample. None of these differences was statistically significant, however. In addition to the guidance activities carried on by teachers of vocational agriculture, almost half the schools had other guidance 77 activities under the direction of guidance personnel. More than half of the schools provided field trips to places of business and industry, units on occupations within other classes, and career days. Among the least common activities were courses providing information on the world of work, or educational, personal and social information, and work experience supervised by school personnel. The eight schools selected for special attention were not signi- ficantly different in their Offerings from those of the total sample. None of them offered courses on the world of work. Teachers were asked about the use of individual student records. The majority reported their uses as being for the improvement of indi- vidual projects, for individual guidance, for application for F.F.A. degrees, and for planning the student's long-time program. Differences between the total sample and the selected schools were not significant. Half or more of the teachers in both school categories reported discussing with parents the vocational choices of students, keeping individual records on each student, making use of other school records and test results, and making followeup studies. Attention is now directed from.a description Of selected features of the program of vocational agriculture and of the guidance services in schools from.which teachers responded, to data collected from the responses of students in these schools. The student sample consisted of 517 freshmen and 261 seniors. The freshmen differed significantly from the seniors in respect to parental famm status. There were significantly less freshmen than seniors whose V‘- 78 parents were full-time farmers. The increased percentage of freshmen, whose parents were non—farmers, bordered on significance at the five percent level when compared with the percentage of seniors in that category. About every fourth freshman's parents were full-time farmers, and two Of every five seniors' parents were full-time farmers. Slightly less than half of both freshmen and seniors were from part-time farms. ., .About one in every twenty students were from rented or tenant farms. Differences within the freshmen group with respect to parental farm status were significant in all instances except between the renter-tenant and non—farmer categories. The percentages Of seniors whose parents were full-time and part-time farmers differed significantly from.the renter—tenant and non—farmer categories, but not from each other. Differences between seniors in the renter-tenant and non-farmer cate- gories were not significant. Student vocational aspirations were placed in eight categories. Half of all students that responded aspired to an agricultural occupation. This was significantly different from aspirations in other categories. No statistically significant differences were found between freshmen and seniors with respect to their vocational aspirations in all schools and in schools with and without guidance personnel. The number of students that aspired to part-time farming and agricultural occupations (other than farming) seems notably low. Of the total number of respondents, only 37 students or less than 5 percent chose to enter these occupations. The percentage of all freshmen, who chose to enter professional 79 occupations, was significantly different from that ofireshmen who desired to enter other occupations except mechanical. The percentage Of all freshmen, who chose to enter mechanical occupations, was significantly different from.those who chose agriculture. About every fifth freshman student aspired to one of the professions. One in ten freshmen aspired to a mechanical occupation. The percentage of seniors, who chose to enter the professions and mechanical occupations, differed significantly from those who chose agricultural occupations. One in five seniors aspired to a professional occupation, and one in seven to a mechanical occupation. The Bureau of Social Research Study at Michigan State College, cited in the Review of Literaturel, indicated a difference between the vocational aspirations and expectations of youth. Similar differences were found in the present study. Percentagewise, there appears a siz- able decrease in the numbers of students in the present study who expected to enter the professions as compared to the number that aspired to them. This difference between freshmen and senior expectations and aspiration, however, was not found significant statistically in all schools or schools either with or without guidance personnel. There were also increased percentages, though not statistically significant, of freshmen and seniors who expected to enter manual occu- pations as compared to the number that aspired to them. Approximately the same numbers of freshmen and seniors expected to enter agricultural occupations as aspired to enter them. 1Cf. ante, p. 23 80 .Approximately the same numbers Of freshmen and seniors expected to enter agricultural occupations as aspired to enter them. There were no statistically significant differences between the expectations of freshmen and seniors in all schools or schools with and without guidance personnel. About half of all the students expected to enter an agricultural occupation; this number was significantly different from those who expected to enter other occupational categories, and was the only difference significant at the five percent level among all categories of occupational expectations. There was a significant difference found between the percentages of both freshmen and seniors who aspired to agricultural occupations and whose parents were full-time and part-time farmers. Significantly more students whose parents were full-time farmers aspired to agricultural occupations than those whose parents were part-time farmers. Three of every five students whose parents were full-time farmers aspired to agricultural occupations. Only slightly more than two of every five whose parents were part-time farmers aspired to these occupations. Differences between students from.ather parental farm classifications were not significant. Differences between aspirations of freshmen and seniors were not significant. Expectations as to entering agricultural occupations were found to vary with parental farm;status. Boys whose parents were full-time farmers appeared to recognize in significantly greater numbers that Opportunities were greater for them to enter farming than did boys whose parents were not full—time farmers. Differences found significant were those between all students whose parents were full-time farmers and 81 those whose parents were part-time farmers and non-farmers. Diff- erences between expectations of freshmen and seniors were not signifi- cant. The possibility as to whether there was any significant association between vocational choice and the requirement that freshmen have an opportunity for carrying on a farming program was investigated. It was found that approximately equal numbers of students chose agricultural occupatiOns whether there was or was not the limitation of having the Opportunity for carrying on a farming program. A similar analysis was made of senior responses tO determine possible association between expectation of entering an agricultural occupation and the prerequisite of development of a satisfactory farming program for subsequent enrollment. Approximately equal numbers of stu- dents expected tO enter agricultural occupations in schools with and without the farming program requirement. Students were asked to cite the source of most of the information about the requirements for the work which they indicated they would like to do. A significant number of freshmen and seniors indicated that most of their information about work requirements for the work they would like'most to do came from a source outside the school. When the numbers that indicated the vocational agriculture sources of information and other school sources of information were combined, out-of-school sources of information were still significantly more important than school sources. The number of students that indicated the teacher of agri- culture or an experience in vocational agriculture as being the source of most of their information on work requirements approached significance 82 when compared with other school sources Of information. Responses to the companion item in the student questionnaire which requested the source of greatest help in understanding their own qualifications for the work they would like most to do showed a striking similarity between freshman and senior responses. Sources outside the school were indicated by both freshmen and seniors as being of significantly greater help than school sources in understand- ing their own qualifications for the work they would like most to do. When the number that indicated vocational agriculture sources of help and other school sources of help were combined, the Out-Of-school sources were still significantly more important. Although teachers of vocational agriculture were indicated as resources more Often than other school sources, the difference was not significant. Student responses as to the most important source of infor- mation about work requirements were considered from schools with and without guidance services. In those schools having guidance personnel there was no significant difference between out-of—school sources of information and all school (vocational agriculture and other school sources) sources of information. This fact is true for both freshmen and senior responses. In schools without guidance personnel, out-of—school sources of information on work requirements were significantly moms important than school sources. In schools with guidance personnel, freshmen in statistically significant numbers indicated out-of-school sources as being the most important help in understanding qualifications for the work they would 83 most like to do. Greater numbers of seniors in schools with guidance personnel than seniors in schools without guidance personnel, indicated school sources as being of relatively more help in understanding qualifi- cations for the work they would like most to do. The difference between out-of—school sources and school sources of help in the schools with guidance personnel was not significant in the case Of senior responses. In schools without guidance personnel, however, out-of—school sources of help were significantly more important than school sources. Students did not rate teachers of agriculture as being signifi- cantly more important than other school sources of help in understand- ing work requirements or qualifications in any instance. Students were asked to indicate the contribution of vocational agriculture to the occupation of their choice. A significant number of freshmen and seniors indicated that vocational agriculture helped them develop needed skills. Significantly fewer freshmen indicated vocational agriculture helped them develop needed attitudes. However, the same number of seniors associated the development of needed skills and attitudes with their courses of vocational agriculture. There were significantly fewer freshmen and seniors who indicated that voca- tional agriculture helped them develop leisure time interests, or that it was Of little or no value when compared with the contribution it made to the development of needed skills and attitudes. The only statistically significant difference between freshmen and seniors occurred in the greater percentage of seniors who indicated that voca- tional agriculture helped them deve10p needed attitudes. 84 Students who made a choice of part-time farming were not suffi- cient in number to establish significance in evaluating the contribution of their agriculture courses to their vocational choices. Those who chose related agricultural occupations indicated in all cases that vocational agriculture helped them develOp needed skills. Significantly fewer of these individuals felt that it helped them develop needed attitudes. Students with respect to various types Of parental farm status evaluated the contribution vocational agriculture had made to their plans. Both freshmen and seniors in significant numbers, in each category of parental farm status, rated vocational agriculture as being more helpful in developing skills and attitudes than being of little or no value. Significantly fewer freshmen and seniors from full-time farms indicated vocational agriculture helped develop needed attitudes as compared to development of needed skills. ‘A significantly large proportion of all students felt that voca- tional agriculture contributed to the vocation of their choice. Al- though half of the students did not choose agricultural occupations, only one in five freshmen and one in twelve seniors indicated it would be of little or no value in the occupation of their choice. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions in this report are drawn from.findings to which tests of statistical significance have been applied. Application of these conclusions to a larger pOpulation than included in this study may or may not be justified. 85 On the basis of the findings in this study one would be justi— fied in concluding that the vocational aspirations of the youth in this study (with the exception of those who chose agricultural occupa- tions) were very similar to findings on vocational aspirations of other youth. Some of these findings are cited in the Review of Literature.2 Apparently these rural youth as compared with youth cited in other studies, needed help in making vocational choices that were realistic in terms Of the Opportunities for employment available to them. When judged by student responses, programs within the schools did not appear to have had significant effect upon the vocational choices of these rural youth. This might be expected when viewed in terms of the sources from which youth indicated they received most Of their vocational information. Sources outside the school, and in particular the home, were indicated as being the most important sources of help in the career planning of youth. When the percentages of these youth who indicated that they expected to enter farming are considered in contrast to the very small percent who indicated an interest in part-time farming and agricultural occupations other than farming, the realism of their agricultural choices appears suspect. In the brochure, "Facts for Administrators and Guidance Workers"3, published by the Michigan.Department of Public Instruction, it is pointed out that 25 million people work in agri- cultural occupations. The majority of these people were in occupations 2Cf. ante, pp. 22'25. 3Michigan Department of Public Instruction, loc. cit. 86 other than farming. Yet few students chose these occupations. This present study does not reveal that significantly greater emphasis was placed on acquainting students with opportunities in farming than in other agricultural occupations. This, the author would consider to be wise and in agreement with the stand taken by the National Manpower Council which stated that vocational courses should provide a broad base for later vocational training rather than being confined to pre- paration for specific jobs.4 That these rural youth may not have been fully aware of the possibilities in agricultural occupations other than farming or were unwilling to consider them as favorably as farming appears to be a justifiable conclusion. The lack of association at significant levels between the Opportunity for carrying on a farming program and the development of a satisfactory farming program and vocational choice paralleled findings of Bjoraker, cited in the Review of Literature.5 He con— cluded that the boy's total attitude toward farming was probably more important in relation to his desire to remain on the farm than most other personal, farm, and family factors. Ahalt and Murray's findings mentioned in the Review of Literature6 indicated a liking for farming by those young men who became farmers. This appears important if a "liking for" and "interest in" may be assumed to have similar meaning. 4 National Manpower Council, A Policy for Skilled Manpower (New York: Columbia University Press, 1954), p. 23. 5Cf. ante, pp. 27, 28. 6Cf. ante, p. 28. 87 The present study shows that the interest a youth has in an occupation was among the most important factors that influenced his choice. It 'may be recalled that interest was among the factors which teachers indicated as bases for admission to the first and subsequent courses in agriculture. It was not, however, accorded greater importance than other factors used in selection. If teachers and the schools are to be more effective in guiding the vocational choices of youth, one method to that and would be to spend more time with parents discussing the interests and plans of youth. This conclusion appears especially valid in view of the importance students accorded parental help in making vocational plans. Only slightly more than half of the teachers in this study responded to the question that indicated they discussed students' vocational plans with parents. There appeared to be sufficient association between the presence of guidance personnel in the school and the value of school sources of help in understanding work requirements and qualifications so that out-of—school sources of help were not rated significantly more helpful than school sources. With no more facts at hand than afforded in this study, a cause and effect relationship cannot be clabmed. However, it may be concluded that guidance personnel, in the schools responding to this study, were associated with an improvement in the school's contribution to the vocational understanding of the youth surveyed. Other findings in this study indicated that seniors had signi- ficantly more concern over working conditions and security than did 88 freshmen. The Opportunity to serve mankind was of only minor importance. The Future Farmers of America is an organization Of high school students of vocational agriculture. It has as one of its goals the development of worthy use of leisure time. To this end chapters Of this organization characteristically provide a number of recreational activities. However, it was found that students did not associate their study of vocational agriculture with the recreational activities of the F.F.A. and the development of leisure time interests. A possible conclusion frmm this finding would be that the type of activities chosen by the organization are not ones which the students would other- wise choose for a leisure time interest or activity, or that there is no effort through the organization or by the teacher to associate the activities with the use of leisure time. Significantly more seniors than freshmen rated "needed attitudes" as having been deve10ped through their vocational agriculture course work. This response is probably due to the word, attitude, having greater meaning to seniors than to freshmen, and to the longer period of course work of seniors over which development of attitudes could take place. RECOMMENDATIONS In view of the findings of this study and the author's experience the following recommendations are made: 1. Teachers of vocational agriculture should place greater emphasis upon interest in entering agricul- tural occupations as a prerequisite to entrance 89 into the first and subsequent courses of voca- tional agriculture. Teachers need to work more closely with parents concerning the vocational guidance of their youth. Training in guidance and counseling should be in- cluded in the teacher education curriculum of agriculture teachers in order that they may more effectively perform their guidance functions and contribute to the total guidance program of the school. Means of preparation for, entrance into, and progress in agricultural occupations other than farming should receive equal or greater emphasis than farming. The role played by recreation in the worthy use of leisure time and as a part of successful vocational development should receive mere emphasis in courses of vocational agriculture and through the Future Farmers Of America. The development and implementation of school programs aimed at providing understandings necessary for intelligent course selection and career planning should become mere widespread. Changes in the program of vocational agriculture should come only after careful study as to the possibility of their implementing desired outcomes. 9O BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS Bennett, M. E. College and Life. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1952. Browns, Ralph Emerson et al. The New'Dictionary.gf Thoughts. New York: Hanover House, 1957. Byram, Harold M. and Ralph C. Wenrich. Vocational Education and Practical Arts 32 The_gommunity School. New York: MacMillan Company, 1956. Cornford, Francis M; ‘A Translation 2f The Republic 2f Plato. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. Hahn, Milton E. and Malcolm S. MacLean. General Clinical Counseling. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1950. Hoppock, Robert. Occupational Information. New York: ‘McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1957. Phipps, Lloyd J. Your Opportunities i3 Vocational Agriculture. Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Press, 1957. Super, Donald E. The Dynamics 2f Vocational Adjustment. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1942. The Psychology of Careers. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1957. Struck, Theodore F. Vocational Education for a Changing'World. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1953. B. PUBLICATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, LEARNED SOCIETIES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Ahalt, Arthur M. and Ray A. Murray. How'Young Farmers Become Established. College Park, Maryland: The University of Maryland Experiment Station, 1956. Caplow, T. The Sociology 2f Work. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University Of Minnesota Press, 1954. Clark, F. E. Economic Theory and Correct Occupational Distribution. Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1931. Darley, John G. and Theda Hagenah. Vocational IntegestiMeasurement. IMinneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1955. 91 Deyoe, G. P. Young Men From Michigan Farms. Department of Education, Michigan State College, Lansing: The State Board of Control for Education, 1939. ‘ Doane, Donald C. The Needs 2: Youth. Contributions to Education No. 848. Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1942. Division of Research. Erie County Needs More Vocational Education. New York: University of the State of New York, 1954. Division of Vocational Education. Course Selection and Career Planning. Columbus: Ohio State Department of Education, 1955. Division of Vocational Education. Digests 2: Annual Reports 2: State Boards 2; Vocational Education. Washington, D. C.: United States Office of Education, 1956. Facts For Administrators and guidance Workers. Lansing, Michigan: Department of Public Instruction, 1957. Federal Security Agency. Summaries 23 Studies ig,Agricultural Education, Supplements 3-10, 1950-1957. Washington, D. C.: United States Office of Education. Counselor Cgmpetencies.ig Occupational Information. Miscellaneous Publication 3314-3. Washington, D. C.: United States Office of Education, Division of Vocational Education, 1949. Administration 2; Vocational Education. Bulletin NO. 1. Washington, D. C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1948. Fowler, Fred M. Selection gf Students for Vocational_Training. Washington, D. C.: Federal Security Agency, United States Office of Education, 1945. Ginzberg, Eli et a1. Occupational Choice, Au Approach 59 5 General Theory. New'York: Columbia University Press, 1951. ' Michigan High School Athletic Association. Bulletin, Volume XXXIII, Number 4-S. Lansing, Michigan High School Athletic Association, 1956. National Manpower Council. ;A_Ppliqy for Skilled Manpower. New'York: Columbia University Press, 1934, 1954. Nelson, Kenneth G. Guidance Handbook for Michigan Teachers 2f Vocational Agriculture. East Lansing: Michigan State College Press, 1950. Roethlisberger, F. J. and William J. Dickson. Management and the Worker. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1943. Social Research Service. Youth and the World gf'Work. East Lansing: Michigan State College Press, 1949. 92 Strong, E. K. Change gf Interest With Age. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1931. C. PERIODICALS American Personnel and Guidance Journal. "Variability of Vocational Choices of High School Students", American Personnel and Guidance Journal, November 1955. Arsenian, Seth. "The Relation of Evaluative Attitudes to Vocational Interest and Social Adjustment", Journal 2f Social Psygholggy, NO. 17, February 1943. Bingham. W. V. "Who Should Farm", The Land, XXII, Winter 1953-1954. Byram, Harold'M. and Kenneth G. Nelson. "Guidance and Placement in Agricultural Education", The Agricultural Education Magazine, XXIV, 2, 1952. Daniel, Cuthbert. "Statistically Significant Differences in Observed Percents”, Journal 2f Applied Psychology, XXIV, 1924. DeGraff, Herrell. "Who is the Farm.Worker", The County Agent, Vo—Ag Teacher, XIII, 9, 1957. Editorial, "In Summing Up", The County Agent, VOeAg.Teacher, XIV, 2, 1958. f Hartson, L. D. "Vocational Choices Before and After College", Occupations, XVI, 1937. MacKaye, D. L. "The Fixation of Vocational Interest", American Journal 2; Sociology, XXXIII, 1927. Meadow, Lloyd. "Toward a Theory of Vocational Choice", Journal 2f Counseling Psychology, II, 2, 1955. National Vocational Guidance Association. "Principles and Practices of Vocational Guidance", Occupations, XV, 1937. Thorne, F. C. "Principles of Directive Counseling and Psychotherapy”, American Psychologist, III, 1948. D. ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES Kaplan, A. J. Encyclopedia‘gf Vpcatignal Guidance, PhiloSOphical Library I, 1948. 93 E. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Bender, Ralph E. "Vocational Status of Students in Vocational Agriculture Graduating in 1953 and 1954". Unpublished non-thesis study, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 1956. Bjoraker, Walter T. "A Study of Upper Classmen in Vocational Agriculture, to Identify Certain Factors Associated with the Level of Desire to Remain on the Farm", Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1951. Buie, Tollie R. "Critical Factors Involved in the Evaluation and Use of Occupational Information in Agriculture in the North Central Region”. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State College, East Lansing, 1953. Clear, Charles Edward. "A Study of the Guidance Needs of Vocational Agriculture in Southwest Virginia". Unpublished Master's thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, 1951. Duda, Charles J. "The Effects of Selective Service on Students of Vocational Agriculture in Becoming Established in Farming". Un- published Master's thesis, The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1953. Fraker, John W. “A Follow—up Study of Former Students of Vocational Agriculture in Kenton High School, 1942-1952". Unpublished.Master's thesis, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 1954. Gaffney, Charles M. "The Farm Background, Course of Study Pursued, and Occupations of Graduates of the New York Institute of Agriculture and Home Economics". Master's problem, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1950. Ketcham, Harry Mack. "A Study of the Education and Occupations of Former Vocational Agricultural Students in the Greenville Central Rural School, 1932-1950". Unpublished Master's thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1951. Korpi, Milton L. "A Study of the High School Drop-Outs of Rural Children in the Belle Plaine High School, Belle Plaine, Minnesota, 1936-1950". Unpublished Master's problem, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1952. Lamar, Carl F. "A.Ten-Year Study of FOrmer Students of Vocational Agri- culture in Kentucky, 1940-1950". Unpublished non-thesis study, The University of Kentucky, Lexington, 1954. Mostowski, John J. "The Guidance of Students in High School with Emphasis on Vocational Agriculture". Unpublished Master's thesis, The Universi- ty of Maryland, College Park, 1956. Rougeau, Amos B. "A Ten—Year Study of Former Students of Vocational 94 Agriculture in Six Reorganized Districts in Missouri". Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Missouri, Columbia, 1957. Shotwell, Allen R. "The Occupational Status of Former Pupils of the Union Springs Central Rural School Areas as Related to Occupational Opportunities of the Area". Unpublished Master's thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, 1954. Worthington, John E. "Determining the Number of New Opportunities for Youth to Enter Farming in Each of Ohio's Counties". Unpublished non-thesis study. The Ohio State University, Columbus, 1956. Zahn, Edward B. "A Study of the Occupational Distribution of the Former Vocational Agriculture Students of the Iola, Kansas, High School". Unpublished research problem, Oklahoma A and M College, Stillwater, 1953. APPENZD IX 95 1. 2. 5. 4. TEmCHER SURVEY On what basis are students admitted to the first courses of vocational agriculture? (Check the apprOpriate item or items) a) Interest in agriculture b) Opportunity for carrying on a farming program c) Interest or willingness in joining the FFA d) Student has had at some time a farming bacEground e) No restrictions the first year f) Other (specify) On what bases are they allowed to enroll in subsequent courses (in agriculture)? (Check the appropriate item or items) a) Passing grades b) Attitude of cOOperativeness and interest c) Teacher's decision as to the desirability of continuing d) Deve10pment of a satisfactory farming program e) Other (specify) In what ways do you acquaint students with the Opportunities in farming? (Check the appropriate item or items) a) Classroom instruction and discussion b) Field trips and resource persons ‘c) Instructional aids such as bulletIns, articles, school farms, etc. d) Farm visitation e) Other (specify) In what year or years is this done and over how long a period? (Check the appropriate item or items) a) First two years d) Continuously b) Ag I and IV e) One week when offered c) First year f) Other (specify length) Have you attempted to acquaint students with the opportunities in agricultural occupations other than farming? Yes 'No If the answer is "yes", in what year or years and over how long a period of time has this taken place? a) Each year of -ag b) Junior and Senior years c) Senior year d) Freshmen year e) Given only on an One week Two week§"35"longer Less than one week Other (specify)__ P 5m ’1 wvvv individual basis «‘9' 5. 6. What other organized sources of vocational information and experiences are available in your high school? (Please check and fill in appropriate spaces) a) b) c) d) e) r) s) h) 1) .1) Courses specifically organized to provide information on further educational opportunities beyond the high school. Grade offered students Duration Courses specifically organized to provide information on the "world of work". Grade offered students Duration Courses specifically organized to provide social and personal information. Grade offered students DuratIOn Field trips to places of business and industry. ‘Units on occupations in other classes. Assemblies where vocational information is offered. Vbcational counseling by guidance personnel. Work experience supervised by school personnel. Career days.__ Other (specify) What sources of occupational information have you used and how have you used it? (Match the number or numbers on the right with items "a" through "6") Sources Uses a) Commercial guidance 1) Classroom.discussion sources b) Library sources of vocational 2) .Individual instruction 6) d) 6) information including books, bulletins, charts, etc. Audio-visual aids such as 5) Handout to interested filmstrips, films, etc. individuals Information obtained from field 4) Other (specify) trips and resource persons Other (specify) 7. 8. 9. L0. Have you made a practice of discussing with the parents of each student his vocational choice? Yes No Have you kept an individual'record on each student? Yes 'No If, Yes, how has it been useful? (Check the apprOpriate item or items) a) In orienting a new teacher to the program. b) For improving individual projects c) As a basis for individual guidance d) In applying for advanced FEA degrees e) In planning a student's long-time program f) Other (specify) I Have you made use of the students' cumulative records, the CA 39, interest inventories, achievement records, etc? Yes___ No__ If, yes, how have they been useful? (Check the apprOpriate item or items) a; Determining individual capability b As an aid to understanding the student c) As an aid in determining the student's Interests d As an aid in evaluating the effectiveness of instruction in agriculture for the individual student 6) Other (specify) Have you made follow-up studies of graduates? The ‘No Of what use have you found them, if any? (Check the apprOpriate item or items) a) In planning instruction to meet local needs b) In securing Ycung and.Adult Farmer enrollments c) Other (specify) STUDENT SURVE! This is a survey to help teachers improve the educational program. Please be frank and sincere in your answers. name. Ybu need not sign your _1. What kind of work would you like most to do when you finish school? 2. What kind of work do you eXpect to do when you finish school? 3. Below are several items that some students have said were important aids to them in making their vocational plans. Rate them as sources of help in making your vocational plans by putting a check in the columns pertaining to you. b) c) d) e) r) s)- h) 1) Parents Friends Experience in the work of my choice work experience spon- sored by the school Study of occupations in school Visits with the school counselor, principal, or a teacher or teachers Talks with my agri- culture teacher ly study of vocational agriculture Special days such as career and similar days Not Important Very Of some Important Importance __. v .—————--——. ~_’~_-—-__--- ————--—q -_—.——.—_-—_ _—-——-_-«-—- ~--——_ —---_—_--—_-——----—_—--_-- _—-_———-- -—--——-----—~—_- .-—~—-_-~‘c—_—-_-_—.—-_-a—--— h._--——-_--~.‘ —-- ---—--q——----‘d 4. J) k) 1) m) n) Classes in which units on vocations were discussed Participation in the FFA Sports in school Others already in the occupation Other (specify) 2 or some Not Importance Important Very Important p—---—_———-——-— _ _.————.-——— _-_——_--_—_-—-—-—‘_-—— .. ...—— .—~ —— -— .—— -—-— —- — — —— — ...J Rate the following as to their importance in your plans. a) b) c) d) r) g) h) .1) I have the qualifica- tions for the work The good salary The working conditions (Such as working with people, working alone, inside work, outdoors work, type Of working associates, etc.) Interest in the job Security afforded by this occupation The Opportunities for advancement The Opportunity to serve mankind The regard that people have for others in this occupation Other (specify) Very Of some Not ~Important Importance Important ” I l i_._____-_.-___-_____ ___“_____.w_-I_--_---___W i ________________ .. ...j i r" “““““““““““““ T 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 3 What helped you most to understand what your own qualifications may be for the work that you would like most to do? (Check one of the following) a) Agricultural teacher or experiences in vocational agriculture b) Someone else in the school or some other school experience c) Someone outside of the school or some experience Outside the school What has been the source of most of your information about the requirements for the work that you would like most to do? (Check 'One Of the following) a) Agriculture teacher or study in vocational agriculture b) Someone else in the school or sOme other school study c) Some source outside the school How do you think your high school training in vocational agriculture will be of value in the work that you would like most to do? (Check the space or spaces that apply to you) a) It has helped me develOp skills needed in this work b) It has helped me develop attitudes needed in this work c) It has helped me develop leisure time interests d) It will be of little or no value in the work that I would like most to do I have had years of vocational agriculture. I am years Old. (Check the space that applies to you) My parents are full-time farmers , part-time farmers , renters or tenants ; we do not live on a farm. . LOW Much a Percent ObScrved in Cnc Sample uUSt Difjer From That Observed in Another jor the Liff-rcnce to be Statistically Signiiicant ?-_____-___, _______2_ -._-..__p__~‘?.i__z_e_9:f 155-0.; finale .LO'w‘ LI‘ 3;;ccnt 2 25_ 3C 35 ._§9____45 50 60 70 80 90 1: 15.8 14.7 13.3 12.2 11.2 10.5 20 26.0 23.6 21.7 20.1 18.8 17.8 16.1 14.8 13.8 13.0 30 30.9 27.4 25.0 23.1 21.5 20.2 19.2 17.4 16.0 15.0 14.1 40 30.8 27.6 25.3 23.4 21.9 20.6 19.6 17.9 16.6 15., 14.6 50 29.6 26.7 24.5 22.8 21.4 20.2 19.2 17.6 16.3 15.3 14.5 60 27.3 24.8 22.8 21.3 20.1 19.0 18.1 16.7 15.5 14.6 13.8 70 23.8 21.7 20.2 18.9 17.8 17.0 16.2 15.0 13.9 13.1 12.4 80 17.5 16.4 15.4 14.6 13.9 13.3 12.4 11.6 10.9 10.4 90 9.3 9.0 8.4 7.9 7.5 7.2 Size of Each Sanple Lower Percent 100 120 140 160 180 200 250 300 400 500 1000 10 9.9 8.9 8.2 7.6 7.1 6.7 5.9 5.3 4.5 4.0 2.8 20 12.2 11.0 10.2 9.5 8.9 8.4 7.5 6.8 5.8 5.2 3.6 30 13.4 12.2 11.2 0.5 9.9 9.3 8.3 7.6 6.5 5.8 4.1 40 13.8 12.6 11.7 10.9 0.3 9.8 8.7 8.0 6.9 6.1 4.3 50 13.7 12.5 11.7 10.9 10.3 9.8 8.7 8.0 7.0 6.2 4.9 60 13.1 12.0 12.2 10.5 9.9 9.4 8.4 7.7 6.7 6.0 4.3 70 11.9 10.9 10.2 9., 9.0 8.6 7.7 7.1 6.2 5.5 4.0 80 9.9 9.2 8.6 8.0 7.6 7.3 6.5 6.0 5.3 4.7 3.4 90 6.9 6.4 6.0 5.7 5.4 5.1 4.7 4.3 3.8 3.4 2.5 *Daniel, Cuthbert, PerCcnts". "Statistically Significant Differences in Observed Journal of Applied Psycnology, Vol. 2Q, 194C, pp. 826-830. (Based on 952 certainty that difference is not due to the size Of tne sample) Q t J F—i 1-3 H C) PELCCEOUJL 1111 0118313331.? AL LLATLLC, ’0, AND DnTERMlflIXG SlGanICANCE (221113111TY)* 1. Calculate the standard error (SE) of tie differences between the two percentages (p1 and p2), eXpressed as a decimal fraction: 1 St = qul + p292 where q1 = 1-p1 n1 N2 2. Calculate the critical ratio, t t = P1 ' p2 3. Determine significance at various levels from following table:* Chances in 100 _t_ (Probability) 0.0 103 0.2 84 0.4 69 0.6 55 0.8 42 1.0 32 1.2 23 1.4 16 *Differences found were 1.6 11 considered significant 1.8 7 if probability was 5 1.96 5 ' out of 100. 2.0 4.5 2.1 3.6 2.2 2.8 2.3 2.1 2.4 1.6 2.5 1.2 2.58 1.0 * Smith, G. hilton, A Simplified Guide To Statistics (new York: Rinehart and Company, 19h6), pp. 61-63: ‘4' C A‘ L." C are I) - -s u‘l {av-r. . CT." ‘1 1'3 r1“: 06111232323 £3 All“! 4_ r. 1.79%“ ‘_ " o 99“} *1 ARLZJLCZ £9 ’**:$__. -. _- 1965 22 JAN» 894985r'3‘” . .. . /) ,1qu17".- ‘) fil’iffl m “tun“. ohn “ “IA... Z-IJ‘ ‘ my“, ,kwteft" )2’ :5 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE - EAST LANSING COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION November 15, 1957 Dear fellow~teacher2 Your school has been selected as one that might contribute to a study of guidance in vocational agriculture. From this study it is hoped that a better understanding may be had of factors associated with the vocational choices of students of vocational agriculture. I would like to ask your cooperation on this project. A part of the study consists of a survey, forms of which I am enclosing with this letter. There is one copy of a survey form for you and sufficient student survey forms for each freshman and each senior student. If you have both juniors and seniors together in one class, juniors may also fill out the form. You will note that there is a teacher form and a student form which form is filled out by both freshmen and seniors. Your school will be identified by number only in the report of the findings. If you are interested in receiving a resume of the findings you may make a notation on your survey form, and when com~ plate I'll send one to you. Your cooperation in completing your form and having the fresh~ men and seniors complete theirs at the earliest convenient time is greatly appreciated. For your convenience a manila envelope, stamped and addressad is enclosed. With best wishes for a successful school year, I am Very truly yours. William H. Knight Ohio State University Columbus 10, Ohio February 1h, 1958 Dear Fellow Teacher: Your cooperation and that of your students in filling out the survey forms I recently sent you has been much appreciated. As you know, there is much interest in the guidance aspect of education today, and your aid has contributed to an understanding of some of the things that teachers of vocational agriculture are doing in guiding their students. If you requested a summary of the study you will find it enclosed. A more detailed summary and analysis with some implications from the findings should be on file with the AgriCultural Education Service at Michigan State University by this summer. Very truly yours, ‘ ‘ , l/ 47 M, V '/ fl/I, “ fl Ivej/ A», r I// William H. Knight " /ch MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE - EAST LANSING COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION November 15, 1957 To Teachers of Vocational Agriculture: Teachers of Vocational Agriculture are key persons in the guidance of farm youth. They are constantly seeking more infor- mation and ideas so that they could be more effective in this role. The study being made by Mr. William Knight is designed to get at some important information about the youth for whom teachers and others have responsibilities in regard to guidance. He is asking your cooperation in this important project. I heartily commend this project and urge your cooperation in carrying it out. Through your assistance it is believed consider~ able help may later be made available to you and other teachers interested in doing a more effective job in guidance. Yours sincerely, H. M. Byram, Chairman Agricultural Education Service IIIHIIIIIIHH 31293 03145 02 0 IIHIWIH