qrw E s ’0 ATES f ECT RING ARBOR COLLEGE PROGRAM WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR RADU ASP. PERCEPTIONS OF G REGARDING SELECTED THE SP! TEACHER EDUCATION , . .. .. : . _ .: .. , , ._ . . f .. ._ . Thesis forthe Degree of Ph. D. i-MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, ' JOHN MELVINI'NEWBY ‘ 1 197-2 ' . .y. ..,...>.. 7.. a i“... m, a...” T . ,. Cum-fl .0, . , V. _ :1... . 4.: .4qu 441.“).th Viv” #174. “Mfr. H.135? . 1.!» 53mm. w... I. .4. 7: v4.17waM. [Ti/“rm, 1:14 .14.? .uwrrvvl 1. LIB.” " " III II III II III II II II III III I III I III Michigan State was 3 1293 10363 4618 University This is to certify that the , - thesis entitled PERCEPTIONS OF GRADUATES REGARDING MECTED ASPECTS OF THE SPRING ARBOR COLLEGE“ :- PROGRAM WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION presented by JOHN MELVIN NEWBY has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for PhD degreein Teacher Education I) [2722/40@(1502%é/ I Majoélyéfessor May 4, 1972 Date 0-7639 W .4 ‘I ”'7?” ._ OW - 3M ABSTRACT PERCEPTIONS OF GRADUATES REGARDING SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE SPRING ARBOR COLLEGE PROGRAM WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION by John Melvin Newby The Problem This study was designed to determine the opinions of graduates regarding their academic preparation at Spring Arbor College (1) in the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts program (general education), (2) in the majors and minors and (3) in the profeSSIonal education courses; to obtain criticisms, suggestions, and recommen- dations for the improvement of these segments; to evaluate these data and use the results to suggest Implications for program improvement; and to gather additional data for later analysis. The Method A research instrument was developed to collect data from a random sample of the graduates of Spring Arbor Col- lege (SAC) for the years 1965 through 1970 inclusively. Usable instruments were returned from 112 graduates. This number represented approximately 80 per cent of the John Melvin Newby sample. Frequency distributions were constructed for each item in the instrument. Comparisons were made between teacher education and non-teacher education graduates and between elementary and secondary education graduates. The one-way analysis of variance statistical technique was used for the comparisons. The .05 level of confidence was chosen as the criterion for determining statistical significance. Findings of the Study Graduates gave all aspects of their academic exper- iences at SAC an average rating of 2.70 on a 4 (high) to 0 (low) scale. The experiences in teacher education were given the lowest ratings (average 2.45). Approximately 73 per cent responded positively to the three aspects of the SAC concept: involvement, commit- ment, and participation. Decisions about a major field of study were made by 73 per cent after entering college. These decisions were based on well-established interests and were largely in- fluenced by faculty members. Graduates appraised their achieved level of profi- ciency while student teaching to be slightly above average (Y = 2.33). Most of the student teaching activities in- cluded in the study had been experienced by graduates and all were recommended for future student teaching programs. Significant differences between teacher education and non-teacher education graduates were found in the rating of John Melvin Newby certain aSpects of the courses taken in the majors and minors. Differences between elementary and secondary education grad- uates were found in their rating of the introductory course and in certain activities during student teaching which were more frequently experienced by one or the other of the groups. Suggestions offered by respondents dealt with such concerns as faculty preparation, range of course offerings, presentation of Christian world View in all subject areas, greater relevance in methods courses, more observation at earlier periods in the college experience, better screening of candidates, more time student teaching with more than one supervising teacher and/or at different levels, better co- ordination between college and schools, more care in selec- tion of supervising teachers and better supervision by college coordinators. Conclusions l. Graduates were relatively satisfied with their academic preparation. 2. Faculty members were reported to be very in— fluential in the choice of a major and in pro- viding the Christian perspective, and were most frequently associated with memories of the col-_ lege experience. 3. Significant differences were identified between teacher education and non-teacher graduates and between elementary and secondary education graduates. John Melvin Newby Graduates demonstrated a high level of interest in SAC as evidenced by the percentage of return of the queStionnaire and the response to the write—in questions. Recommendations Faculty members should be selected to teach the CPLA courses for their ability (1) to present the Christian perspective by precept as well as by example, (2) to assist the student in the integra- tion of knowledge and (3) to present, without bias, alternatives of action. The range of courses should be broadened in both majors and minors. More vocational guidance should be provided. Teacher education courses should be more practical. The total faculty should accept responsibility for the training of teachers. Additional research of a longitudinal type is needed to appraise the impact of the college experience. Further follow-up of teacher edu- cation graduates was recommended. PERCEPTIONS OF GRADUATES REGARDING SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE SPRING ARBOR COLLEGE PROGRAM WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION BY John Melvin Newby A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education 1972 DED ICAT ION This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Rebecca, for her abiding love, patience and support and to our children, Sharon, Karen, Becky and John, Jr. for their patience and understanding. Without their support this study would not have been possible. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere appreci- ation to those who have contributed to the development of this study: To Dr. Clyde W. Dow, Committee Chairman, for his excellent counsel, guidance, encouragement and personal interest during the development and completion of this study. 3 . To Dr. W. Henry Kennedy, Co-Chairman of the Guidance Committee, for his helpful advice and fine di- rection given throughout the study. ’ To the other members of the Guidance Committee who provided assistance: Drs. Richard Featherstone and George Myers, College of Education; and Dr. James B. McKee, College of Social Science. To Miss Mary Kennedy of the Office of Research Consultation, College of Education, for her assistance in the refining of the research instrument and in the statis— tical analysis of the data. To Mrs. Celeste Trevan, Drs. Harold Darling and Leon Winslow, members of the Spring Arbor College faculty, for their assistance in reading the rough draft. To Mr. Ray Whiteman, printer, and Miss Jacqueline Borszich who assisted in typing, for their excellent work. iii LIST OF Chapter I. II. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES . . . . . . NATURE OF THE STUDY . The Problem . . . Introduction . . Need for the Study . Spring Arbor College The Spring Arbor Concept Purpose of the Study Questions for Study. Limitations of the Study . Assumptions Underlying the Definition of Terms. Organization of the Study. Possible Applications REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE Introduction . . Survey Method of Research. Questionnaire Development. Questionnaire Returns Role of the Liberal Arts College The Church- -related Liberal Arts College. . College Impact on Students . The Liberal Arts College and Teacher Education . . General Education in the Liberal Arts College. . . . General Education for Prospective Teachers . . Academic Specialization Selection of a Major Academic Specialization for Teachers The Professional Training of Teachers. Current Status . iv Page vii [.4 KOCD\I\IO\U10JI—‘I—' l6 l6 l6 18 20 22 25 26 30 33 41 43 43 48 50 50 Chapter III. IV. Methods Courses in Teacher Education . . The Improvement of Teacher Education . . Student Teaching. . . . . . . Review of Related Studies. . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . PROCEDURES AND POPULATION USED IN THE STUDY. Introduction . . . . . . . Design of the Study. . . . Population Studied . Development of the Questionnaire Pilot Administration Questionnaire Format . Questions for Study. . . . . Data Collection Procedures . Administration of the Questionnaire Treatment of the Data . . . Non- Comparison Questions . . . . . Comparison Questions . . Comparison of Teacher Education and Non- -Teacher Education Graduates. Comparison of Elementary and Secondary Graduates . . . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA . . Introduction . . Purpose of the Study . . Biographical Data on Respondents . . Questions for Study. . . . . . . . Variable One . Question One Variable Two Question Two . . . . Variable Three . . . . . . Question Three . . . Variable Four. . . Question Four. . Variable Five. . . . . . . . . . Question Five. Variable Six Question Six . . Variable Seven . . . . Question Seven . . . Variable Eight . . . . Question Eight Page 58 60 64 68 74 77 77 77 77 78 80 81 83 84 84 85 86 86 86 87 88 89 89 89 90 92 94 94 104 104 107 108 111 111 113 113 115 115 118 118 121 121 Chapter Variable Nine. . Question Nine. Variable Ten . Question Ten . Summary. . . . . . Summary of Findings. V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Purpose of the Study . The Sample. . . . . . . . Questions for Study. . . . . Design and Procedures Results of the AnalySIS . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . Recommendations . . . . . Implications for Further Research . AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . APPENDICES . . . Appendix A. Biographical Information by Frequency and Percentage . . . . . . . . . B. Questionnaire C. Cover Letter . . . . . . . . . D. Follow-Up Letter . vi Page 129 129 136 139 143 144 151 151 152 152 153 155 161 165 168 170 179 179 186 189 190 Table 3.1 LIST OF TABLES Distribution of sample compared to total popu- lation by sex, program, and year of graduation Response distribution by sex, program, and year of graduation. . . . . . . . Contribution made by CPLA courses to the total degree program as perceived by graduates. . . Contribution made by CPLA courses to a founda- tion for study in the liberal arts as perceived by graduates . . . . . . . . . . . General attitude expressed by graduates toward the CPLA courses. . . . . . . Ratings given by respondents to selected as- pects of the CPLA courses taken at SAC Ratings given by graduates to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the major field of study . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ratings given by graduates to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the first minor area of study. . . . . . . . . . Ratings given by graduates to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the second minor area of study. . . . . . Ratings given by graduates to courses taken at SAC in teacher education Aspects of the student teaching experience as rated by graduates . . . . . . Self-assessed level of involvement of graduates in the study of the liberal arts while at SAC . Description of the level of commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning as per- ceived by graduates. vii Page 79 85 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 105 106 106 r"—‘r-'~'vv x 4.20 Self-appraised level of participation in the affairs of the contemporary world as a result of the SAC experience . . . . . . . . Education level at which graduates made a de- cision about a college major. . . . College personnel reported by respondents to have exerted greatest influence on the choice of a major. . . . . . . . . . . . . Factors reported to have motivated graduates in the selection of a college major . . . . . Factors influencing the choice of the first and second minors as reported by graduates . . . Self-rated level of proficiency reported to have been achieVed on selected aspects of stu— dent teaching during the student teaching ex- perience , . . . . . . . . . . . Activities experienced during student teaching and recommended by respondents . Ratings given by graduates on how well SAC succeeded in providing selected objectives of the total college experience. . . . . . Areas of living in which graduates felt more help from SAC is needed . . . The most outstanding memory about the SAC ex- perience as indicated by graduates. Contribution made by selected experiences to- ward the development of a Christian perspec— tive for learning Comparative rating scores given by respondents to the contribution made by CPLA courses toward the total degree program . . . . . . . Comparative rating scores given by respondents to the contribution made by CPLA courses toward a foundation for study in the liberal arts . Comparative rating scores given by respondents to selected aspects of the courses in the CPLA program. . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Page 107 108 109 110 111 112 114 116 119 119 120 122 123 124 Table 4.26 4.27 4.28 Comparative rating scores given by respondents to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the major. . . . . . . . . Comparative rating scores given by respondents to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the first minor. . . . . . . . . Comparative rating scores given by respondents to selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the second minor Comparative rating scores given by respondents to the three aspects of the Spring Arbor Col- lege Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . Comparative rating scores given by respondents to courses taken at SAC in teacher education Comparative rating scores given by respondents to selected aspects of the student teaching experience. . . . . . . . . . Comparison of the number and percentage of teacher education graduates who reported having experienced the activities listed during stu- dent teaching. . . . . . . . . . Comparison of the number and percentage of teacher education graduates who indicated they would strongly recommend each of the activities listed for future student teaching programs. ix Page 126 127 128 130 131 132 134 137 CHAPTER I NATURE OF THE STUDY The Problem Introduction Institutions of higher education, in the decade of the Seventies, are faced with a determined demand for rel— evance. As Goddu and Ducharme observe, "the word constant- ly used . . . is relevant. Education should be relevant; courses should be relevant; institutions and persons should be relevant."1 The small liberal arts college is also pres- sured by this demand for relevance and must be responsive to the challenge for change where it is found to be needed. King2 suggests that the small liberal arts college must ei- ther change or go out of business. The purpose of this exploratory study is to look at selected aspects of the Spring Arbor College program, as per- ceived by graduates and to make recommendations for improve- ment based on an analysis of the responses given to a lRoland J. B. Goddu and Edward R. Ducharme, "A Re- sponsive Teacher-Education Program," Teachers College Re— cord, LXXII (February, 1971), p, 431. 2Edgar A. King, "Can Professional Education Survive in the Traditional Liberal Arts Colleges?" Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Spring, 1969), p. 16. questionnaire. Conant;3 Eastman;4 Koerner;5 Nelson;6 O'Connor;7 Weisman, §5_§l.;8 and Wrenn9 variously support the claim that graduates are best qualified to assist colleges and universities in determining the relevance of programs offered. This faith in the contribution to be made by grad- uates has been succinctly stated by Weisman, gt_al.: "the graduates, the 'end product' of the educational process, are uniquely suited to determine the more stable and long range effects of an instructional program."lo 3James Bryant Conant, The Education of American Teachers (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1963), p. vii. 4George Eastman, "Resistance to Change Within Liberal Arts Colleges: Diagnosis and Prognosis," The Journal of General Education, XIX (October, 1967), p. 232. 5James D. Koerner, The Miseducation of American Teachers, (Boston: Houghton—Mifflin, 1963), p. 97. 6Jack L. Nelson, "Follow-Up Study of Graduates," Improving College and University Teaching, XII (Spring, 1964) III. 7Thomas J. O'Connor, Follow-Up Studies in Junior Colleges: A Tool for Institutional Improvement (Washington, D.C.: American Association of Junior Colleges, 1965), p. 10. 8Seymour Weisman, Alvin Snakowsky and Estelle Alpert, "Alumni Feedback and Curriculum Revision," Tm: proving College and University Teaching, XVIII (Spring, 1970). pp. 120-121. 9C. Gilbert Wrenn, "A Critique of Methods Used in Follow-Up Studies of Students," Harvard Educational Review, X (May, 1959), p. 357. 10 Weisman, et al., "Alumni Feedback," pp. 120-121. Need for the Study Graduates are frequently overlooked by institutions of higher education when curriculum change is considered. Nelsonll believes that_while any estimates of adequacy and effectiveness of an institution of higher education depend of necessity upon a complexity of factors, the one factor often overlooked is the final product, the graduate. "This he continues, "is perhaps the most significant deter- 12 factor, minant of adequacy of programs and measure of effectiveness." Wren further emphasizes the importance of the role of the graduate in the evaluation of college and university programs when he writes: If educational institutions were as responsive to "consumer reaction" as are manufacturers and politicians, there would have been a much greater advance in the past few decades in the methodology of follow-up studies. Until recently, however, a school or col- lege considered it was doing something not required of it, and that it was showing great magnaminity, when it conducted studies of former students and alumni.1 The need for a study like this is further supported by authors such as Nelson who states that "at some time in the course of their development, all institutions are meas- ured for effectiveneSs in terms of their graduates. . . . It follows that an institution concerned with providing excellence in higher education must necessarily be concerned with its llNelson, "Follow-Up Study of Graduates," p. 111. lzlbid. l3Wrenn, "A Critique of Follow-Up Studies," p. 357. l4 Eastman sees self-evaluation through the crit- graduates." ical view of graduates as a means of saving the small, inde- pendent liberal arts college from threatening disaster. He suggests that Until small, independent liberal arts colleges, especially, are willing to turn back upon themselves, the very dispassionate objectivity and critical judg- ment they seek to encourage in their students, and look candidly and deeply at their very roots, they will. either continue to wither, honestly but sadlyi or sprout into grotesque and ungovernable weeds. 5 As Wrennl6 has observed, even though the need for studying graduates to discover how well institutions are doing what they purport to be doing seems obvious, there are too few studies being done which have as their purpose the sampling of the opinion of graduates. Much value can be gained from properly executed follow-up studies of graduates. O'Connorl7 suggests that follow—up studies provide the college with facts upon which to base admissions policies, to develop and organize course content, to establish performance standards, and suggest a means of planning new curricula and other extensions of the educational effort. This study is needed because the present academic program at Spring Arbor College has been in operation for approximately ten years with very little formal feed-back from l4Nelson, "Follow-Up Study of Graduates," p. 111. 15Eastman, "Resistance to Change," p. 232. l6Wrenn, "A Critique of Follow-Up Studies," p. 357. l7O'Connor, "Follow-Up Studies," p. 10. the graduates. The forces of change are at work and the data this study will provide was considered an important input into the self-evaluation process as proposals for change are con- sidered and adopted. Spring Arbor College Spring Arbor College was originally opened by the Free Methodist Church in 1873 as an academy with both elementary and secondary grades. In 1928, the elementary program was dis— continued and a junior college was officially opened. A senior college was proposed in 1961 which resulted in the phasing out of the high school program. In 1963, the college was granted regional accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools as a four-year liberal arts college. A historical plaque, to be found on campus, states: Throughout its history Spring Arbor faculty and stu- dents have been dedicated to "the serious study of the liberal arts, commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspect- tive for learning, and participation in the campus com- munity and the contemporary world." Spring Arbor College is located approximately six miles west of Jackson, Michigan. The college is coeducation- al with a 1971—72 enrollment of approximately 740 students, of whom 227 were freshmen. The faculty-student ratio is approximately one to seventeen. The college holds membership in the Association of American Colleges, The American Council on Education, The Michigan College Association, The Council for the Advancement of Small Colleges, The National Association of Summer Sessions, The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and is a charter member of the Association of Free Methodist Colleges. Spring Arbor College is accredited as a four—year liberal arts college by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The teacher education pro- gram has been approved for the certification of elementary and secondary school teachers by the Michigan State Depart- ment of Public Instruction. Since 1965, approximately 75 per cent of the graduates have met requirements for teacher certification. The Spring Arbor Concept The Spring Arbor Concept speaks of a unique idea and ideal for the Christian Liberal Arts College. The con- cept, as stated in the 1970-71 College Catalog, calls for: A community of learners who are distinguished by their serious involvement in the study of the liberal arts, their total commitment to Jesus Christ as a per- spective for learning and their critical participation in the affairs of the contemporary world. It demands a design that shapes a curriculum, builds a campus and develops a climate for learning.18 18Spring Arbor College Catalog (1971-72), p. 6. Pugpose of the Study The purpose of this study was: 1. To determine the opinions of graduates regarding three segments of their academic preparation at Spring Arbor College: (a) the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts program (general education), (b) the majors and/or minors, and (c) the professional education courses. 2. To obtain criticism, suggestions, and recommenda— tions for the improvement of these segments. 3. To evaluate these data and use the results to sug- gest implications for program improvement. 4. To gather additional data for later analysis. Questions for Study The questions this study attempted to answer were: 1. What rating do graduates give the courses taken at SAC19 in the CPLA20 program; in the majors and minors; and in the professional education program? 2. How do graduates perceive their involvement in the study of the liberal arts; their commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their participation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? 3. When did graduates select a major; what college per— sonnel were most influential in the selection of a major; 19Hereafter, Spring Arbor College will be refer- red to as SAC. 20Hereafter, the Christian Perspective in the Lib- eral Arts will be referred to as the CPLA. and what motivated their selection of majors and minors? 4. What level of proficiency do graduates perceive they achieved while student teaching? 5. Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly rec— commend for future student teachers? 6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experience as perceived by graduates? 7. What contributed most to the development of a Christian perspective for learning? 8. Do the graduates from teacher education differ from the non—teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and their responses to the SAC concept? 9. Do the elementary and secondary education graduates differ in their rating of the professional education courses and student teaching? 10. What suggestions, criticisms, or recommendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and/or professional education courses including student teaching? Limitations of the Study This study was limited to include only the graduates from the SAC four-year liberal arts program between 1965 and 1970 (N = 633). Graduates of the high school and junior col- lege programs were excluded. No attempt was made to generalize beyond.thetotal population included in the study. 9 The survey questionnaire was constructed according to prescribed principles for such instruments which were found to have support in the literature reviewed,21 and thus makes claim to face validity. The committee and the researcher agreed that this kind of validity met the requirement for this study. Graduates who reside in foreign countries other than Canada were not included in the sample randomly selected for study due to time involved in obtaining responses. Assumptions Underlying the Study The following assumptions are essential to this study: 1. That graduates have insights and/or perceptions which they will share concerning the weaknesses and strengths of the college programs they have experienced. 2. That graduates' perceptions, while they may be "colored" by subsequent experiences, a general "reworking" of memories (particularly those involving values), and current personal situations at the time of the test—taking, will be honestly shared. 3. That survey questionnaires, when carefully designed, have certain face value, thus making possible the use of data so gathered for purposes of evaluating the college ex- perience. 21Infra., pp. 16-20. 10 Definition of Terms Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts.-—The CPLA curriculum is a program of general education that is a common experience for all students. The stated purpose of this curriculum is: to bring together the knowledge of the liberal arts with the great moral issues confronting mankind as the basis for the Christian commitment . . . [it] is organized to facilitate the total learning process which begins with an understanding of ideas in the major fields of human learning, the ability to analyze issues that arise out of these ideas and the responsibility to integrate these ideas and issues with a Christian perspective.22 Elementary education program.--The elementary educa- tion program is comprised of the following requirements: (1) completion of the CPLA courses (approximately fifty semester hours plus four hours physical education); (2) com- pletion of an academic concentration in an academic major (thirty to thirty-six semester hours) or two academic minors (twenty to twenty-four semester hours each); and (3) com— pletion of the professional education sequence of forty semester hours, including a minimum of eight semester hours of student teaching. Secondary education program.—-The secondary education program calls for the completion of: (l) the CPLA courses (same as required under elementary education program); (2) a teaching major comprised of from thirty to thirty—six semester hours; (3) a teaching minor comprised of from twenty to 2Spring Arbor College Catalog (1971-72), p. 6. 11 twenty—four semester hours; and (4) the professional edu- cation sequence (twenty-four semester hours), including a minimum of eight semester hours of student teaching. Teacher education.--"The program of activities and experiences developed by an institution responsible for the preparation and growth of persons preparing themselves for educational work or engaging in the work of the educational "23 profession. Professional course.-—"A course or sequence of courses intended to prepare a person for the practice of a profession and dealing with some phase or aspect of prac— tice."24 Professional preparation.——"The total formal prepa- ration for teaching that a person has completed in a teacher education institution ."25 Major field of study.--"A principal subject of study in one department or field of learning in which a student is required or elects to take a specified number of courses and credit hours as a part of the requirement for obtaining 26 a diploma or degree." Minor field of study.-—"A subject of study in one department or broad field of learning in which the student 23Carter V. Good. ed., Dictionary_of Education (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1959), p. 550. 24 Ibid., p. 142 25Ibid., p. 409. 26Ibid., p. 227. 12 is required or elects to take a specified number of courses or hours, fewer than required for a major field; implies less intensive concentration than in the major field."27 Perception.--Perception ". . . has something to do with our awareness of the objects, or conditions about us the awareness of complex environmental situations as well as 28 "A perception can be regarded as 29 of single objects." nothing more nor less than a discriminatory response." General education.—— General education is that part of education which encompasses the common knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by each individual to be effective as a person, a member of a family, a worker, and a citizen. General education is complementary to, but different in emphasis and approach from, special training for a job, for a profession, or for scholarship in a particular field of knowledge.3 Liberal arts.--"The branches of learning that com— pose the curriculum of college education as distinct from technical or professional education."31 Student teaching.—-"Observation, participation, and actual teaching done by a student preparing for teaching un— der the direction of a supervising teacher or general 27ibid. 28Floyd Alport, Theories of Perception and the Con— cept of Structure (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1955), p. 14. 291bid., p. 53. 3OLamar B. Johnson, General Education in Action (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1952), p. 2. 31Good, Dictionary of Education, p. 318. l3 supervisor; part of the pre—service program offered by a teacher education institution."32 Christian perspective for learning.-—The Christian perspective for learning establishes guidelines for: . . . a process of involvement in a community of scholars who investigate the areas of human know- ledge from the perspective of the Christian world View. The prerequisite for this perspective is a commitment to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ in order that the mind and spirit may be freed for the life of learning and in order that the know— ledge gained may be integrated by the Christian commitment. From an enlightened reason and a regenerated love, the student . . . will align himself with the ongoing responsibility of the Christian in modern society.3 Transfer student.——For the purposes of this study, transfer student is defined as a student who has completed a minimum of sixty semester hours at one or more institutions other than Spring Arbor College. Students having transferred less than sixty semester hours were not classified as transfer students. Organization of the Study Chapter I presents an introduction to the study and a discussion of the need for such a study. A description of Spring Arbor College is followed by a statement about the pur— pose of the study and the questions for which answers are sought are listed. The limitations and underlying assumptions 321bid., p. 531. 33David L. McKenna, Curriculum for Commitment (Con- cept for the Christian College, No. 4, Spring Arbor, Michigan: Spring Arbor College), p. 7. 14 of the study are presented. The special terms used in the study are defined and the chapter closes with an overview of the organization of the study. Chapter II reviews selected literature under the following headings: (l) the survey method of research, (2) questionnaire development, (3) the role of the Liberal Arts College, (4) the general education program, (5) aca— demic specialization, (6) the professional training of teachers, and (7) the review of related studies. A conceptual frame of reference is developed for application in the analysis of the data. Chapter III describes the design of the study, the development of the questionnaire, data collection pro- cedures, and the plan for the analysis of data. The de- sign describes the population selected, the development of the questionnaire and the pilot administration of the questionnaire. The section on data collection procedures describes the administration of the questionnaire and meth— ods of tabulation. The plan for analysis describes the ways in which recommendations and suggestions will be ex- amined. Chapter IV contains the presentation and analysis of the data. Chapter V summarizes the study and draws conclus- ions from the analySis of the data. Recommendations are made for further study and some possible improvements of the program are suggested. 15 Copies of the questionnaire, the cover letters and the biographical data are included in the Appendices. Possible Applications The results of this study should point to some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Spring Arbor College experience and thus provide assistance in the development of a stronger and more responsive program. If the results of the study show significant dif— ferences between the responses of sub-groups in the study, it may be worthwhile to investigate these differences fur— ther in order to find ways of providing a more satisfactory program for those sub—groups where difficulties and dissat- isfactions are revealed. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE Introduction This chapter presents a review of selected lit- erature and attempts to develop a theoretical framework in which to study selected aspects of the Spring Arbor College experience. The chapter is sub-divided under the following topics: (1) Survey method of research, (2) Questionnaire development,(3) Role of the Liberal Arts College, (4) Gen— eral education, (5) Academic specialization, (6) Profession— al training of teachers, and (7) Review of related studies. Survey Method of Research The survey method of research was especially recom- mended for certain kinds of educational research. Good, Barr and Scates suggest that "the normative—survey approach is appropriate whenever the objects of any class vary among themselves and one is interested in knowing the extent to which different conditions obtain among these objects!"1 They further point out that the term "survey" suggests the gathering of data about current conditions. The term "normative" has to do with an attempt to ascertain what is lCarter V. Good, A. S. Barr and Douglas E. Scates, The Methodology of Edhcational Research (New York: Apple- ton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1941), p. 289. 16 17 the normal or typical condition or practice. "The survey attack is always appropriate," they continue, "when information concerning current conditions is desired in any field, however well explored, in which there are changes of condition or changes of population frequently from time to time."2 Herriott refers to the survey research method as a form of scientific inquiry. He notes that it is particu- larly useful in the study of social and social-psychological relationships. In descriptive survey research, he writes, The sample is selected to describe a well-defined population in terms of its characteristics, attitudes, or behavior. . . . Probability theory is utilized to assess the sampling error surrounding these descrip- tions. The most basic element in the survey research method is that of "reasoning." Through this process the survey objectives and design are determined. In descriptive studies, reasoning may involve merely the careful identification of the population to be des— cribed and in the variables on which this description is to take place.3 Slonim4 calls attention to some of the advantages in using the sampling technique. He lists such advantages as: (1) reduced costs, (2) reduced manpower, (3) initial information gathered quicker, (4) only means of gathering some data, and (5) actual increase of the accuracy in some 21bid., p. 295. 3Robert E. Herriott, "Survey Research Method,‘ Ency- clopedia of Educational Research, edited by Robert L. Ebel (4th ed., New York: The Macmillan Company, 1969), p. 1400. 4Morris James Slonim, Sampling in A Nutshell (New York: Simon and Shuster, 1960), pp. 3,7. 18 cases. The risk that an estimate made from sample data does not truly represent the total population under study can be greatly reduced, Slonim points out, if probability sampling methods combined with a sufficiently large sample are used. Slonim lists the follOWlng steps in the development of a sample survey: "(1) determine as precisely as possible the population, or universe, to be surveyed, (2) set up a sampling "frame," (3) give thought to the questionnaire, (4) carry out a small-scale pretest, and (5) conduct the survey."5 Questionnaire Development The literature reviewed indicated that questionnaires were used frequently in a variety of kinds of research. Good, Barr and Scates6 quoted Koos' report that out of five hundred eighty-one studies of all kinds which he had reviewed, one- fourth had made use of the questionnaire. Several lists of criteria which provided guidelines7 for the construction of questionnaires were discovered in the literature. Wise, Nordberg and Reitz presented the following set of guidelines: 1. Individual items should be phrased or expressed so that they are easily understood by the respondent. 2. The questions should be programmed in such a way that the sequence of questions helps the respondent rather than hinders him. 51bid., p. 19. 6Good, Barr and Scates, Methodology of Educational Research, p. 325. 7See also Carter V. Good, Essentials of Educational Research (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966), p. 221. l9 Questionnaire items should assist the respondent to determine the character of his response. Questions should not invite bias or prejudice or predetermine the respondent's answer. The questionnaire should not be constructed in such a way that it appears to over—burden the respondent. The items on a questionnaire should never alienate the respondent. The respondent ought to be made to feel an impor- tant part of the research project.8 Good9 suggests that responses to the questionnaire should be valid so that the entire body of data taken as a whole will answer.the basic question for which it is de— signed. He then provides a series of questions dealing with decisions about question content, question wording, and form of response to the question.10 Validity should also be considered when constructing a questionnaire. The following questionS, Good feels, should be considered in any attempt to establish validity: Is the question on the subject? Is the question perfectly clear and unambiguous? Does the question get to something stable, which is typical of the individual or of the situation? 8John E. Wise, Robert B. Nordberg, and Donald J. Reitz, Methods of Research in Education (Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1967). p. 101. 10 9Good, Essentials, p. 223. Ibid., pp. 223-224. 20 4. Does the question pull or have extractive power? Will it be answered by a large enough proportion of respondents to have validity? 5. Do the responses show a reasonable range of vari- ation? 6. Is the information consistent, in agreement with what is known, and in agreement with expectancy? 7. Is the item sufficiently inclusive? 8. Is there a possibility of obtaining an external criterion to evaluate the questionnaire?ll Wise, Nordberg and Reitz12 claim that a balanced questionnaire should include some open—end questions which are more likely to shed light on the respondent's true feelings. Questionnaire Returns 13 Herriott observes that the major weakness of the use of questionnaires is the low percentage of return to the researcher. Purcel, Nelson and Wheelerl4 report that Scott found, in his study of incentives, that stamped envelopes and official sponsorship were effective in securing returns. A study by Orr and Neyman15 found that the length of the lllbid., pp. 224-225. 12 p. 100. 13 Wise, Nordberg and Reitz, Methods of Research, Herriott, "Survey Research Method," p. 1402. 14David J. Purcel, HOWard F. Nelson and David N. Wheeler, Questionnaire Follow—Up Returns As A Function of In- centives and Responder Characteristics (Minnesota: University of Minnesota, Project MINI-SCORE, 1970), P. 2. 15 . Ibid. 21 questionnaire affected the return rate. A 37 per cent re— sponse to a four-page questionnaire as compared to a 30 per cent response to an eight page questionnaire was reported. They also found that the peak return rate occurred twelve days after mailing. Analysis of the time interval data seems to indicate that the greatest response comes near the end of the second week after the mailing of the questionnaire. As the number of incentives were increased the time interval was shortened slightly.l6 Sex seems also to be a factor in the likelihood that questionnaires will be returned. Purcel, et al., report that in one sample period 60 per cent of females had responded l7 Incentives were found to be versus 41 per cent of males. more effective with males than with females. Other researchers found that: (l) a typewritten let- ter of transmittal increased the return rate significantly over a duplicated letter: (2) the nature of the appeal for assistance made in the cover letter affected the rate of return, with the most effective for his group of former col- lege students being an appeal to help improve education for others; (3) whether or not the respondent was asked to Sign the questionnaire made little difference in item response.18 16Ibid., p. 12. 17Ibid., p. 8. 18Studies by Moore; Sletto; and Gerberich and Mason cited by Purcel, Nelson and Wheeler, Questionnaire, p. 2. 22 Based on the findings of Purcel, Nelson and Wheeler there was both evidence and opinion that returns would be increased by constructing a questionnaire that: (l) is logical in question organization; (2) is clear and unambiguous in wording-—unbiased in phrasing; (3) is non—repetitive and non—trivial; (4) is as brief as possible; (5) is attractively reproduced; (6) avoids the use of the word "questionnaire;" (7) keeps directions brief, clear and distinct; (8) is printed on colored paper.1 In studies where questionnaires were used, concern for follow-up procedures was found to be necessary. The literature suggested that certain procedures were more likely to result in a higher return rate than others. The follow- ing procedures were recommended: (1) include a return self— addressed stamped envelope, (2) use a stamped rather than a business reply envelope, (3) include official sponsorship by a party respected by the potential respondent, (4) include a personalized accompanying letter, (5) consider the time of mailing the questionnaire (day of week and time of year), (6) include assurance of confidentiality, (7) offer a summary of results, and (8) contain a deadline date for returning.20 Role of the Liberal Arts College Concern for the role of the liberal arts college at a time of rapid change within institutions of higher learning was quite evident in the literature. An attempt was made in 19Purcel, Nelson and Wheeler, Questionnaire, p. 3. 20Ibid. 23 this review of literature to briefly survey this issue, with special interest in the role of the liberal arts college in teacher education. Eastman declares that the " . . . independent, liberal arts colleges, are in a period of confusion, indecision, ambiguity, and concern regarding their raison d'etre."21 The primary role of the liberal arts college has been to meet the need for a "broad" and "well-rounded" education. This process of liberal education which begins before and reaches beyond the formal college experience is defined by Conant who quotes a friend: . . . A liberal education, one might say, is a process begun in childhood, carried on through a varying number of years of schooling, and best tested by the momentum it sustains in adult life. It is characterized by what it aspires to, rather than by what it embraces; it aims to enlarge the understanding, to develop respect for data, and tgzstrengthen the ability to think and to act rationally. Many of the traditional goals of the liberal arts colleges have been stated (see Dressel and Mayhew),23 as educational objectives belonging in the affective domain. 21George Eastman, "Resistance to Change Within Lib— eral Arts Colleges: Diagnosis and Prognosis," Journal of General Education, XIX (October, 1967), p. 224. 22James Bryant Conant, The Education of American Teachers (New York: McGraw—Hill Book Company, Inc., 1963) p. 92. 23Paul Dressel and Lewis Mayhew cited by Kenneth A. Feldman and Theodore M. Newcomb, The Impact of College on Students, Volume I (San Francisco: Jossey Bass Inc., Pub- lishers. 1969), p. 211. 24 Shoben maintains that the mission of the liberal arts college has changed: Willy-nilly, the mission of undergraduate education has altered. The goal of providing a liberating experience has given way to the aim of advancing and, not quite incidentally, transmitting knowledge. . In other words, the sources of liberating experience grew more exclusively cognitive, technical and professional. Even in the fields known as the humanities, the process of study focused far more on the training of potentially marketable abilities thanzin the development of the life styles of free men. Lieberman is critical of the liberal arts college and states that there is no observable behavior which can be attributed to the college program: "Regardless of cur— riculum, location, or reputation," he argues, "the liberal arts college typically does not produce any profound changes in its student body."25 Shoben questions whether the liberal arts ever really existed and suggests that if they did, they have died in the process of becoming professionalized disciplines. He predicts that The arts will entail a more expressive and less appreciative form of involvement, and the sciences will be increasingly examined from the point of View of their dangers to human existence and of their moral and social implications. Above all, learning how to learn will supersede what is learned, and more attention will be invested in problem—formulation 24Edward Joseph Shoben, "The Liberal Arts and Con— temporary Society: the 19705," Liberal Education, LVI (March, 1970), pp. 29—30. 25Myron Lieberman, The Future of Public Education (Chicago: Phoenix Books, The University of Chicago Press, 1960), p. 130. 25 and in problem-solving as generalized processes than in mastering systematic bodies of knowledge. 26 Evans27 offers an encouraging note and suggests that liberal arts colleges, by taking advantage of their size, can fulfill the interests and concerns of the "more free— wheeling and less inhibited students of the seventies." He concludes that since new programs are plentiful, what is needed to make the liberal arts college a viable option in the 19705 is the "courage, conviction, and competence to see them through.“ The Church-related Liberal Arts College The pressures which are felt in the larger circles of higher education are equally, if not more forcefully, felt by the smaller church-related liberal arts colleges. Evans28 points out that the Christian college in microcosm reflects all the deep-seated tensions which are tearing American society apart at the national level. He argues then, that the basic objectives of the Christian college are under pro- found attack. Tonsor suggests that the fundamental difference between a Christian college and a secular university "lies 26Shoben, "The Liberal Arts," p. 37. 27Howard V. Evans, "The Liberal Arts College in an Age of Increasing Nihilism," Liberal Education, LVI (October, 1970), p. 401. 28 Ibid., p. 393. 26 above all in the kinds of questions it asks about the human condition and the type of response it makes to the human condition."29 The church-related college, therefore, has the mis- sion not only of asking the right questions but of doing something about the world in which it finds itself. It intends not only to inform but to transform. It believes that the student must account in his actions for the faith he finds within himself.30 Since community arises from a common enterprise, a shared commitment and a set of common experiences, Tonsor further argues that the church-related college teaches com- munity by being a community. He concludes that the church— related college plays a very important role in the formation of personality and the development of an appropriate life style. College Impact on Students A wide range of literature was reviewed which dealt with the impact of the college experience on the student. No attempt was made to be comprehensive in this part of the re- view of literature. Only a few references were selected for inclusion. Philip E. Jacob was one of the first to raise serious questions about the real effect of the college experience. 29Stephen J. Tonsor, "The Church-Related College: Special Mission or Educational Anachronism?" Liberal Edu- cation, LVI (October, 1970), p. 405. 30 Ibid., p. 408 .. . #Ag-‘>“Efi‘ ‘-b—.-Afi-—A‘— -- _ -- ’ 27 In his book, Changing Values in College,31 he argues it is a misnomer to refer to the impact of the college experience as a process of liberalizing student values. He refers to the impact of the college experience as one which "is rather to socialize the individual, to refine, polish, or 'shape-up' his values so that he can fit comfortably into the ranks of Ameri- can college alumni."32 Feldman33 calls attention to the difficulty sur- rounding usage of the term "impact." Usually the term is used interchangeably with the words "effects" and refers to college-induced change in a variety of different student attributes. One of the most common ways, he observes, is to measure "change" by comparing two college—class levels. Feldman and Newcomb conclude that while "in a sense, every student who ever attends any college undergoes some impact from the experience . . ., [there is] more evidence ‘for gradual change over the years than for pronounced change . . "34 in any particular year . . . 3lLieberman, "The Future," p. 133, quoting Philip E. Jacob, ChangingiValues in College (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1957), p. 4. 32 Ibid. 33Kenneth A. Feldman, "Studying the Impacts of Col— leges on Students," Sociology of Education, XLII (Summer, 1969), p. 207. 34Kenneth A. Feldman and Theodore M. Newcomb, The Impact of College on Students, Volume I (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1969), pp. 103, 325. 28 Research on the impact of colleges on students has produced a volume of correlations and associations but, as noted by Feldman, the knowledge about conditions, processes, dynamics, and mechanisms is small. "At this point, the field knows more than is often believed, but less than it might."35 Feldman and Newcomb36 summarize the research in this area by citing a number of findings of interest to this study. "The Vassar studies (carried out by Sanford and his associates), they report, led their authors to conclude that little change in values or attitudes occurs after graduation."37 Nelson38 found that changes in religious belief were greater among respondents who had attended state universities than they were among those who had attended church-related colleges. This condition may be related to Feldman and New— comb's findings that "different kinds of students not only seek out different kinds of college experiences, but the same kinds of experiences differentially affect different types of 35Feldman, “Studying the Impacts,“ p. 226. 36Feldman and Newcomb, The Impact of College, p. 103. 37Ibid., p. 312, quoting Nevitt Sanford, "Impact of a Woman's College on its Students,"Long-range Planning for Education, ed. by A. Traxler (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1958), pp. 121-130. 38 E. N. P. Nelson, "Patterns of Religious Attitude Shifts from College 'to Fourteen Years Later'," Psychological Monographs: General and Applied (1956) cited in Feldman and Newcomb, Impact of College, p. 316. 29 students."39 In general, they discovered that during the college years religious values relative to other values be- come less important to students (as measured by the Alport, Vernon, and Lindsey, Study of Values).40 Feldman and Newcomb further point out that "there is a certain amount of self-selection by students into colleges in terms of their assessment of the 'fit' between themselves and the colleges under consideration." However, they con— tinue, college environments are new and different and are capable of producing "culture shock" or “value shock." It seems plausible then to conclude . . that those students who are more heavily challenged by the college environment will make greater changes than those who are less heavily challenged; thus it may be proposed that the college will have the greatest impact on entering students whose orientations are incongruent with the dominant orientation of the college. It seems clear from the findings of Feldman and Newcomb that faculty tend to be particularly important in influencing students in such areas as occupational decisions and educational aspirations. Students tend to feel that they are influenced more by their peers in areas of social and interpersonal development, and on their personality development.42 39Feldman and Newcomb, Impact of College, p. 276. 4OIbid., p. 23. 4lIbid., p. 111, 276. 421bid., p. 111. 30 A further study cited by Feldman and Newcomb, found that for the most part students selected their colleges "first, for proximity; second, because of peer popularity; and third, out of a generally vague notion about the prestige of the institution."43 They reported six basic dimensions that un- derlie the choice of a college: (1) intellectual emphasis, (2) practicality, (3) advice of others, (4) social emphaSis, (5) emphasis on religious and ethical values, and (6) size of the school. It may then be concluded from these findings that a portion of impact of the college experience on the student is due to the joint variation of student input characteristics and college characteristics. The Liberal Arts College and Teacher Education The literature on this topic showed rather conclusive- ly that liberal arts colleges are deeply involved in teacher education. A recent study done by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education44 reports that among the one— hundred twenty-one liberal arts colleges responding to the sur— vey, there was a deep commitment to the program of teacher ed- ucation. There was a very positive conviction that the liberal arts colleges are uniquely designed to educate excellent teach- ers for the American public schools. 43Ibid., p. 111. 44Liberal Arts Colleges and Teacher Education (AACTE Study Series, Washington, D.C.: The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Number 7, 1963), p. 48. 31 Conant45 reports, however, after a careful compara— tive study of institutions designed as "teachers colleges" and those designated as "Liberal arts colleges," that noth— ing was revealed to justify any sweeping assertion that one gave the student a better education than the other. Lieberman46 makes it quite clear he feels that the liberal arts college is ineffective in its attempt "to develop a common intellectual framework and a lifelong commitment to intellectual modes of behavior," largely due to the refusal of liberal arts faculty "to regard the study of education as a liberal study . . ." He observes: It is common today to read of the need for greater emphasis upon the liberal arts in teacher education. . . . The people who talk this way generally hold to the posi— tion that our teachers are poorly educated, but they per— sistently ignore the fact that a large part of the train— ing of most teachers consists of subjects in the liberal arts categories.47 Wilhelms follows the same line of argument and claims that ". . . the biggest single problem lies in the so—called liberal arts sector, in the preparation the pros— pective teacher gets in his own teaching fields and in "48 general education. He further argues that the liberal arts curricula are largely irrelevant-—a million bits and 45Conant, Education of American Teachers, p. 77. 46Lieberman, "The Future," p. 149. 47Ibid., p. 147. 48Fred T. Wilhelms, "Realignments for Teacher Educa- tion," in Teacher Education: Future Directions, ed. by Mar— garet Lindsey (Association of Teacher Educators, 1970), P. 6. 32 pieces are taught but rarely is a glimpse of the coherent whole presented. Bush49 also comments that one of the weaknesses in the preparation of teachers lies in the type of liberal and general education provided. Gooden50 points out that many of the critics of the academic preparation of teachers have overlooked the fact that the education of most American teachers has been pro— vided by the liberal arts colleges and universities and not by colleges of education or teacher's colleges. Chandler51 and Bush52 support Boyer53 in his plea for the involvement of the institution as a whole in the preparation of teachers. He reports that one of the agreements reached by the joint meeting of the Western Col- lege Association and the California Council on Teacher Edu— cation was . . . that the preparation of good teachers is the function of the college or university as a whole. 'For it needs the best that the institution can contribute 49Robert N. Bush, "Schema for Teacher Education," in Teacher Education: A Reappraisal, ed. by Elmer R. Smith (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962), p. 188. 50Herbert Gooden, "Contemporary Issues in Teacher Education--an American VieWpoint," in Towards a Policy for the Education of Teachers, ed. by William Taylor (London: Butterworths, 1969), p. 204. 51B. J. Chandler, Education and the Teacher (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1961), p. 185. 52 Bush, "A Schema," p. 188. 53Ernest L. Boyer, "Campus-Wide Preparation of Teachers: An Exercise in Collaboration," Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (September, 1965), pp. 271-272. 33 for each prospective teacher toward his full development as a person, toward his broad, liberal education, toward solid foundations of the subject matter he will teach,54 and toward his profeSSionalization as a school worker. Thus, Chandler concludes, "the preservice preparation of teachers rests upon the trilogy of liberal education, specialized subject matter, and professional education";55 Bush concurs that "All three of these are substantial and es— sential ingredients in the education of a teacher."56 If the liberal arts college is to do a better job with the training of teachers, Stiles57 argues, the next move will have to be on the part of the professors of liberal arts. He suggests that the real test will be the willingness of these professors to accept responsibility for the kind of teachers they help to produce. When this condition persists, he predicts a bright future for teacher education. General Education in the Liberal Arts College There are conflicting views in the literature about the role, aims or purposes, methods, and future of general 58 education. Blackburn lists five factors which have led to, what he refers to as, the death of the general education 54Ibid. 55Chandler, Education and the Teacher, p. 185. 56Bush, "A Schema," p. 188. 57 Lindley J. Stiles, et al., Teacher Education in the United States (New York: Ronald Press, 1960), pp. 29-3l. 58Robert T. Blackburn, "General Education ianiberal Arts Colleges," in New Dimensions in Higher Education, ed. by Everett H. Hopkins (Number 24, Durham: Duke University, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare). 34 movement. He cites such factors as inadequate numbers of qualified and committed faculty; inadequate leadership; increase in number and change in characteristics of students; events during the fifties that gave rise to increased demands for specialization; and change in learning theory which seems to call for in—depth knowledge in a subject before cross-dis— ciplinary considerations are possible. Part of the confusion over the role and subsequently the success or failure of general education seems to be re— lated to the apparent differences in the literature on the distinct meaning of the term "general education." Some authors draw a definite distinction between the use of the terms "general" and "liberal" education; others seem to include elements from both these conceptualizations into what they claim should comprise the common experience of all college students. Lin, in summarizing the distinction made by Horace T. Morse between "liberal" and "general“ education, points out that . . . Liberal education is primarily concerned with a body of subject matter drawn largely from the Western cultural heritage. More importantly, liberal education implies an in-depth concentration on humanistic studies. The content of general education, on the other hand, is variable, drawn from many sources, and adjusted to the times and needs of the individual.59 59Vincent T. C. Lin, "Some Suggestions on Reform of General Education," American Association of University Pro- fessors, LV (December, 1969), p. 447, citing Horace T. Morse, "Liberal and General Education: A Problem of Differentiation," General Education, ed. by James G. Rice (Washington, D. C.: National Education Association, 1964), p. ll. 35 Morse suggests that however one wishes to define or identify general education, . . . it would seem . . . especially in programs leaning toward the instrumentalist approach, to be considerably removed from the classic concept of liberal education de— scribed in the Yale Report of 1828, the function of which liberal education was to provide "the discipline and the furniture of the mind, expanding its powers and storing it with knowledge."60 Blackman observes that general education differs from liberal education "only in that it has greater interest in the 61 The past contemporary, the relevant, the world around us." in this context is used only to the extent that it gives per- spective to our knowledge of the present. Johnson62 and Lindsey,63 like several other authors, provide lists of goals or aims for general education. Lindsey sees general education as "an effort to use the major divis- ions of man's intellectual and spiritual resources to illumi- nate personal problems and those of the society in which men live."64 60Horace T. Morse, in "Liberal and General Education: A Problem of Differentiation," General Education: Current Issues and Concerns, ed. by James G. Rice (Washington, D.C.: Association for Higher Education, National Education Associ— ation, 1964), p. 12. Edward B. Blackman, "General Education," in Ency- 61 clopedia of Educational Research, ed. by Robert L. Ebe (4th ed., London: Collier—Macmillan Limited, 1969), p. 525. 62B. Lamar Johnson, General Education in Action (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1952), p. 2. 63Margaret Lindsey, ed., New Horizons for the Teach- ing Profession (Washington, D.C.: National Education Associ- ation of the United States, 1961), p. 38. 64 Ibid. 36 Mayhew65 provides a set of criteria to be consid- ered in either the development or evaluation of a program of general education; Blackman66 presents an excellent series of guidelines for the evaluation of general education. Mayhew notes that his list suggests goals toward which general education can strive and presents what he feels effective general education really is. Blackman ob— serves that the most important question among the several he lists is the one which asks "to what extent and in what ways have the graduating seniors and recent alumni been influenced by their general education courses?"67 Lin calls for a redefining of the goals of gen- eral education to provide assistance to the undergraduate in initiating a process of "self-discovery" as well as in the acquiring of a basic knowledge of the world around him. This aim, he suggests, is twofold. It should a) introduce the undergraduate to a kind of education— al setting which will enable him to locate, at least tentatively, a place for himself in the cul- ture of which he is a part and, at the same time, prepare himself for full participation in the fu- ture. b) present the student with a full range of possi— bilities which can contribute to his self-reali- zation, his self knowledge, and to his knowledge of the world in which he lives.68 65Lewis B. Mayhew, ed., General Education (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1960), p. 16. 66 Blackman, "General Education," p. 71. 67Ibid. 68Lin, "Some Suggestions," p. 447. 37 These aims would provide for a significant life experience, in which the student could "relate himself to the world according to his own abilities, needs, and in- terests." While, as pointed out by Lin, there seems to be no unanimity among educators on what should constitute the content of general education, the literature did seem to support French in his conclusion that general education needs to take a new direction. He argues: "It has spent too much time revising and tinkering with curricula and too little effort stimulating and inspiring students."69 Gen— eral education curricula, he feels, needs to be more re- lated to life, to change, and to students. Thus, he calls for the rebuilding of the general education curricula every five years. In a similar tone, Storing70 suggests that the emphasis be moved away from survey to criticism, thus caus- ing the instructor to use his discipline creatively rather— than exhaustively. Sanford and Storing agree that the key to a suc- cessful program of general education rests with the selection 69Sidney J. French, "General Education-—The Second Mile," Journal of General Education, XIX (July, 1967), p. 95. 70James A. Storing, "A Modern Design for General and Liberal Education on a College Campus," Journal of Gen- eral Education, XVIII (October, 1966), p. 158. 38 of the best teacher-scholars available. Sanford observes that "whatever curricular reforms may be instituted, whatever changes in the organization of teaching or in the social life of the colleges may be made, what- ever schemes might be concocted or gadgets contrived, nothing very good can happen unless there are teach— ers with some enthusiasm for educating the under- graduate."7l Storing72 argues: if general education fails, it will be because teachers have failed. If it succeeds, it will be because faculty members have established themselves both as generalists and as "self—respecting" specialists. French73 suggests that if the needs of students are made central rather than peripheral, academicians will no longer need to worry about a conflict between concerns for breadth and depth. Too frequently, he notes, curricula have been built to suit the needs of faculty rather than those of the student. He gives faculty the humble role of "starters" and "promoters" of self—discovery and self— achievement on the part of students. Sanford74 and Storing75 call for the involvement of the full resources of the college in a program of gen— eral education which aims at development toward full 71Nevitt Sanford, Where Colleges Fail (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc., Publishers, 1967), p. 198. 2Storing, "A Modern Decision," p. 161. 73French, "General Education," p. 94. 74Sanford, "Where Colleges Fail," p. 197. 75Storing, "A Modern Design," p. 161. 39 humanity. They suggest that the program be spread through the entire four years. The importance of the role of the instructor in general education is further emphasized by Carlin, who warns that faculty who teach undergraduates should realize that they do have a great impact upon students at a time in their intellectual and emotional development when they have more questions, are less sure, and are more impres— sionable than at any other time during the college ex- perience. This fact, he feels, calls for "a commitment on the part of the undergraduate instructor involved in general education to profess not only his 'subject' but a concern for the development of the country's most pre— cious resource, its youthful talent."76 Carlin also predicts that in the face of more, unpredictable types of specialization, the need for gen— eral education will become greater in the future, but that its role will largely be determined by the willingness on the part of faculties to revise its curricula and redefine its goals. Bell77 calls attention to the disenchantment of many colleges with the idea of general education. Difficulty 76 Edward A. Carlin, "General Education for the Fu— ture," General Education: Current Issues and Concerns (Wash- ington, D.C.: Association for Higher Education, National Education Association, 1964), p. 66. 77Daniel Bell, The Reforming of General Education (New York: Columbia University Press, 1966), p. 284. 40 in recruiting teachers for the courses has caused many colleges to substitute a set of distribution requirements for the general education sequence. It is his opinion that the return to distribution requirements is an ad- mission of intellectual failure. Sanford's solution to this current dilemna "re- quires the restoration of the generalizing and synthe- sizing function to its proper place in science." He postulates that "such a restoration would encourage a style of teaching that recognizes and nourishes the hu- manity of the student."78 If, in the final analySis, general education is what remains after the content of courses is forgotten, then, he argues, "teachers should use whatever material they believe will best develop such qualities in their stu— dents as analytical power, imagination and sensitivity to feelings."79 French responds to Blackburn's claim that general education is dead by suggesting that "it is merely pausing to gather its strength and resources for a new kind of second mile, an assault upon the minds of students through an exchange of futile teaching for exciting learning."8O 78Sanford, "Where Colleges Fail," p. 200. 791bid., p. 10. 80French, "General Education," p. 97. 41 Generaleducation for Prospective Teachers The review of the literature confirmed agreement among teacher educators of the need for general or liberal education as a part of the training program for teachers. Conant81 notes, however, that he has found a complete lack of agreement on what really constitutes an adequate general education for teachers. Conant's recommendation that general education for future teachers be a general academic education was pre- dicated on the following assumptions: *. . . first, that there are certain areas of knowledge with which all future teachers should be acquainted; second, that in these areas of knowledge there are characteristic ways of grasping the subject; third, that in both the knowledge and the ways of understand- ing them there are basic principles; finally, that properly studied and taught, these subjects and the principles-discoverable in them can further the pro- cess Of a liberal education. Smith83 calls attention to the teacher's role as the agent chosen by society to transmit knowledge and its contemporaneous interpretation. The performance of this role subsumes a basic preparation in the value of all know- ledge, not simply that of one narrow area. He insists that this fact leads to the conclusion that all teachers should be broadly and liberally educated. 81James Bryant Conant, The Education of American Teachers (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1963), p. 209. 82Ibid., pp. 92,93. 83Elmer R. Smith, ed., Teacher Education: A Re- appraisal (New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962), p. 3. 42 Cogan84 warns that the typical approach to general education has fallen short of meeting the teacher's needs for cross-disciplinary competences and for "non-discipli— nary" wisdom. He maintains that cross-disciplinary and general education courses are difficult to do well. Broudy85 suggests that part of the complaints made about the "foundational" courses are due to the fact that students have forgotten or do not recall the understanding they have gained from their basic courses in the liberal arts college. He indicates that education for personal development is the part that general education plays in the training of teachers. While the professional applies theory only in his specialty, Broudy86 suggests that his education can not be restricted to the theory he thinks he will apply. One does not know what theories will become relevant in the future, nor can he apply knowledge in specifics until he has enough knowledge about the whole to guess successfully which region in the vast domain contains the relevant theory. 4Morris L. Cogan, "The Academic Major in the Edu- cation of Teachers," Improving Teacher Education in the United States, ed. by Stanley Elam (Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967), p- 107. 85Harry S. Broudy, "The Role of the Foundational Studies In the Preparation of Teachers," in Improving Teach— er Education in the United States, ed. by Stanley Elam (Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967), p. 21. 86 Ibid., p. 8. 43 Russell87 predicts greater emphasis will be placed on general education in teacher preparation. He suggests that at every level the first requirement for teachers will be a well-educated person. Academic Specialization The literature reviewed in this section concentrates on information about the choice of majors and the place of academic concentration (major and/or minor) in the prepara- tion for teaching. Selection of a Major Feldman and Newcomb report that students who enter various major fields are likely to differ in background or demographic characteristics. Most studies in this area found that in proportion- ate terms, students from backgrounds of high socio-eco- nomic status overchoose the major fields related to med- icine, social science, arts and humanities, law and other political and governmental ventures. The fields of ed- ucation and of engineering (and of related technical fields) are over chosen by students of lower socio-economic status. Natural science (including physics, biology, and mathematics) appear to be more equally chosen by students 87James E. Russell, Change and Challenge in Ameri— can Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965), p. 96. 44 of various status backgrounds.88 Sanford89 supports such a conclusion and suggests that most of the published literature has been directed mainly to showing that there is a relationship between the choice of major fields of study and various student per- sonality characteristics and background. Most liberal arts colleges, he observes, require students to enter a major program of study at the begin- ning of the junior year. The intent of this requirement is to provide the student with depth of knowledge in some field. It is generally considered that the student's work in his major is the beginning of his training for a profes- sion, scholarly or other, and that the program of instruc- 90 Thus, tion is carried out with this possibility in mind. it is assumed that students select majors in accordance with their abilities, their enduring interests, and such other factors as bear on the benefit they might receive from these programs. Sanford suggests and Bereiter and Freedman support the observation that "intensive studies of individuals 88Kenneth A. Feldman and Theodore M. Newcomb, The Impact of College on Students, Volume I (San Francisco: Jossey-Boss Inc., Publishers, 1969), p. 153. 89Nevitt Sanford, "Higher Education as a Field of Study," in The American College, ed. by Nevitt Sanford (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962), p. 66. 90 Ibid. 45 indicate that choice of major is the outcome of an inter- action of dispositions in the student and forces in his immediate environment such as pressures from his family, his friends, and the college departments."91 The choice of a major is usually a very significant experience for the student since, as Sanford observes, "it is the first time that he consciously commits himself to long-range goals after giving due consideration to reason- able alternatives."92 The choice usually has implications with respect to vocation, thus bringing the student, pos— sibly for the first time, to a socially defined identity that has "an aspect of being irreversible." Sanford there- fore concludes that the choice of a major is frequently ex- pressive of deep-lying forces in the student's personality, but, on the other hand, it is sometimes derived from very superficial considerations. Bereiter and Freedman93 looked at differences in students who chose different fields of study from a psycho— logical point of View. They found similarities between levels of measured intelligence and fields of study chosen. This fact was not given too much weight, however, since it was felt that there were too many other factors which might 9libid. gzlbid. 93Carl Bereiter and Mervin B. Freedman, "Fields of Study and the Peqple in Them," in The American College, ed. by-Nevitt Sanford (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962), p. 569. 46 have had bearing on these similarities. The authors also explored attitudes and found some value in pursuing the "liberalism-—conservatism" continuum. It was found that the most conservative groups were in the applied rather than in the academic fields. Persons in elementary education, for example, were found to be very conservative, while those in secondary education tended to reflect the position taken by those in their major area of concentration. Bereiter and Freedman suggest further that a stu- dent can expect liberal teaching in the social sciences, moderately liberal teaching in the literary field and the least liberalism in the natural sciences. This led them to the supposition that there might be a kind of self- selection process operative which results in attitude differences among students and Operates to discourage conservative—minded students from entering fields where their beliefs would be directly challenged. They conclude finally that for whatever reason, some fields are rela— tively more attractive than others to liberally-minded people and some are more attractive to conservatively minded people. The findings of Roe as reported by Bereiter and Freedman, suggest that home environment may play a role in determining what major field of study is chosen. While the social scientist reported intense and disturbing fam- ily relationships in childhood, the early life of the 47 natural scientist seemed to have been characterized by detached, unemotional, and vague relationships.94 The findings concerning persons who changed ma- jors were not conclusive. Feldman and Newcomb95 found that a number of studies had shown that those students who changed from their original choices differed mainly in vocational interests and attitudes from those who did not change. Persons who changed majors were found by Fullmer96 to have done as well academically as nonchangers and Brass97 reports that students changed majors mainly be- cause of poor performance or loss of interest in the orig- inal field. Davis98 presents evidence that size of city, reli— gious background, and race are additional determinants in initial curricular choice. In a nationwide study he dis— covered that students from larger cities, when compared 94Ibid. 95Feldman and Newcomb, Impact, p. 187. 96D. W. Fullmer, "Success and Perseverance of Uni— versity Students," Journal of Higher Education, XXVII (1956), p. 445-447, cited by Carl Bereiter and Mervin B. Freedman, "Fields of Study," p. 582. 97R. V. Brass, "An Investigation of Selected Per— sonal Background Factors and Reasons Related to Students Who Change Schools Within Purdue University" (Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Purdue University, 1956), cited by Bereiter and Freedman, Ibid. 98J. A. Davis, Undergraduate Career Decisions: Co— relates of Occupational Choice (Chicago: Aldine, 1965), cited by Feldman and Newcomb, Impact. 48 with those from smaller cities, were more likely to choose initially the fields of physical science, social science, pre-medicine and pre-law, and were less likely to choose education. It may be expected that major areas of study would have some impact on those who study in them. As Bereiter and Freedman put it, "if intellectual disciplines have any of the potency they are supposed to have, we should expect them to influence how people develop. The individual who enters the field ought to change in some predictable dir— ection. . ."99 Academic Specialization for Teachers The purpose of academic specialization for the teacher is declared by Smith100 to be twofold. The pro- spective teacher should find (1) "a command in some depth of his subject" and (2) "a link between his liberal edu- cation and his purely professional work. . . ." The major should give the teacher the beginning ability to work in his field at a somewhat advanced level. It should not only teach him to "think in terms of the methods called for by the materials of his major" but should "stimulate him literally to think in these terms as part of the whole pattern of his living." Cogan reports that the most frequent recommendation 99Bereiter and Freedman, "Fields of Study," p. 583. looSmith, Teacher Education, p. 51. 49 to be found in the literature on programs for collegiate majors was the "injunction to stress selection, not 'cov- erage' . . . the idea that the teacher needs to have an understanding both of the 'vast reaches' of his discipline and its limitations."101 It is important, he continues, that the teacher must know first, the process by which one comes to know in a discipline, and second, which knowledge promises him the greatest 'mileage' in using what he knows and in learning what he does not yet know. To have command of the process by which one comes to know means to command the tools and modes of analysis, the concep- tual schemes by which one's discipline organizes it- self, and the evidence and the logic on which con- ceptional frames are erected. In the designing of major programs for teachers, Cogan calls attention to the fact that they should "contri— bute constructively to their perception of their own worth as teachers and as members of a society of scholars."103 He further suggests that a teacher's major should be a re- source to him in developing his classroom curriculum and should also guide him in deciding what is not appropriate for him to teach. He should "perceive his scholarly task as seeking rather than having knowledge." lOlCogan, "The Academic Major," p. 108. lOZIbid. 103Ibid., p. 112. 50 The Professional Training of Teachers The literature reviewed on this topic was selected to reflect current thinking on the status, trends, and further directions of teacher education in the small lib— eral arts college. Current Status There is considerable agreement that whatever is currently being done to prepare teachers for the elementary and secondary schools is at best inadequate; at its worst, it needs immediate and in some cases radical change. Silberman makes this point quite clear. That the preparation [of teachers] should be substan- tially different from what they now receive seems hard- ly open to debate; there is probably no aspect of con- temporary education on which there is greater unanimity of opinion than that teacher education needs a vast overhaul.104 Gurrey notes that there has been a change in the degree of interest on the part of the public concerning ed- ucation and the teaching profession, and suggests that "this recognition has meant that the teacher has never be— fore been so sharply criticized. Much more is demanded of "105 If teachers nowadays; and these demands will grow. this was true in 1963, when he wrote these words, it has been amplified even more in the late sixty's and the early 104Charles Silberman, Crisis in the Classroom (New York: Random House, 1970), p. 413. 105P. Gurrey, Education and the Training of Teach- ers (London: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1963), p. l. 51 seventy's. Brown laments that all find themselves badly equipped by programs of teacher education in which substantive changes have been few and far between and which have been con- fined, with rare exceptions, to alternatives in who teaches what to whom, in requirements narrowly de— fined, and in administrative procedures.106 He observes that even new ways of doing things are obsolete before they are effected. "Nowhere is the need greater to go beyond tinkering, to look at the assumptions that are built into our thinking, and to heed a procedural version of the idea, that after all, the medium is the "107 message. According to Blume, "most of our efforts to im- prove education involve new ways to deliver information to people. Very few innovations involve helping learners to discover the personal meaning of that information."108 Brown is also concerned about the stress_on the informa- tion-giving role of the teacher and states his conviction that "the chief aim of education is not the transmission of an abstract body of knowledge but the growth of indi- vidual learners as they confront new experiences, including .109 knowledge, and in turn transform these experiences.’ Bonham observes, with much the same tone of 106Richard H. Brown, "Notes on Teacher Education," Change, II (March—April, 1970), p. 44. 107Ibid. 108Robert Blume, "Humanizing Teacher Education," Phi Delta Kappan, LII (March, 1971), p. 412. 109 Brown, "Notes on Teacher Education," p. 45. 52 criticism, that those who plan teacher education programs continue to be fascinated with the £93m of education rather than with its content. He writes: There remain thousands of very earnest academicians much of whose time is spent designing new college cal— endars, planning new credits and prerequisites, and in general improving the old with the old.11 He concludes that at present most college campuses are almost totally unprepared to provide "preparation for a world which calls for creative minds, and innovative thinking about matters which bridge society, technology and man." Silberman argues that these weaknesses which are inherent in teacher education are the weakness of liberal education as a whole, ". . . if teachers are educated badly . . . it is in large measure because almost everyone else 111 William Arrowsmith, an earlier is educated badly, too." critic, argues much the same way when he writes "liberal education, as currently practiced, does not liberate any more than teacher education sequences equip to teach."112 Horton raises what seems to be the key question if teacher education is to be nudged in the direction of 110George W. Bonham, Editorial "The Devaluated Society," Change, III (September, 1971), p. 12. lllSilberman, Crisis in the Classroom, P- 380- 112William Arrowsmith, "The Future of Teaching," The Public Intere§E_(Winter, 1967), pp. 53-67 as cited by James W. Wagner, "A New Role for Foundation Courses in Teacher Education," Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Winter, 1970), P. 489. ' 53 significant change when he asks, "What program of teacher education can best prepare persons to become facilitators of learning, helping persons, persons skilled in the use of various educational resources and able to work in teams of various sizes with other teachers and with children?"113 He sees the balancing of such skills as the ability to facilitate learning, to be a helping person, and to be skilled in the use of educational resources with knowledge and skill in subject areas, methods, and administration as a task that should concern teacher educators who wish to design relevant programs for the seventy's and beyond. In this same context, Thompson speaks of three kinds of knowledge which are basic to teacher education-- "Knowledge of the discipline, of learning, and of instruc- tional strategies--the third is largely a derivative from the first two and is at the apex of the triangle." "With- out it,“ he continues, "no theory of instruction is pos- sible, and at present too little is known about many of its elements to provide complete guidance for the develop— ment of any well-grounded teacher education program."114 In the planning of programs of teacher education, Lindsey emphasizes the need for a base, for some conception ll3Lowell Horton, "Teacher Education: By Design or Crisis?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Fall, 1971), p. 266. ll4Ralph H. Thompson, "Where Teacher Education Programs Fail,“ Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Summer, 1970)] p0 266. 54 of the roles the graduates of a given institution will as— sume. She writes: Without a conception of the context in which their graduates must live and work, without a commitment to ways and means for making education relevant to those conditions, there is woefully inadequate base for de- cision making about teacher education. Silberman again argues that the central task of teacher education is to provide teachers with a sense of purpose-—what he calls a philosophy of education. He contends that Unless prospective teachers are given alternative pictures of what teaching and learning can be, along with the techniques they need to implement them, they are almost bound to teach in the same way as their teachers taught them.116 Silberman was not alone in his contention that teachers have a tendency to teach as they have been taught. Russell, Smith, and Blume seem to be equally concerned about this point. Russell states that nothing in all of teacher education is more influential on the way a begin- ning teacher teaches than the way he has been taught throughout his entire college experience. "The image he has of teaching . . . is the prime determinant of his behav- ior and it is not a product of teacher education but of having 115Margaret Lindsey, ed., Teacher Education: Future Directions (The Association of Teacher Educators, 1970), p. l. ll6Silberman, Crisis in the Classroom, p. 471. 55 been taught."117 Blume enlarges on Smith's claim that "one learns 118 to teach partly by being well taught," by arguing that "teachers teach the way they have been taught--not the 119 He continues, way they have been taught to teach!" "If we want elementary and secondary teachers to be warm, friendly people who relate positively and openly with their students, then we must treat them that way in our college programs." Wilhelms points to the value of the preparation of teachers in the setting of a liberal arts college and suggests that "professional education and the subject matter preparation of a teacher simply cannot be acceptably I.120 He done in near total isolation from one another. pleads for persons who are prepared in a special way just because they are planning to be teachers. McGrath alludes to the traditional conflict on the typical liberal arts college campus about the amount of professional education the prospective teacher should have. Such academicians "deny that there is a specific body of 117James E. Russell, Change and Challenge in Ameri- can Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965, p. 94. 118Smith, "Teacher Education: A Reappraisal," p. 60. 119Blume, "Humanizing Teacher Education," p. 412- 120 Fred T. Wilhelms, "Realignments for Teacher Edu- cation," Teacher Education: Future Direction, ed. by Margaret Lindsey (Association of Teachers Educators, 1970), p. 7. 56 professional knowledge and a complement of skills which through formal instruction can and ought to be passed on from one generation of practitioners to the next."121 Many liberal arts professors, despite their re- puted orientation to science, hold highly unscientific views about how teachers are produced. They profess a faith in genetics rather than a commitment to plan- ned programs of education. Such professors believe that teachers are born rather than developed. Stiles, et al., argue that this philosophy leads to disrespect for education courses, and unfortunately for many who teach them. 123 suggests that the study of education Silberman be placed where it belongs: at the heart of the liberal arts curriculum. The liberal arts college, with a teacher educa- tion program, needs faculty who will accept their fair share of responsibility in the preparation of teachers. According to McGrath and Russell, the average elementary school teacher pursues approximately forty-three hours and the secondary school teacher twenty hours of instruct- ion in professional education. "Students pursuing teacher 121Earl McGrath and Charles H. Russell, Are School Teachers Illiberally Educated? (Teachers College, Columbia University, Institute of Higher Education, 1961), p. 7. 122Lindley J. Stiles, et al., Teacher Education in the United States (New York: Ronald Press, 1960), p. 29. 123Silberman, Crisis in the Classroom, p. 384. 57 education curricula receive on the average much less pro- fessional instruction than those in a number of other un- dergraduate schools."124 Buchanan,125 Combs,126 and Gurrey,127 among others are concerned with the lack of importance which is typically given to the teacher as a person with teacher attitudes. Combs concludes that "if the person of the teacher is seen as the center of the problem of teacher education, the or- ganization of teacher education programs around subject matter and methods is simply no longer tenable."128 Determining what will be the best program of teach— er education for a particular college is, according to Lindsey, somewhat dependent upon "the uniqueness of each college--its particular student body, its faculty, its "129 These condition the special educational problems. design that will best achieve the agreed-upon goals. If men and women who know how to teach and are stu- dents of teaching are to be produced, Silberman argues, their programs will need far more coherence than most now 124 p. 3, 25. 125M. Marcia Buchanan, "Preparing Teachers to be Persons," Phi Delta Kappa, LII (June, 1971), p. 615. 126Arthur W. Combs, The Professional Education of Teachers (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 1965), p. 117. 127 McGrath and Russell, "Illiberally Educated?", Gurrey, "Training of Teachers," p. 4. 128Combs, Professional Education of Teachers, p. 117. 129Lindsey, Future Directions, p. 33. 58 have. This goal will require that faculty continually ask a question they have seldom asked: "What difference does it make that a teacher is educated here, rather than some— where else."130 Yee concludes: . . . although no one seems to be satisfied with it, teacher education maintains remarkable stability against attack."131 Methods Courses in Teacher Education One of the most frequent criticisms of traditional methods courses is their lack of relevance. David Aspy132 argues that there is rather significant evidence to sup- port the contention that methods courses should be offered only if they can be meaningful to the student. He asks that more time be spent in finding ways to accomplish this goal. Brown also asks for more relevance and declares that "teachers need experience that enables them more effec- tively to relate what they do in schools and colleges to what goes on outside both in their own lives and in those of their students. He proffers: "The only counter to the 'relevance' argument is to make our schools and colleges 130Silberman, Crisis in the Classroom, p. 473. 131Albert A. Yee, "A Model for the Development of Teacher Education Relevant to the '705," Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Spring, 1971), p. 10. 132David N. Aspy, "Maslow and Teachers in Training," Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Fall, 1969), p. 304. 59 relevant."133 134 calls for teacher education to demon— Robbins strate in practice the innovative teaching-learning now found in many elementary and secondary schools. "The gap between what we expect from the classroom teacher today and the preservice training we provide to meet those expecta— tions is broadening not diminishing."135 136 observe that while Ott, Thompson, and Merriman methods courses are assigned a large place in teacher- training curricula, they are seldom related to problems and thus, little prescriptive use is made of them. More focus should be directed to the needs of children and society and less on textbook procedures. Kalick points out that the one-semester methods course which does not have an accompanying classroom ex- perience is "deficient in terms of time and reality to prepare the student adequately for the myriad problems he will face as a beginning teacher."137 133Brown, "Notes on Teacher Education," p. 47. 134Glaydon D. Robbins, "The Impact of Current Edu- cation Change upon Teacher Education," Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Summer, 1969), p. 183. 135 Harry S. Broudy quoted by Glaydon Robbins, ibid. 136Jack M. Ott, Barbara S. Thompson, and Howard 0. Merriman, "Prescription for Pedagogy: A Teacher Education Program," Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Fall, 1970), p. 355. 137Perry M. Kalick, "New Directions in Teacher Training and Placement," Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Fall, 1971), p. 262. 60 Buchanan presents the problem from the standpoint of the teacher as a model. He suggests that students see teachers "lecture on why lecturing was not a good class- room method, praising individual attention but remaining aloof, urging experimentation but reading the same old notes and using the sixth edition of the same old text. We talk change but practice the status quo."138 . . if effective teachers see the teaching task as one of feeling and assisting, rather than controlling or coercing, we must provide teacher education which does not insist on particular methods, but which en- courages students to seek their own best methods. . . . The instructor will need to be concerned with the attitudes and perceptions of teachers, not merely with subject matter and methods. Nash and Agne140 believe that students will opt for a professional preparation that enables them to develop their human potentialities. They feel that the frequency of student requests for relevance is directly related to the degree to which students are "limited in their pro— fessional training to the mastery of a set of routinized and uninspiring tasks." The Improvement of Teacher Education Brown claims that improvement . . . calls for teachers to be different kinds of human beings, for new attitudes more than new skills, for new 138Buchanan, "Teachers to be Persons," p. 615. 139Blume, "Humanizing Teacher Education," p. 413. 140Robert J. Nash and Russel M. Agne, "Competency in Teacher Education: A Prop for the Status Quo?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Summer, 1971): p. 151. 61 knowledge. It calls for teachers who are able to View themselves and their role differently from the way most View them at present, for teachers who see knowledge and learning differently, and for teach- ers who will see differently the relationships of schools and colleges to the outside world. Improvement in teacher training, according to Walton, can be realized only through more stimulating pro- fessional preparation. He states it this way: If we believe that teaching is an important enter- prise, and if we think that it is worthy of students of superior academic preparation, intellectual ability, and discriminating tastes, we should encourage such people by providing them with thoroughly sound and stimulating professional preparation.l4 143 quotes Harold Taylor, who indicates that Yamamoto if pedagogical training is to be useful, it must provide a chance for the student "to act on the world, not just to exist in it, . . . a chance to put together a body of know- ledge for themselves to create something from the wellspring of their own actions, something about which they feel so deeply that they want to teach it to others."144 141Brown, "Notes on Teacher Education," p. 45. ' 142John Walton, "The Role of the School," Teacher Education: A Reappraisal, ed. by Elmer R. Smith (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962), p. 38. 143Kaoru Yamamoto, et al., "As They See It: Culling Impressions from Teachers in Preparation," Journal of Teach- er Education, XX (Winter, 1969), p. 475. 144Harold Taylor, "The Teacher in the World," The University of Texas Graduate Journal, VIII (1968), pp. 143— 158, quoted by Kaoru Yamamoto in "As They See It," ibid. 62 Hamachek maintains that research is teaching us many things about the differences between good and poor teachers. He suggests four related implications for teacher education. 1.* If it is true that good teachers are good because they view teaching as primarily a human process involving human relationships and human meanings, then this may imply that we should spend at least as much time exposing and sensitizing teacher candidates to the subtle complexities of person— ality structure as well as we do to introducing them to the structure of knowledge itself. 2. If it is true that good teachers have a positive View of themselves and others, then this may sug- gest that we provide more opportunities for teacher candidates to acquire major positive self-other perceptions. 3. If it is true that good teachers are well-informed, then it is clear that we must neither negate nor relax our efforts to provide them with as rich an intellectual background as is possible. 4.. If it is true that good teachers are able to com- municate what they know in a manner that makes sense to their students, then we must assist our teacher candidates both by example and appropriate experiences to the most effective ways of doing this. It may be concluded from Hamachek's four points that teacher education does not currently make adequate use of some of the research available, in areas like the ones mentioned. It may further be concluded that he feels Strong- ly that the incorporation of such emphases will improve the preparation of teachers. Thompson, after listing several important 145Don Hamachek, "Characteristics of Good Teachers and Implications for Teacher Education," Phi Delta Kappan, L (February, 1969), p. 344. 63 misconceptions in teacher education, calls for the listing of behavioral objectives which may legitimately be set for all teacher education graduates. If each of these was linked to a proper vehicle, he continues, "the learning ex- periences would be more varied than those now obtaining: there would be fewer of the deductive-didactic and more of "146 He observes that the call the inductive-laboratory type. for greater relevance and for greater mastery of basic teaching skills is beginning to be heard more loudly. Steeves147 calls for the involvement of faculty members from departments other than education in the plan- ning and operation of the professional courses and/or experiences. Elmer Smith concludes that there is a close rela— tionship between the nature and quality of a teacher's prep- aration and the quality of the teaching. He argues that "technological advances will require the development of teachers with new visions and new skills, and will pre- sumably require some modification of teacher education pro- grams to match these new demands."148 4 . 1 6Ralph H. Thompson, "Where Teacher Education Pro- grams Fail," Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Summer, 1970), p. 268. 147 u . . Frank L. Steeves, CruCial Issues in Student Teach- ing," Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (September, 1965), p. 309. (See also Lindley J. Stiles, "Interdisciplinary Ac- countability for Teacher Education," Journal of Higher Educ- ation, XXXIX (January, 1968), pp. 23-31). 48 . . 1 Elmer Smith, ed., Teacher Education: A Reappraisal (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962), p. 2. 64 The challenge before planners of teacher education programs is seen as one of choosing between the many pro— posals for change that are currently flooding the literature. What kind of program will best prepare the kind of teachers needed for the future is a particularly difficult question when the reference point--relevance--is not a stable one. Student Teaching There is little doubt that the student teaching phase of the teacher education sequence is the most highly acclaimed aspect of the entire program. The literature re- viewed generally supports this claim for importance. Steeves Observes that "student teaching . . . is the one professional program that both the critics and the friends of education approve wholeheartedly."149 Horton writes: "Of the many sacred cows of education, student teaching is the most sacrosanct, questioned only by "150 He then the few heretics in every college of education. points out that the wide acceptance of this nearly universal- ly endorsed aspect of teacher education has little research to validate it. His major concern is that, while the need for change in schools is talked about on the one hand, those most capable of bringing about change are sent to learn ways of classroom behavior from those who are most firmly en- trenched in the educational establishment. 149Steeves, "Crucial Issues," p. 308. 150Lowell Horton, "Teacher Education: By Design or Crisis?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Fall, 1971), p. 266. 65 Yamamoto notes that "most observers seem to em- phasize student teaching as the most crucial experience in the entire process of teacher preparation."151 Steeves sees student teaching, not so much as an in- dispensable part of professional preparation, as a time of integration--a time when What has been learned in the academic courses can be reorganized, modified, and adjusted to meet the needs of the elementary, junior, or senior high school pupils be- ing taught, and when what has been learned in the pro- fessional courses can be.testeds tried, and modified as a result of actual experience. Bennie presents seven aspects of student teaching. They are: (1) Student teaching is a desirable aspect of teacher education; (2) Student teaching is a joint responsi- bility of public schools and academic and professional divi- sions of teacher education institutions; (3) Each student teaching experience must be considered as a unique situation; (4) Student teaching is a developmental process through which the college student moves as he grows professionally and personally; (5) Planning is the main ingredient of the formula for successful student teaching; (6) Student teaching is an educational process involving the acquisition of in— sights, understandings, and skills, each of which is inter- related; and (7) Competent supervision must be provided if the student teacher is to attain the objectives of the 151Yamamoto, "As They See It," p. 465. 152Steeves, "Crucial Issues," p. 309. 66 student teaching course.153 The above seven points provide a summary of the var- ied concerns to be found in the literature regarding student teaching. The principles of a model student teaching program are articulately presented by Dean and Kennedy in their work entitled "A Position Paper on Student Teaching Programs." Four principles are presented: 1. The program for student teachers should provide great flexibility so that strengths and weaknesses of individual students will determine the specific pro- gram each will follow. 2. The student teacher should be involved in a pro— gram designed to provide contact with several teach- ers and various teaching styles. 3. The program should be structured to provide many kinds of school experiences for the student teacher in addition to classroom teaching. 4. Effective means should be developed to bring prac- ticing teachers and teacher preparation institutions into a true partnership in the design and implementa- tion of teacher education programs. Horton supports the claim made by Dean and Kennedy for a broadened student teaching experience which includes exposure to alternate styles of teaching behavior and fur- ther calls for the development of designs for gaining such experience and obtaining feedback about the same. He feels 153William A. Bennie, Cooperation for Better Student Teaching (Minneapolis, Minn.: Burgess Publishing Company, 1966), pp. 15-16. 154 Lee Dean and W. Henry Kennedy, "A Position Paper on Student Teaching Programs," in Teacher Education in Trans- ition (Volume I, An Experiment in Change, Maryland: Multi- State Teacher Education Project, 1969), p. 165. 67 that "teacher educators can no longer retain and defend ir- relevant programs."155 About the importance of student teaching, Bush says, "It is in practice . . . that the materials from all parts of his preparation are synthesized and brought to bear upon the development of the highest possible degree of skill in teaching."156 157 Hazard, Kalick,158 and Wilhelms,159 among others, are concerned about the fact that all too frequently pros- pective teachers have had little or no direct contact with students in a real life setting until student teaching. There is a concerted plea in the literature for earlier con- tact in the preservice type of experience. Wilhelms argues that student teaching is generally done too late and the student teaching situation is often too tight. He suggests that "a broad, varied pattern of ex— periences should bring the student into contact with many 155Horton, "Design or Crisis?" pp. 262-263. 156Robert N. Bush, "The Science and Art of Educating Teachers," in Improving Teacher Education in the United States, ed. by Stanley Elam (Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967), p. 193. 157William R. Hazard, "Negotiation and the Education of Teachers," Teacher Education: Future Directions, ed. by Margaret Lindsey (Association of Teacher Educators, 1970), p. 118. 158 Kalick, "New Directions," p. 262. 159Fred T. Wilhelms, "Realignments for Teacher Edu- cation," Teacher Education: Future Directions, ed. by Margaret Lindsey (Association of Teacher Educators, 1970), p. 8. 68 160 He feels that the student and varied potential models." teacher needs to learn that he, as a unique person, has his own peculiar mix of strengths and qualities. What he needs to be is a whole person--not a copy of some ideal teacher. 161 claims that the role of student teaching Bennie in the preparation of teachers is more significant today than at any time since the time when the certifying of teach- ers became an accepted practice. Review of Related Studies The purpose of this section of the review was to ex- amine related studies. Based on the review of the literature, very few studies have been done by small liberal arts colleges for the purpose of evaluating the academic program through responses gained from graduates. The studies that were re- viewed dealt with some aspects only of either the two-year college or of the university and were indirectly related to the specific interests of this study. A study was done by Hardy162 (1960) which was a follow-up type study of the graduates of Stillman College. The purpose of this study was to guide the college in eval- uating certain aspects of its program. She reported a 70 per cent response to her questionnaire. The study found that 50 per cent of the graduates were teachers and were l6OIbid., p. 11. 161Bennie, Better Student Teaching, pp. 15-16. 162Blanch B. Hardy, A Follow-Up Study of Stillman College (unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1960), p. 96. 69 satisfied with their jobs. The remaining studies reviewed dealt with other aspects which were of interest to aspects of this study. A study done by Richards and Hollandl63(l965) pro- duced six basic dimensions in the choice of a college: (1) Intellectual emphasis; (2) Practicality; (3) Advice of others; (4) Social emphasis; (5) Emphasis on religious and ethical values; and (6) Size of school. Trent (1965) concludes that ". . . most of the stu- dents picked their colleges first, for proximity; second, because of peer popularity; and third, out of a generally vague notion about the prestige of the institution."164 Davisl65(l965) found, in a nationwide study, that students from larger cities when compared with those from smaller cities were more likely to choose initially fields of physical science, social science, premedicine, and prelaw, and were less likely to choose education. It was further reported that "men overchoose engi- neering, physical science, prelaw, premedicine, and business. Women are more likely than men to enter the curricula of ed- ucation, humanities and fine arts, social science, and 163Feldman and Newcomb, The Impact of College, p. 110. 164J. W. Trent, "Personal Factors in College Choice," Paper read at the annual meeting of the College Entrance Ex- amination Board, 1965), p. 9, cited by Feldman and Newcomb, Ibid., p. 111. 165J. A. Davis, Undeggraduate Career Decisions: Cor- relates of Occupational Choice (Chicago: Aldine, 1965) cited by Feldman and Newcomb, The Impact of College, p. 153. 70 biological sciences."166 Calvert167 studied graduates of the selected years 1948, 1953, and 1958 to find out their feelings about their liberal arts program. He reported a 62 per cent return on an eighteen page questionnaire. The graduates strongly sup- ported the liberal education they had received. Seventy- eight per cent would strongly advise a liberal arts major. Seventy-three per cent felt that their undergraduate educa- tion had provided good preparation for their vocational life. Cook168 (1970) reported a study of graduates of Auburn University which was made to determine the degree of satisfaction students experienced with the baccalaureate degree. One-third of the respondents indicated that if they were to repeat their college work they would major in anoth— er field. Several of these had made drastic switches in pro- gram major. The average salary reported was $6,805 annually. He also reported that students enrolled in education found student teaching to be the most valuable college related ex— perience. The value of the student teaching experience was 166Feldman and Newcomb, Impact of College, p. 153. 167Robert Calvert, Jr., "Liberal Arts Graduates: They Would Do It Again," The Personnel and Guidance Journal XLIX (October, 1970), p. 125. 168M. Olin Cook, "Effects of Change of Major," 1m: proving College and University Teaching, XVIII (Winter, 1970), pp. 55-56. 71 also supported by McAulay and Hoover.169 McAulay claims that student teaching experiences have greater influence on student teachers than methods have and Hoover points out that student teachers attributed the feelings of increased competency in the classroom directly to their student teach- ing experiences. Whitman170 studied the graduates of the Auburn University elementary education program between 1962 and 1967 to discover their perceptions of the general education program.. She realized a 63 per cent return and found that graduates assessed the contribution of the general education program to their education as individuals greater than the contribution to their education as teachers. Graduates re- ported that work in mathematics and in human growth and dev- elopment were of greatest value to them as teachers. They felt that course work in literature, English, and sociology had contributed most to their education as individuals. 171 McCollough (1970) studied the graduates of Fort 169J. D. McAulay, "How Much Influence Has a Cooper- ating Teacher?" Journal of Teacher Edgcation, XI (1960), pp. 79-83; Kenneth H. Hoover and others, "A Comparison of Ex- pressed Teaching Strengths Before and After Student Teach- ing," Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (1965), pp. 324-328. 170Anita Bragg Whitman, "Perceptions of the General Education Program at Auburn University as Assessed by Ele- mentary Education Graduates, 1962-1967" (unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Auburn University, 1970). 171Jerry Jerome McCollough, "An Evaluation of the Teacher Education Program at Fort Lewis College: An Opinion Survey of Teacher Education Graduates with in-Service Experi- ence" (Unpublished Ed. D. dissertation, University of North- ern Colorado, 1970). 72 Lewis College to secure an evaluation of the teacher educa— tion program. A return of 73 per cent was realized. His study found that 82 per cent of graduates were in full-time teaching; 25 per'cent in elementary and 75 per cent in sec- ondary. Graduates found their major and minor area courses valuable in terms of preparation for teaching. He reported that all general education requirements were considered valuable and 50 per cent of the graduates considered all the required professional courses either valuable or very valu— able. Secondary majors deemed the professional education courses of lesser value than did the elementary majors. High value was placed on the in-service teaching experience by 80 per cent of the graduates. Aspy (1969) found in a study of three hundred first through third year teachers from thirteen colleges of educa— tion that they (1) Were well satisfied with student teaching; (2) Generally condemned general methods courses, but consid- ered special methods courses to be good; and (3) Regarded foundation courses, particularly history and philosophy of education and educational measurement of little value.172 Campbell173 (1970) reports in a study of the 172David N. Aspy, "Maslow and Teachers in Training," Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Fall, 1969), p. 304. 173Kenneth Claude Campbell, "An Evaluation of the Undergraduate Elementary and Early Childhood Teacher Education Program at the University of Georgia, Based on a Follow-up Study of Teaching Graduates" (unpublished Ed. D. dissertation, University of Georgia, 1970). 73 graduates of the elementary teacher education program at the University of Georgia that teaching graduates, on the whole, found their teacher preparation programs to be fair- ly satisfactory while student teaching, preparation for using the English language effectively, reading education courses, and curriculum courses were perceived as very sat- isfactory. The introduction to education course was per— ceived to be unsatisfactory. Campbell reports that graduates suggest such im— provements as: expand student teaching, both in time and in variety of experiences; provide more experiences in public schools earlier in the program; develop more specif- ic helps to understand what to do in problem situations; provide more practical methods courses; and expand educa- . . 174 tion courses in general. Bennett175 (1970) reports a study of three hundred first-year elementary teachers. He received a 65 per cent response. From his study he concludes that more emphasis should be given earlier in the teacher training program to courses involving teacher-pupil contact. His further con- clusions concurred with several others already reported that student teaching was by far the best experience for first- year teachers. He also reports that specialized methods 174Ibid. 175Don Bennett, "Teacher Commitment-~Whose Respon- sibility," Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Winter, 1970), p. 517. 74 courses were given a high rating. Summary This review of literature was divided into seven areas of concern. There was general agreement that the survey method of research was an acceptable way to gather data. Questionnaires were found to be used frequently in all kinds of research. There are certain guidelines which, when followed, tend to produce better and more reliable results. A low rate of return was one of the major problems experienced in the use of questionnaires. Here also the literature suggests ways of improving the percentage of re- turn. The use of probability theory in selecting the sample has greatly increased the value of the findings of studies using questionnaires. The literature has much to say about the role of the small liberal arts college. The need for change is emphasiz- ed. The direction of change needs to be determined through the involvement of many different publics affected by the institution. Each institution has its own particular set of circumstances which present challenges and opportunities for developing a program related to the needs of today's students. The pressure for change being felt by the church-related col- leges must be confronted; the provision of viable programs may save them from gradual, if not sudden, demise. The college impact on the student is seen as result- ing from a complex set of factors. Perhaps of equal 75 importance to the impact a college may exert is the effect of self-selection by students into colleges. The literature is quite clear that faculty members play a very important role in influencing students toward academic excellence. Since World War II, teacher education has become a very important part of the curricular offerings of most liberal arts colleges. In many colleges, however, this part of the curricular offerings Inns led to a battle of words over the role of professional training for teachers. As_the literature points out, the question of whether or not educa- tion courses are respectable for inclusion in the course offerings of the liberal arts college is raised. The lit- erature seems to support the involvement of the whole insti- tution in the preparation of teachers. The purposes and values of general education are well supported in the literature. In recent years there appears to have been a move away from an emphasis on "lib- eral" education with its close tie to the development of Western thought to "general" education which draws from a variety of sources and tends to be more adjusted to the needs of students. There is more agreement in the literature that gen- eral education is desirable for prospective teachers.than there is on what should be included in the required sequence. There is little question that academic specializa- tion for teachers as well as for the non-teacher is an import- ant part of the college program. Some writers, however, call 76 for a special kind of approach which concentrates more on understanding the opportunities and limits of a partic- ular subject area than on learning the facts alone. The liberal arts college is seen as a good setting for the provision of professional training for teachers. The professional and academic aspects of the preparation should not, it was felt, be segregated. The involvement of the liberal arts faculty in all aspects of teacher education was emphasized. Methods courses are considered valuable only when they are sufficiently relevant to relate closely to what happens in the classroom where the prospective teacher will work. Student teaching is the one aspect of teacher education that has received almost universal support. It was reported that students from smaller cities and women were most likely to choose education. Graduates of liberal arts colleges in general are strong supporters of liberal education. General education makes a greater contribution to graduates' preparation as indi- viduals than to their education as teachers. Several studies confirmed the notion that methods courses, as currently conceived, are of little value. The need for earlier contact with students by prospective teachers was also supported in the literature. CHAPTER III PROCEDURES AND POPULATION USED IN THE STUDY Introduction This chapter presents the population and design of the study and describes the development, trial-testing, and final administration of the questionnaire. Method of treat- ment of data is also discussed. Design of the Study Population Studied All graduates from the Spring Arbor College four- year liberal arts program between the years 1965 and 1970 (inclusively) comprised the population (N = 633) of this study. A simple random sample (n = 150) from this population was chosen for study. This sample was selected through the use of a table of 14,000 random units taken from the fourteenth edition of Standard Mathematical Tables.l Random numbers were picked by selecting columns one, five, and eleven. Digits one, three 1Samuel M. Selby, ed., Standard Mathematical Tables (14th ed., Cleveland: The Chemical Rubber Company, 1965), pp. 252-257. 77 78 and four, of the five digit numbers provided were used to form three digit numbers. All graduates for the years 1965 through 1970 were arranged alphabetically by year of graduation and assigned a number from one to six hundred thirty-three (N = 633). The numbers chosen at random were then matched with the assigned numbers previously given to graduates until the desired sample (n = 150) had been selected. Duplicate numbers were passed over and numbers corresponding to those assigned to foreign students were rejected. A sample of one hundred fifty was chosen in order to give the researcher reasonable assurance of having a minimum of one hundred usable responses (67 per cent). Table 3.1 provides a comparison of the sample (n = 150) with the total population (N = 633) by sex, program and year of graduation. Development of the Questionnaire An opinion survey type questionnaire was designed to gather information about graduates and their perception re- garding selected aspects of the Spring Arbor College experience. The questionnaire was comprised of four sections: (1) bio- graphical information, (2) evaluation of the CPLA2 program, (3) evaluation of majors and minors, and (4) evaluation of the teacher education program with emphasis on student teaching. 2CPLA stands for the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts program. See description in Chapter I. 79 TABLE 3.1.-—Distribution of sample compared to total popula- tion by sex, program, and year of graduation. Variable Population Sample Number Per cent Number Per cent sex Male 286 45 68 45 Female 347 55 82 55 Total 633 100 150 100 Program Non-teacher education 153 24 32 21 Elementary 245 39 57 38 Secondary 235 37 61 41 Total 633 100 150 100 Year of Graduation 1965-66 157 25 41 27 1967-68 222 35 55 37 1969-70 254 40 54 36 Total 633 100 150 100 A review of the literature3 dealing with the develop- ment of questionnaires provided the necessary theoretical background. A number of questionnaires,4 used to gather data in similar studies, were reviewed and items for possible use were selected. These items were prepared in mimeograph form and circulated among faculty members and students at SAC where comments and suggestions were solicited. A rough draft of the questionnaire was prepared incor— porating the suggestions offered by faculty and students. 3 . . See Chapter II for the reView of the literature. 4See "Other Sources Consulted" in the Bibliography for a listing of these questionnaires and their sources. 80 During the 1971 Summer Session, twelve summer graduates were asked to respond to the questionnaire. Following this pre- liminary trial administration of the questionnaire the parti- cipants were encouraged to react verbally to the instrument. Many helpful suggestions were made and later incorporated into a further revision. A series of consultations with members of the re- searcher's doctoral committee and with staff members from the Office of Research Consultation resulted in still further re- writing of certain questions before the pilot administration. Pilot Administration Printed copies of the revised questionnaire were mail- ed to thirty graduates randomly5 selected from the total pop- ulation. The participants were not included in the sample. The instrument, together with a cover letter, under the signature of the college president, Dr. Ellwood Voller, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope was mailed in October, 1971, to the thirty graduates. The purpose of the pilot study was to refine the questionnaire as an instrument to be used in gathering data for the study. A total of nineteen graduates responded yielding a sixty-three per cent response. No follow-up was attempted. The results of the responses were carefully tallied, analyzed and combined with the suggestions of several colleagues. 5The subjects for this pilot study were chosen by the same method described on page 77 of this study under the heading "POpulation Studied." 81 These suggestions resulted in the reshaping of the general format of the questionnaire along with the deletion of some items and the adding of others. Questionnaire Format The final form of the questionnaire was comprised of four sections: 1. Biographical information 2. Evaluation of the CPLA program 3. Evaluation of the major and minors 4. Evaluation of the teacher education program Three types of questions were used throughout the instrument. In the first type, the respondent selected the one best answer. The second type asked the respondent to use a five point code (4 = superior--O = unsatisfactory) to rate selected aspects of a particular program. Open-ended questions were the third type employed in the questionnaire. Items one through eleven, twenty-three, twenty-seven, and thirty-two through thirty-six in the questionnaire were classified as biographical and demographic information.6 Items twelve through fourteen and item twenty were concerned with the evaluation of the CPLA program and relate to the first part of research question one. Items twenty-nine and thirty relate to the second part of question one and provide data on the evaluation of majors and minors. Items 6See Appendix B for complete data on biographical information. 82 thirty-eight and thirty-nine provide answers to the third part of question one with an evaluation of the teacher edu- cation courses. Questionnaire items sixteen through eighteen dealt with the three aspects of the SAC concept and supply answers to research question two. Items twenty—four through twenty- six, and item twenty-eight provide data about the choice of majors and minors and relate to question three. Research question four was answered through data gathered by item thirty-seven. Item forty asked graduates to check those activities they had experienced while student teaching and those which they would highly recommend. This item provides the data needed to answer question five. Item six asked the respondents to indicate the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experience by rating selected aspects of the program. This question relates to items fifteen and twenty-one in the questionnaire. Item twelve provides an answer to research question seven which asks for the rating of the contribution of selected factors toward the development of a Christian perspective for learning. Question eight asked for the comparison of the ratings given by teacher education and non-teacher education graduates to courses in the CPLA and in the majors and minors. Question nine dealt with a comparison of the ratings of elementary and secondary education graduates on courses taken in the teacher education program and student teaching. 83 Question ten asked for the suggestions, criticisms and recommendations of graduates concerning aspects of the Spring Arbor College experience. The data needed to answer this question were provided through the use of open-ended questions, i.e., items twenty-two, thirty-one, forty-one, and forty-two. Questions for Study This study attempted to answer these questions: 1. What rating do graduates give the courses taken at SAC in the CPLA program; in the majors and minors; and in the professional education program? 2. How do graduates perceive their involvement in the study of the liberal arts; their commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their participation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? 3. When did graduates select a major; what college per- sonnel were most influential in the selection of a major; and what motivated their selection of majors and minors? 4. What level of proficiency do graduates perceive they achieved while student teaching? 5. Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly rec- commend for future student teachers? 6. What are strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experi- ence as perceived by graduates? 7. What contributed most to the development of a Christian 84 perspective of learning? 8. Do the graduates from teacher education differ from the non-teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and their responses to the SAC concept? 9. Do the elementary and secondary education graduates differ in their rating of the professional education courses and student teaching? 10. What suggestions, criticisms, or recommendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and/or professional education courses including student teaching? Data Collection Procedures Administration of the Questionnaire A revised, printed copy of the questionnaire (see Appendix B), together with a cover letter (see Appendix C) and a stamped, self-addressed envelope was mailed to the one hundred fifty graduates that were included in the sample. The questionnaires were mailed on November 26, 1971. Due consideration was given to the choice of mailing time and date as suggested in the literature. A follow-up letter (see Appendix D), another copy of the questionnaire, and a second stamped, self-addressed envelope was sent on December 27 and 30, 1971, to those who had not responded. Considerable interest was indicated by the respondents. The original sample was reduced by eleven, from one-hundred 85 fifty to one-hundred thirty-nine, due to insufficient mailing addresses. Eighty point six per cent of the sample (n = 139) responded. The number and percentage of response by sex, program of study, and year of graduation are shown in Table 3.2. TABLE 3.2.--Response distribution by sex, program, and year of graduation Variable Number in Number of Per cent Sample Respondents Sex Male 65 52 80.0 Female 74 60 81.1 Total 139 112 80.6 Program Non-teacher education 29 23 79.3 Elementary 54 45 83.3 Secondary 56 44 78.6 Total 139 112 80.6 Year of Graduation 1965-66 37 31 83.8 1967-68 53 45 84.9 1969-70 49 36 73.5 Total 139 112 80.6 Treatment of the Data The data of this research project were treated with descriptive statistics. Procedures recommended by consulta- tions from the Office of Research Consultation, College of Education, Michigan State University were used to establish the plan for the analysis and treatment of the data. 86 After the questionnaires were returned, they were coded with a seven digit number. The first three digits cor- responded to the randomnumber which identified each respon- dent in the sample. The fourth digit represented the program of study: non-teacher education = 1; elementary certification = 2; and secondary certification 3. The fifth digit indicated status: transfer = l and non-transfer = 0. The sixth digit represented sex: male = 1; female = 2. The seventh digit indicated the year of graduation (i.e. 5 = 1965; 0 = 1970). The data, including the coded identification, were key punched into computer data cards. The Michigan State University Control Data Corporation 3600 computer was used to tabulate and analyze the data. Non-Comparison Questions Answers to research questions one through seven were provided by recording the frequency, percentage, and standard deviation for each item on the questionnaire and the data were presented in table form. The responses to the open-ended items in the question- naire were summarized and presented in descriptive form. Comparison Questions Comparison of Teacher Education and Non-Teacher Education Graduates. The one-way analysis of variance was uSed to make comparisons between teacher education and non-teacher education graduates. These groups comprised the category variable. 87 Ratings of courses and selected aspects of the CPLA program, majors and minors, and responses to the SAC concept were treated as dependent variables. This comparison relates to ‘research question eight. Comparison of Elementary and Secondary Graduates Comparisons of the responses of graduates in elemen- tary and secondary education in rating the courses in teacher education and student teaching were made by use of the one— way analysis of variance. The category variable was comprised of the elementary and secondary graduates and the graduates' ratings of the teacher education courses and student teaching made up the dependent variables. Respondents were asked to use a numeric rating scale where 4 - superior and 0 = unsatisfactory. Mean scores were used in the comparisons. The .05 level of confidence was chosen for the com— iparison questions in this research study to establish statis- tical significance. This level indicated that the observed differences between groups was likely to occur by chance only five times out of every one hundred cases. No hypotheses were tested since it was agreed by the research committee that the study was a normative survey and was exploratory in nature. 88 Summary The population and design of the study, development and administration of the questionnaire, data collection procedures and treatment of data were described in this chapter. This was a normative survey study. A questionnaire was used to gather data on a random sample of Spring Arbor College graduates for the years 1965-1970 inclusively. Data were gathered in four areas: (1) biographical, (2) evaluation of CPLA, (3) evaluation of major and minor fields of study, and (4) evaluation of teacher education and student teaching. Two methods of analysis were described. Figures were provided for frequency, percentage and standard deviation on all non-comparison questions. The one-way analysis of variance provided mean scores and standard deviation data for the comparison questions. CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction This chapter presents the results of the study according to the data received from the graduates. The respondents were graduates of the four—year liberal arts program of Spring Arbor College for the years 1965 through 1970 inclusively. Data are presented on the characteristics and responses of these graduates. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was 1. To determine the opinions of graduates regarding three segments of their academic preparation at Spring Arbor Col— lege: (a) the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts pro- gram, (b) the majors and/or minors, and (c) the professional education courses. 2. To obtain criticisms, suggestions, and recommendations for the improvement of these segments. 3._ To evaluate these data and use the results to suggest implications for program improvement. 4. To gather additional data for later analysis. This chapter presents the results of the study in terms of responses received from the graduates included in the sample. 89 90 Biographical Data on Respondents Items one through eleven, twenty-three, twenty-seven, and thirty-two through thirty-six in the questionnaire soli- cited from respondents several bits of information of a bio- graphical and demographic nature. These data are presented in Appendix A, but are summarized here in order to describe the sample. At the time of the survey 77.5 per cent of the grad- uates were under thirty years of age. Nearly 83 per cent of the respondents were married, 15.3 per cent were single and 1.8 per cent were divorced. Graduates tended to reside in a non-urban setting. Approximately 65 per cent indicated they lived in a rural community, small town or small city while 35.1 per cent reported they lived in a community ranging in size from a city to a metropolis. Only 9.0 per cent indicated they resided in a metropolis. A mean annual gross income of $7,400.00 was reported, with 48.2 per cent earning between $7,001 and $10,000 and 23.2 per cent earning in excess of $10,000. Approximately 57 per cent of the fathers of graduates were reported to have attained high school graduation or beyond while 76.8 per cent of the mothers had attained this level of education. Slightly over 31 per cent of the fathers and 12.5 per cent of the mothers had completed the eighth grade or less. Nearly 30 per cent of the fathers and 40.2 per cent of the mothers had had some college, were college graduates and/or had taken graduate work. 91 Approximately 78 per cent of the respondents said they had taken advanced work since graduation while 12.6 per cent reported they had completed a Master's degree program, Nearly 41 per cent indicated they were currently pursuing an advanced degree. Respondents listed nineteen different types of occu- pations. Roughly 60 per cent reported they were teaching while 8.9 per cent said they were unemployed. There were 7.1 per cent who indicated they were ministers. The most important reason given by 80.4 per cent of the graduates for attending college was "to prepare for a vocation;" 7.1 per cent said "to obtain a broad general edu- cation;" and 4.4 per cent indicated "to gain a better under- standing of the world and the people in it." The major reason given for choosing SAC ranged from 32.1 per cent who indicated "to gain a Christian perspective down to 4.5 per cent who said "good academic program." "In- fluence of a friend or relative" (25.9 per cent) and "loca- ted near my home" (22.3 per cent) were found to be important factors also. Of the twelve majors listed, 20 per cent indicated social science as their college major. English was indicated by 15.4 per cent; mathematics by 11.8 per cent and biology by 10.9 per cent of the respondents. There were more than twice as many minors in social science (21 per cent) as in any of the other eighteen minors listed. (See Appendix A). Seventy-six point nine per cent of the respondents 92 were certified at either the elementary or secondary level. The major reason given by 63.9 per cent of these graduates for choosing teaching as a profession was a "desire to work with children or teenagers." Eighty-five per cent said they were satisfied with teaching or liked it very much. Fifteen per cent indicated they either just tolerated it or disliked it. At the time of the survey, 39.5 per cent of the res- pondents were teaching at the elementary level; 3.5 per cent in the middle school; 22.1 per cent at the junior high level; and only 9.3 per cent at the senior high level. Nearly 85 per cent of the graduates had taught five years or less. A tendency for the graduates of SAC to locate teach- ing jobs in a non-urban setting was indicated. Almost 77 per cent said their schools were located in a rural community, small town or small city; while 23.1 per cent indicated a city, large city or metropolis. The biographical data presented above has been sum- marized from tables presented in Appendix A in order to pro- vide background information on the sample. The remaining portion of the chapter will present an analysis of the data gathered. Questions for Study This study attempted to answer these questions: 1. What rating do graduates give the courses taken at 93 SAC in the CPLA program; in the majors and minors; and in the professional education program? 2. How do graduates perceive their involvement in the study of the liberal arts; their commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their participation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? 3. When did graduates select a major; what college per- sonnel were most influential in the selection of a major; and what motivated their selection of majors and minors? 4. What level of proficiency do graduates perceive they achieved while student teaching? 5. Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly rec— commend for future student teachers? 6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experience as perceived by graduates? 7. What contributed most to the development of a Christian perspective for learning? 8. Do the graduates from teacher education differ from the non-teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and their responses to the SAC concept? 9. Do the elementary and secondary education graduates differ in their rating of the professional education courses and student teaching? 10. What suggestions, criticisms, or recommendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the 94 majors and minors, and/or professional education courses including student teaching? Variable One The first question was analyzed by comparing the per— centage at each rating level and the measures of central ten- dency; the mean and standard deviation. Question One 1. What rating do graduates give the courses taken at SAC in the CPLA, the majors and minors, and the professional education program? CPLA program.--Table 4.1 shows the ratings given by respondents on the contribution made by the nine courses of the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts to the total degree program. The "Mind and Motivation" course received the highest mean score (3.07)1 while the "God and Man" course received the lowest mean score (2.11). The average mean score given by all respondents to the nine courses of the CPLA pro- gram was 2.56. The standard deviations were small varying from 0.88 to 1.10. Table 4.2 indicates that the CPLA course given the highest rating for its contribution to the foundation for study in the liberal arts was "Mind and Motivation" with a mean score of 3.17. Tied for second place were the courses "Thought and Symbol" and "Image and Idea" with mean scores of 2.96. The course perceived to have made the least 1On the rating scale used 4.0(Superior) was the high- est and 0.0 (Unsatisfactory) was the lowest rating. (Iii (ii 15‘.‘ l 9.11.!!! Nil"! 95 ma.o om.m em a om mm as mommum>m oo.a 4H.m Hm om om em as mamsamsa momsmgma .m oa.a os.m mm m mm mm mm mmsHm> pom mpomocoo .m mm.o so.m om m NH om mm coaum>auoz pom one: .s mm.o om.m om o om ms mm mmpH pom momsH .o sm.o om.m as ma ma om a gonna: pom smumsm .m mm.o sm.m Hm m mm mm ma smpmmm pom musposnpm .4 so.a Ho.m mm OH mm om Hm “memo was sopmmnm .m am.o mm.m as H mm o4 mm Honsmm pom usmsoss .m mo.H HH.N Ha ma mm mm m cm: was poo .H w w a a mm M e H m m w omnsou msflpmm mo Ho>oq .mmpmoomum mo Uo>flooumm mm Eonmoum oonmmt Hobo» who or momHsoo «goo an oomE coausnamusooll.a.w mqmde 96 om.o mo.m mm s s mm as om mmomum>< HH.H om.m mm m as mm am we mflmmawsa momsosmq .m so.a mm.m as m m on me am mosam> pom whomosoo .m om.o aH.m mm m m m as mm soaum>auos pom page .s om.o om.m am a 4 ON me am mmoH pom momeH .o smio sm.m mm s OH om Hm m nmppmz.oss mmnmsm .m om.o mm.m we m o mm ms OH smpmmm pom musposupm .4 mm.o oe.m as m m am am am “mono pom sopmmum .m mm.o om.m Hm m H mm ms mm Hooamm pom prowess .m pH.H sH.N om so «H mm mm as as: pom poo .H w w a m w Om M a o H m m e wmuooo msflumm mo Hm>oq .moumsomnm ho Uo>floouom mm mpno Hononaa mop ea htsum How soHpmtssom o cu monsoon «goo mo moms soapsoflnpeoolu.m.v mqmqa 97 contribution to a foundation for study in the liberal arts was "God and Man" with a mean score of 2.17. The average mean score for all courses in the CPLA program was 2.65. Table 4.3 shows that 35.2 per cent of the respondents felt that the courses in the CPLA program were on the whole beneficial and 23 per cent felt that the courses provided a Christian perspective for further study in the liberal arts. Nearly 11 per cent indicated that the courses were too general and failed to challenge. TABLE 4.3.--General attitude expressed by graduates toward the CPLA courses. Attitude Number Per cent 1. Provided a Christian perspective for further study in the liberal arts 24 22.9 2. Gave a broad foundation upon which to build a major 25 23.8 3. Provided new insights into the relationships between the- academic disciplines 8 7.6 4. Were on the whole beneficial 37 35.2 5. Were too general and failed to challenge 11 10.5 Total 105 100.0 Table 4.4 presents the ratings given by respondents to selected aspects of the CPLA courses taken at SAC. Res- ,pondents gave the highest mean rating to the questionnaire £items--"instructor's encouragement for [students] to seek -17help when necessary" (X = 3.07) and usage of class time for 98 mm.o ms.m moH a Hm me om mommnm>¢ om.o mm.m mOH m em as em moomum mmmHo mo mmocHHmm .m on.o wm.m mOH m ov mg m mommmHo mo COHuoHDEHum .m HH.H mw.m mOH HH om mm hH G30 mHg Eonm peonmm IMHU mucHomsoH> How whammy m.HoposnumcH .5 mm.o oo.m moH H om me mm mmmomuom COHpocHumcH MOM mEHp mmoHo mo momma .o mm.o no.m mOH e mm mm we mummmmomc emoz mHmn Moon Oh do» How pgoammmusoogo m.H0posumeH .m nn.o om.m vOH m nm em mH neth peopmomEH mo coHooQMmeo Ho0H0 .v mn.o Hw.m «OH H mm mm «H mGOHpop Ismmonm mmoHo mo GOHpoNHQmmHo HmmHU .m mn.o mm.m «OH m me mm NH muemfiemHmmm new mo>HHOOnoo cmozuoo pcmfimmumm Homoeoo .m mm.o so.~ mos a mm mm as m>auomnoo Hoflms mo mmosummao Hmumcmo .H w w w m mm m a H m m s homoms meHumm mo Ho>oq .Ufim pm :mxmp momuooo «Hmo mar wo mpoommm UOMUOHmm 0p mpcmtsommon mo cm>Hm mmsHpmmll.v.v MHm49 99 instruction purposes" (X = 3.00). The lowest mean rating was given to the item--"instructor's regard for vieWpoints different from his own" (X = 2.45). Majors and minors.—-Table 4.5 shows the ratings given by respondents to courses taken at SAC in the major area of study. This table indicates a mean score of 2.98 given by respondents to all courses taken in the major. The highest mean scores were given on the items--"usage of class time for instruction purposes" (X = 3.14) and "instructor's en- couragement of [students] to seek help when necessary" (X = 3.12). The lowest mean score (X = 2.75) was given to the item--"stimu1ation of classes." Tables 4.6 and 4.7 show the ratings given by graduates to courses taken at SAC in the first and second minors res- pectively. Average mean scores of 3.02 for the courses in the first minor and 3.16 for the second minor were given. Respondents gave highest ratings for courses in the first minor to "instructor's encouragement for [students] to seek help when necessary" (X = 3.16); "usage of class time for instruction" (X = 3.14); and "fairness of class grades" (X = 3.12). In the second minor, "clear explanation of important ideas" was rated highest (_ = 3.33). The standard deviations were small indicating little spread among res- pondents. Teacher education courses.--Table 4.8 indicates that the highest mean score for courses in the teacher education EDrogram was given to the "Children's Literature" course 100 Hm.o mm.m AOH m mm me am mmomnm>m om.o mm.m eoH o om ms om mmomuo mmmHo mo mmmanmm .m Hm.o me.m mOH o Hm ms mH mommmHo mo coHHMHsEHpm .m mm.o oe.m «OH m mm cs Hm s30 mHs scum usmummmHo mchOQBOH> How onmmou m.HOpOSprcH .5 os.o HH.m mOH H oH mm Hm mmmoonso coHuoonpmcH Mom mEHp mmoHo mo mmomb .w om.o NH.m mOH H om om OH mummmmoms sore ons room on 50% MOM quEommncooso m.H0p05HpmcH .m mm.o oo.m eoH m mH ms mm mmmoH pompuooEH mo QOHpmsmHoxm HsmHo .H me.o Ho.m soH H am me am eoHpmh Igmmmnm mmoHo mo :oHpmNHcmmHo HmoHU .m me.o mm.m soH am we mm mpsmssonmm pew mm>Hpomnoo ommBumo pomEmmHom Hmumomw .m om.o mo.m moH m mm as am m>HnomHoo “ohms mo mmosnmoHo Hanosmo .H w a w i am m o H m m 4 scoops moHpmm mo Hw>mH .hosum mo mono schofi orp QH 04m pm Goxmv womHooo may mo mpoommm pouomHom 0p mmpmsoMHm mo co>Hm mmngmmll.m.w mqmfia 101 se.o mo.m mm m mm m4 mm mmomnm>s Hn.o mH.m mm m NH mm mm mmtmnm mmMHo mo mmmsHHmm .m mn.o mm.m mm N mm S4 mm mmmmmHo mo GOHHdefiHpm .m mm.o mm.m mm 4 mm m4 mm eBO er Eonm peonmmmHo musHooon> HOM tummmu m.HouodemsH .n 04.0 4H.m mm H mH 44 mm mmmoouso COHposupmcH How oEHu mmMHo mo moon: .0 mm.o mH.m mm m mH mm 04 >HMmmmome sm£3 mHmo room . Op 50% How HomaomMHsoosm m.H0pooHpmsH .m 45.0 oo.m mm H Hm m4 mm mmmpH pamuHoosH mo noHpmamHoxm HmmHo .4 4n.o mm.m mm H Hm mm mm :oHpmp lemmmnm mmMHo mo coHpmNHcomHo HmmHo .m ms.o mm.m mm H om s4 mm mucosamHmmm pom mm>Hpooflno som3umn unmfimmumm Hmuwsmo .m mn.o mm.m mm H. mm. n4 4m o>Huomnno Hoflma mo mmosnmoHo Honosmo .H w w w w om m a H m m 4 homomm moHumm mo Hm>mH .aospm mo mono HoeHE umHHm may sH Udm um scrap momncoo mru mo muommmm empomem cu mmumsomum an sm>Hm mmeHummll.m.v mqmda 102 om.o 0H.m mH m mH m4 mm ommnm>d nm.o mm.m mH m Hm mm motmnm mmMHo mo mmmcHHmm .m hm.o mo.m mH m mm mm m4 mommoHo mo QOHpmHsEHpm .w mm.o oo.m mH Hm mm mm Q30 mHQ Scum HQOHOMMHU mpoHoo3OH> Hem pummmu m.HOpo:HpmcH .h 00.0 HH.m 0H HH 04 em soHposnnmsH How msHp mmmHo mo momma .0 No.0 0H.m mH m nH mm 44 hnommmooe sons mHon Moon Oh so» How pqmfimmMHsooso m.Hou05HpmsH .m mm.o mm.m mH m mm mm mmooH osmuHooEH mo cOHHMQMHoxo MMOHU .4 Hn.o HN.m mH mH >4 mm mcoHpmy lemmonm mmmHo mo SOHpmNHemmHo HomHo .m m0.0 mm.m 0H 0H 44 mm mpsmsqummm pom mw>Hpoonno coospmo homewoumm Hmnmaoo .m 00.0 HH.m 0H m 0H 0m 0m o>HpomHoo noflms no mmmsnmmHo Hmnmsmo .H w w w w mm M a H N m 4 Hummus msHumm mo Hm>mH .mosum mo mono HOGHE cocoon orb sH Dem um scrap momusoo mop mo mpoommm omuomHom o» mwumctmnm mo Qo>Hm mmeHHMMII.h.4 mqmsa 103 00.H 04.0 00 HH 0H 40 44 H0 mommum>p 0H.H 40.0 00 4H 0 00 00 HH meHHmppz HmsmH> oHpsa .HH 00.0 00.0 00 0 0 HH 0m 04 pnsppumpHH m.smupHHpo .0H 0H.H 04.0 00 0H 00 00 0H Hoosom suppsmsmHm opp 0H aoprospm Hmonmpm .0 00.H H0.0 00 0 0 00 00 0H mnosopos n00 use onpm .0 00.0 00.0 00 0 00 04 0H mOHupsopppz compo: .0 40.H 0H.0 mm 0H 0 00 00 0H onsz Hoorom mnpnsmamHm .0 0H.H 00.0 04 0 0 00 00 00 .smHmumeHumppz pop mpoppms .0 0H.H 00.H 04 0H 40 00 40 4 oosmxnoz mpospoz suppcoomm .4 0H.H H4.0 H4 0 0H 40 00 0H oosmxnos mpospms snpucmsmHm .0 00.H 0H.0 00 0H 0H 04 00 0 0sHsopms pouoooHo 0p COHHOSUOHHGH .N 0H.H 00.0 00 0 0H 00 00 0H sOprospm pH mmmpH ppmuo .H 0 0 0 0 0 mm m s 0 H 0 m 4 000506 mchpm mo Ho>oH .QOHuwocpm Monopou CH 04m up corp“ mwmusoo 0p woupcppnm mo oo>Hm mmchmmll.m.4 mHm¢B 104 (X = 3.20) while the lowest score was given to the "Secondary Methods Workshop" (X = 1.73). The average mean score for the eleven courses in the teacher education program was 2.43. The standard deviations indicate slightly greater spread in the ratings than for courses in majors and minors. Student teaching.--According to Table 4.9, respon- dents gave the highest mean rating (X = 3.05) to the "rela- tionship with supervising teacher" aspect of student teaching. The student teaching seminar was given the lowest mean score (X = 1.95). The average mean score given to all aspects of the experience was 2.59. Variable Two The second question was analyzed by comparing the percentages at each rating level and/or the measures of central tendency; the mean and standard deviation. Question Two 2. How do graduates perceive their involvement in the study of the liberal arts, their commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their par— ticipation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? Table 4.10 shows the respondents' self-assessed level of involvement in the study of the liberal arts while at SAC. Seventy-one per cent of the respondents assessed their involvement as either "somewhat" or "very" involved while 4.5 per cent indicated no involvement. The mean self—assessed score was 2.08 with a standard deviation of 0.83. 105 mH.H mm.m 4m m HH mm om mm mmmpHo>< 0H.H 00.H 00 4H 0H H4 0H 0H mnpsHsmm 0sHpopmp pampspm .0 00.H 00.0 00 0 0 H0 H4 00 Hopmsprooo 000HHoo ssz oHsmpoprHpm .0 HH.H mo.m 0w m 0 MH 4m M4 Hegemop mQHmH>Hmm5m QDHB mHflmcoHHMHmm .4 0H.H 00.0 00 0 HH 4H 04 00 0sHpopmn pompsnm pcoom 05H“ 00 pesosp .0 mm.H Hm.m mm MH MH mm mm mH HoopsHpHooo mmOHHoo EOHH QonH>Hom5m mo mpHHpoO .m mN.H on.m mm m 0 mm mH mm Monopoo mQHmH>HmmDm ho conH>Hom5m mo thHpoo .H w w w w 0 mm M c o H m m 4 poomms quupm mo Hm>0H .mmpmsopum ho omppn mp mocmHHmmxm manopoo poopsum who mo muommm¢||.m.4 MHmHB 106 TABLE 4.10.--Self—assessed level of involvement of graduates in the study of the liberal arts while at SAC. Level Number Per cent Very involved 28 25.5 Somewhat involved 50 45.5 Mildly involved 27 24.5 Not involved 5 4.5 Total 110 100.0 Mean--2.08 Standard deviation--0.83 Table 4.11 describes the self-assessed level of com- mitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning. The table reveals that 72.7 per cent of the respondents described their level of commitment as "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master." Two point seven per cent indicated they had no commitment. TABLE 4.ll.--Description of the level of commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning as perceived by graduates. Description Number Per cent 1. No commitment A set of beliefs which you hold 6 3. A set of guides for judging right and wrong 13 11.8 4. A realization that you are following a revealed way of life 8 7.3‘ 5. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master 80 72.7 Total 110 110.0 Mean—-4.42 Standard deviation—-l.07 107 Table 4.12 presents the self—appraised level of par- ticipation in the affairs of the contemporary world as a result of the SAC experience. The table shows that 75.2 per cent of the respondents appraised their level of participation as "moderate" or “high." The mean score was 2.07 with a standard deviation of 0.78. Nearly five per cent of the respondents indicated "no participation." TABLE 4.12.--Se1f-appraised level of participation in the affairs of the contemporary world as a result of the SAC experience. Level Number Per cent 1. High 24 22.0 2. Moderate 58 53.2 3. Low 22 20.2 4. No participation 5 4.6 Total 109 100.0 Mean—-2.07 Standard deviation--0.78 Variable Three The third question was analyzed by comparing the frequency spread and the percentage of respondents at each level. 108 Question Three 3. When did graduates select a major; what college personnel were most influential in the selection of a major; and what motivated the selection of majors and minors? Table 4.13 shows that 72.5 per cent of the respondents made decisions about the choice of a major while enrolled in college. Twenty-seven point five per cent indicated the decision was made prior to entering college. Nineteen point three per cent made their decision about a major field of study as late as the junior year of college. The mean score 3.35 indicates that the typical SAC graduate made the decision about a major sometime between the freshman and sophomore years of college. TABLE 4.13.--Education level at which graduates made a decision about a college major. Educational level Number Per cent 1. Before high school 5 4.6 2. During high school 25 22.9 3. Freshman year of college 27 24.8 4. Sophomore year of college 31 28.4 5. Junior year of college 21 19.3 Total 109 100.0 Mean——3.35 Standard deviation--l.l7 109 Table 4.14 presents the college personnel reported by respondents to have had the greatest influence on their choice of a major. Almost 43 per cent of the respondents said that faculty members had exerted the greatest influence. College administrators had influenced 1.3 per cent of the choices made by respondents and college advisors had in- fluenced 17.3 per cent of the choices made about college majors. Approximately 39 per cent indicated other factors such as self-motivation (n = 16), influence of students, friends or family (n = 8), and influence of circumstances (n = 4), in the selection of a major. TABLE 4.14.--College personnel reported by respondents to have exerted greatest influence on the choice of a major. Personnel Number Per cent 1. Faculty members 32 42.7 2. College administrators l 1.3 3. College advisors 13 17.3 4. Other 29 38.9 Total 75 100.0 110 Table 4.15 shows that 70 per cent of the respon— dents were motivated in the selection of a major by the desire to pursue a well-established interest. TABLE 4.15.--Factors reported to have motivated graduates in the selection of a college major. Motivation Number Per cent l. Pursuit of a well-estab- lished interest 77 70.0 2. Desire for a liberal education 9 8.2 3. Need or desire to earn a living 9 8.2 4. Other 15 13.6 Total 110 100.0 Table 4.16 indicates that the major factor influ- encing the respondents' choice of academic minors was the desire to follow a special interest (43.7 per cent). Slightly over 28 per cent chose their minors to correlate with and supplement their majors. Ten per cent of the respondents said their minors were chosen by accident. 111 TABLE 4.16.--Factors influencing the choice of the first and second minors as reported by graduates. Factor First Minor Second Minor Totals n % n % n % 1. To correlate with and supplement major 28 31 3 14 31 28 2. To provide for breadth of interests 9 10 3 14 12 11 3. To follow a special interest 39 44 9 43 48 44 4. To study under a parti- cular instructor 4 5 l 5 5 5 5. By accident 6 7 5 24 ll 10 6. Other 3 3 3 3 Total 89 100 21 100 110 100 Variable Four The fourth question was analyzed by comparing the per- centage at each rating level and the measures of central ten- dency; the mean and standard deviation. Question Four 4. What level of proficiency do graduates perceive they achieved while student teaching? Table 4.17 shows the mean scores respondents gave themselves on the fourteen aspects of the student teaching experience. The average mean score was 2.33. The highest level of proficiency was reported in the area of "understanding the teacher's role in the classroom" (X = 2.75). The respon- dents felt they had developed the least proficiency while 112 00.H 00.0 00 0 0H 00 H0 4H mmmpum>< MH.H NH.N MM OH NH NM 0N NH EpHmonm mcH£0p0p peopspm 04m who 00% COprHomHmmm .4H mm.o M4.N mm m OH 4M MM NH Hmhopmp @000 p on Oh mHHHMm pom omomHBOQM .MH 00.0 MM.H 0M 0 MN MM NN M QOprocoo QH mooHpopHo m>pr>ossH Boa OHpqpr cu mHHme pep mmU0H3OQM .NH 00.0 00.H 00 0H 00 00 00 4 mooHupNHspmno Hpconmmmoum m.Hm£opmu psoop mmGOHBOCM .HH Hm.o m0.N 00 H 0 MM 0M MN EooummpHo can SH oHOH n.0wropmu who mchsppmHmpsD .0H 00.0 00.0 00 4 HH 00 00 0 spmmH mppppppm sop 0sHpsmpmHmpoo .0 0H.H 04.0 00 0 0H 00 00 0H msmeouo msHHoHome 0sHHpcmm .0 4H.H 00.0 00 0 0H H0 00 0H H000H mpmn0 Ho pomHQsm 050% on mmeH>Hpop msHeroH mermppd .0 0H.H HM.N 0M 0 0H NM OM MH pHooE tsp meHHmupE HpcoHHOSHumcH mo mm: .0 0H.H 0m.N 00 M MH NM MN 4N pcmfiompspfi EOOHmprU .m 00.0 00.0 00 0 0H 00 04 0 0sHsnmmH HH050 00 soHumsHp>m .4 00.H ON.N 0M N MN 0M 4N NH mooemHmMMHp HpSUH>HpQH cu pampsoo msHpmsmpm .M 00.H 04.N 00 N 0H MN OM HN mcpHo commmH >Hpr pep uHs: mQHHpmon .N 00.H Hp.N 00 m HH 4N MM NN .mcH Inopop usmpcpm 050% oHp 50m £0H£3 CH Hoosom mop on coHupmHHno mcHoappmHOpQD .H m m w w N mm m s 0 H 0 0 4 homoma maprm mo Hw>mH .moemHHomxm mcHgopmp uncoopm 03p msHHSU mcHQOMOH Homeopm mo mpommmp UmpomHom so pm>mHAOp comb o>p£ on pmpnomou mocmHonoum mo Hm>mH poppHImHom11.0H.4 mqmde 113 student teaching in knowledge about professional organi— zations of teachers (X = 1.85) and knowledge and skills to handle new innovative practices in education (X = 1.83). Variable Five The fifth question was analyzed by comparing the frequency count and the percentage of respondents who had experienced and/or would strongly recommend each activity for future student teaching programs. Question Five 5. Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly recommend for future student teaching? The thirteen student teaching activities selected for use in the questionnarie were taken from a study done by Jackson2 (1971). Table 4.18 presents the frequency and percentage of respondents who had experienced and who recommend for future student teaching programs each of the activities presented. The student teaching activity most frequently re- ported by respondents in this study was "developing daily lesson plans (89.5 per cent) while 22.1 per cent said they had developed materials for remedial pupils in their 2Charles Louis Jackson, "A Study of Selected Student Teaching Experiences Reported by Michigan State University Cluster Program and Conventional Program Student Teachers" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1971), p. 121. 114 TABLE 4.18.--Activities experienced during student teaching and recommended by respondents Activities Experienced Recommended n % n % 1. Handling discipline problems without supervising teacher 66 76. 78 90.6 2. Developing own lesson plans 77 89. 72 83.7 3. Organizing and teaching a unit of instruction 71 82. 72 83.7 4. Teaching on small group basis 36 41. 56 65.1 5. Developing material to enrich lesson you taught 50 58. 66 76.7 6. Developing own teaching aids for a class presentation 61 70. 67 77.9 7. Selecting content material of a subject taught 43 50. 59 68.6 8. Assuming total responsibility for opening activities of classroom 75 87. 68 79.1 9. Including provisions for indi— vidual differences in lesson plans 29 33. 66 76.7 10. Constructing and administering tests over material you taught 57 66. 65 75.6 11. Developing a file of activi— ties, pictures, lesson plans or materials 43 50. 60 69.8 12. Developing in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils 19 22. 58 67.4 13. Including in plans an introduc- tion or set that had as its purpose motivating students 32 37. 60 69.8 115 lesson plans. Another experience reported by 33.7 per cent of the respondents was the inclusion of provisions for indi- vidual differences in lesson plans. Approximately 91 per cent of the teacher education graduates highly recommended that the activity "handling discipline problems of class without supervising teacher" be included in future student teaching programs. All the activities were recommended by 65 per cent or more of the respondents. The graduates of Spring Arbor College concur with Jackson's findings that these thirteen student teaching experiences are considered worthy of inclusion in future student teaching programs and have been reported as having been frequently experienced during student teaching. Variable Six The sixth question was analyzed by comparing the percentages at each rating level and the measures of cen— tral tendency; the mean and standard deviation. Question Six 6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experience as perceived by graduates? Table 4.19 shows how successful respondents felt Spring Arbor College was in selected aspects of its pro- gram. The average mean score for the thirteen items used to measure the relative success of the overall SAC exper- ience was 2.66. Respondents gave the lowest mean rating (X = 2.30) to the item "emphasized intellectual growth 116 TABLE 4.19.-—Ratings given by graduates on how well SAC succeeded in providing selected objectives of the total college experience. Effect 10. ll. 12. 13. Enabled the student to achieve a broad cultural background Helped the student to develop the ability for critical thinking Provided opportunities for developing leadership skills Encouraged the student to understand human behavior Prepared the student primarily for his future occupation Emphasized intellectual growth more than grades Prepared the student to be a life long student Stimulated through various means the exploration of areas outside the students own field of study Developed one's ability to get along with people Helped one to understand community and world problems Helped an individual to develop more fully his morals, ethical standards, and values Provided for assistance with personal problems Investigated religious, philosophical, and moral problems Averages 117 Level of Rating 4 3 2 1 0 n X SD % % % % % 16 44 27 10 3 107 2.60 0.97 17 46 33 5 107 2.75 0.79 19 41 38 2 107 2.77 0.77 16 50 32 2 107 2.80 0.72 12 42 34 7 5 108 2.49 0.96 7 36 43 11 4 107 2.30 0.89 9 37 48 6 107 2.50 0.74 9 37 45 8 107 2.48 0.78 20 43 30 6 1 108 2.77 0.87 11 42 35 9 3 107 2.50 0.92 32 39 24 4 1 107 2.97 0.90 25 33 33 9 1 106 2.72 0.96 31 37 26 6 10 107 2.92 0.91 17 41 34 7 1 107 2.66 0.86 118 more than grades," and the highest (X = 2.97) mean rating to the item "helped an individual to develop more fully his morals, ethical standards, and values." It would appear that graduates were quite happy with their SAC experience. Table 4.20 presents the frequency and percentage of the total responding for each of the items indicating areas of living where graduates felt more help was needed from SAC. Forty-two point three per cent felt they needed more help "understanding and preparing for a vocation" and 31.8 per cent indicated more help was needed in developing "relationships with people of other races." Table 4.21 shows that 59.8 per cent of the graduates said their most outstanding memory about the Spring Arbor College experience was " one or more stimulating teachers." Most of the 29.1 per cent who provided write—in replies listed personal relationships which had given them accep- tance and understanding. Variable Seven Question seven was analyzed by comparing the per- centages at each level of rating and the measures of cen- tral tendency; the mean and standard deviation. Question Seven 7. What contributed most to the development of a Christian perspective for learning? Table 4.22 shows that 76 per cent of the respondents indicated that contact with a faculty member contributed most to their development of a Christian perspective for 119 TABLE 4.20.--Areas of living in which graduates felt more help from SAC is needed. Areas Number Per cent 1. Understanding and preparing for a vocation 47 42.3 2. Approaches to solving per- sonal problems 23 20.9 3. Understanding and planning for economic life 27 24.6 4. How to work With groups 25 22.7 5. The development of social skills 22 20.0 6. Understanding and promoting health in home and community 9 8.2 7. Relations with people of other races 35 31.8 TABLE 4.21.--The most outstanding memory about the SAC ex- perience as indicated by graduates. Outstanding memory Number Per cent 1. One or two stimulating teachers 64 59.8 2. A social function 5 4.7 3. An athletic program 4 3.7 4. An outstanding chapel program 4 3.7 5. Other 30 28.1 Total 107 100.0 120 00.0 H0.0 HOH 4 0 00 00 00 000000>4 H0.H 00.0 00H 0 0 00 44 0H coHpmoHOHpnpo 00600 HHmem .0 00.0 00.0 00 0 00 00 00 0 5000600 Hmomso HpHomom a .4 00.H 00.0 00H 0 0 00 H0 00 moeoHnmoxo mDOHmHHou HpHSoHpHpQ 4 .M O0.0 ON.M MOH N 4 OH. MN Hm Honfiofi mpHSOpm p SHHB pompcoo .N OM.O 04.N OOH H 0 N4 0M NH Epnmosm 4&qu $31... CH mmmHDOO .HO mmHDOO Hm .H m m w w N mm M Q O H N M 4 OccmHHmmxm ochpm mo Hm>0H .msHespmH How w>HuoommHmo spprHHro 0 mo pooEmoHo>0t who ©H030p mmoamHHooxo UmpomHmm we come coHucoHHuQOUII.NN.4 HHmHB 0.1 121 learning (X = 3.20). A special chapel program was given the lowest rating with a mean score of 2.06. The average mean score for the five items was 2.61. Variable Eight Question eight was tested by the one-way analysis of variance statistical technique. Question Eight 8. Do the graduates from teacher education differ from the non-teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors and their responses to the SAC concept? CPLA program.-—Table 4.23 shows that there were no significant differences among the means of teacher education and non-teacher education graduates in the way they perceiv- ed the contribution made by the CPLA courses to their total degree program. The average of the means of the rating scores for non-teacher education graduates was 2.45 and for teacher education graduates was 2.60. Table 4.24 indicates there are no significant dif- ferences among the means of teacher and non-teacher educa- tion graduates in how they perceived the contribution made by the CPLA courses toward a foundation for further study in the liberal arts. The average of the means of the rating scdres for non—teacher education graduates was 2.55 and for teacher education graduates was 2.69. Table 4.25 indicates there is a significant differ- ence between the means of teacher education (X = 2.87), and non-teacher education (X = 2.59) graduates in their 122 Mm.N OO.N M4.N mompum>4 c002 HHH. 4H.H 00.0 00.H 0H.0 00. 00.H H0 0000H00< 00000000 .0 000. HH.H 00.0 0H.H 00.0 00. 40.0 00 00sH0> p00 00000060 .0 0H0. 00.H 00.0 00. HH.0 00. 00.0 00 00000>H0oz p00 pst .0 000. 00. 00.0 00. 00.0 00. 44.0 00 00pH p00 0005H .0 000. HH.H 00.0 00. 00.0 00. 00.0 40 000002 p00 000000 .0 000. 00.H 04.0 00.H 00.0 00. 00.0 H0 200000 p00 005000000 .4 040. 0H.H 00.0 00. 00.0 40.H 00.0 00 00p0o p00 sop000m .0 000. 0H.H 00.0 00. 00.0 00. 00.0 00 Hoost p00 0005000 .0 000. 40.H 00.H 00.H 0H.0 00.H 04.0 H0 002 psp poo .H .oo00 mm M om M om M s mnppcoomm MuppsmfimHm QOproopm 000300 HHmU GOprooom 00:0008 Hmnopwulcoz .Epnmoum mmnmoo H0000 0:0 U00300 0000500 mHmo Mp meme GOHuoanpsoo 0:0 00 mpsmpcomon Mb s0>Hm mmuoom mspru 0>prumeoonn.MN.4 MHmHE 123 00.0 H0.0 00.0 000000>0 0002 000. H0.H 00.0 00. 00.0 0H.H 00.0 00 0000H000 00000000 .0 000. 00.H 00.0 00.H 00.0 00.H 00.0 40 000H0> p00 000000o0 .0 000. 00. 4H.0 00. H0.0 00. 0H.0 00 0oH00>H0o2 p00 p002 .0 000. 00.H 00.0 00. 0H.0 00. H0.0 40 00pH p00 00020 .0 000. 00. H0.0 00. 00.0 00. 0H.0 00 000002 p00 000000 .0 040. 00. 00.0 H0. 00.0 H0. H4.0 00 800000 p00 000005000 .4 000. 00.H 40.0 H0. 40.0 0H.H 00.0 00 00p00 p00 2op0000 .0 000. 00.H 00.0 40. 00.0 00. 00.0 H0 Honamm p00 000so00 .0 000. 0H.H 00.0 00.H 0H.0 00.H 00.0 00 002 p00 poo .H .0o0m 00 M 00 M 00 M o MHpoeoomm MproofimHm GOprosoo omnsoc NHmU 20H0005©m 0030009 00:00001202 .0000 HpuohHH 0S0 QH Mpoum 000 QOHprscow p 000300 0000500 HHmU Mb oopfi QOHusoHupsoo 0:0 00 mucoocommmy Mb Q0>Hm 000000 mcHupu 0>H0000QEOUII.4N.4 mHmde 124 .0000000000 00 00>00 mo. 000 00 00000000000 00000000000000 mm.m mm.m mo.m 000000>0 c002 mmo. mm. mm.m 00. oo.m mm. mm.m 000 000000 00000 00 00000000 .m mmm. mm. mv.m on. mw.m no. m0.m moa 0000000 00 00000058000 .0 00m. 00.H mm.m mo.0 0m.m om.0 mw.m mod :30 000 8000 000000000 00000 I300> 000 000000 0.0000900000 .0 000. 00. 00.0 om. 00.0 00. 00.0 000 00000000 0.00000000 I00 000 0800 00000 00 0000: .0 mom. mm. mm.m 00. 0N.m mm. oo.m moa 000000000 0003 0000 0000 00 so» 000 0008000050000 0.0000500000 .m 00m. om. mm.m 00. mm.m om. Hm.m 000 00000 0000 |0OQEH 00 0000000me0 00000 .0 «N00. 00. 00.m m0. mo.m mm. mm.m 000 0000000000000 00000 00 000000000000 00000 .m mHH. om. Hm.m N0. m0.m mo. om.m 000 0000a 1000000 000 00>0000mno 0003000 000800000 0000000 .m mma. mm. om.m mm. mw.m 00. m0.m moa 0>0000nno 0om0E 00 000000000 0000:00 .0 .QOHQ Om N mm M Om M Q 0000:0000 >000Q0E0Hm 000000500 000000 000000500 0000009 00:0000IQOZ .E00mo0m 4000 000 00 0000500 0:0 00 0000000 00000000 00 00000000000 >0 00>Hm 000000 000000 0>00000mfiouul.mm.v mqmm Com: owm. mo.H mm.m mm. mm.m mm. ma.m Boa mmpmum mmmHo mo mmmnuflmm .m moo. ww. ho.m mm. mh.m we. om.m moa mmmmeo m0 QOHpMASEHum .m wmv. mm. vm.m vb. mn.m NO.H Hm.m «OH Q30 man Sou“ ps®H®MMH© usflom |3mfl> How Unmmmu m.n0posnumsH .h mam. mm. oa.m no. mo.m mo. mm.m moa mmmomusm soflposupm use HOw wasp mmmHo mo momma .m moo. mm. mo.m am. ma.m mm. mm.m moa wumwmmoms cmnz mam: xmmm on so» MOM pswEmmmnsoosm m.uouosuumsH .m mmo. mm. ¢H.m an. mo.m mm. mm.m moa mmmpa wasp IHOQEH wo soflpmsmamxm Homao .v vow. om. NH.m an. mm.m an. mm.m moa mcoHpmpsmmmHm wmmao mo coHpMNHsmmHo HmmHU .m 0mm. mm. oo.m mm. mm.m mo. oo.m boa mpsmE Ismfimmm paw mm>Hpomeo somapon psmfimmHmm HmHmsmw .m Hmm. mm. mo.m mm. na.m mm. mo.m moa m>Hpomflno Momma mo mmmcummao Hmnmsmw .H . n88 om M mm N mm M c mumpcoomm muonsmamam GOflpmosom pommmm coaumosom Hmsomma Hmsommulsoz .Hoflma may QH 04m pm swxmu mmmusoo may mo muoommm Umuomamm ou mpsopsommmu an Qm>flm mmHoom msflpmu o>flpmummaooln.wm.e mqmfie 127 mo.m mm.m mo.m mommum>m smog mwo. mm. wo.m mm. mo.m em. vN.m mm mwomno mmmHo wo mmmshamm .m mmm. mm. mm.m om. om.m an. oo.m mm mommmao mo soflpmHsEHpm .m mom. om. mm.m mm. m>.m an. va.m mm s30 was Eoum usmnmmMHU mpsaom IBmH> HOw Unmmmu m.HouosnumsH .n sma. on. mm.m Hm. so.m om. mm.m mm mmmomusm moanosspm IGH MOM wasp mmmHo mo momma .m mom. em. mm.m mm. vo.m an. oo.m mm humwmmoms Qm£3 mama Mmmm on so» MOM unmammmusoosm m.HouosnpmsH .m mam. an. mo.m mm. mo.m mm. oo.m mm mmmpfl pawn IHOQEH mo aoflpmsmamxm HmmHU .w mmm. on. mo.m om. mm.m we. oo.m mm msoflpmusmwmnm mmmao mo soapmNflcmmHo ummHU .m 5mm. mo. mm.m mm. mm.m we. oo.m mm mpsmasmfimmm cam mm>apomm Ibo cmmzpmn usmEmwumm Hmumsmw .m who. mm. mm.m mm. mm.m up. om.m mm mm>fipomnno Momma mo mmosummao Hmsmsow .H .QOHm mm N mm M mm m. s humpsoomm >HMpsmfimam cowpmospm pommmfl Goapmospm nonomme Hmsommplaoz .HOQHE umHHm on“ Ga oflm um meM# mmwusoo onu mo mpowmmm Umuomaww on mpsmpcommmn an Qm>flm monoom msflumu m>flumnmeOU|l.nm.v mqmfle 128 .wosmoflmsoo wo Hw>®H mo. man no psmoamwsmflm waamoflumawwpmx nm.m ha.m mm.m mommnm>m 2mm: mam. mm. mm.m no. om.m me. om.m ma moomnv mmmao mo mmmsuflwm .m mmm. H¢.H oo.m vm. oo.m em. om.m ma mommmHo wo QOHpMHDEHpm .m own. om. mn.m mm. oa.m an. oo.m ma s30 mflz Eoum ucmummwap mpcflom Ismfl> How pummmn m_uouo:uumsH .w .emo. om. ms.m no. om.m om.a om.m as mmmomusm m.sOposspmcfl How mEHp mmmao mo madmb .0 man. ma.a mm.m mo.H oo.m mm. ov.m ma >Hmwmmoms sonz mam: zoom Op 50% HOm Mama Iwmmnsoosm m_Hou05HumsH .m moo. oo.o oo.v mo. om.m me. om.m ma mmmcfl pawn IHOQEH mo soHpmsmmem Homao .w xmooo. oo.o oo.v we. om.m mm. o¢.m ma msoapMpsmmmnm mmmao mo soflumNHsmmuo HM®HU .m ema. oo.o oo.e vs. oa.m an. oo.m ma memEsmHmmm Usm mm>fluomm Ibo smmBqu psmEmmHmm Hmumsmw .m :mmo. 00.0 oo.s as. om.m mm. os.m ma m>fluomhgo momma mo mmmsummao Hmumsmw .H .bonm mm N mm N mm m s humpcoomm humpsmfimam sowpmoscm poommfl soaumostm Hmnomme noncomplsoz .HOQHE Usoomm wsu SH Uflm um coxmu mmmusoo map wo muoommm wmpomamm 0p mpsmpsommmu an sm>flm mmuoow msapmn m>HpmummEOUrl.mm.v mqmfie 129 The data in Table 4.29 shows there is a significant difference between the means of teacher education (Y = 2.19)3 and non-teacher education (X = 1.65) graduates in their self- assessed level of critical partic1pation in the community and the contemporary world. The average mean rating scores were 2.78 for non-teacher education and 2.88 for teacher education graduates. The non-teacher education graduate tended to per- ceive himself as considerably more involved as a critical participant in the affairs of the contemporary world and was slightly more prone to describe his commitment as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. Variable Nine Question nine was tested by the one-way analysis of variance statistical technique. Question Nine 9. Do the elementary and secondary education graduates differ in their rating of the professional educ- tion courses and student teaching? Table 4.30 indicates a significant difference be- tween the means of elementary and secondary education grad- uates in the way they rated the course "Introduction to Directed Teaching." The elementary education graduates (Y = 2.37) considered the course more valuable than did the secondary education graduates (_ = 1.83). Table 4.31 shows no significant differences between the means of elementary and secondary education graduates on Note: On this scale 1 was highest and 3 was lowest. 130 .moswpflwmoo mo Hw>mH mo. mbu um untowMHsmHm maamoaumapmpmx mw.m Hm.m mn.m mommum>o Qmmz xmao. om. ma.m mm. ma.m Hm. mo.a mob UHMOB wumuomfimp Isoo cam wpflcsaaoo ma scapmmaoausmm amoepauo .m mme. mo.H @m.e mH.H mm.e so. Ho.e can mcflasmma HOM m>auommmumm m mm pmausu msmmn on usmEpHEEoo .m mmm. up. oo.m mm. oa.m mm. mo.m oaa mpum Hmumnefi mo mpsvm GA uQmEm>HO>GH .H .Qoum mm M mm W mm M %0£m5vmmm mumpcoomm auquwfimam coepmosom pommm< soHpMOSUm Honomofi umsommpnsoz .pmmoqou mmmaaoo Hogsfi msflumm may mo muommmm mmnsu way On mpsmpsommmm >3 am>wm wmnoom msaumu m>flpmmmmEOU|l.mm.e mqmme l3l .mosooflmcoo mo Hm>ma mo. man no #QMOHMflsmHm >HH60Humapmpm¥ wm.m wm.m mommum>¢ saw: 5mm. mm.a ma.m ma mo.a mm.m Hm mamaumumz HmSmH>IoHUS4 .HH moo. mm.m oo.m m om. mm.m mm ousnmsmuflq m.smuoafl£u .0H mow. mw.a oo.m m NH.H mm.m ma Hooaom wumpsmamam man an qoflpmosem Hmoflmsgm .m mad. ma.m om.a m gm. mm.m am mumnomoe MOM yum oammm .m mmo. mm.a mm.a m mm. om.m om moflpmamgumz gumbo: .n mma. mm.a om.a m ma.a mm.m mm oamsz Hoonom muwpcmamam .0 «mm. mn.a om.m m 0H.H mm.m ow .Emam How mamanmpmz tam moogumz .m non. mH.H on.a mm ma.a mm.H w mosmxuoz mtObpmz mumosoomm .w mma. mm.H mm.a m H0.H Hm.m mm mozmxuoz moogumz muonsmEmHm .m *mNO. om. mm.a me mH.H hm.m He msflsomme topomuao on .ouusH .m omo. HN.H va.m mm mm. mm.m mm soflpmosom cw mmmoH nacho .H . no.8 cm W s mm m a mnmosoomm mamncmamam wmmsou .soflumosom smsommu QH Ufim pm smxmp momwsoo 0p mpamosommmn ma Qm>flm mmuoom msflumu m>HpmmmmEOUIl.om.v mqmfie 132 mm.m mm.m mommnm>4 smmz mmo. hm. ms.a mm mm.a 5H.~ as mumqflsmm mangommp pcmeSpm .0 mum. mm. mh.m av ma.a mo.m we Houwcflpuooo mmmaaoo guHB Qflnmsowpmamm .m mmw. NH.a va.m mg 0H.H mm.m we Hosommp mswmfl>uwmsm Suez QHSmQOHpmHom .v Hoe. so.H mm.m me ea.H mm.m as mcflnommp pampsum psmmm mEHp mo ps5084 .m mew. mm.a om.m as mm.H av.m as nonmaflwuooo mmmaaoo H50» Eoum soflmfl>nmmsm mo muflamso .m mva. mm.a om.m mg mm.H om.m we Honommp msHmH>HmQSm H30» Eonm sonH>Hmmsm mo hpflamso .H .bOHm mm M s mm M c mumpsoowm humusmfimam pommmfi .wOQMHHwam msflnomop uchS#m msp mo muommmm Umpomamm ow mpcmcsommmH ma sm>flm mmuoom msflpMH m>flpmquEOUIl.Hm.v mqméa 133 selected aspects of the student teaching experience. The average mean rating scores were 2.55 for the elementary and 2.62 for the secondary education graduates. Table 4.32 indicates there are significant differ- ences between elementary and secondary education graduates in the kinds of student teaching experiences reported. Approximately 63 per cent of the elementary education grad- uates reported experiences in teaching on a small group (two to ten or less) basis as compared to 19.1 per cent of the secondary education graduates reporting the same experi- ence. Almost 82 per cent of the elementary education grad- uates reported experiences in "developing own teaching aids for a class presentation" as compared to 62.5 per cent of the secondary education graduates. Eighty-one per cent of the secondary education grad- uates reported experiences in "constructing and administer— ing tests over material you taught" as compared to 52.3 per cent of the elementary education graduates. Slightly over 77 per cent of the elementary education graduates reported having developed a file of activities, pictures, lesson plans or materials as compared to 22 per cent of the second- ary education graduates reporting the same experience. Thirty-four per cent of the elementary education graduates reported the development of materials for remedial pupils in their lesson plans while 9.5 per cent of the sec— ondary education graduates reported this experience. 134 TABLE 4. 32.--Comparison of the number and percentage of teacher education graduates who reported having experienced the activities listed during student teaching. Experience 10. ll. 12. 13. Handling discipline problems of class without supervising teacher Developing own daily lesson plans Organizing and teaching a unit of instruction Teaching on a small group (two to ten or less) basis Developing material to enrich lesson you taught Developing own teaching aids for a class presentation Selecting content material of a subject taught Assuming total responsibility for opening activities of classroom Including provisions for individual differences in lesson plans Constructing and administering tests over material you taught Developing a file of activities, pictures, lesson plans or materials Developing in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils Including in plans an introduction or set that had as its purpose motivating the students 135 Elementary Secondary n = 44 n = 42 Number Per cent Number Per cent Probability 32 72.7 34 81.0 .373 39 88.6 38 90.5 .784 35 79.6 36 85.7 .457 28 63.6 8 19.1 .0005* 29 65.9 21 51.2 .173 36 81.8 25 62.5 .048* 25 56.8 18 42.9 .200 37 84.1 38 90.5 .381 18 40.9 11 26.2 .152 23 52.3 34 81.0 .005* 34 77.3 9 22.0 .0005* 15 34.1 4 9.5 .006* 20 45.5 12 29.3 .127 *Statistically significant at the .05 level of confidence. 136 .Table 4.33 reveals a significant difference between elementary and secondary education graduates in the percen- tage who recommend for future student teaching programs the experience "assuming total responsibility for the opening activities of a classroom." A somewhat higher percentage of the elementary education graduates (88.4 per cent) than of the secondary education graduates (71.4 per cent) recom- mended this experience. "Handling discipline problems of class without super- vising teacher present" received the highest percentage of votes by both elementary (90.7 per cent) and secondary (92.9 per cent) education graduates. Elementary education grad- uates placed "developing in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils" lowest (66.7 per cent) on the list of thir— teen items provided. The activity receiving the lowest percentage (59.5 per cent) of secondary education graduates' votes was "teaching on a small group basis." The table further indicates that both elementary and secondary education graduates were agreed that the thirteen activities listed were important and should be included in future student teaching programs. 1 Variable Ten Question ten was analyzed through an attempt on the part of the researcher to group the write—in responses for the purpose of reporting general trends in the criticisms, recommendations, and suggestions for improvement of the selected aspects of the SAC college experience. 137 TABLE 4.33.--Comparison of the number and percentage of teacher education graduates who indicated they would strongly recommend each of the activities listed for future student teaching programs. Experience 10. 11. 12. 13. Handling discipline problems of class without supervising teacher Developing own daily lesson plans Organizing and teaching a unit of instruction Teaching on a small group (two to ten or less) basis Developing materials to enrich lesson you taught Developing own teaching aids for a class presentation Selecting content material of a subject taught Assuming total responsibility for opening activities of classroom Including provisions for individual differences in lesson plans Constructing and administering tests over material you taught Developing a file of activities, pictures, lesson plans or materials Developing in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils Including in plans an introduction or set that had as its purpose motivating the students 138 Elementary Secondary n = 43 n = 42 Number Per cent Number Per cent Probability 39 90.7 39 92.9 .721 38 88.4 34 81.0 .348 35 81.4 37 88.1 .397 31 72.1 25 59.5 .286 35 81.4 31 73.8 .407 35 81.4 32 76.2 .563 33 76.7 26 61.9 .141 38 88.4 30 71.4 .052* 34 79.1 32 76.2 .754 34 79.1 31 73.8 .573 32 74.4 28 66.7 .439 30 66.7 28 66.7 .762 34 79.1 26 61.9 .084 *Statistically significant at the .05 level of confidence. 139 Question Ten 10. What suggestions, criticisms, or recommendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and/or the pro- fessional education courses including student teaching? Suggestions for the improvement of the CPLA program.—- Approximately 44 per cent responded to this item on the questionnaire. The suggestions of respondents for improv- ing the Christian Perspective in the Liberal Arts program were classified in three general areas: (1) the courses of the CPLA, (2) instructors in the CPLA and (3) the students. The following are examples of the kinds of concerns graduates reported: (1) make courses stiffer and more chal- lenging, (2) provide more emphasis on the Christian world View, Christian living, and the Christian perspective, (3) make courses more relevant; more related to the real_world, (4) demonstrate a greater skill in examining alternate points of View, (5) require a foreign language for graduation, (6) make laboratory experiences more practical and, (7) provide better integration among the courses. Suggestions made about instructors included: (1) invite students into faculty homes, (2) have better prepared instructors, (3) be examples of the Christian perspective outside the classroom and (4) have full-time instructors. Graduates also registered concern that prospective students be screened for real Christian experience before being allow- ed to enroll in SAC. A variety of single suggestions for the improvement 140 of the CPLA program were made. Suggestions for strengthening the majors and minors.-- Over 66 per cent of the graduates responded to this item providing suggestions for the strengthening of the majors and minors. Respondents felt that a wider selection of courses would strengthen both the majors and the minors. Several graduates named particular disciplines where they felt more courses were needed, i.e., biology, psychology, art and religion. Another area of concern expressed by several grad- uates was that more full-time faculty be available instead of having faculty members who share their time with some uni- versity while pursuing their own educational programs. It was futher suggested that one—instructor minors be discontinu- ed or additional staff be hired. ' Other suggestions included such things as: (1) pro- vide more emphasis on Christian education courses, (2) pro- vvide a better kind of guidance and counselling service, (3) provide more emphasis in social sciences on research meth- odology, (4) offer more instruction in contemporary novels and make "Shakespeare" more contemporary, (5) vary the means of presentation--more student involvement, (6) devote less time in physical education courses to discussion of games and more to instruction, (7) provide better employment infor- mation, (8) include more detailed study in mathematics, (9) provide more depth in history courses, (10) encourage more learning by doing. 141 Suggestions for improvement of teacher education program.--Eighty-one per cent of the graduates (n = 86) responded to this item. The teacher education graduates were forceful in their plea for greater relevance in the methods courses and in the course: "Introduction to Directed Teaching". Some respondents commented about the relevance or lack of it in their methods courses while others urged that a change be made in the direction of greater relevance. Some suggested that this goal might be accomplished by either employing faculty with first-hand elementary or secondary classroom teaching experience or by requiring teacher educa— tion faculty to participate periodically as substitute teach- ers. Still others suggested that actual classroom teachers be brought in to assist in the teaching of the methods courses. A further common theme running through their res- ponses was a strong suggestion that more observation be re- quired and that this begin in the freshman year and continue up to the time of student teaching. Several expressed the feeling that earlier exposure to the actual classroom situ- ation would have assisted them in making better decisions about teaching as a career and about a teaching level. A better and more intense method of screening teacher educa- tion candidates was suggested. Some of the respondents suggested the need for more actual teaching experience prior to student teaching. One 142 way this could be accomplished, they suggested, was to have prospective teachers practice teaching other prospective teachers. Still other respondents felt that the education courses could be improved if they were addressed to such issues as discipline, parents, riots, ethics, drugs, and race. It-was also suggested that more exposure to teacher organizations would be helpful. On the whole the suggest- ions were constructive and demonstrated a high level of in- terest in helping to improve the teacher education program. Suggestions for improving the student teaching experi- egge.--Seventy-three per cent of the graduates offered sug- gestions for the improving of the student teaching experience. Graduates were concerned about the length of time either of the total student teaching experience or of the amount of actual time spent in teaching. Some suggested that student teaching experiences be provided with more than one supervising teacher while others suggested that the expe- rience at the elementary level be at more than one grade level. Others of the respondents suggested that student teaching would be improved if no other courses were required during the time of this experience. It was further suggested that some observation and certain classes would have greater meaning following student teaching since attention would be focused on felt needs. Several suggestions dealt with such matters as the 143 need for closer supervision by college coordinators, better coordination between the college and the schools where student teachers are placed, and better and more careful selection of supervising teachers. Problems of personality conflicts be— tween student teachers and supervising teachers were noted. Other respondents suggested a need for more honest appraisals by both the supervising teacher and the college coordinator of the student teacher's progress. It was also suggested that observation at different schools and at dif- ferent levels would be helpful. Several graduates indicated considerable satisfaction with their student teaching experience. The following quota- tion from a respondent is a sample of these positive comments: ". . . please keep up the sound image presented by SAC. I have done recruitment for a school system and SAC has a strong successful image. As one superintendent said, 'The kids from SAC really care about the children and don't lie all the time!‘"4 Summary Chapter IV has presented the analysis of the data gained through responses to the research questionnaire. Questions one through seven were analyzed by providing the frequency count, the percentage at each rating level and the measures of central tendency: the mean and standard deviat- ion. The one-way analysis of variance statistical technique 4This statement was made by one of the respondents. The study did not directly solicit comments from superintend- ents or other school personnel. 144 was used for the comparison questions--research questions eight and nine. Question ten was analyzed in a descriptive manner. The biographical data provided the basis for a des- cription of the average Spring Arbor graduate. The typical graduate, as indicated by the data gathered, was married, under thirty years of age; resided in a rural community, small town, or small city; and earned approximately $7400 annually. He had taken advanced degree work but had not completed an advanced degree nor was he currently pursuing such a degree program. The data further suggested that the typical graduate was a certified teacher at either the elementary or secondary level. His major reason for choosing teaching as a career was his desire to work with children or teenagers. This typ- ical graduate came to college primarily to prepare for a vocation and to SAC to gain a Christian perspective, because of the influence of a friend or relative, or because the col- lege was located near his home. Summary of Findings 1. All CPLA courses were given average mean scores above 2.00 on the scale (4 = highest and 0 = low- est) for their contribution to the total degree program and to a foundation for further study in the liberal arts. "Mind and Motivation" was the course given the highest mean score and "God and Man" the one with the lowest. Twenty-three per 145 cent indicated that the CPLA courses provided a Christian perspective for futher study in the liberal arts. All aspects of the CPLA courses were rated well above the "average" (2) point on the scale. Courses in the majors and minors were given the average mean score 3.05 indicating an overall rating of "good". The courses in the teacher education program were all given mean ratings of 2.00 or better except the "Secondary Methods Workshop," which had a mean score of 1.73. The average was 2.43. The student teaching experience was given an average mean score of 2.59. The student teach- ing seminar was given the lowest mean score (E = 1.95) and relationship with supervising teacher was given the highest mean score (i = 3.05). Seventy-one per cent perceived their involvement in the study of the liberal arts while at SAC as either "somewhat" or "very involved". Seventy— three per cent described their commitment as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. Approximately 75 per cent appraised their level of participation in the affairs of the contemporary world as a result of their SAC 146 experience at the "moderate" or "high" level. Seventy-three per cent of the respondents indica— ted they made decisions about a major field of study after entering college. Faculty members were reported to have had the greatest influence on the choice of a major. Seventy per cent were motivated in the selection of both majors and minors by the desire to pursue a well—establish— ed interest. The average self—rated level of proficiency attained during student teaching on the four- teen items rated was 2.33. The two low items were (1) "knowledge about teacher's professional organizations" (X = 1.85) and (2) "knowledge and skills to handle new innovative practices in edu- cation" (Y = 1.83). All thirteen student teaching activities had been experienced by at least a third or more of the respondents except the one dealing with the devel- opment in the lesson plan of materials for re— medial pupils (22 per cent). The largest percentage (42.3) of respondents in- dicated a need for more help in understanding and preparing for a vocation. The thirteen as- pects of the SAC experience were given a mean rating of 2.66 indicating "above average" satis- faction. Approximately 60 per cent indicated the 10. 147 most outstanding memory about the SAC experience was one or more stimulating teachers. Comparison of teacher education and non-teacher education graduates. a. g. No significant differences were found in their perception of the contribution made by the CPLA courses to the total degree program. No significant differences were found in their perception of the contribution made by the CPLA courses toward a foundation for fur- ther study in the liberal arts. A significant difference was found in their perception of the clarity of the organization of class presentations in the CPLA courses. No significant differences were found in the way each group rated selected aspects of the courses taken in the major. No significant differences were found in how each group rated selected aspects of the courses taken in the first minor. Significant differences were discovered in certain aspects of the courses taken in the second minor: (1) "general clearness of major objectives," (2) "clear organization of class presentations," and (3) "usage of class time for instruction". A significant difference was found in the 11. 148 self-assessed level of participation in the affairs of the contemporary world. Comparison of elementary and secondary education graduates. a. d. A significant difference was found in the ratings given to the course, Introduction to Directed Teaching. No significant differences were found in the rating of selected aspects of the student teaching experience. Significant differences were found in the kinds of student teaching experiences re- ported. Elementary education graduates re- ported a significantly higher percentage of experience teaching on a small group basis and developing teaching aids for a class pre— sentation while secondary education graduates reported a significantly higher percentage of experience in constructing and administer- ing tests over materials taught. Elementary education graduates had more frequently expe- rienced the development of a file of activ- ities, pictures, lesson plans or materials and the development in their lesson plans of materials for remedial pupils. A significant difference was found in the percentage who recommend the activity, "as- suming total responSibility for the opening 12. 13. 14. 149 activities of a classroom". This activity is recommended by 88 per cent of the elemen- tary and 71 per cent of the secondary educa- tion graduates. The handling of discipline problems of the class without the supervis— ing teacher was most highly recommended by all respondents. The suggestions of graduates dealt basically with the courses and instructors in the CPLA program. a. Make courses more challenging and relevant. b. Place more emphasis on Christian world view. c. Demonstrate greater skill in examining al- ternate points of view. d. Insure better integration of courses and more practical laboratories. e. Have better prepared full-time instructors who are examples of the Christian View out- side the classroom. f. Encourage faculty to invite students into their homes. Suggestions for strengthening majors and minors. a. Provide wider selection of courses in majors and minors. b. Have more full-time faculty members. c. Discontinue one-instructor minors. Suggestions for improving teacher education. 15. f. 150 Insure greater relevance in methods courses. Employ faculty with public school teaching experience. Bring public school classroom teachers in to assist in teaching the methods classes. Require more observation earlier in the col- lege experience. Employ better methods of screening prospect- ive candidates for teacher education. Make education courses more issue—oriented. Suggestions for improving the student teaching experience. a. b. Provide more time in actual student teaching. PrOVide experience Wlth more than one super— viSing teacher and at different grade levels. Require no other courses while student teach— ing. Plan some classes and observations to follow student teaching. Provide closer supervision by college coordi- nator. Insure better coordination between college and schools. Use more care in selection of supervising teachers. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Chapter V summarizes the study as a whole. It brief- ly reviews the purposes of the study, the sample used, the research instrument and how it was developed, and the results of the study. This chapter also contains the conclusions, recommendations, and implications for further research. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the opinions of graduates regarding three segments of their aca- demic preparation at Spring Arbor College: (a) the CPLA pro- gram, (b) the majors and minors, and (c) the professional education courses; (2) to obtain criticisms, suggestions, and recommendations for the improvement of these segments; (3) to evaluate these data and use the results to suggest implications for program improvement; and (4) to gather additional data for later analysis. The study gathered and analyzed data on selected aspects of the SAC college experience as perceived by grad- uates with special interest in implications for the improve— ment of the teacher education program. 151 152 The Sample The sample used in the study consisted of graduates randomly selected from the Spring Arbor College four-year liberal arts program for the years 1965 to 1970 inclusively (n = 150). Approximately 80 per cent of those receiVing the questionnaire satisfactorily completed and returned it. The two mailings were concluded early in 1972. Questions for Study The questions considered in this study were: 1. What rating do graduates give the courses taken at SAC in the CPLA; in the majors and minors; and in the pro- fessional education program? 2. How do graduates perceive their involvement in the study of the liberal arts; their commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their participation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? 3. When did graduates select a major, what college per- sonnel were most influential in the selection of a major; and what motivated their selection of majors and minors? 4. What level of proficiency do graduates perceive they achieved while student teaching? 5. Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly re- commend for future student teachers? 6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC ex- perience as perceived by graduates? 153 7. What contributed most to the development of a Christ- ian perspective for learning? 8. Do the graduates from teacher education differ from the non-teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and their responses to the SAC concept? 9. Do the elementary and secondary education graduates differ in their rating of the professional education courses and student teaching? 10. What suggestions, criticisms, or recommendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and the profeSSLOnal education courses including student teaching? Design and Procedures In brief, the deSign of the study consisted of five phases. First was the identification of the sample; second, the formation of a questionnaire which would accomplish the purposes of the study; third, the pilot testing and reshaping of the instrument; fourth, the surveying of the sample, and fifth, the tallying of the results and the use of statistical analyses which would most accurately examine and clearly pre- sent the results. The research instrument was an original questionnaire which was constructed after reViewing the literature on questionnaire construction, examining and selecting items from other questionnaires used in similar studies and having constructed several items specifically suited to this study. 154 From these sources a large pool of questions was developed. These were studied by faculty and student members of the Institutional Research Committee at SAC and selections were made for inclusion in the questionnaire. The instrument was administered on a trial basis to several seniors that were on campus. Their suggestions were combined with those of several colleagues after which the final draft was prepared. The format of the instrument included four major parts. Part A requested the respondent to provide biograph- ical information, Part B asked him to evaluate aspects of the CPLA program, Part C requested an evaluation of aspects of majors and minors, and Part D called for an evaluation of aspects of the teacher education program with special emphasis on student teaching. The research instrument also incorporat- ed four open—ended questions to gain further information that could not be gathered through the other kinds of questions. Statistical analysis for this study of the percept- ions of graduates about aspects of their SAC experience was conducted in two major parts. 1. A frequency distribution was developed for each of the 170 separate variables in the questionnaire. The purpose of the frequency distribution was to present the data in a ‘vay that would show responses to each questionnaire item. {Dhe percentage of the total respondents to each particular .iiiem was shown. The mean and standard deviation were also Eskiown for questions using the rating scale. 155 2. The second statistical technique applied to the data for purposes of comparison was the one-way analysis of vari- ance. Its purpose was the discovery of statistically sig- nificant differences in responses to the research instrument by various sub-groups that were studied. The .05 level of confidence was established as the criterion for determin— ing statistical significance. Results of the Analysis Question One.--What rating do graduates give the courses taken at SAC in the CPLA; in the majors and minors; and in the professional education program? An average mean score of 2.561 was given by respond- ents to the contribution made by the CPLA courses to the total baccalaureate degree while the average mean score of 2.65 was shown for their contribution toward a foundation for further study in the liberal arts. Thirty—five per cent of the respondents felt that the CPLA courses were on the whole beneficial, 24 per cent indicated they provided a foundation for the major, and 23 per cent said they helped to formulate a Christian perspective for futher study. There was little difference between the average mean scores given by respondents to the selected aspects of the courses taken at SAC in the major (ii 2.98), the first minor (R = 3.02) and the second minor (Y = 3.16). Selected aspects of the courses taken in teacher education received a somewhat lower average mean score rating (Rh: 2.43) while 4 (superior) = highest; 0 (unsatisfactory) = lowest. 156 the aspects of the student teaching experience were rated with an average mean score of 2.59. Teacher education courses in general received lower ratings than courses taken in the majors and minors. Question two.--How do graduates perceive their in— volvement in the study of the liberal arts; their commit- ment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for learning; and their participation in the affairs of the contemporary world while enrolled at SAC? Seventy-one per cent of the respondents indicated a "somewhat" or "very involved" level of involvement in the study of the liberal arts. Seventy-three per cent described their commitment as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. Seventy-five per cent reported a "moderate" or "high" level of participation in the communi- ty and the contemporary world. Question three.-—When did graduates select a major; what college personnel were most influential in the selection of a major; and what motivated their selection of majors and minors? The selection of a major was made while enrolled in college by 73 per cent of the respondents. The highest per- centage (43 per cent) of graduates reported they were influ— enced by faculty in their choice of a major. Seventy per cent of the respondents said they were motivated in their choice of a major by well-established interest. Forty-four per cent indicated their choice of minors was motivated by 157 a well-established interest while 28 per cent said they were motivated by a deSire to correlate the minor with the major. Question four.-—What level of proficiency do graduat— es perceive they achieved while student teaching? Respondents gave themselves an average mean score of 2.33 on the fourteen items in student teaching. Two areas of weakness were revealed: (1) knowledge about teacher's professional organizations (Y = 1.85) and (2) knowledge and skills to handle new innovative practices in education (i = 1.83). Question five.—-Which of the experiences listed have graduates had while student teaching and which would they most highly recommend for future student teachers? One-third of the respondents had experienced twelve of the activities listed. Only one of the activities: "de— veloping in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils" was experienced by less than one-third of the group. The percentage of respondents recommending each of the thirteen activities ranged from 65 to 91 per cent. Question six.--What are the strengths and weaknesses of the SAC experience as perceived by graduates? An average mean score of 2.66 (range 2.30-2.92) in- dicated a reasonably high level of success on the part of SAC in accomplishing the thirteen objectives listed. The .largest percentage of graduates (42 per cent) indicated they rueeded more help in understanding and preparing for a 158 vocation and 31 per cent felt they needed more help in de— veloping relationships with people of other races. Question seven.--What contributed most to the de- velopment of a Christian perspective for learning? All of the SAC experiences listed were deemed by respondents to have made some contribution toward the de- velopment of a Christian perspective for learning. Faculty members were reported to have made the greatest contribution (§'= 3.20) and special chapel programs the least contribut- ion (§'= 2.06). Question eight.--Do the graduates from teacher edu- cation differ from the non-teacher education graduates in their rating of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and their responses to the SAC concept? No differences were found between responses of teach- er education and non-teacher education graduates in their perceptions of the CPLA contribution to the total degree or toward foundation for further study in the liberal arts or in their perception of aspects of the courses in the major or first minor. Differences were found in respondents' perception of the clarity of organization of class presentations in CPLA courses (non-teacher education, XI: 2.59; teacher education, Y = 2.87) and in their perceptions of such aspects of the courses in the second minor as (1) general clearness of major objectives (non-teacher education, Y = 2.40; teacher educat- .ion, Y = 3.60), (2) clear organization of class presentations, 159 (non-teacher education, Y = 2.40; teacher education, X = 3.65), and (3) usage of class time for instruction (non— teacher education, Y = 2.20; teacher education, Y = 3.52). Non-teacher education respondents perceived their level of participation in the contemporary world to have 'been at a slightly higher level than did the teacher edu- cation graduates. Question nine.--Do the elementary and secondary ed- ucation graduates differ in their rating of the profession- al education courses and student teaching? Elementary and secondary education graduates were found to differ in their rating of the course "Introduction to Directed Teaching." Elementary education graduates were more likely to experience "teaching on a small group basis," "developing own teaching aids," and "developing a file of activities,“ than secondary education graduates while sec— ondary education graduates had experienced the "construct- ing and administering [of] tests over material taught." Experience in the handling of discipline problems was given the highest recommendation for inclusion in fu- ture programs of student teaching by both elementary and secondary education graduates. Question ten.--What suggestions, criticisms, or re- commendations do graduates make for the improvement of the CPLA program, the majors and minors, and/or the profession— al education courses including student teaching? Respondents felt that the CPLA program could be 160 improved by making courses more challenging and relevant; by placing more emphasis on the Christian world view; through greater skill in examining alternate points of View; through better integration of courses and more prac- tical laboratory experiences; by providing better prepared, full-time instructors who are examples of the Christian View and by encouraging faculty to invite students into their homes for the personal touch. They suggested that the majors and minors could be strengthened by offering a wider selection of courses; by having more full—time faculty; by discontinuing the one- instructor minors; and through a range of specific suggest- ions directed to indiVidual disciplines. Suggestions for the improving of teacher education courses were: greater relevance in the methods courses; employment of faculty with teaching experience in public schools; bringing in of classroom instructors to assist in teaching methods courses; requirement of more observation earlier in the college experience; better methods of screen— ing candidates; and by making education courses more issue— oriented. Suggestions for the improvement of the student teach- ing experience included: allow more time in student teaching; provide experience with more than one supervising teacher and at different grade levels; require no other courses while student teaching; plan some classes and observation to follow student teaching; provide closer supervision by college 161 coordinator; have better coordination between college and schools; and take more care in the selection of supervising teachers and in the placement of student teachers. Conclusions The following conclusions were reached after thorough examination of the data and findings of the study: 1. Based on the biographical data gathered, it was concluded that the majority of the graduates of SAC are first—generation college graduates. Only 30 per cent of the fathers and 40 per cent of the mothers were reported to have attended college. It was fur- ther concluded that the majority of students attend- ing SAC, as represented by this sample, came to col- lege to prepare for a vocation. Eighty per cent in- dicated preparation for a vocation as their major reason for attending college. The percentage of graduates that qualified for certification to teach (77 per cent) seemed to be in keeping with the stated goals of these graduates. The fact that 65 per cent of the graduates live and work in a rural, small town, or small city en- vironment and have chosen teaching as a career seems 2 to support the findings reported by Davis that 2Davis, Undergraduate Career Decisions, p. 153. 162 students from smaller communities were more likely to choose education as a major. It was evident that the teacher education graduates are satisfied with their vocational choice. Approx— imately 74 per cent of the teacher education gradu— ates are still teaching and 85 per cent of those re- port satisfaction with teaching as a profession. It was further evident that graduates are satisfied with the coursework they took at SAC in the CPLA program, in the majors and minors, and in the teach- er education program. Few of the mean scores fell below 2.00 (average) and many approached or exceeded 3.00 (good) on the rating scale. Teacher education graduates were more likely to teach at the elementary (39.5 per cent) or junior high (22.1 per cent) level than at the senior high level. Of the 49 per cent who were certified to teach at the secondary level 9 per cent were teaching at the senior high level; 22.1 per cent at the junior high level; 3.5 per cent in the Middle School. It was concluded that faculty members wield a great influence on students. Forty—three per cent of the respondents said faculty had had the greatest influ- ence on their choice of a major and faculty were given the highest rating (X = 3.20) for their con- tribution toward the development of a Christian per- spective. Sixty per cent of the respondents said 163 their outstanding memory of SAC was a stimulating instructor. 6. The SAC graduate perceived that he had achieved a fairly high level of accomplishment toward the goals of the "Concept". Seventy-one per cent in- dicated involvement in the serious study of the liberal arts, 75 per cent perceived a "moderate" or "high" level of participation in the affairs of the contemporary world and 73 per cent indicated a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. 7. Most SAC graduates made a choice about a major after entering college, based on a well-established interest. This conclusion is supported by the fact that 73 per cent of the sample said they chose a major after enrolling in college while 70 per cent said their motivation in choosing a major was a well- established interest. 8. Teacher education graduates consider their proficien- cies developed during student teaching to be slight- ly above average (Y = 2.33). Student teachers had experienced and strongly recommend the selected activ- 3 ities from the Jackson study where they were found to be highly recommended by student teachers. 3Jackson, "A Study of Selected Student Teaching Experiences," p. 121. 10. 11. 12. 164 Graduates are reasonably well-satisfied with the total SAC experience. An average mean of 2.66 (on a 4 = highest; 0 = lowest scale) was given on the items used to measure this impression. The great- est weakness in the SAC program, as indicated by respondents, were in the areas of "helping students to understand and prepare for a vocation (42 per cent) and "in the development of relationships with people of other races" (31 per cent). The differences between teacher education and non- teacher education graduates were few, as measured by this instrument. Of the 57 areas tested only five were found to be statistically significant at the .05 level of confidence. It was concluded that elementary and secondary educa- tion graduates are more alike than different in their perception of their professional training. Signif- icant differences at the .05 level of confidencewere found in only a few items. These differences can largely be accounted for by the differences in ap— proaches in teaching at the two levels. It was concluded that the graduates of SAC are ex— tremely interested in assisting the college in pro- viding future students with the best kind of educa- tional experiences. This conclusion is supported by the many positive suggestions offered through the open-ended questions and the percentage (approximate- ly 80 per cent) who responded to the questionnaire. several improve 1. 165 Few negative or derogatory statements were made. Recommendations The results and conclusions of this study led to recommendations which, if followed, could possibly the SAC experience for present and future students. As suggested by graduates and supported in the literature, it is recommended that careful atten- tion be given to selecting the most able faculty to staff the CPLA courses with special concern be- ing given to their ability (1) to present and be models of the Christian perspective, (2) to assist the student in the integration of knowledge and (3) to present, Without bias, alternatives of action. Since the course, "God and Man" received the lowest rating of all the courses in the group, it is rec- ommended that a serious attempt be made to reorgan- ize the course in such a way as to present the Christ- ian perspective in a more practical and less historic manner. Since the respondents indicated a feeling that the range of course offerings Within the majors and minors was too restricted, it is recommended that the course offerings be broadened within reasonable limitations of staff, facilities, and budget and that no minor offering be staffed with less than two full-time in— structors. 166 Since the majority of the SAC students come to col- lege with strong vocational interests and since they find little aSSistance in making vocational choices after arriving on campus, it is recommended that an office be created on campus for the purpose of pro- viding students with information about and guidance in the selection of a profession, career, or vocation. Since graduates indicated that faculty are the most influential group on campus, it 18 recommended that emphasis be placed on the cultivation of this factor in order to maximize the impact in deSired directions. Careful attention should be given to the student— advisor relationship. This study shows this relation— ship to be potentially dynamic. The faculty member should be recognized as haVing greater potential than a course in presenting the Christian perspective. Graduates have indicated support for the Christian perspective but have registered frustration in that it was not always clearly articulated. It is rec- ommended that the Christian perspective be clearly articulated and that its applications to and impli- cations for all academic disciplines be presented. Rather than taking a doctrinaire position, the Christian perspective should prOVide a stance from which all subject matter is studied. The suggestion made by several respondents that teacher education courses needed to be made more 167 relevant at SAC is well supported in the literature reviewed. Critics like Silberman, cite the lack of relevance as one of the major problems in current teacher education programs. It is recommended that the courses in methods be practical in nature; taught, where possible, by actual practitioners; that student teachers be required to practice certain skills in teaching in small groups before entering the regular student teaching experience. Since the total college experience is important in the training of the prospective teacher and Since a teacher is more likely to teach as he has been taught than as he has been taught to teach, it is recommended that the entire faculty accept the re- sponsibility for the training of teachers at SAC. As suggested in the literature, far too long the regular academic instructor has taken too lightly this responsibility. Respondents indicated weaknesses in the student teaching experience that need to be corrected in order to increase the value of the experience. It is recommended that the college look seriously at such problems as the selection of superViSing teachers, the placement of student teachers, articulation be- tween the college and the schools, superViSion by the college coordinator, the requiring of course work during student teaching, and the possibility of 10. 168 providing a more varied experience in student teach- ing including more than one level and/or supervising teacher. It is further recommended that the college look at the cluster program presently being followed at Michigan State University as a model for achieving many of the above goals. It is finally recommended that the findings of this study be carefully examined and that the suggestions for improvement offered be considered in the context in which they have been presented. Implications for Further Research The literature reviewed and the findings of this study have illustrated the need for further study of the col- lege product, the graduate. l. 3. An in—depth longitudinal study, beginning with the student as he enters college and following him un— til he graduates in order to measure the impact made by the college, needs to be done so that other aspects of the impact of the college experience can be measured. A further study of the teacher education graduates with secondary certification to discover why such a small percentage are teaching at the senior high level might have implications for teacher preparation at that level. A study of the perceptions of the employers of the graduates of SAC would give another view of the 169 relative success of the teacher training program. Such a study would be an excellent follow-up of the present study. A study of other aspects of the college program should be carried out. No attempt was made in this study to examine the Whole area of student personnel services. Since some authorities say that a student spends 80 per cent of his time outside of the class- room, it would appear that this aspect of the col- lege experience would be potentially dynamic. A characteristic of this study was the use of an instrument which provided no comparative data so that the findings could be checked against the data from other institutions. A study using standardized data would provide useful information about the impact of the college on students. The American College Test- ing Program has such an instrument; "Institutional Self Study". This approach is strongly recommended. A similar study should be done periodically to permit the maintenance of a current view of the opinions of graduates about the Spring Arbor College experience. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Allport, Floyd H. Theories of Perception and the Concept of Structure. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1955. Ayers, Bagley, ed. Making Teacher Education More Relevant. Washington, D.C.: Society of Professors of Education, 1970. Bell, Daniel. The Reforming of General Education. New York: Columbia University Press, 1966. Bennie, William A. Cooperation For Better Student Teaching. Minneapolis, Minn.: .Burgess Publishing Company, 1966. Bereiter, Carl and Freedman, Mervin B. "Fields of Study and the People in Them." The American College. Edited by Nevitt Sanford. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1962. Blackburn, Robert T. "General Education in Liberal Arts Colleges." New Dimensions in Higher Education. Number 24. Edited by Everett H. Hopkins. Durham, North Carolina: U. 8. Health, Education, and Welfare. Blackman, Edward B. "General Education." Encyclopedia of Educational Research. 4th ed. Edited by Robert L. Ebel. London: Collier-Macmillan Limited, 1969, pp. 522-533. Bosley, Howard E. Teacher Education in Transition. Volume I. An Experiment in Change. Maryland: Multi—State Teacher Education Project, 1969. Broudy, Harry S. "The Role of the Foundational Studies In the Preparation of Teachers." Improving Teacher Education in the United States. Edited by Stanley Elam. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967. Bush, Robert N. "The Science and Art of Educating Teachers." Improving Teacher Education in the United States. Edited by Stanley Elam. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967. ’ 170 171 . "A Schema for Teacher Education." Teacher Edu- cation: A Reappraisal. Edited by Elmer R. Smith. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962, 183—194. Carlin, Edward A. "General Education for the Future." General Education: Current Issues and Concerns. Washington, D.C.: Association for Higher Education, National Education Association, 1964. Chandler, B. J. Education and the Teacher. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1961. Cogan, Morris L. "The Academic Major in the Education of Teachers.: Improving Teacher Education in the United States. Edited by Stanley Elam. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa, 1967. Combs, Arthur W. The Professional Education of Teachers. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1965. Conant, James Bryant. The Education of American Teachers. New York: McGraw—Hill Book Company, Inc., 1963. Cook, M. Olin. "Effects of Change of Major." Improving College and University Teaching, XVIII (Winter, 1970); PP. 55-56. Dean, Lee and Kennedy, W. Henry. "APosition Paper on Student Teaching Programs." Teacher Education in Transition. Volume I. Maryland: Multi-State Teacher Education Project, 1969, pp. 165-172. Ebel, Robert L., ed. Encyclopedia of Educational Research. 4th ed. London: The Macmillan Company, Collier— Macmillan Limited, 1969. Engbretson, William E. "Curricular Relevance In Teacher Education.” Stress and Campus Response. San Fran- cisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, pp. 220-231. Feldman, Kenneth A. and Newcomb, Theodore, M. The Impact of College on Students. Volume I. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Inc., Publishers, 1969. Good, Carter V. Essentials of Educational Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966. , ed. Dictionary of Education. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, Inc., 1959. , Barr, A.S., Ccates, Douglas E. The Methodology of Educational Research. New York: Appleton-Century- Crofts, Inc., 1941. 172 Gooden, Herbert. "Contemporary Issues in Teacher Education-- an American VieWpoint." Towards a Policy for the Education of Teachers. Edited by William Taylor. London: Butterworths, 1969. Gurrey, P. Education and the Training of Teachers. London: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1963. Hazard, William R. "Negotiation and the Education of Teachers." Teacher Education: Future Directions. Edited by Margaret Lindsey. Association of Teacher Educators, 1970, pp. 100-120. Herriott, Robert E. "Survey Research Method." Encyclopedia of Educational Research. Edited by Robert L. Ebel. 4th ed. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1969. Johnson, B. Lamar. General Education in Action. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1952. Koerner, James D. The Miseducation of American Teachers. Boston:l Houghton-Mifflin, 1963. Liberal Arts Colleges and Teacher Education. AACTE Study Series. Number 7. Washington, D.C.: The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1963. Lieberman, Myron. The Future of Public Education. Phoenix Books. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960. Lindsey, Margaret, ed. Teacher Education: Future Directions. The Association of Teacher Educators, 1970. , ed. New Horizons For the Teaching Profession. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association of the United States, 1961. Mayhew, Lewis B., ed. General Education. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1960. McGrath, Earl and Russell, Charles H. Are School Teachers Illiberally Educated? Teachers College, Columbia University, Institute of Higher Education, 1961. Morse, Horace T. "Liberal and General Education: A Problem of Differentiation." General Education: Current Issues and Concerns. Edited by James G. Rice. Washington, D.C.: Association for Higher Education, National Education Association, 1964. Rice, James G., ed. General Education: Current Issues and Concerns. Washington, D.C.: Association for Higher Education, 1964. 173 Russell, James E. Change and Challenge in American Education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965. Sanford, Nevitt, ed. The American College. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962. Where Colleges Fail. San Francisco: Jossey-Boss Inc., Publishers, 1967. Selby, Samuel M., ed. Standard Mathematical Tables. 14th ed. Cleveland: The Chemical Rubber Company, 1965, pp. 252-257. Silberman, Charles. CriSis In the Classroom. New York: Random House, 1970. Slonim, Morris James. Sampling in A Nutshell. New York: Simon and Shuster, 1960. Smith, Elmer R., ed. Teacher Education: A Reappraisal. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962. . "Specialized Knowledge." Teacher Education: A Reappraisal. Edited by Elmer R. Smith. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962, pp. 51-63. Spring Arbor College Catalog. Spring Arbor, Michigan: Spring Arbor College, 1971-72 Stiles, Lindley J., et a1. Teacher Education in the United States. New York: Ronald Press, 1960. Walton, John. "The Role of the School." Teacher Education: A Reappraisal. Edited by Elmer R. Smith. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962, pp. 20-40. Wilhelms, Fred T. "Realignments for Teacher Education." Teacher Education: Future Directions. Edited by Margaret Lindsey. Association of Teacher Educators, (1970), pp. 5-17. Wise, John E., Nordberg, Robert B., and Reitz, Donald J. Methods of Research in Education. Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1967. Periodicals Allen, Dwight W. and Hawkes, Glenn W. "Reconstruction of Teacher Education and ProfeSSional Growth Programs." Phi Delta Kappan, L11 (September, 1970), pp. 4-12. 174 Arrowsmith, William. "The Future of Teaching." The Public Interest, (Winter, 1967), pp. 53-67. Aspy, David N. "Maslow and Teachers in Training." Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Fall, 1969), pp. 303-309. Bennett, Don. "Teacher Committment--Whose Responsibility?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Winter, 1970), pp. 515-518. Blume, Robert. "Humanizing Teacher Education." Phi Delta Kappan, LVII (March, 1971, pp. 411-415. Bonham, George W. "The Devaluated Society." Change, III (September, 1971), pp. 11-12. Boyer, Ernest L. "Campus-Wide Preparation of Teachers: An Exercise in Collaboration." Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (September, 1965), pp. 271-274. Brown, Richard H. "Notes on Teacher Education." Change, II (March-April, 1970), pp. 44-47. Buchanan, M. Marcia. "Preparing Teachers to be Persons." Phi Delta Kappan, LII (June, 1971), pp. 614-616. Calvert, Robert, Jr. "Liberal Arts Graduates: They Would Do It Again." Personnel and Guidance Journal, XLIX (October, 1970), pp. 123-129. Davis, O. L., Jr. and Yamamoto, Kaoru. "Teachers in Prepara- tion: Professional Attitudes and Motivations." Journal of Teacher Education, XIX (Fall, 1968), p. 365. Eastman, George. "Resistance to Change Within Liberal Arts Colleges; Diagnosis and Prognosis." Journal of General Education, XIX (October, 1967), pp. 224-232. Evans, Howard V. "The Liberal Arts College in an Age of Increasing Nihilism." Liberal Education, LVI (October, 1970), pp. 389-402. Feldman, Kenneth A. "Studying the Impacts of Colleges on Students." Sociology of Education, XLII (Summer, 1969), pp. 207-237. French, Sidney J. "General Education——The Second Mile." Journal of General Education, XIX (July, 1967), pp. 89997. Fullmer, D. W. "Success and Perseverance of University Stu— dents." Journal of Higher Education, XXVII (1956), pp. 445-447. 175 Goddu, Roland J. B. and Ducharme, Edward R. "A Responsive Teacher-Education Program." Teachers College Record, LXXII (February, 1971), pp. 431-441. Hamachek, Don. "Characteristics of Good Teachers and Implica— tions for Teacher Education." Phi Delta Kappan, L (February, 1969), pp. 341-344. Hoover, Kenneth H., and others. "A Comparison of Expressed Teaching Strengths Before and After Student Teaching." Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (1965), pp. 324-328. Horton, Lowell. "Teacher Education: By Design or Crisis?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Fall, 1971), pp. 265-267. Kalick, Perry M. "New Directions in Teacher Training and Placement." Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Fall, 1971), PP. 261-267. King, Edgar A. "Can Professional Education Survive in the Traditional Liberal Arts Colleges?" Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Spring, 1969), pp. 15-16. Lin, Vincent T. C. "Some Suggestions on Reform of General Education." American Associaton of Uniyersity Professors, LV (December, 1969), pp. 445-451. McAulay, J. D. "How Much Influence Has a Cooperating Teacher?" Journal of Teacher Education, XI (1960), pp. 79-83. Nash, Robert J. and Agne, Russell M. "Competency in Teacher Education: A Prop for the Status Quo?" Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Summer, 1971), Pp. 147-156. Nathan, Robert S. "Messiah of the Ed Schools." Change, III (October, 1971), pp. 51—56. Nelson, Jack L. "Follow-Up Study of Graduates." Improving College and University Teaching, XII (Spring, 1964), pp. 111-112. Ott, Jack M., Thompson, Barbara S., and Merriman, Howard 0. "Perscription for Pedagogy: A Teacher Education Pro- gram." Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Fall, 1970), PP. 352-356. Robbins, Glaydon D. "The Impact of Current Educational Change upon Teacher Education." Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Summer, 1969), pp. 182—187. Shoben, Edward Joseph, Jr. "The Liberal Arts and Contemporary Society: the 19705." Liberal Education, LVI (March, 1970), PP. 28-38. 176 Steeves, Frank L. "Crucial Issues in Student Teaching." Journal of Teacher Education, XVI (September, 1965), pp. 307-310. Stiles, Lindley J. "Interdisciplinary Accountability for Teacher Education." Journal of Higher Education, XXXIX (January, 1968), pp. 23-31. Storing, James A. "A Modern Design for General and Liberal Education on a College Campus." Journal of General Education, XVIII (October, 1966), pp. 155-162. Taylor, Harold. "The Teacher in the World." The UniverSity of Texas Graduate Journal, VIII (1968). Thompson, Ralph H. "Where Teacher Education Programs Fail." Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Summer, 1970), pp. 264—269. Tonsor, Stephen J. "The Church-Related College: Special Mission or Education Anachronism?" Liberal Educa- tion, LVI (October, 1970), pp. 403-411. Wagener, James W. "A New Role for Foundation Courses in Teacher Education." Journal of Teacher Education, XXI (Winter, 1970), pp. 489-493. Weisman, Seymour S., Snadowsky, AlVin, and Alpert, Estelle. "Alumni Feedback and Curriculum ReViSion." Improving College and UniverSity Teaching, XVIII (Spring, 1 1970), pp. 120—121. Wiersma, William, and Vergiels, John. "Relationships Between Professional Variables: A Study of Secondary Teacher Education Students." Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Winter, 1969), pp. 476—479. Willis, David E. "Learning and Teaching in Methods Courses Part I: Current Practice." Journal of Teacher Education, XIX (Spring, 1968), pp. 37-46. Wrenn, C. Gilbert. "A Critique of Methods Used in Follow-Up Studies of Students." Harvard EducationalfiReview, X (May, 1940), pp. 357-363. ‘Yamamoto, Kaoru, et a1. "As They See It: Culling Impressions from Teachers in Preparation." Journal of Teacher Education, XX (Winter, 1969), pp. 465-475. Yee, Albert H. "A Model for the Development of Teacher Edu- cation Relevant to the '705." Journal of Teacher Education, XXII (Spring, 1971), Pp. 10-14. 177 Unpublished Materials Brass, R. V.' "An Investigation of Selected Personal Back— ground Factors and Reasons Related to Students Who Change Schools Within Purdue University." Unpub- lished Ph. D. dissertation, Purdue University, 1956. Campbell, Kenneth Claude. "An Evaluation of the Undergraduate Elementary and Early Childhood Teacher Education Pro- gram at the University of Georgia. Based on a Follow- up Study of Teaching Graduates." Unpublished Ed. D. dissertation, University of Georgia, 1970. Hardy, Blanch B. "A Follow-Up Study of Stillman College." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1960. Jackson, Charles Louis. "A Study of Selected Student Teach- ing Experiences Reported By Michigan State University Cluster Program and Conventional Program Student Teachers." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1971. McCollough, Jerry Jerome. "An Evaluation of the Teacher Education Program at Fort Lewis College: An Opinion Survey of Teacher Education Graduates with In-service Experience." Unpublished Ed. D. dissertation, Uni— versity of Northern Colorado, 1970. McLevie, John G. "An Examination of Teaching Concerns Reported by Secondary Student Teachers." Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1970. O'Connor, Thomas J. Follow-Up Studies In Junior Colleges: A Tool For Institutional Improvement. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Junior Colleges, 1965. Pucel, David J., Nelson, Howard F., and Wheeler, David N. Questionnaire Follow—Up Returns As a Function of Incentives and Responder Characteristics. Project MINI-SCORE, Department of Industrial Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Univeristy of Minnesota, 1970. (USOE Project No. HRD 5—0148). Trent, J. W. "Personal Factors in College ChOice." (Paper read at the annual meeting of the College Entrance Examination Board, 1965). Whitman, Anita Bragg. "Perceptions of the General Education Program at Auburn UniverSity as Assessed by Elementary Education Graduates, 1962—1967." Unpublished Ph. D. disSertation, Auburn UniverSity, 1970. 178 Other Sources Consulted Leafgren, Fred. "Image Study: College Characteristics Inventory." (no date). Henderson, John Wayne. "Fraternity Study: A Follow-Up Study of the Members of Greek Letter Social Fraternities at Michigan State University." East Lansing, Michigan. "Senior Questionnaire." Berkeley, California: Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Cali— fornia, 1962. Hardy, Blanch Brewster. "Stillman in Retrospect: Alumni Look at Their College: A Follow—Up Study of College Graduates." Stillman College. "Study of Student Teaching in Michigan." Michigan: Deans and Directors of Teacher Education in Michigan, June, 1970. "Mount Marty College." Alumnae Questionnaire used by Mount Marty College, Yankton, South Dakota, 1967. Lenning, Oscar T. and Johnson, Bernie. "Pool or Pre— liminary Rough Draft Items." Iowa City, Iowa: The American College Testing Program, 1971. "Forty Years and Over . . . A Questionnaire on the Acti— vities, Experiences, and Opinions of Graduates of the College of Saint Teresa.” Alumnae Survey, College of Saint Teresa, 1935. Bjork, Clarence M. and Stordahl, Kalmer E. "Follow-Up Study of Northern Michigan Master of Arts Graduates." Unpublished, Northern Michigan University, 1966. Briggs, Barbara C. "Elementary Education Graduate Follow- Up Study 1959-1969, Kentucky: Louisville University, July, 1970. APPENDICES APPENDIX A BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION BY FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION BY FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE Item Frequency Per cent AGE OF RESPONDENTS AT TIME OF SURVEY 1. Under 25 24 21.6 2. 25-29 62 55.9 3. 30-34 16 14.4 4. 35-39 2 1.8 5. 40-44 2 1.8 6. 45 or over 5 4.5 Total 111* 100.0 ADVANCE WORK TAKEN SINCE GRADUATION 1. Yes 87 78.4 2. No 24 21.6 Total 111 100.0 HIGHEST DEGREE EARNED 1. B.A. 97 87.4 2. M.A. or M.S. 14 12.6 Total 111 100.0 ARE CURRENTLY PURSUING AN ADVANCED DEGREE 1. Yes 44 40.7 2. No 64 59.3 Total 108 100.0 *The total number of respondents was 112. Where the frequency listed is less than 112, the difference represents non—responses. 179 180 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. Item Frequency Per cent CURRENT OCCUPATION 1. Armed Services 4 3.6 2. Clerk 1 0.9 3. College Instructor 1 0.9 4. Educational Research and Development 1 0.9 5. Electronic Technician 1 0.9 6. Elementary Principal l 0.9 7. Graduate Student 7 6.2 8. High School Librarian 2 1.8 9. Homemaker 8 7.1 10. Laborer 1 0.9 11. Local Government 1 0.9 12. Machine Operator 1 0.9 13. Management Analyst—- U.S. Govt. l 0.9 14. Metropolitan MiSSionary 1 0.9 15. Minister 8 7.1 16. Professional Fund Raiser l 0.9 17. Reading Consultant 1 0.9 18. Social Worker 1 0.9 19. Teacher 66 58.9 20. Unemployed 2 1.8 21. No response 2 1.8 Total 112 100.0 MARITAL STATUS AT TIME OF SURVEY 1. Single 17 15.3 2. Married 92 82.9 3. Divorced 2 1.8 Total 111 100.0 SIZE OF HOME COMMUNITY l. A rural community 25 22.5 2. A small town 30 27.0 3. A small city 17 15.3 4. A city 19 17.1 5. A large city 10 9.0 6. A metropolis 10 9.0 Total 111 99.9 181 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. Item Frequency Per cent CURRENT GROSS INCOME LEVEL 1. No income 1 0.9 2. Under $5,000 20 17.9 3. $5,001-$6,000 8 7.1 4. $6,001-$7,000 3 2.7 5. $7,001-$8,000 15 13.4 6. $8,001-$9,000 23 20.5 7. $9,001-$10,000 16 14.3 8. Over $10,000 26 23.2 Total 112 100.0 MOST IMPORTANT REASON FOR ATTENDING COLLEGE 1. To obtain a broad general education 8 2. To prepare for a vocation 90 3. To increase earning power 2 4 To gain better understanding of the world and people in it 5 5. It was the thing to do 1 6. Other 6 Total 112 cw FJO~J mJ>FJ UTOsb axon 100.0 MAJOR REASON FOR CHOOSING SPRING ARBOR COLLEGE 1. To gain a Christian perspective 2. Good academic program 3. Influence of a friend or relative 4. Located near my home 5. Other Total 36 5 29 25 17 112 25.9 22.3 15.2 100.0 182 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. Item Frequency Per cent FATHER'S HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 1. Less than 8th grade 10 8.9 2. Completed 8th grade 25 22.3 3. Some high school 13 11.6 4. High school graduate 31 27.7 5. Some college 16 14.3 6. College graduate 8 7.1 7. Graduate work 9 8.1 Total (x = 3.66) 112 100.0 MOTHER'S HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 1. Less than 8th grade 2 1.8 2. Completed 8th grade 12 10.7 3. Some high school 12 10.7 4. High school graduate 41 36.6 5. Some college 26 23.2 6. College graduate 13 11.6 7. Graduate work 6 5.4 Total <2 = 4.25) 112 100.0 SPRING ARBOR COLLEGE MAJORS 1. Biology 12 10.9 2. Economics—Business 1 0.9 3. Elementary Education 17 15.4 4. English 17 15.4 5. Exact Science 1 0.9 6. History 8 7.3 7. Mathematics 13 11.8 8. Music 6 5.5 9. Philosophy-Religion 3 2.7 10. Physical Education 5 4.6 11. Psychology 3 2.8 12. Social Science 22 20.0 13. Other 2 1.8 Total 110 100 0 183 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. Item Frequency Per cent FIRST COLLEGE MINOR 1. Art 1 1.2 2. Biology 8 9.3 3. Chemistry 2 2.3 4. Economics 7 8.1 5. English 5 5.8 6. French 1 1.2 7. History 5 5.8 8. Mathematics 4 4.7 9. Music 8 9.3 10. Physical Science 1 1.2 11. Philosophy—Religion 5 5.8 12. Physical Education 7 8.1 13. Physics 3 3.5 14. Political Science 1 1.2 15. Psychology 6 7.0 16. Spanish 2 2.3 ~17. Speech 1 1.1 18. Social Science 16 18.6 19. Sociology 3 3.5 Total 86 100.0 SECOND COLLEGE MINOR 1. Art 1 5.6 2. Biology 1 5.5 3. English 3 16.6 4. French 1 5.6 5. History 1 5.6 6. Music 1 5.5 7. Psychology 2 11.1 8. Spanish 1 5.6 9. Speech 1 5.6 10. Social Science 6 33.3 Total 18 100.0 184 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. Item Frequency Per cent MAJOR REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TEACHING PROFESSION 1. Job security 3 3.5 2. Desire to work with children or teenagers 55 63.9 3. Desire to impart information 4 4.7 4. Interest in subject matter 10 11.6 5. Insufficient information about other vocations 8 9.3 6. Other 6 7.0 Total 86 100.0 CURRENT TEACHING LEVEL 1. Elementary 34 39.5 2. Middle School 3 3.5 3. Junior High 19 22.1 4. Senior High 8 9.3 5. Not teaching 5 5.8 6. Other 17 19.8 Total 86 100.0 SIZE OF COMMUNITY WHERE SCHOOL LOCATED 1. Rural community 14 18.9 2. Small town 24 32.4 3. Small city 19 25.6 4. City 11 14.9 5. Large city 3 4.1 6. Metropolis 3 4.1 Total 74 100.0 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Con't. 185 Item Frequency Per cent PRESENT REACTION TO TEACHING 1. Like it very much 37 46.2 2. Well satisfied 16 20.0 3. Satisfied 15 18.8 4. Just tolerate it 7 8.7 5. Dislike it 5 6.3 Total 80 100.0 NUMBER OF YEARS TAUGHT 1. One year 9 11.4 2. Two years 8 10.1 3. Three years 20 25.3 4. Four years 15 19.0 5. Five years 15 19.0 6. Six or more years 12 15.2 Total 79 100.0 APPENDIX B THE QUESTIONNAIRE A Study of Selected Aspects of The Spring Arbor College Experience Spring Arbor College is: conducting an evaluation of the college experience as perceived by its graduates. Your responses will help guide us in our effort to make the college experience more meaningful for current students, as well as for those who will enroll in the future. The prompt response of each participant is vital to the success of this study. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to assist us. The purpose of the number at the bottom of this page is to identify this questionnaire. The persons who tabulate the results will not know your identity. Careful steps have been taken to scrupulously preserve, your anonymity. When you have completed the questionnaire, please return it in the envelope provided. If you wish a COpy of the results of this study, please check __ 186 A. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 1. What is your age? ______ (8) 2. Have you taken advanced work since graduatlng from SAC? Yes ____ No __ (9) 3. What Is the highest degree you have eamed? (10) 4. Are you now pursuing an advanced degree? Yes _— No _— (11) 5. What Is your current occupation? (12) QUESTIONS 6 THROUGH 11 (Please check (v) the 9n_e best answer) 6. What Is your current marltal status? (13) 1 __ Single 4 __Wldowed 2 __ Married 5 _ Separated 3 __ Divorced 7. Whlch of the following comes closest to descrlblng the communlty In whlch you live? (14) 1 _. A rural community 2 __ A small town (up to 2,500) 3 ___A small city (2,500 to 25.000) 4 __ A city (25.000 to 100.000) 5 __ A large city (100,000 to 500.000) 6 __ A metropolis (500,000 or over) 8. What Is your annual gross Income level (excluding your spouse’s)? (15) 1 __ Under $5,000 5 _ $8.001 -$9,000 2 '__ $5,001-$6.000 6 _ $9,001- $10,000 3 __ $6,001-$7,000 7 __ Over $10,000 4 _ $7,001-$8.000 9. What was your _on_e most Important reason for attending college? (16) 1 __ To obtain a broad general education 2 _ To prepare for a vocation 3 __ To increase your earning power 4 To gain a better understanding of the world and the people in it 5 _ It was the thIng to do 6 _ Other 10. What was the E major reason you chose SAC? (17) 1 __ To gain a Chrlstlan perspective 2 __ Good academic program 3 _ Influence of a friend or relative 4 _ Located near my home 5 __ Other 11. Which of the following best descrlbes (a) your father’s and (b) your mother’s hlghest formal educational attainment? a. Father's b. Mother's (18) 1 _ Less than 8th grade __.1 (25) 2 __ Completed 8th grade __ 2 , 3 __ Some high school __3 r 4 _ High school graduate __4 7 a; 5 __ Some college __ 5 6 __ College graduate _6 7 ._ Graduate work __7 B. EVALUATION OF THE CPLA PROGRAM QUESTIONS 12 THROUGH 15 (Please use the numeric scale to respond to each item) 4 - Superior (A) 1- Below average (D) 3 - Good (B) 0 - Unsatisfactory (F) 2 - Average (C) 12. How would you evaluate the contribution made by the followlng toward your development of a Christian perspectlve for learnlng? (32) 1 __ A course or courses In CPLA 2 __Contact with a faculty member 3 __ A particular religious experience 4 __ A special chapel program 5 _Small group participation 13. Please rank each CPLA course whlch you took at SAC for its overall contribution (a) to your degree program and (b) for adequacy In provldlng a foundation for further study In the liberal arts. a. Contribution to total degree b. Contribution to a foundation for program w (37) 1 __ God and Man __.1 (46) 2 _ Thought and Symbol __ 2 3 _ Freedom and Order __3 4 _ Structure and System __.4 5 _ Energy and Matter __.5 6 __ Image and Idea _ 6 7 _. Mind and Motivatlon __7 8 _ Concepts and Values __.8 9 _ Language Analysis __9 14. Please rate each of these aspects of the CPLA courses which you took at SAC. (55) 1 General clearness of major objective 2 __ General agreement between objectives and assignments 3 __ Clear organization of class presentations 4 __ Clear explanation of Important Ideas 5 _ Instructor’s encouragement for you to seek help when necessary 6 _ Usage of class time for Instructlon purposes 7 _ Instructor's regard for vlewpoints different from his own 8 _Stimulation of classes 9 __ Fairness of class grades Hugh A. White Library i 15. How well do you think SAC succeeded In providing the E following? (Use numeric code) (64) 1 __ Enabled the student to achieve a broad cultural background 2 _ Helped the student to develop the ability for critical thinking 3 _ Provided. opportunities for developing leadershIp skills Encouragedr the student to understand ( 4 uman behavio 5__ Prepared the student primarily for his f future occupatio 6 _ Emphasized intellectual growth more than grades 7 _ Prepared the student to be a life long student I 8 __Stimulated through various means the exploration of areas outside the students own field of study 9 _Developed one's ability to get along with people 10 __ Helped one to understand community and world problems 11 __ Helped an individual to develop more fully his morals. ethical standards. and values 12___ Provided for assistance with personal problems 13 Investigated religious philosophical, and moral proble QUESTIONS 16 THROUGH 21 (Please check (v) the gag best answer) 16. How would you describe your involvement. while at SAC, in the study of the liberal arts? (8) 1_Very involved 3 __Mildly involved 2 __ Somewhat involved 4 _ Not involved 17. Which o_I_I_e of the following best describes your commitment to Jesus Christ as a perspective for Ieaming? __ No commitment 2 __ A set of beliefs which you hold 3__ A set of guides for judgingiright and wrong 4__ A realization thati you are following a revealed way of 5 __ A personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master 63 | l (9) 1 l 187 18. To what degree did your experience at SAC influence you toward critical participation In the affairs of the contemporary world? (10) 1_High 3__Low 2 __ Moderate 4 _— No participation 19. What o_ne thing stands out m_o__st in your memory about your ex—perience at SAC. (11) 1 ___One or two stimulating teachers 2__ A social function 3__ An athletic program 4_ An outstanding chapel program 5_ Other 20. Which o_n_e of the following statements best describes your general attitude toward the CPLA program? (12) 1_ Provided a Christian perspective for further study in the liberal art 2 Gave a broad foundation upon which to build a major 3__ Provided new insights into the relationships between the academic disciplin 4 Were on the whole beneficial 5 Were too general and failed to challenge 21. Which of the following represent areas of living in which you wish SAC had given more help? (check as many as apply) (13) 1 Understanding and preparing for a vocation 2 _. Approaches to solving personal problems __ Understanding and planning for economic life How to work with groups __ The development of social skills _ Understanding and promoting health in home and community 7 _Relationships with people of other races 0701-500 22. How do you think the CPLA program could be improved? (Please be specific in your suggestions) C. EVALUATION OF YOUR MAJOR AND/OR MINOR(S) 23. What was your SAC college major? (list only one) (20) QUESTIONS 24 THROUGH 28 (Please check (\/) the 9% best answer) 24. At what point in your education did you definitely decide on your college major? (select best answer) (22) 1 __ Before high school 2 _ During high school 3 Freshman year of college 4 _Sophomore year of college 5 _Junior year of college 25. If you selected a major after entering college, who had the greatest influence on your choice? (23) 1 __ Faculty members 2 __ College administrators 3 __ Your college advisor 4 __ Other 26. Which o_ne of the following best describes your motivation In choosing a major? (24) 1 __ Pursuit of a well established interest 2 __ Desire for a liberal education 3 Need or desire to earn a living 4 __ Other 27. What was (were) your minor(s)? (25) 1 2 28. How did you choose your SAC college minor(s)? (check 9n_e for first minor and _on_e for second minor) First Second (29) 1 _ To correlate with and _1 (30) supplement my major 2 __ To provide for breadth __ 2 of interests 3 __ To follow a special __3 interest 4 _. To study under a _ 4 particular instructor 5 _ By accident (built on __5 required courses in which i had the most credits) 6___ Other_____ __6 QUESTIONS 29 AND 30 (Please use the numeric scale provided) 4-Superior (A) 1-Below average (D) 3-Good (B) 0- Unsatisfactory (F) 2-Average (C) 29. How would you rate the courses in your SAC major? (31) 1 __General clearness of major objective 2 _ General agreement between objectives and assignments 3 __ Clear organization of class presentations 4 __ Clear explanation of important ideas 5 __ Instructor's encouragement for you to seek help when necessary 6 __ Usage of class time for instruction purposes 7 _ Instructor's regard for vieWpolnts different from his own 8 __Stimulation of classes 9 __ Fairness of class grades 30. How would you rate the courses In. your SAC minor(s)? a. First Minor b. Second Minor (40) 1 _ __ General clearness of _ 1 (49) major objectives 2 __ General agreement ___'2 between objectives and assignments 3 _ Clear organization of- _3 class presentations 4 __ Clear explanation of _4 Important Ideas 5 .. Instructor's encourage- _5 ment for you to seek help when necessary 6 __ Usage of class time __6 for instruction 7 _ Instructor's regard _7 for viewpoints differ- ent from his own 8 _ . Stimulation of classes __8 9 __ Fairness of class __9 grades 31. How would you suggest that the major and/or minor programs at SAC be strengthened? (Please be specific In your suggestions) THANK YOU! I D. EVALUATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION ’ PROGRAM QUESTIONS 32 THROUGH 35 (Please check (x/) the o_ne best answer '32. What was the major reason you chose teaching as a career? (58) 1__ Job security 2 Desire to work with children or teenagers 3_ Desire to impart lnfonnation 4_ Interest in subject matter 5__ 6 Insufficient information about other vocations __ Other 33. At what level are you presently teaching? (59) 1 __Elementary 2 __ Middle school 3 Junior high . 4 _ Senior high 5 _ Other 6 _ Not teaching '34. Which one of the following comes closest to describing the location of your school? (60) 1 __ Rural community __._ Small town (up to 2 ,500) 3___ Small city (2, 500 to 25 000) 4_ City (25,000 to 100,000) 5__ Large city (100,000 to 500,000) 6___ Metropolis (500,000 or over) 35. What Is your present reaction to teaching? (61) 1 __ Like it very much 2 _ Well satisfied 3 __Satisfied 4 __ Just tolerate It 5 __ Dislike it 36. How many years have you taught? (62) Student Center - Dining Commons 188 QUESTIONS 37 THROUGH 39 (Use the following numeric scale) 1- Below average (D) 0- Unsatisfactory (F) 4 - Superior (A) 3- Good (B) 2 - Average (C) 37. What level of proficiency did you develop during your student teaching experience In the following areas? (63) 1__ Understanding Obligations to the school wnhich you did your student teaching 2__. Preparing unit and daily lesson plans 3._ Adjusting content to individual differences 4__ Evaluation Of pupil learning 5 __ Classroom management 6_ Use of instructional materials and media 7___ Adapting learning activities to your subject or grade level 8 __ Handling discipline problems 9 _Understanding how students learn 10 Understanding the teacher's role in the classroom 11 __ Knowledge about teacher's professional organizations ‘ 12 _ Knowledge and skills to handle new innovative practices in education 13 _ Knowledge and skills to ge a good teacher 14 __ Appreciation for the SAC student teaching program 38. How would you rate the following aspects of your student teaching experience at SAC? (8) 1 __ Quality of supervision from your supervising teacher 2 __ Quality of supervision from your college coordinator 3_ Amount of time spent student teaching 4_ Relationship with supervising teacher 5 _ Relationship with college coordinator 6 _ Student teaching seminars 39. How would you rate the course work you took at SAC in teacher education? (14) 1 __Great Ideas in Education 2 Introduction to Student Teaching 3 _ Elementary Methods Workshop 4 _ Secondary Methods Workshop 5 __ Methods and Materials for Elementary Teaching 6 _ Elementary School Music 7_ Modern Math 8__ Basic Art for Teachers 9__ Physical Education for Elementary School 0 _ Children' 3 Literature 1__ Audio- Visual Materials please complete Other side 40. How many of the following did (a) you experience while student teaching and (b) which of these would you recommend for Inclusion in future student teaching programs? (Check as many as apply in both columns) You experienced You recommend (25) 1 _ Handling discipline problems Of class without supervising teacher _1 (38) 2 _ Developing own daily lesson plans _ 2 3 __ Organizing and teaching a unit Of instruction _3 4 _ Teaching on a small group (two to ten or less) basis __ 4 5 _ Developing material to enrich lesson you taught __ 5 6 __ Developing own teaching aids for a class presentation _ 6 7 _ Selecting content material Of a subject taught _ 7 8 __ Assuming total responsibility for Opening activities Of classroom __ 8 9 Including provisions for individual differences in lesson plans ___9 10 __ Constructing and administering tests over material you taught __ 10 11 _ Developing a file of activities, pictures, lesson plans or materials _ 11 12 __ Developing in your lesson plan materials for remedial pupils __ 12 13 __ Including in plans an introduction or set that had as its purpose __ 13 motivating the students 41. How could the teacher education program at SAC be improved 42. How do you think the student teaching experience could to better prospective teachers for the realities of teaching? be improved? please complete other side APPENDIX C COVER LETTER EII’IRLIIDI(} .ArI!]BNC)lR. (3(3HLIIJIEIGIIE -—--§L~-—-—-—-—- Spring Arbor, Michigan 49283 ~ I, I COVER LETTER Date Name Address Address Dear Alumnus: You have been selected from among the four-year baccalaureate graduates Of Spring Arbor College to participate in a follow-up study. Spring Arbor College has graduated nearly six hundred and fifty people between the years 1965 and 1970. It is felt that if all who have been chosen will participate, sufficient information can be gathered to make a valid study which will assist us in providing more effective opportunities for our students. You will be interested to know that we are currently involved in an in- depth study Of the total Spring Arbor College experience. With your help, we feel that the follow-up study will aid in this evaluation, in improving existing programs, and in providing valuable information about our graduates which can be Of much assistance to many areas of the college. The study is being conducted by Mr. John Newby, the college registrar, and the data gathered will be used in a doctoral dissertation for the Ph. D. degree at Michigan State University. Would you please complete the enclosed questionnaire and return it in the self-addressed envelope by December 15, 1971. We realize that you have many demands on your time and greatly appreciate your participation. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon and trust you are having a profitable year. Sincerely yours, Ellwood A. Voller President 189 APPENDIX D FOLLOW-UP LETTER EBIPIFLIIPUCB .AthfiE343IIS {CfOIIJIQlEiGIIE -—-~lé>-—-—-—-— Spring Arbor, Michigan 49283 . I FOLLOW—UP LETTER December 28, 1971 Dear Alumnus: About three weeks ago you were invited to participate in an opinion survey designed to aid in the evaluation of the Spring Arbor College experience with emphasis on the preparation of teachers. While many responses have been received, your's is still outstanding. In order for this study to have validity, a high rate of response is desired. We recognize thatgnnihave many demands on your time, but would encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and thus provide a real service to your Alma Mater. I have taken the liberty Of enclosing a second copy of the questionnaire in case your first copy was misplaced. Thank you very much for your cooperation. We hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and wish for you a rewarding new year. Sincerely yours, oller President Enclosure 190 AAAAA jillll 8 "1111111111