A STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF PART-TIME INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS IN SELECTED MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES By Carlos R. Schmitt A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education 1971 ABSTRACT A STUDY OF THE PROBLEMS OF PART-TIME INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS IN SELECTED MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES By Carlos R. Schmitt Statement of the Problem To meet the challenge of recruiting adequate quan­ tities of vocational-technical instructors, community college administrators have recruited persons directly from business, industry, health, and public service occu­ pations to serve as part-time instructors. The problem arises from the fact that employment of these persons directly from nonteaching occupations permits individuals possessing high competence in technical subject matter, but lacking professional teacher preparation or teaching experience, to teach in the classroom or laboratory. The purposes of this study were: (1) to identify problems of part-time and full-time industrial and techni­ cal instructors as perceived by their supervisors, the instructors themselves, and their students; (2) to identify / procedures which supervisors and part-time instructors recognize as being helpful in solving their problems; Carlos R. Schmitt ' and (3) to formulate recommendations which will assist the part-time instructors. Methodology The community college sample was made up of 11 institutions selected at random from 16 Michigan institu­ tions operating reimbursable industrial and technical programs. The instructor sample was stratified on the randomly selected institutions, and was composed of two part-time instructors without professional teacher pre­ paration and two full-time instructors with professional teacher preparation, from each of the 11 institutions. The supervisor sample was composed of the immediate supervisors of the instructors. The student sample was composed of students in classes taught by instructors who were interviewed, and who permitted the administering of a student rating form. The data were gathered by means of individual interviews with 21 part-time instructors, 21 full-time instructors, and 20 of their immediate supervisors. Additional data concerning the instructors were gathered from 473 students, by means of a structured student rating form. The data were subjected to descriptive and infer­ ential statistical analyses in order to answer the ques­ tions posed. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to test for problem differences between part-time Carlos R. Schmitt ' and full-time instructor gro u p s . Pearson Product-Moment Correlation tests were used to investigate the relation­ ships between instructors1 ratings and students1 ratings. Major Findings of the Study The findings related to the supervisors' percep­ tions of part-time instructors' problems were: (1) methods and procedures in selecting and organizing course materials; (2) methods and procedures in grading and evaluating students; rials; and (3) skill in developing test mate­ (4) selecting, designing, and using teaching aids and related materials. The problems as perceived by a majority of the part-time instructors were: (1) lack of materials such as course outlines, plans, and faculty handbook, which should be furnished upon appointment; of one's effectiveness as a teacher; tion to individual differences; (2) self-evaluation (3) adapting instruc­ (4) determining the various competencies required of graduates in o n e 's subject area; (5) keeping abreast of current ideas and trends in one's occupational area; and (6) developing satisfactory tests and examinations. Statistically significant differences were found between the full-time instructor and part-time instructor groups, based on students' ratings, with the higher positive ratings favoring the full-time instructor group Carlos R. Schmitt ' regarding course organization. Although not statistically significant, full-time instructors were rated better on instructor involvement and course demands. The part-time instructor group was rated slightly higher on studentinstructor interaction. A significant relationship was found between parttime instructors1 ratings on difficulty in course organi­ zation and students1 ratings of their instructors' course organization. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express sincere appreciation to my advisor and doctoral committee chairman, Dr. Lawrence Borosage, for his guidance and constructive suggestions through all phases of my graduate program. Special appreciation is given to the other members of my guid­ ance committee: Dr. George Ferns, Dr. Max Raines, and Dr. Rollin Simonds, who generously gave of their time and counsel. A debt of gratitude is acknowledged for the coop­ eration that was given by the community college adminis­ trators, instructors, and students who participated in the study. These acknowledgments would not be complete with­ out an expression of thanks to the research consultants who assisted in the interpretation of the statistical data. I am also indebted to the typists for their patience and support in typing drafts of the manuscript. And finally, I wish to express my appreciation to my wife, Janice, who contributed a part of herself through love, patience, and encouragement. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................... ii LIST OF T A B L E S ........................................ V LIST OF APPENDICES . •..................................vii Chapter I. THE P R O B L E M ................................. Introduction ............................. Statement of the Problem ................ Purposes of the S t u d y .................... Questions to be Investigated in the S t u d y ................................. Hypotheses Tested ....................... Definition of Terms....................... Scope and Method of Study................ A s s u m p t i o n s ............................. Uses of the S t u d y ....................... Limitations of the S t u d y ................ Summary and O v e r v i e w .................... II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RESEARCH . . . . The Vocational-Technical Instructor . . Michigan Community Colleges ............. Problems of Beginning Instructors . . . The Part-Time Instructor ................ Summary.................................... III. 1 1 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 16 17 19 20 37 42 48 57 DESIGN OF THE STUDY........................... 59 Introduction . . . Selection and Identification of the Samples. .......................... Methods of Collecting D a t a ............. Description of the Instruments . . . . Treatment of the D a t a .................... Summary.................................... 59 iii 59 63 65 70 72 -Chapter IV. Page CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS WHO PAR­ .................... TICIPATED IN THE STUDY. 74 Staff Size................................ In-Service Education .................... Orientation Programs .................... Instructor Responsibility................ Degree Earned . Sources of Education ................... Enrollment Status ....................... Nonteaching Occupational Work Experience. Professional Course Work Completed. Teaching Experience....................... Subjects Taught .......................... Part-time Instructors' Full-Time Occupa­ tions . . . .............. Vocational Certification Interest in Professional Upgrading. . . Summary.................................... V. ANALYSIS OF THE F I N D I N G S .................... 74 76 77 79 79 81 82 83 84 85 87 88 89 90 91 94 The Situation as Perceived by the Super­ visors ................................. 95 The Situation as Reported by Instructors. 99 Student Ratings of Instructors . . . . 104 Test of the Main H y p o t h e s e s ................. 107 Summary. ...........................113 VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 116 Summary........................................116 C o n c l u s i o n s ................................. 123 R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s .............................. 124 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................... 129 A P P E N D I C E S .............................................. 135 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Page Number of instructors in industrial and technical education for institutions included in this s t u d y ................................. 75 Number of institutions providing in-service programs for instructors ................... 76 3. Availability of orientation programs 78 4. Do the responsibilities of a part-time instructor differ from those of the full­ time i n s t r u c t o r ? ............................. 79 5. Highest degree earned by instructors . . . 80 6. Sources of education and training . 7. Distribution of instructors as to enrollments to achieve higher degrees ................... 82 Years of work experience in occupational area being t a u g h t ................................. 83 Distribution of instructors by type of pro­ fessional teacher education courses and semester hour credits completed ............. 84 Classification of instructors by total number of years teaching experience ................ 85 Classification of instructors by tenure in present teaching position ................... 86 Distribution of instructors by subject t a u g h t ....................................... 88 Full-time occupational classification of part-time instructors ....................... 89 Number of instructors with vocational certi­ fication. .................................... 90 2. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. v . . . . . . 81 -Table 15. 16. Page Part-time instructors1 desire for inservice programs .................... 90 Difficulty index and rank comparison of prob­ lem areas of part-time and full-time indus­ trial and technical instructor groups . . . 102 17. Comparison of student ratings of part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors................................... 105 18. Least squares estimates (L.S.E.) of the differences between part-time and full-time instructors on the dependent variables. . . 19. 110 Analysis of tests of significance of linear relationships ....................... 112 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A. Letter to Vocational-Technical Education D i r e c t o r ........................................137 B. Map of Michigan Public Community and Junior Colleges 1969-70............................. 140 C. Instructor Interview Schedule (Form A) 142 D. Supervisor Interview Schedule (Form B) E. Michigan State University Student Instruc­ tional Rating System Form....................... 152 F. Problems as Perceived by the Supervisors. . 155 G. Success Areas as Perceived by Supervisors . 157 H. Suggestions for the Preparation and Upgrad­ ing of Instructors as Expressed by Super­ visors ........................ . . . . . . . 148 159 I. Problems of Part-Time Industrial and Techni­ cal Instructors in Selected Community C o l l e g e s ........................................161 J. Problems of Full-Time Industrial and Techni­ cal Instructors in Selected Community C o l l e g e s ........................................165 vii CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction The past decade has shown significant gains in terms of student enrollment and expansion of public com­ munity colleges in Michigan. In the fall of 1960, there were 16 public community colleges with a combined head­ count enrollment of 27,229 students.'*' In the fall of 1970, there were 29 public community colleges with a total 2 head-count enrollment of 126,647 students. From 1960 to 1970, Michigan community college enrollments increased 365.1 per cent. Furthermore, the number of public com­ munity colleges during this same period grew 81.2 per cent. Michigan community colleges, as a part of post­ secondary education, are undergoing annual enrollment increases greater than those of four-year colleges and universities. Evidence shows Michigan community colleges' average growth change was 16.8 per cent for the period 1960 to 1970. 3 During this same period, four-year ^Michigan Department of Education, Enrollments in Michigan Colleges and Universities (Lansing! Michigan Department of Education, Fall, 1970), p. 3. 2Ibid. 3 Ibid., p . 6. 1 2 colleges and universities had a 7.2 per cent annual change. 4 Fall enrollment statistics for 1970 indicated 50.8 per cent of all first-time enrolled students in higher education were attending community colleges, 35.4 per cent were enrolled in public four-year colleges and universities; and 13.9 per cent were enrolled in private 5 colleges and universities. The estimated potential enrollment by 1975 for public community colleges totals g 175,900 students, a 30.3 per cent increase over 1970. These figures are significant for educational planners because they manifest a trend by recent high school graduates and adults to seek advanced education at the post-secondary level, specifically in the community college. However, these figures fail to identify the changing educational and occupational training needs and requirements of students of the next decade. Furthermore, these data do not reveal the number or type of staff needed to provide quality and in-depth instruction. Pro­ viding quality education, equally accessible geographically to all, which meets students' social, educational, and occupational training needs and interests, is a major challenge facing today's total system of education. ^Ibid., p. 3. 5Ibid. ^Howard T. Smith, State Plan for Higher Education in Michigan (Lansing: Michigan Department of Education, September, 1968), p. 19. 3 A growing concern of the community college admin­ istrator is recruiting sufficient quantities of qualified professional personnel to cover the expanding enrollments, program expansion, and increasing specialization of pro­ grams. At the very time when student enrollments in post­ secondary institutions are showing substantial increases, many community colleges are experiencing shortages of qualified professional personnel. If the community college administrators are to succeed, they will need to identify and recruit new sources of qualified instructional per­ sonnel, as many national leaders have indicated. Alvin C. Eurich had this to say to community col­ lege administrators attending the American Association of Junior Colleges Convention in 1963: No group in American education will face greater problems in the years just ahead than junior college administrators. You will struggle with enrollment explosion unprecedented in higher education. You will become responsible for the general education of the majority of students who continue beyond the twelfth grade. You will be called upon to set up vocational and technical programs for students entering wholly new occu­ pations— some of which may become obsolete as automation takes over. The President's retrain­ ing proposal gives only a glimpse of the kind of continual vocational training which will be re­ quired in the coming decades by an ever-increasing percentage of our population, not just the young or the unemployed. To meet these challenges you will need good teachers— many more I am afraid than you can possibly find.7 7 Alvin C. Eurich, "Staffing the Junior Colleges," Junior College Journal, XXXIII (March, 1963), 8. 4 Community colleges, like all other institutions of learning, are vitally concerned with maintaining and up­ grading the quality of their educational programs. The quality of the educational program depends in large measure upon the instructional competence of the faculty. There­ fore, it is essential that community college administrators not neglect quality of faculty for sufficient quantity of faculty. Philip Vairo stated: Unless the two year college has an instruc­ tional staff of qualified teachers, its objectives cannot be achieved. Thus the insufficient supply of competent teachers for junior colleges— indeed for all institutions of higher education— is a matter of increasing concern.8 Administrators of vocational-technical education programs in community colleges have met with further complications in recruiting qualified personnel. The identification and recruitment of qualified professional personnel for vocational-technical education are clearly problem areas requiring immediate attention and corrective action by all concerned. when he w r o t e : Grant Venn emphasized the problem "One of the greatest handicaps to the improvement and expansion of vocational and technical edu­ cation is the desperate shortage of qualified teachers 9 and administrators." Q Philip D. Vairo, "Faculty Quality: A Challenge to the Community College," Journal of Higher Education, XXVI (April, 1965), 217. 9 D.C.: Grant Venn, Man Education and Work (Washington, American Council on Education, 1968) , p. 151. 5 The rapid expansion in technology has caused an increasing demand for technical skills and knowledge by employers of individuals entering or re-entering the labor market. Thus it is-mandatory that the institutions pro­ viding occupational education and training be abreast of current occupational trends, skills, and knowledge. These external forces present a challenge to the occupational program administrator to locate and employ instructional personnel who possess current technical subject-matter competence, occupational work experience, and teaching competence. These three qualifications are often con­ sidered essential for occupational instructional per­ sonnel, to ensure some quality in the instructional program. Jerry Dobrovolny, of the University of Illinois, expressed a like concern for the short supply of qualified teachers in occupational programs. Manpower needs of our society have been changed rapidly during the last two decades. Many community colleges and technical institutes have been in the forefront to meet these needs by offering many new two-year associate degree programs in occupational education. But one of the principal restrictive forces preventing greater expansion of these programs has been short supply of qualified teachers. To meet this critical need a new approach must be taken. Jerry S. Dobrovolny, "Staff Qualifications for Technical Education Programs," Industrial Arts and Voca­ tional Education, VIX, No. 1 (January, 1970), TE 2. 6 As shown thus far, the demand for qualified instructors is not a new problem of the community col­ lege. Chances are the problem will continue to exist, but will be more prevalent in vocational-technical education programs. William Loomis, formerly with the U. S. Office of Education, said: The vocational teaching force will have to double by 1975 simply to maintain the present fifty to one student-teacher ratio. Currently, about 171,400 teachers serve some 8.5 million vocational s t u d e n t s . H Statement of the Problem To meet the persistent challenge of recruiting adequate quantities of vocational-technical instructors to staff the increasing number of occupational subjects, community college administrators have turned to indi­ viduals employed in business, industry, health, and public-service occupations to serve as part-time instruc­ tors. The continual utilization of this abundant resource of part-time instructors has brought to the forefront concerns by some administrators, teacher educators, and teacher certification officials charged with maintaining and upgrading the quality of vocational and technical education. Foremost among these concerns is the fact that employment of persons directly from nonteaching occupations permits individuals possessing high competence in technical "News and Trends," Today's Education, VIX, No. 3 (March, 1970), 4. 7 ' subject matter, but lacking professional teacher educa­ tion or teaching experience, to teach in the classroom .1 or laboratory. Whether or not these part-time instructors are educationally prepared or qualified for classroom or laboratory teaching, they are employed with the antici­ pation that they are capable of organizing, presenting, and evaluating instruction in the classroom or laboratory without further major assistance or training. However, i the employment of these individuals as part-time instruc­ tors assures only part of the qualifications desired of a "competent instructor." To assure some degree of teach­ ing effectiveness, many teacher educators, certification officials, and administrators believe that vocationaltechnical education instructors must have technical subject-matter competence, recent occupational work experience, and teaching competence. Due to their lack of professional teacher educa­ tion, some potentially high-quality, part-time instructors may find the instructional environment nonconducive to a rewarding and satisfactory teaching situation. Moreover, their teaching effectiveness in the classroom may be impaired by their lack of a minimal amount of professional teacher education. Lack of ability to recognize students' capabilities, needs, difficulties, or interests may not 8 contribute positively to the instructor-student learning situation. Community colleges, like all other institutions of learning, are vitally concerned with the quality and effectiveness of their staffs. There can be little doubt as to the importance of community college administrators and teacher educators becoming cognizant of the part-time instructors' problems and needs, in an effort to aid and assist in their transition into the classroom environment. Though increasing use is being made of part-time instructors, limited information is available concerning their institutional and instructional situations. Further­ more, at the present time there is little evidence of systematic effort being put forth to establish specific programs for assisting or upgrading part-time instructors in their new educational roles. Purposes of the Study The primary purposes of this study were: (1) to identify problems of part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors as perceived by their super­ visors, the instructors themselves, and their students; (2) to identify procedures which supervisors and part- time instructors recognize as being helpful in solving problems; and (3) to formulate recommendations which will assist the part-time instructors. 9 Questions to be Investigated in the~Study While conducting the study, the questions to which answers were sought included: 1. How many part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors are employed in the cooperating community colleges? 2. What types of in-service programs are being conducted in the community colleges to aid and assist part-time and full-time instructors? 3. What are the educational and occupational characteristics of the industrial and techni­ cal instructors supplying data for the study? 4. What are the problems of part-time and full­ time instructors as perceived by the super­ visors? 5. What problems are common to the majority of part-time industrial and technical instructors surveyed? 6. What kinds of procedures do part-time indus­ trial and technical instructors suggest in resolving their problems? 7. What problems are common to the majority of full-time industrial and technical instruc­ tors surveyed? 10 8. Are there problems which are common to both part-time and full-time instructors surveyed? I 9. How do students rate part-time and full-time instructors' instructional situations? Specific questions relating to the educational and occupational characteristics of cooperating instructors were: 1. What are the highest degrees held by the parttime and full-time instructors? 2. What are the present full-time occupations of the part-time instructors surveyed? 3. How many years of teaching experience do the part-time and full-time instructors have? 4. What are the teaching assignments of the parttime and full-time instructors in the survey? 5. How many years of occupational work experience do the part-time and full-time instructors have? Hypotheses Tested One of the primary concerns of this research was to identify and compare the differences and relationships between the problems of part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors as perceived by themselves and by their students. gated : The following hypotheses were investi­ 11 Hypothesis I : There are significant differences be­ tween full-time industrial and technical instructors with professional teacher education and part-time industrial and technical instructors without pro­ fessional teacher education on eight dependent varia­ bles . Instructor-Rated Variables; Course Organization, Evaluation Procedures, Student-Instructor Interaction, Institutional Procedures. Student-Rated Variables: Course Organization, Course Demands, Student-Instructor Interaction, Instructor Involvement. Subhypothesis A ; Students' ratings of Course Demands indicate that full-time instructors have higher course demands than do part-time instruc­ tors . Subhypothesis B : Students' ratings of Course Organization indicate that full-time instructors have better course organization than do parttime instructors. Subhypothesis C : Students' ratings of StudentInstructor Interaction indicate that full-time instructors have better student-instructor inter­ action than do part-time instructors. Subhypothesis D ; Students' ratings of Instructor Involvement indicate that full-time instructors become more involved with students than do parttime instructors. Subhypothesis E ; Self-ratings of Course Organiza­ tion indicate that part-time instructors have greater difficulty with course organization than do full-time instructors. Subhypothesis F : Self-ratings of Evaluation Pro­ cedures indicate that part-time instructors have greater difficulty with evaluation procedures than do full-time instructors. Subhypothesis G ; Self-ratings of Student-instructor Interaction indicate that part-time instructors have greater difficulty with student-instructor interaction than do full-time instructors. 12 Subhypothesis H ; Self-ratings of Institutional Procedures indicate that part-time instructors have greater difficulty with institutional pro­ cedures than do full-time instructors. Hypothesis I I : There is a significant positive cor­ relation between self-ratings on difficulty of Course Organization by part-time instructors, and students' ratings of part-time instructors' course organization. Hypothesis I I I : There is a significant positive cor­ relation between self-ratings on difficulty of Course Organization by full-time instructors, and students' ratings of full-time instructors' course organization. Hypothesis I V : There is a significant positive correlation between self-ratings on difficulty of Student Instructor Interaction by part-time instructors, and students' ratings of part-time instructors' studentinstructor interaction. Hypothesis V : There is a significant positive correlation between self-ratings on difficulty of Student Instructor Interaction by full-time instructors, and students' ratings of full-time instructors' studentinstructor interaction. Definition of Terms The following terms are used throughout the study and require definitions: Part-time instructor. A part-time instructor is a person carrying a teaching assignment that contains less than the minimum number of contact hours considered by the local institution to be the recognized full-time load. For purposes of this study, the term refers to part-time industrial or technical education instructors who have completed no teacher education courses and whose primary job responsibility is other than full-time teaching. 13 Full-time Instructor. A full-time instructor is a person carrying a teaching assignment that contains the minimum number of contact hours considered by the local institution to be the recognized full-time load. For pur­ poses of this study, the term refers to full-time indus­ trial or technical education instructors who have com­ pleted teacher education courses and whose primary job responsibility is teaching. Administrative Supervisor. An administrative supervisor is a person, such as dean, department chairman, or coordinator, who has the responsibility of supervising part-time and full-time instructors teaching in the indus­ trial and/or technical area. Student. The term "student" refers to a person enrolled in an organized community college industrial or technical education course. Community College. The term "community college" is used to identify public two-year, post-secondary insti­ tutions which offer a general, two-year transfer program and programs leading directly to occupational entry or re-entry. Industrial and Technical Education. The term "industrial and technical education" refers to trade or preprofessional training designed to prepare craftsmen or technicians for occupations which require less than a baccalaureate degree. 14 Scope and Method of Study Supervisors, instructors, and students of indus­ trial and technical education in 11 Michigan community colleges were the prime focus of this study. The 11 com­ munity colleges comprised a random sample from 16 insti­ tutions having reimbursed industrial and technical educa­ tion programs, and currently employing part-time industrial or technical instructors. Problems of the instructors were observed from the perceptions of the supervisors, the part-time and full-time instructors themselves, and their students. Selection of instructors to be interviewed was completed by: first, identifying those part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors with the least amount of experience in their present teaching position at each of the 11 community colleges; and second, drawing a sample of two part-time and two full-time instructors from each of the identified subsamples at each of the community col­ leges . Methods of study were analysis and summarization of data obtained through interviews with supervisors and instructors, and the individually completed "Student Instructional Rating Form" 12 12 for evaluating instructors. . . Evaluation Services, Michigan State University, Student Instructional Rating System (East Lansing: Michigan State University, 1969) . 15 The quantitative analysis of instructors1 ratings of problem items and students1 ratings of instructors' classroom instruction involved the machine scoring and calculation of percentages, m e a n s , and standard devia­ tions. In order to investigate the question regarding possible statistically significant differences between part-time and full-time instructors' ratings of problem items and student ratings of instructors' instructional situation/ a multivariate analysis of variance, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, and a Fisher r to Z transform­ ation test were used in the data analysis. The data were processed using a CD 3600 computer. Assumptions The following assumptions were made as a basis for conducting the study: 1. That the use of part-time instructors will continue to increase, and accordingly, community colleges and teacher education institutions will need to provide in-service or pre-service programs specifically for parttime instructors. 2. That classroom or laboratory instruction on the part of the part-time instructor can be improved as the result of professional teacher education. 3. That the problem of part-time industrial and technical instructors as perceived by supervisors, instructors, and students can be ascertained in selected 16 ,community colleges, and that the problems can be considered valid for these instructors and community colleges. 4. That an interpretation and analysis of the data will provide support for establishing in-service and pre-service programs to aid and assist part-time instruc­ tors . Uses of the Study The study will: 1. Provide teacher educators, community college administrators, and state departments of education with information pertaining to problems and needs of part-time instructors. 2. Provide teacher educators with a basis for selecting and organizing content for teacher education programs directed toward the needs of part-time industrial and technical instructors. 3. Provide community college administrators with criteria for selecting and organizing in-service programs directed specifically to the needs of part-time instructors. Limitations of the Study The study was limited to 11 Michigan community colleges. Further, delimitations were imposed to include only supervisors, part-time instructors without teacher education, full-time instructors with teacher education, and their students, who were involved in industrial and 17 technical education programs during the fall term of 1970. This delimitation may preclude the generalization of find­ ings to instructors in other occupational areas and com­ munity colleges. Before generalizations can be drawn for other instructors and institutions, one must determine the extent to which these instructors and institutions are homogenous to those studied. Summary and Overview There is no lack of evidence that qualified com­ munity college instructors, specifically vocational and technical instructors, have been and may continue to be in short supply. In an attempt to fill the void, com­ munity college administrators have recruited professionals from business and industry on a part-time basis. In so doing, individuals without professional teacher education have been employed to teach in the classrooms and labora­ tories . The purpose of this study was to investigate the problem which may exist with the part-time instructor in his new teaching role. From this investigation, it is believed that a meaningful base can be established for developing in-service and pre-service education programs based upon the needs of part-time instructors. One of the justifications of providing programs coordinated with identified needs is that they are more meaningful to those involved. Moreover, it is believed that some form of 18 professional teacher education will assist the part-time instructor in becoming more effective in the classroom and laboratory. Thus, the first chapter has identified the problem and set the stage for completing the investigation. A review of related literature and research is presented in Chapter II. The details in the design of the study are presented in Chapter III. Characteristics of the respond­ ents are reported in Chapter IV. The findings of the study are reported in Chapter V; a summary and recommenda­ tions are provided in Chapter VI. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RESEARCH The studies and literature reported in this chap­ ter were selected from many sources as being applicable and relevant to the problem under investigation. are literature and research concerning: Technical Instructor, (3) Mainly, they (1) The Vocational- (2) Michigan Community Colleges, Problems of Beginning Instructors, and (4) The Part- Time Instructor. Furthermore, the major portion of the cited literature and research was published after 1960. The first category focuses attention on teacher preparation, teacher education, teacher effectiveness, and post-secondary vocational-technical instructor qualifica­ tions and vocational certification. The second category highlights the growth of Michigan community colleges, and their role in vocational-technical education. The third category investigates the problems of beginning community college instructors, and the problems of vocationaltechnical instructors. Category four brings together1, literature and research dealing with the characteristics and sources of part-time instructors, and with one experi­ mental training program for the part-time instructors. 19 20 The Vocational-Technical Instructor Growth in the number of community colleges and expansion of vocational education programs has kept the demand for qualified vocational-technical instructors ahead of the supply. As vocational education has grown, so has the issue over the professional preparation desired and required of vocational-technical instructors. Instructor Preparation With the uncertainty that exists as to the value of professional teacher education, it is reasonable to expect diverse attitudes and opinions concerning the rationale for and against such training. Not specifically referring to vocational-technical instructors, but to com­ munity college instructors as a group, Cohen wrote: My rationale for junior college teacher prep­ aration is based upon these premises: 1. Teaching is the prime function of the junior college. 2. Teaching is, itself, the process of influ­ encing learning. 3. Learning is changed ability or tendency to act in particular w a y s . 4. Operationally, both teaching and learning may be assumed to have occurred only when observable changes are demonstrated by the learner. 5. Change may be observed only if there has been determination of students' abilities prior to instruction. 6. Specific, measurable objectives must be set so that learning may be appropriately guided. When teacher education rests upon this ration­ ale, it gains perspective. Substantive programs for preparing junior college instructors may be constructed within the framework of existing 21 patterns of university and college teacher educa­ tion. The usual prerequisites— subject area de ­ grees for academic instructors and equivalent experience for teachers in vocational-technical fields— may be obtained. Selection between pro­ grams based on defined learning and those based on other, perhaps less definitive, philosophical orientations, comes in the "education" or "profes­ sional" portion of the preparation sequence.13 Certainly, the professional preparation required of vocational-technical education instructors in the com­ munity college cannot be considered less important or brushed aside completely. The increased breadth and depth of vocational education that is being offered to post­ secondary students calls for a very competent, fully trained, proficient instructor. Swanson and Kramer empha­ sized: Just as there is need for a more comprehensive program for the preparation of individuals to enter the labor force, so it follows that the program of preparation for the vocational teacher must be more rigorous and often quite different from those now provided. Collegiate preparation of vocational teachers— earlier thought by many to be somewhat inconsistent with the basic vocational education philosophy— is becoming more and more accepted as logical and necessary. This is not to suggest that the vocational education teacher's need for success­ ful work experience in the occupation for which he will give training is considered any less important. It is imperative that he who would prepare students for successful vocational careers must first of all know, from experience, the skills and activities required for success in the occupation and must have been successful in it. However, it has become apparent over the years that each individual's 13 Arthur M. Cohen, "Teachers Preparation: Rationale and Practice," Junior College Journal, XXXVII, No. 8 (May, 1967), 21-25. 22 educational development must include adequate general and liberal e d u c a t i o n . ^ With increased frequency, vocational education administrators are bypassing the requirement of academic degrees and/or professional teacher education in favor of employing persons who have recent and relevant occupational work experience. They are employing persons such as tech­ nicians, engineers, supervisors, and craftsmen from noneducational sources for teaching responsibilities in the classroom or laboratory. Such practices seem to indicate that if one is successful and competent in his subjectmatter field, he can successfully and effectively teach it. . . . Competency in the skill being taught is an obvious necessity, but the present emphasis on this alone is inadequate in light of changing occu­ pational concepts involving the application of science, mathematics, related knowledge, and gen­ eral education. When administrators employ these individuals, such practices may also bring problems or difficulties that may eventually outweigh the immediate or future advantages. Venn contended: This solution creates some difficulties: the new instructor's subject-matter knowledge tends to be circumscribed by his job experience. That experience may include little acquaintance with the Chester J. Swanson and Ernest G. Kramer, "Voca­ tional Education Beyond High School," Vocational Educa­ tion, Sixty-Fourth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education (Chicago: University Press, 1965), p. 170. 15 Venn, op. cit., p. 152. 23 related skills and knowledge that should be taught. The instructor may not have had much formal or informal education in mathematics, English, speech, industrial relations, or civic and cultural matters. Then, too, he may not be abreast of newer thinking in his field. By the same token, once he settles into the teaching routine, he tends to be isolated from newer developments in industry, for he will find few opportunities or publications to help up­ date his knowledge.16 An investigation by Cashin 17 on the attitudes held by college deans of instruction, instructor preparation coordinators, and junior college instructors regarding professional teacher preparation revealed that those who criticize professional preparation the most may well be those who have experienced it the least. The data re­ vealed that preparation in professional methods carried greater value than preparation dealing with the nature and philosophy of the junior college. The consistently greater value placed upon pro­ fessional preparation by coordinators, deans, and prepared instructors, as opposed to unprepared instructors, supports the conclusion that professional teacher education for com­ munity college instructors is appropriate and valuable. Further encouragement and support for all teachers to have completed professional teacher education was recommended by the Advisory Council on Vocational Education. The 16Ibid., p. 35. 17 John H. Cashin, "Some Attitudes Toward Instructor Preparation," Junior College Journal, XXXIX, No. 6 (March, 1969), 31-34. 24 'Council stated, rThe objective for all teachers— full­ time or part-time— in all occupational programs should be that the teacher has teacher training." 18 The question of professional teacher education may long be debated, but it appears that most individuals will agree that some form of teacher education is important in professional teacher development. Teacher Education The paucity of research in vocational-technical teacher education is evidenced as a result of a major attempt to review and synthesize research in the field, as reported in the series of documents, Review and Synthesis of Research. This publication gave a cross-sectional view of vocational-technical teacher education. 19 Appearing in this review and synthesis was a model for classifying vocational-technical teacher education research into six major categories: Input Studies, (3) Program Development, Selection Studies, ation. (1) Studies of Job Requirements, (2) (4) Guidance and (5) Recruitment, and (6) Program Evalu­ No attempt will be made here to list the studies 18 U.S., Department of Health, Education and Wel­ fare, Office of Education, Vocational Education: The Bridge Between Man and His Work (Washington, D . C . : Advisory Council on Vocational Education, 1969), p. 127. 19 Jerome Moss, Jr., Review of Research in Vocational-Technical Teacher Education (Minneapolis: Minnesota Research Coordinating Unit, 1967), p. 3. 25 which were reviewed, using the model as a classification guide. Reporting on a project designed to develop a model curriculum for vocational and technical teacher education, Cotrell 20 indicated preliminary findings of 10 different competency categories for teachers in vocational and tech­ nical education. The category clusters were: Planning, Development and Evaluation; Planning; (3) Instruction-Execution; Evaluation; (5) Management; Community Relations; (1) Program (2) Instruction(4) Instruction- (6) Guidance; (7) School- (8) Student Vocational Organization; (9) Professional Role and Development; and (10) Coordina­ tion. Dobrovolny recommended that junior college instruc­ tors of technical subjects should have a minimum of a bac­ calaureate degree and should have completed professional teacher education which has included: . . . some professional courses dealing with the philosophy of technical education, occupational analysis, fundamentals of teaching techniques, and some essentials of curriculum and program planning. These should be specifically tailored to meet the needs of the subject matter teacher at the posthigh school level.21 20 Calvin J. Cotrell, "Model Curricula for Voca­ tional and Technical Teacher Education" (paper presented at the Fourth Annual National Vocational-Technical Teacher Education Seminar, St. Louis, Missouri, November, 1970). 21 Dobrovolny, o p . c i t ., p. TE 3. 26 Hamachek 22 reported tha t : Available evidence does not support the belief that successful teaching is possible only through the use of some specific methodology. . . . Perhaps what we need first of all are flexible, "total" teachers who are as capable of planning around people as they are around ideas. Byrd, 23 m conducting a study concerned with teacher competencies, indicated that the teacher has a distinctive role in assuring continuity in the process of occupational training and competency in all phases of voca­ tional and technical education. Occupationally oriented persons could utilize their experience in teaching situa­ tions after completing teacher education courses. Accord­ ing to Byrd, basic competencies needed were technical and personal. Personal competencies included role commitment, personal involvement, and recognition and transmission of respect for the dignity of work. The National Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges proposed that a Doctor of Arts degree be established for community college instructors. more, they stated, Further­ "Vocational-technical-occupational teachers should be able to qualify for the top level degree 22 Don Hamachek, "Characteristics of Good Teachers and Implication for Teacher Education,” Phi Delta Kappan, L, No. 6 (February, 1969), 344. 23 Flossie N. Byrd, The Role of Teacher-Education Institutions. Selection of Teachers Basic Compietencies Needed (Columbus: Ohio State University, Center for Voca­ tional and Technical Education, March, 1966), p. 11. 27 by completing appropriate requirements the same as any . . 24 other individual." From interviews with more than 650 instructors, deans, and other support personnel, Garrison 25 reported that those instructors most satisfied with their prepara­ tion for junior college instruction were those in the vocational areas. He further found agreement that the Ph.D. degree is not necessary for junior college teaching. In commenting on the liberal arts and sciences, rather than the technical-vocational fields, he believed the basic acceptable preparation for junior college instruc­ tors seemed to be the Master's degree, the B.A. or B.S. plus 30 hours of credit, mainly in content, rather than in education or methods courses. Teacher Effectiveness Attempts to predict and measure teacher effective­ ness date back several decades. Many of the articles that have been written reflect expressions of opinion, for the most part, based on little or no evidence. The increasing need for evaluating and predicting teacher effectiveness 24 Alan G. Stratton, ’’Needed: The Doctor of Arts in College Teaching,’’ Junior College Journal, XXXIX, No. 8 (May, 1969), 23. 25 Roger H. Garrison, Junior College Faculty: Issues and Problems, Preliminary National Appraisal (Washington, D.C.: American Association of Junior Col­ leges, 1967), pp. 70-71. 28 is rapidly becoming more evident. In commenting upon this point, Ellis and Wootton stated: The need to evaluate teaching is imperative if we are to effectively change teaching and improve learning. . . ; Also as we move more and more into programs of team teaching and into developing instructional programs calling for staff differen­ tiation, we must evaluate staff in order to deter­ mine those persons suited for differentiated roles. Finally, we simply need a check on ourselves to see how well we are d o i n g . 2 6 Some studies have tried to relate teacher effec­ tiveness to student achievement, self-ratings, indexes of student behavioral change, student ratings of teachers, traits and qualities of teachers, and observational analy­ sis ratings. Some individuals are hypothesizing that the greatest potential in the measurement of teacher effective­ ness lies in the area of professional supervision in the training of teachers, and most of all in an investigation of the conditions under which teachers work. 27 Even so, before an acceptable method of measuring teaching effec­ tiveness is discovered, agreement on what effective teach­ ing is must be defined. "Despite decades of educational 26 Ellmer G. Ellis and Lutian R. Wootton, "Valid Evaluation of Teaching is Imperative," Kappa Delta Pi Record, VII (April, 1970), 139. 27 George Brian, "Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness," National Education Association Journal, LIV (February, 1965), 36. 29 research, there is even little informed consensus on what effective teaching is."^® Research findings related to teacher effectiveness and preparation point to similar conclusions. In general, it appears that student achievement is largely unaffected by the amount of training or preparation of the instructor. For example, Metzner reviewed literature and research studies comparing teacher preparation to pupil gain, and concluded: The plain fact is there is not a single study that, after equating for pupil intelligence and socio-economic status, has found the length of teacher preparation variable to be even peripher­ ally related to pupil gain, let alone being of major importance in his educational outcome.29 In the field of vocational education, some strides have been made in measuring teacher effectiveness. As the use of performance contracting, differentiated staffing, and the use of individuals from business and industry as teachers becomes a common part of our educational system, the importance of having a systematic means of measuring teaching effectiveness will be recognized. 28 Roger H. Garrison, Teaching in a Junior College (Washington, D.C.: American Association of Junior Col­ leges, 1968) . 29 Seymour Metzner, i;The Teacher Preparation Myth a Phoenix Too Frequent,1' Phi Delta Kappan, L, No. 1 (September, 1968), 105-106. 30 Of primary importance to the present study was a project m Californxa, reported by Popham, 30 xn which the objective was to assess a procedure for measuring teaching proficiency. The study was an attempt to compare the teaching effectiveness of tradesmen and experienced teachers. Two performance tests of teaching proficiency in the fields of auto mechanics tronics (carburetion) and elec­ (power supplies) were developed. An assessment was made of each test's ability to distinguish between experienced teachers and nonteachers, with respect to these individuals' ability to achieve prespecified instruc­ tional objectives. All subjects, tradesmen and experi­ enced teachers alike, were given sets of operationally defined objectives, and each attempted to achieve those objectives during an instructional period of approximately ten hours. Pre- and post-tests based explicitly on the objectives were given to each subject's pupils; average class achievement was used as the index of the teacher's proficiency. Included in the study were 28 auto mechanics teachers and 28 nonteachers instructing 1,200 students; and 16 electronics teachers and 16 nonteachers instructing over 700 students. Comparison of pupil performance data ^ J a m e s W. Popham, "Validation Results; Perform­ ance Tests of Teaching Proficiency in Vocational Educacation," Paper Abstracts 1969 (Los Angeles, California; American Educational Research Association), p. 107. 31 ' revealed no systematic differences between the performance of the tradesmen and experienced teachers groups for either auto mechanics or electronics classes. Some controversy exists among teacher educators, teachers themselves, and administrators as to the value and importance of occupational work experience in the effectiveness of vocational and technical teachers. In an attempt to narrow the controversy and seek some pos­ sible answers, a study was designed and conducted by Musgrove at the University of Missouri. The objective of the study was to find out whether relationships exist between the rated effectiveness of vocational electronics teachers and their occupational experience, teaching experience, college training, and technical training in electronics. Teacher effectiveness ratings were obtained through the cooperation of 200 supervisors, 210 teachers, and 2,738 students. The study resulted in the following statements, which may be considered to be the major findings. There is insufficient evidence from this study to conclude that the amount of electronic work experience should, or should not, be the primary consideration in the certification and hiring of vocational electronics teachers. It would appear that there is insufficient evidence from this study to conclude that the amount of teaching experience has a measurable influence upon the effectiveness of vocational electronics teachers. It appears that any measure of the amount of college training possessed by an electronics 32 teacher will be of doubtful value in assessing effective teaching. There is no significant relationship between the amount of electronics technical training and subsequent rated teacher effectiveness. Here again, it would appear that a simple measure of the quantity of electronic technical training is not likely to be indicative of teacher effective­ ness in their a r e a . 31 Post-Secondary VocationalTechnical Instructor Qualification's In most professions some criteria of quality have been established as the minimum qualifications for persons desiring to secure employment in the profession. Further­ more, upon achieving these qualifications, through some recognized source, a license or certification is awarded. To make clear the minimum qualifications for post-secondary vocational-technical instructors and the requirements for vocational approval in Michigan, a brief description of those requirements will be presented. Federal guidelines and regulations do not specify what the minimum educational or occupational qualifications should be. They merely specify that the state shall estab­ lish some minimum criteria. These qualifications can be ". . . standards of experience and education, and other requirements which are reasonable in relation to the duties 31 . Wxlliam R. Musgrove, "Relationships of Occupa­ tional Experience, Teaching Experience, Technical Training and College Training to Rated Teaching Effectiveness of Vocational Electronics Teachers" (unpublished Ph.D. dis­ sertation, University of Missouri, 1968). 33 to be performed.'' 32 Thus, individual states have adopted individual codes based upon their experience. In Michigan, the Michigan State Plan for Vocational Education lists the minimum educational and occupational requirements for those persons involved in vocational education. The state plan recommends that post-secondary vocational-technical in­ structors, whenever possible, should be selected utilizing the following criteria: Education Shall possess or be eligible to possess a valid Michigan vocational teaching certificate for the occupational area concerned and shall possess a Baccalaureate Degree from a recognized college or university with a major or minor in,the field of specialization or equivalent graduate credits to substitute for required major or minor. When a state license is required in specialized fields, this license must be obtained prior to employment. Occupational Experience Shall have a minimum of two years of experi­ ence in the occupational area concerned or shall have approved by the Department of Education a planned equivalent program of directed supervised occupational experience. Such occupational experi­ ence will be characterized by its relevancy and recency. Special Conditions If a candidate does not meet the standards as outlined above, an evaluation of competency will be made by the Department of Education. The Depart­ ment will determine the adequacy of his combined 32 U.S., Department of Health, Education and Wei fare, Office of Education, Administration of Vocational Education, Rules and Regulations, Vocational Education Bulletin No. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1967), p. 14. 34 education, occupational and teaching experience, in the above.33 It is important to note that if the candidate recruited by the institution does not meet these criteria, the institution can receive approval for the candidate, "provided it can be demonstrated to the Department of Edu­ cation that the candidate1s education and occupational experience or a combination of the two will enable him to provide high quality instruction in the appropriate technii ,.34 cal area. All post-secondary instructors who are employed to teach state reimbursed vocational-technical education courses must have a vocational certificate, designated as a community college approval. To qualify for the approval certificate the candidate must have the minimum qualifica­ tions listed above. Further consideration must be given at this time to an opinion handed down by the Attorney General for the State of Michigan, which eliminates the need for instruc­ tors in community colleges to hold teacher certificates. Opinion 3478 is as follows: 33 . Michigan Department of Education, Division of Vocational Educaticr, State Plan for Vocational Education (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department of Education, 1969), pp. 7-9. ^^Ibid., p . 4. 35 The board of trustees of a community college district is required to employ such teachers as shall meet the qualifications prescribed by the state board of education under Section 7 of Act 188 PA 1955, as amended. The board of trustees is under no duty to hire only certificated per­ sons although the law requires that the board of trustees of a community college district hire such persons as shall meet the qualifications established by the state board of education.35 With this decision, community colleges were per­ mitted to employ persons without professional teacher certification and/or degree. Vocational education admin­ istrators were now permitted legally to employ individuals directly from noneducational sources and occupations to serve as full-time or part-time instructors. Larson examined the qualifications of industrialtechnical instructors in the public community/junior colleges of Michigan. The study included only those indi­ viduals seeking vocational certification as instructors of industrial-technical programs in Michigan community/ junior colleges through the State Department of Public Instruction. Data were secured on 138 instructors from 11 community colleges, during the academic year 1960-61. A brief profile of those instructors suggested that: 1. One hundred and thirty-seven of the 138 instructors were male. 35 Report of the Attorney General of Michigan, 1961-1962 Biennial Period, January 1, 1961 to December 31, 1962, Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General (Lansing, Michigan: Speaker-Hines and Thomas, Inc., 1963), p. 239. 36 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Eleven community junior colleges offered industrial-technical programs, under MDTA Title VIII in Michigan during 1960-61. Seventy-five per cent of the instructors were employed by 5 of the 11 colleges. The median education was in the master's range. The largest single group earned the master's degree in education; while at the bachelor's level the largest group was in subject-matter oriented fields. Largest number of those having education oriented degrees at the bachelor's level had majors in Industrial Arts. The median semester hours earned in technical subject matter courses was 18. The median semester hours earned in teacher education professional courses was 6. One instructor in 7 had served an apprentice­ ship. Nearly one-half of the instructors were employed as full-time teachers. The median of closely related work experience was 50 months or a little over four y e a r s . 36 Barlow and Reinhart 37 conducted a much broader and more comprehensive study of California's trade and techni­ cal teachers' characteristics. Their report provided sub­ stantial amounts of factual and descriptive data on teachers' education, occupational experience, teaching experience, professional affiliations, and present teaching assignments. 36 Milton E. Larson, "Community Junior College Teachers— Some Characteristics of Excellence," Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, III, No. 2 (Winter, 1966), 15-16. 37 Melvin L. Barlow and Bruce Reinhart, Profiles of Trade and Technical Teachers— Comprehensive Report (Sacramento: California State Department of Education, 1968) . 37 Michigan Community Colleges Michigan’s first junior college at Grand Rapids was established in 1914 as an upward unit of the local secondary school. 'Community colleges, which were ini­ tially called junior colleges, were formed in response to a growing interest in having the first two years of higher education within easy reach of the local population. The newly formed junior colleges were designed for the pur­ pose of offering the first two years of higher education to those persons desiring to transfer to senior institu­ tions. The exception to this was the first community col­ lege at Grand Rapids, which originated as a matter of expediency of utilizing vacant facilities. Furthermore, it became Michigan's first community college to offer terminal vocational curriculum in industrial arts and . • 38 business. The number of community colleges and student enrollment grew slowly, until the 1950's. During the decade between 1950 and 1960, the number of community col­ leges grew from 9 to 16, and enrollments grew to an alltime high of 27,000 students. The following decade, 1960 to 1970, witnessed Michigan community colleges growing to a total of 29, with some 126,647 students. 38 Wayne Rodehorst, "An Analysis of the Introduc­ tion of Vocational-Technical Education Programs in Michi­ gan Community Colleges Established Before 1930" (unpub­ lished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1964), pp. 28-31. 38 Until the 1960's, the development of Michigan com­ munity colleges proceeded without a central planning or coordinating agency. The service area of early community colleges was confined to the local school system. In con­ trast to the early organizational structure, most colleges formed after the early 1950's were independent of the pub­ lic schools, and served a county or regional area rather than a single public school district. As a result of recommendations stemming from the Staff Survey of Higher Education in Michigan 39 and other similar studies, Michigan has moved toward a system of state-wide planning and coordination, with local community college boards retaining the supervisory and controlling authority. The actual implementation of state-wide plan­ ning and coordination was made possible by a revision of the State Constitution in 1963. One section of the revi­ sion stipulated that the State Board of Education ''shall serve as the general planning and coordinating body for all public education including higher education. 40 . . .r‘ Michigan community colleges have emerged from institutions with a single purpose into comprehensive, multi-purpose institutions. This is best exemplified in 39 S. V. Martorana, "The Community College m gan," Staff Study No. 1 (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Legislative Study Committee Study on Higher Education, 1957), p. 163. 40 State of Michigan, Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3, 1963. Michi­ 39 the definitional role, as defined by the State Eoard of Education. Michigan comprehensive community colleges are to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Provide the first two years of college work for those desiring, and able, to transfer to fouryear colleges and universities. Provide the occupational, educational, and training programs needed by the youth and adults of the community, and by the larger society. Provide general cultural education programs and community services intended to contribute to the cultural and economic welfare of the com­ munity. Provide guidance and counseling services to assist youth and adults to fit themselves better into an increasingly complex technologi­ cal society.41 The philosophy and purpose of Michigan's compre­ hensive community colleges may be expressed as follows: The community college is becoming the one vers­ atile educational institution with the flexibility and adaptability to meet the ever changing require­ ments of community needs in a dynamic world. It is coming of age under the spiraling needs that a modern, democratic society has for educated and trained manpower. It offers hope that in this nation there shall not exist an educational gap breachable only by the economically, the socially, or intellectually elite. Public community colleges can and should pro­ vide additional educational opportunities leading not only to advanced academic study in our fouryear institutions of higher education, but also to the best in continuing education programs in gen­ eral and in broadening educational programs bene­ ficial to the entire community and to society, in 41 Michigan Department of Education, State Plan for Higher Education in Michigan (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department of Education, 1969), pp. 1-14. 40 diversified community enrichment activities and functions that will elicit maximum participation by both youths and adults.42 Closely aligned with the expansion of Michigan com­ munity colleges has been the growth of post-secondary voca­ tional education. This association has been due, in part, to recommendations by Smith, who concluded that: The hub of the whole vocational education sys­ tem of tomorrow, by whatever name it is called, will be the comprehensive area post-secondary and adult education institution. The national trend is in this direction, and the reasons for it are clear. Most individual high schools cannot offer the vari­ ety of programs needed. More and more vocationaltechnical courses beyond the high school level are needed.43 Vocational-technical education in Michigan has been developing around two primary goa l s . First, is the development of human resources through the concept of meeting the needs of the individual. Second, is the simultaneous provision of a skilled manpower pool which meets the needs of our highly industrialized state.44 To accomplish these goals, vocational education must continue to launch forth with quality programs of 42 . . Michigan Department of Education, A Position Paper by the State Board of Education (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department of Education, 1967), pp. 1-2. 43 Harold T. Smith, Education and Training forvthe World of W o r k : A Vocational Education Program for the State of Michigan (Kalamazoo, Michigan: W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, July, 1963), p. 3. 44 Michigan Department of Education, Vocational Education Services of the Michigan Department'of Educa­ tion (Lansing, Michigan: State Board of Education, October, 1970), p. 22. 41 adequate diversity to meet individual needs and interests. It has been recognized for some time by vocational leaders and educators that it is not practical for one institution to provide the total program of vocational education. It is believed that a shared, coordinated effort by all insti­ tutions is a feasible and logical approach. To systematize the planning and coordinating of resources within the state, the Michigan State Board of Education has adopted a document entitled, A Position Statement Concerning the Development of Area Vocational and Technical Education 45 Programs in Michigan. This document clearly defines the roles of the K-12 program, the Secondary Area Vocational Center, the Community College, the Intermediate School District, and the State Department of Education. Adequate vocational education programs must provide for continuing education. To accomplish this, each region of the State should be served by a community college or be part of a post-secondary area vocational-technical institution. In some instances, a university or college offering vocational-technical education programs in their region can serve this function. The community college should provide vocational and technical programs for post-high school stu­ dents who desire to continue their education, and for out-of-school youth and adults in need of training or retraining. Secondary area vocational programs could be operated by the community col­ lege if requested to do so by K-12 districts involved. 45 Michigan Department of Education, A Position Statement Concerning the Development of AreaxVocational and Technical Education Programs in Michigan (Lansing, Michigan: Michigan Department of Education, July, 1967), pp. 2-3. 42 The post-secondary institutions— community col­ leges and the four-year universities and colleges— need to plan for providing the specialized occupa­ tional training programs not available in all areas of the State. Such a statewide plan is essential to avoiding undesirable duplication and competition and to make most judicious use of State and local funds.46 The above-stated role of Michigan community col­ leges fits well with the current proposed thrust for voca­ tional education in Michigan. Presently, the major thrust of efforts is directed to achieve three main objec­ tives : 1. 2. 3. To provide facilities, programs, and an intro­ duction to the world of work to every student in the state of Michigan. To guarantee that no student entering high school in the state of Michigan leaves without having the opportunity to gain an entry level salable skill regardless of his career objec­ tive. To provide programs of adult continuing educa­ tion to all citizens of the state who need or desire such s e r v i c e . 47 Problems ■ i Beginning Instructors Reviewing the literature and research on the prob­ lems of the beginning teacher revealed an abundance of material dealing with the problems of beginning teachers at the elementary and secondary levels. However, rela­ tively little research or literature was revealed concern­ ing problems of the beginning community college instructor ^ M i c h i g a n Department of Education, Vocational Education Services, pp. 20-21. 43 or problems of the beginning vocational-technical instruc­ tor. During recent years, there has been an increasing interest in determining the difficulties that do exist among these instructors, in an attempt to formulate improved pre-service and in-service teacher education pro­ grams for post-secondary instructors. Siehr 48 conducted a study to ascertain the problems perceived by new faculty members in community colleges, and the administrative practices which new instructors recognized as most helpful in alleviating their problems. Data were secured through a mailed questionnaire admin­ istered to 2,783 new faculty members in 429 public and private community colleges in 50 states and territories of the United States. The respondents were asked to record their perceptions of 72 items listed for identification as problem areas, for difficulty and persistence. The instructors were further instructed to (1) identify 19 administrative procedures used by colleges in the orienta­ tion of beginning instructors, as to their use or nonuse, and (2) indicate how helpful the practice was if used, or how helpful the instructor thought the procedure would have been, had it been used. 48 Hugo Emil Siehr, ’'Problems of New Faculty Me m ­ bers in Community Colleges" (unpublished Ph.D. disserta­ tion, Michigan State University, 1962). 44 The study revealed nine problem items which were classified as major problems: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Lack of time for scholarly study. Adapting instruction to individual differences. Dealing with students who require special atten­ tion to overcome deficiencies. Acquiring adequate secretarial help. Understanding college policies regarding teach­ ing load. Challenging superior students. Obtaining needed instructional materials. Grading or marking students' work. Understanding college policies to be followed in curriculum development and revision. The respondents identified five orientation pro­ cedures as being particularly effective: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Further materials such as schedule, course out­ lines, texts, and faculty handbook should be supplied upon appointment. An orientation conference with the department head should be arranged upon appointment. A lighter teaching load should be set up for new faculty members. Regular departmental meetings should be held. A faculty sponsor should be provided for each new faculty member. McCall 49 conducted an investigation of new faculty members in North Central Association colleges and uni­ versities to determine problems they encountered which were of a personal, institutional, and instructional character. Data were collected by questionnaire from 1,14 5 first- and third-year faculty members in 144 institutions. McCall's findings indicated that faculty members had difficulty in: 49 Harlan Richardson McCall, "Problems of New Faculty Members in North Central Association Colleges and Universities of Less than 3,000 Enrollment" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University, 1961). 45 (1) acquiring adequate secretarial help, able living quarters, (2) finding suit­ (3) understanding college policies regarding promotions and salary increases, sufficient teaching aids, space, (4) acquiring (5) acquiring adequate office (6) knowing what other departments of the college expect of one's own department, (7) using effective dis­ cussion techniques in class, and (8) developing effective lectures. From interviews with more than 650 individual instructors, instructional deans, and other personnel in 20 community colleges across the nation, Garrison con­ cluded that junior/community college instructors saw their most pressing professional problem as T I M E . The instruc­ tors reported over and over, there was not enough time: . . . to keep up in my own field; to do a proper job with individual students; to investigate what other junior colleges are doing; to study for myself; to discuss educational matters with my fellow-teachers; even, more often than I like to think, to do a decent job of preparation for my classes; to refresh myself, even occasionally, by brief association with some of my colleagues in my own discipline, whether at conventions, special regional meetings, or whatever; to function effec­ tively on faculty committees, to help in advising student organizations.50 A study of the professional problems of post­ secondary trade and technical instructors in the area 50 Garrison, Junior College Faculty, pp. 30-31. 46 'schools of Iowa was conducted by Holman. 51 The primary purpose was to ascertain the professional problems of trade and technical instructors, as seen by the instructors themselves and their immediate supervisors. In addition to noting the professional problems, opinions as to the pos­ sible causes were also investigated. During the 1967-68 school year, interviews were conducted with a 50 per cent random sample of trade and technical teachers who lacked professional teacher training, and with their immediate supervisors. The major findings were: 1. Major problems encountered in determining and formulating objectives, preparing and present­ ing educational materials, and evaluating stu­ dent progress w e r e : a. Selecting texts, references, and related material. b. Allotting proper time and emphasis to each unit. c . Planning and presenting related materials. d. Preparing classroom and laboratories for daily Use. The primary causes of these problems w e r e : a. Inadequate time. b. Inadequate teaching experience. c. Inadequate educational preparation. d. Lack of appropriate texts and/or materials. 2. Major problems encountered in working with the administration, faculty, students, and public were: a. Making the transition from industry to teaching. b. Motivating students. c. Understanding the function of state voca­ tional education personnel. 51 Holger Emanuel Holman, "Professional Problems of Trade and Technical Education Teachers in the Fifteen Area Post-Secondary Schools of Iowa, with Implications for InService Teacher Education" (unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of Missouri, 1969). 47 d. Class attendance. e. Understanding administrative policy. f. Providing for individual differences. The primary causes of these problems were; a. Inadequate in-service training. b. Inadequate teaching experience. c . Inadequate t i m e . d. Inadequate educational preparation. 3. Major problems encountered relative to build­ ings and facilities w e r e : a. Recommending budgetary items. b. Planning for, selecting, ordering, and installing new equipment. c. Working with advisory groups in planning new buildings and facilities. The primary causes of these problems w e r e : a. Temporary facilities. b. Inadequate finances. c. Inadequate t i m e . 52 Ryan 53 conducted a study to determine the teacher training needs of trade and industrial education teachers in North Carolina. He further attempted to evaluate the present education programs and to make program proposals for the training of trade and industrial teachers. Results from the study showed that 60 per cent of the respondents indicated 10 out of 95 possible items as representative of problems they had experienced during their initial year of teaching. Findings indicated beginning trade and indus­ trial teachers experienced difficulties in the following areas: (1) criteria for student selection; (2) philosophy ^ Ibid., abstract. 53 Chester M. Ryan, ''An Analysis of the Preparation, Selection, and Training of Teachers in the Trade and Indus­ trial Education Programs of North Carolina with Implica­ tions for the Future" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1963). 48 of vocational education; (3) understanding local, state, and national relationships; (4) fitting the trade and industrial program into the school program; and organizing educational materials; lesson; (10) (6) planning a (7) developing a course of study; visual aids; (5) selecting (8) developing (9) measuring student achievement; and coordinating relationships of trade and industrial programs with other school projects. In addition, 30 per cent of the teachers experi­ enced problems on 11 items, and indicated they had re­ ceived no help from their teacher training programs. The study also revealed that, because of varying backgrounds, education, and work experience, teachers may need indi­ vidual help in solving their problems. The Part-Time Instructor This section includes publications and research dealing with part-time instructors. The availability of factual or descriptive information on the part-time instructor is very limited in scope and frequency of re­ porting. As pointed out earlier in this study, signifi­ cant increases are anticipated in post-secondary enroll­ ments in the community college, and it is here that part-time instructors have contributed and will be able to make a significant contribution in the future. Park, President of Olympic College, said: James D. 49 The regular staff could not provide the serv­ ices needed in the specialized courses. In these, the part-time instructors bring, besides their vocational or management experience, a consider­ able prestige to the specific applications made of the subject matter taught in the service-oriented industry and a' degree of community interest and interrelatedness unequalled in many other situa­ tions.54 The future role which part-time instructors will play in the community college rests heavily upon the per­ formance of those who occupy these positions today. Presently, positions are held by individuals representing a broad cross-section of professional clientele from busi­ ness and industry. Some of the occupational classifica­ tions represented by part-time instructors a r e : . . . construction management engineer, radio ad­ vertising salesman, social worker, superintendent of boys' training school, staff artist, naval astronomer, physicist, research chemist, insurance analyst, supervisor of instrumental music, opera­ tion analyst, aero-space technologist, ICC attorneyadvisor, chief statistician, NIMH educational specialist, applied mathematician, research sci­ entist, merchandise manager, etc. As the above statement indicates, the professional background of part-time instructors cuts across many occu­ pational fields. Recognizing the diverse background of part-time instructors, what are some of the characteris­ tics which are associated with him as an instructor? stated: 54 Eileen P. Kuhns, ’’Part-Time Faculty,1 Junior College Journal, XXXIII, No. 5 (January, 1963), 10. Maul 50 Typically, the part-time junior college teacher is a mature, experienced worker in the occupation being explored by the student. There, the pres­ ence or absence of academic degrees is not a vital— perhaps not even a major— factor in determining the teacher's qualifications. But a successful back­ ground of firsthand experience ij3 of first import­ ance.^^ A similar definition, yet different interpretation, of the qualifications of part-time instructors was ex­ pressed by Dapper and M u r p h y , ^ who are associated with the organization Catalyst in Education. They defined a part- time teacher as ''a qualified teacher who works on a speci­ fied, part-time schedule.1’ Their experience with part- time teachers has been primarily in elementary and secondary education, whereas Maul's experience has been primarily with post-secondary education. Yet another definition of the part-time instructor, but with less complimentary characterization, has been sup­ ported by Lett and Margoshes. As they saw it: . . . Part-time instructors can be classified under the rubric of '’marginal'' teachers. Using the socio­ logical concept of marginality, we define the margi­ nal teacher as one who has little identification with the educational institution in which he teaches. In short, the college has no commitment to him and he in turn has no commitment to the college or its students. . . . He is typically a part-time employee 55 Ray C. Maul, ’’The Biggest Problem Finding Good Teachers," Junior College Journal, XXXVI, No. 4 (December, 1965), 6. ^ G l o r i a Dapper and Judith Murphy, ''Part-Time Teachers and How They Work," Education Digest, XXXV, No. 3, 22. 51 who is paid by the hour, earning an average wage57 ranging from $6.00 to $10.00 per classroom hour. Sources of Part-Time Instructors Administrators desiring part-time instructors need potential sources they can successfully utilize in recruitment. are: The potential sources, as recommended by Ivey, 58 (1) those professional persons in industry who have proven themselves to be capable in their specialty; (2) wives of the male faculty members, many of whom have the M.A. degree or better; (3) public school teachers, super­ visors, and administrators; (4) professional men's wives; and (5) retired professional persons living in the com­ munity . When the administrator finds himself in need of the services of a part-time instructor, there are many factors he must consider before employing the part-time instructor. Whether or not the part-time instructor's educational and occupational background are sufficiently adequate to pre­ pare him for the classroom or laboratory is of primary consideration. Ivey stated: 57 Sheldon Litt and Adam Margoshes, "The Marginal College Teacher," Journal of Higher Education, XXXVII, No. 8 (November, 1966) , 451. 58 Nathan A. Ivey, "The Part-Time Instructor and Effective Teaching," Junior College Journal, XXXI (September, 1960), 40. 52 The prospective part-time instructor may have had a minimum amount of teaching experience but a wealth of experience in business or industry, which is pertinent to the subject matter to be taught. . . . The majority of [the administrator's] new part-time instructors will be lacking in pre­ service preparation, and he should provide a pro­ gram of orientation for t h e m . 59 Keeping these factors in perspective, the adminis­ trator must consider whether the college itself has the personnel and technical resources to orient these people efficiently to what they are to do. 60 Having effective orientation and in-service programs for part-time instruc­ tors becomes of major importance, as stated by Kuhns: . . . Part-time evening instructor is the only contact many students have with the college. Thus his familiarity with college philosophy, rules and procedures becomes doubly important in order that he may serve in the role of informal counselor on occasion. Accurate knowledge about matters such as graduation requirements, final withdrawal dates, absence rules, etc., is essential.61 Related Research on PartTime Instructors C\0 Kennedy studied the recruitment, orientation policies, and practices used by Illinois and Maryland Ibid., p. 41. 60 Roger H. Garrison, "Professional and Philosophi­ cal Faculty Attitudes," Junior College Journal, XXXVI, No. 5 (February, 1966), 18. 61 Kuhns, o p . c i t ., p. 12. 6o Gerald Kennedy, "Preparation, Orientation, Util­ ization and Acceptance of Part-Time Instructors," Junior College Journal, XXXVII, No. 7 (April, 1967), 14-15. 53 ' public junior college administrators in hiring part-time instructors. The study was completed during the 1964-65 school year, and involved 935 part-time staff members in 19 Illinois and 12 Maryland public junior colleges. The study revealed in Illinois 54 per cent of the part-time appointments came from secondary schools, whereas in Maryland 26 per cent of the part-time appointments came from secondary schools. The employment vacancies varied from district to district and from subject to subject. Part-time appointments continued to exist in terminaltechnical programs. Thirty-four per cent of Maryland's part-time faculty came from full-time governmental employ­ ment, particularly at the federal level. The study further revealed that 75 per cent of Maryland's part-time instructors had a Master's degree and/ or advanced work. In Illinois, 78 per cent of the part- time instructors had similar preparation. Eighteen per cent of Maryland's part-time instructors had Doctorate degrees, compared with only 4 per cent in Illinois. It was discovered that administrators preferred to select applicants who had had some previous teaching ex­ perience; yet, 28 per cent of the Illinois part-time fac­ ulty and 30 per cent of the Maryland group had had no pre­ vious professional teaching experience when initially appointed. 54 The typical teaching load was one course per semes­ ter. Part-time instructors received a minimum of orienta­ tion upon appointment. Only two institutions in each state had identifiable orientation programs for new part-time instructors. A majority of the administrators voiced the opinion that part-time instructors are dedicated and are doing a highly professional job. 63 A similar study was conducted by Messerschmidt, who attempted to determine the practices used by community colleges in Michigan to recruit, hire, and prepare parttime instructors in vocational-technical education. He also attempted to compare certain attitudes of part-time vocational-technical instructors and full-time vocationaltechnical instructors on six selected variables. The data were secured through interviews with administrators of vocational-technical programs in 12 community colleges in Michigan, and through the administering of the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory. Returns were received from 39 full-time instructors and 78 part-time instructors. Interviews with administrators of vocationaltechnical education on recruiting, hiring, and preparing part-time instructors revealed the following findings: 63 Dale Harvey Messerschmidt, "A Study of PartTime Instructors in Vocational-Technical Education Among Community Colleges in Michigan" (unpublished Ph.D. dis­ sertation, Michigan State University, 1967) . 55 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The primary source of part-time instructors for vocational-technical education in the community college was local business and industry. Attempts to use retired personnel from industry and the military were not successful. Administrators who utilized several sources (five or more) for recruiting activities had an easier time obtaining services of part-time in­ structors than administrators who used fewer than four sources. The supply of and demand for part-time instruc­ tors appeared to be growing at similar rates. Therefore the difficulty involved with finding instructional personnel has not increased appreciably in the recent years. Most administrators relied on department chair­ men, other administrators, and faculty to assist in the selection of part-time instructors. How­ ever, some administrators made the selection decisions without consulting a n y o n e . 64 The study measured the attitudes of part-time and full-time instructors through the use of the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory. The data revealed the follow­ ing : 1. 2. 3. The length of teaching experience and course work in education has an effect on the atti­ tudes of part-time instructors. The length of teaching experience and course work in education has no effect on the atti­ tudes of full-time instructors. The age at which part-time and full-time in­ structors started teaching has no effect on instructors 1 attitudes toward students. Experimental Training Program for Part-Time Instructors Gowin and Daigneault65 designed an experimental program to recruit and prepare part-time instructors for 6^Ibid., abstract. D. B. Gowin and George H. Daigneault, The PartTime College Teacher (Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1961). 56 ' college teaching. Participants in the program had neither formal preparation for teaching, nor teaching experience. However, they were required to meet at least one or more of the following criteria: degree or above, (1) have obtained a Master's (2) have been licensed or certified by a recognized authority to practice in his chosen field, and (3) have enough experience in a particular field to insure competence in presenting its subject matter at the college level. The recruits were intensively interviewed for screening purposes and then divided into experimental and control groups. The study sought to prepare the experi­ mental group for college teaching through a pre-service program involving educational theory chology, sociology) (philosophy, psy­ and educational practices. The experiment revealed: (1) that interns who experienced the pre-service preparation program exhibited increased theoretical consistency and decreased authori­ tarianism; (2) that interns who experienced the actual teaching situation decreased in theoretical consistency and increased in authoritarianism, but not enough to lower significantly the gain derived from the preparation; (3) not unequivocally supported was that interns who shifted toward greater consistency were not rated by students as "better" teachers than those who did not so shift. ever, the experimental group of interns How­ (which did as a 57 group shift toward greater consistency) was rated as the equal of experienced full-time instructors. Summary The review of the literature and research presented in this chapter included four sections: technical instructor, (1) the vocational- (2) Michigan community colleges, (3) problems of beginning instructors, and (4) the part-time instructor. Diverse opinions prevail on the importance of pro­ fessional teacher education and qualifications for vocational-technical instructors. The literature revealed that a majority of the writers acknowledged the value of instructors' having some professional teacher education to supplement their technical subject-matter competence. Ini­ tial research findings indicated no difference in student achievement when taught by teachers with professional teacher training and by tradesmen. Further research is needed before conclusions can be drawn. Michigan community colleges have grown rapidly in number within the past decade. This growth is due, in part, to their flexibility and adaptability to the changing needs of the people they serve. Possibly more important to their growth is the open-door policy of admitting stu­ dents. Furthermore, the institutions have assumed a major responsibility for post-secondary vocational-tecnical edu­ cation. 58 A minimum number of studies has been conducted, attempting to identify the problems of beginning community junior college instructors. Siehr and McCall conducted similar studies, which looked at instructional and insti­ tutional problems of all beginning community/junior college instructors. Garrison studied the issues and problems fac­ ing the community/junior college instructors and found the major problem to be TI M E . Holman studied the professional problems of beginning full-time post-secondary area center trade and technical instructors in Iowa. Part-time instructors are no new phenomenon to the teaching profession. They are being recruited from many occupations in the world of work. Part-time instructors are being used at all educational levels, and are con­ sidered an indispensable resource in some situations, but are regarded less favorably in other areas. Parallel to their services is the institution's responsibility of pro­ viding orientation and ocher assisting services to the new and unfamiliar instructor in the institution. Fledgling efforts have thus far been developed to provide the parttime instructor with opportunities for professional development in teaching. CHAPTER III DESIGN OF THE STUDY Introduction The present study was designed to determine the problems confronting part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors in the community college as per­ ceived by administrative supervisors, the instructors them­ selves, and their students. The assumption was that such an identification and analysis would provide a basis for assisting community college administrators, teacher educa­ tors, and state departments of education in identifying needs for action in implementing or upgrading in-service or pre-service training programs. Procedures and methodology used to identify and analyze the problem areas are presented in this chapter. Specifically, information is presented concerning the selection and identification of the sample, methods of collecting data, description of the instruments, and treatment of the data. Selection and Identification of the Samples In identifying the problems of part-time and full­ time industrial and technical instructors in Michigan 59 60 community colleges, one of the first tasks was to decide on logical sources of relevant data. After a preliminary investigation, it was considered desirable to gather data pertinent to the instructors' situation from three dif­ ferent, but complementary, viewpoints: that of the admin­ istrative supervisor, that of the instructor himself, and that of the student. Community College Sample To increase the specificity and relevance of the findings, the study was limited to vocational reimbursed industrial and technical education programs in Michigan public community colleges. The document, Vocational Edu66 cation Services of the Michigan Department of Education, was used to identify those community colleges having reim­ bursed industrial and technical education programs. As listed in this document, 16 institutions operate reimbursed industrial and technical education programs. A simple random sample of 11 institutions was drawn from the pos­ sible 16 eligible institutions. The sampling procedure involved placing the individual names of the 16 eligible institutions in a container, and then drawing 11 names from the container. 66 Michigan Department of Education, Vocational Education Services of the Michigan Department of Educa­ tion (Lansing, Michigan: State Board of Education, October, 1970), Appendix B. 61 The identified institutions were then contacted by letter to confirm that they employed part-time instructors, and to ask for their participation in the study. of the letter is included in Appendix A. A copy A map showing geographical location of community colleges in Michigan and listing institutions which participated in the study is included in Appendix B. Each community college and its personnel'will remain anonymous in the presentation of the data, to allow for open and frank discussion. Instructor Sample Instructors were selected on the basis of their educational background and community college teaching experience. The instructor sample was stratified on the randomly selected institutions. At each community college, both part-time and full-time industrial and technical in­ structors were first identified. From this population, all part-time instructors with the least amount of com­ munity college teaching experience at that institution and no professional teacher education were identified. Con­ currently, all full-time instructors were screened to identify those individuals who had completed professional teacher education, and had the least amount of community college teaching experience. The final step involved randomly drawing the names of two part-time and two full­ time instructors from each of the identified subsamples. Consequently, the names of four instructors from each of the 11 institutions were chosen, with a total of 44 in­ structors being identified for the present study. Due to unusual circumstances, two instructors were excluded (one part-time and one full-time); thus a total of 42 instruc­ tors comprised the instructor sample. Administrative Supervisor Sample Administrative supervisors were selected on the basis of holding positions as Dean, Department Chairman or Coordinator of industrial or technical programs, and/or the most immediate administrator to whom the part-time instruc­ tor reported. Due to the difference in administrative organizational structures among community colleges, the anticipated number of two supervisors per institution was not achieved. Consequently, 20 supervisors were identified. Student Sample The respondents for this portion of the investiga­ tion included those students enrolled in industrial or technical classes being taught by the instructors included in the study. Due to individual instructor preference or institutional policies, some instructors were not repre­ sented by student ratings. As a result, 473 student rat­ ings were received from students of 16 part-time instruc­ tors and 17 full-time instructors. 63 Methods of Collecting Data With the major problem identified and the sources of data determined, the question arose of which method or combination of methods of gathering data would elicit the kinds of information desired. Review of various research techniques and consultation with research specialists con­ firmed the belief that the interview would be the most appropriate technique. Other considerations which influ­ enced the choice of the research technique were: (1) per­ sonal contact with the instructors and supervisors would permit valuable experience and interaction with field con­ ditions, and (2) the very nature of interaction and dis­ cussion of problems and concerns could foster some con­ scious review and evaluation by instructors and supervisors of their present situations. Procedure for Interviews Vocational-technical deans in the selected com­ munity colleges were contacted by letter (Appendix A ) . The purpose of the letter w a s : to acquaint the deans with the study, to confirm that they employed part-time instruc­ tors, to ask for their participation in the study, and to set a time for the investigator to visit with the dean or his designated alternate. A follow-up phone call was used to confirm the initial visitations. The purposes of the visitations with the deans were: to explain and clarify the purpose of the study, to 64 identify the supervisors and instructors to be interviewed, and to arrange the appointments for interviews at a future date and time. The Interviews The actual interviews began in November, 1970, and continued into December, 1970. In most situations the interviews were conducted at the institution, or in some cases, at the local business or industry where the parttime instructor was employed full-time. Before beginning the interview, the interviewer briefly reviewed the purpose of the study and encouraged complete freedom in responding to the questions. The responses were recorded by written notes or checks on the interview schedule form. When com­ pleting Part III of the Instructor Interview Schedule (Appendix C ) , the instructor was asked to rate each prob­ lem item in relation to his instructional or institutional situation. Upon completion of the interview, the instructor was given a packet of Student Instructional Rating Forms (Appendix E) to distribute to one of his classes for com­ pletion. The instructors were assured again that this survey was not to be used as an individual evaluation, but as a group evaluation. When completed, the forms were returned to the investigator via stamped, self-addressed envelope. 65 Description of the Instruments The development of a single instrument for collect­ ing data from supervisors, instructors, and students was not considered appropriate nor feasible. As a result, it was necessary to design two data-gathering instruments and to select parts of an existing instrument. constructed instruments were: Schedule The self- (1) Instructor Interview (Appendix C ) , and (2) Supervisor Interview Sche­ dule (Appendix D ) . The third instrument selected was the Student Instructional Rating System Form (Appendix E ) . Instructor Interview Schedule The first step involved in designing the interview schedules was the identification of the basic questions that would collect the kinds of data sought. The initial step in formulating the questions, once the objectives were formulated, was to review the related literature and inter­ view local community college personnel to establish a pre­ liminary framework of questions. Using this framework, a pilot investigation was conducted during the Spring of 1970, using open-ended opinionnaires which were mailed to part-time and full-time health occupation instructors in Michigan institutions. information concerning: The preliminary instrument sought (1) educational background, teaching and occupational work experience, (2) (3) problems or concerns which involved instructional or institutional 66 methods or procedures, and (4) recommendations on addi­ tional professional education needs. Following the inter­ pretation and analysis of the pilot study data, altera­ tions were considered and adopted. The final analysis provided a composite list of problem areas which later became the framework for the Instructor Rating Form (Part III, Appendix C ) . The next step in designing the interview schedules was to classify the problem items into various categorical clusters which would fuse areas of commonality. To accomp­ lish this task, graduate students participating in a cur­ riculum development course at Michigan State University during the summer of 1970 were asked to arrange the items into common cluster areas Four categorical clusters were established by the graduate students and confirmed by teacher educators. The categorical clusters of items and the statements related to each are as follows: I. Course Organization 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. II. Organizing and providing sufficient time to Cover materials. Developing lectures. Formulating educational objectives. Selecting methods of presenting materials. Selecting and organizing subject matter. Adapting instruction to individual differences. Determining the various competencies required of graduates in my subject area. Student-Instructor Interaction 9. Lack of time for student counseling or instruc­ tional preparation. 67 10. 11. Ill. Institutional Procedures 2. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. IV. Motivating and maintaining student interest. Establishing effective personal relationships with students. Lack of materials such as course outlines, plans, and faculty handbooks, which should be furnished upon appointment. Knowing what is expected of me regarding the total amount of my responsibilities to the institution. No systematic means of keeping faculty informed about committee or administrative decisions con­ cerning faculty matters. Understanding procedures and policies of college. Lack of opportunity to be involved in program or course development. Lack of involvement with other college faculty. Understanding proper channels for securing sup­ plies, resource persons, or instructional aids. Lack of orientation to job, facilities, equip­ ment, and materials available to faculty. Concern about wages and fringe benefits. Coordinating instruction in my class with instruction in other classes or laboratories. Evaluation Procedures 22. 23. 24. Self-evaluating my effectiveness as a teacher. Developing satisfactory tests and examinations. Determining how to evaluate students effectively. The instructors' assignment of ratings to the above items was based on the following five-point scale: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. No Problem Moderate Problem Major Problem Supervisor Interview Schedule After consulting with community college administra­ tors concerning the nature of the study, it was determined 68 to develop an instrument which permitted free and open responses on the supervisors' behalf. Interview Schedule (1) Basic Data, and The Supervisor (Appendix D) is divided into two parts: (2) Problems and Needs. Part I con­ cerns questions which elicit data on the person being interviewed, number of instructors employed, and avail­ ability of in-service education programs. Questions in Part II ask for the supervisors' opinions concerning parttime and full-time instructors' responsibilities, areas of success, areas of difficulty, and areas of professional needs. Student Instructional Rating Form The Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS) was developed at Michigan State University by the Educational Development Program (1967-69), to systematically evaluate instruction. The SIRS is a rating system for collecting, ana­ lyzing, and interpreting student reactions to classroom instruction and course content. The SIRS Form (Appendix E) is important to the present study because of its adapt­ ability and the type of information it elicits. The in­ strument is designed to be a general, all-course rating report. The form is composed of two major sections: (1) evaluation and biographical items, and comment area. (2) written 69 The present study was delimited to the first 20 items of the SIRS Form, which pertain to the evaluation of instruction. These 20 items represent five aspects of the learning situation as perceived by the student: I. Instructor Involvement 1. 2. 3. 4. II. Student Interest 5. 6. 7. 8. III. You were interested in learning the course material. You were generally attentive in class. You felt that this course challenged you intellectually. You have become more competent in this area due to this course. Student-Instructor Interaction 9. 10. 11. 12. IV. The instructor was enthusiastic when presenting course material. The instructor seemed to be interested in teaching. The instructor's use of examples or personal experiences helped to get points across in class. The instructor seemed to be concerned with whether the students learned the material. The instructor encouraged students to express opinions. The instructor appeared receptive to new ideas and others' viewpoints. The student had an opportunity to ask questions. The instructor generally stimulated class dis­ cussion. Course Demands 13. 14. 15. The instructor attempted to cover too much material. The instructor generally presented the material too rapidly. The homework assignments were too time consuming relative to their contribution to your under­ standing of the course material. 70 16. V. You generally found the coverage of topics in the assigned readings too difficult. Course Organization 17. 18. 19. 20. The instructor appeared to relate the course concepts in a systematic manner. The course was well organized. The instructor's class presentations made for easy note taking. The direction of the course was adequately outlined. The students1 responses to the above items were based on the following five-point scale: 1. If you strongly agree with the statement. 2. If you agree with the statement. 3. If you neither agree nor disagree. 4. If you disagree with the statement. 5. If you strongly disagree with the statement. Treatment of the Data The basic procedure utilized for analyzing and interpreting the interview response data was to transcribe notes into ordered form for tabulating the frequency of individual responses. This systematic ordering gave some organization and meaning to the data. The second step involved analyzing individual responses for content, and then classifying the items into areas of commonality. Following this step, frequencies and percentages were cal­ culated, where The results beneficial to the interpretation of these various steps in analyzing ofdata. and 71 ' interpreting the interview data facilitated a presenta­ tion of the data in tabular form. The final element in processing the interview data involved the selection of illustrative responses to accompany the tabular reporting. These quotations were selected as representative responses to add originality and validity to the information reported in the tables. The response data contained in the Instructor Rat­ ing Form and Student Rating Forms were scored and trans­ ferred to key-punched cards at the Michigan State Uni­ versity Evaluation Services Office. A difficulty index score was computed from Instructor Rating Forms for each of the 24 problem areas, by assigning a value of one through five to each instructor's response. The responses were totaled, producing a weighted score for each item. These scores were then divided by the total number of responses for each item, yielding a numerical difficulty index score. The same procedure was followed with the Student Rating Form in computing an agreement index score for student reactions to classroom instruction and course content. Thus, the difficulty index represented a measure of the degree of difficulty of the instructors' perceptions of problems and concerns. The agreement index represented students' reactions to the instructors' instructional situ­ ation. These indexes were set up in tabular form for com­ parison and analysis. 72 Following consultation with research specialists, it was decided that a multivariate analysis of variance was the appropriate statistical technique to test Hypoth­ esis I . by Finn The data were integrated into a program developed 67 for processing on the Control Data 3600 computer. The remaining hypotheses were tested through the use of a Pearson Product-Moment correlation and Fisher r to Z transformation test. Summary This chapter has been concerned with the selection of participants, methods of collecting data, development of data-gathering instruments, and treatment of the data. The participants in the study included 11 Michigan public community colleges with vocational reimbursed indus­ trial and technical programs, 20 administrative super­ visors, 21 part-time and 21 full-time industrial and tech­ nical instructors, and 437 students. The methods used to collect data consisted of interviews and structured rating forms. Interviews were used to gather data from administrative supervisors and instructors. The Instructor and Supervisor Interview Schedules were developed by the researcher. Student 67 Jeremy Finn, M ultivariance: Fortran Program for Univariate and Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Covariance (Buffalo: State University of New York at Buffalo, 1967). 73 - Rating Forms were used to gather data from students on the instructor's instructional situation. The student rating instrument was developed at Michigan State Uni­ versity . The last section was concerned with describing the methods for analyzing the interview response data and the statistical procedures used to test the stated hypotheses. The following chapter provides background informa­ tion on the respondents who participated in the study. CHAPTER IV CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to identify problem areas which may prevail with part-time and full-time industrial and technical education instructors in Michigan community colleges. This chapter presents certain des­ criptive and factual background information concerning the institutions and personnel who provided data. It was felt that the information presented would be beneficial to filling the information void that exists on part-time and full-time industrial and technical education instructors in Michigan community colleges. Furthermore, it was felt that the information presented is necessary to better i understand the institutions and instructors who are repre­ sented in this study. In addition, it was needful to identify certain characteristics of the participants in order to make present and future comparisons between simi­ lar groups. Staff Size A contributing factor leading to this investigation was an awareness of the increasing use by the community 74 75 college of part-time instructors recruited directly from business and industry without professional teacher edu­ cation backgrounds. Table 1 shows some indication of the magnitude of the increasing role part-time instructors are playing in the 11 community colleges which partici­ pated in this study. Of the 510 industrial and technical instructors identified, 222 (43.5 per cent) were part-time instructors with no professional teacher education; another 96 (18.8 per cent) were part-time instructors with professional teacher education; and 192 (37.7 per cent) were full-time instructors. The data reveal that part-time instructors represent a significant proportion of the vocational and technical education staff (62.3 per cent). TABLE 1.— Number of instructors in industrial and technical education for institutions included in this study.* Instructor Group Part-time (with no professional teacher education) Part-time (with professional teacher education) Full-time** Total Number Per cent 222 43.5 96 18.8 192 37.7 510 100.0 ♦Numbers do not include business and health occupations. ♦♦Number includes those with and without professional teacher education. 76 Without the services of part-time instructors, the avail­ ability and diversity of course offerings would be greatly restricted. In-Service Education Although the importance of ongoing in-service edu­ cation is being recognized more and more, a lack of sys­ tematic effort is still exhibited in this area. Rapid changes in technology and the occurrence of changes in the instructional-learning environment make it mandatory that teacher in-service education become part of the total con­ tinuous system of education. As Table 2 illustrates, there is an opportunity for more institutions to develop or make provisions for ongoing in-service education programs for their personnel. TABLE 2.— Number of institutions providing in-service pro­ grams for instructors. „ Response Yes No Total Part-time Instructors ____________________ Full-time Instructors ______________ ______ Number Number Per cent Per cent 2 18.2 3 27.3 _9 81.8 8 72.7 11 100.0 11 100.0 77 In-service education programs identified by the institutions were: instruction in the use of learning resource center, work in industry when needed, part-time and full-time instructors meeting and. developing course syllabus, short sessions on organizing course materials, and departmental meetings to discuss curriculum organiza­ tion. In-service education is one means of maintaining and improving the quality of instruction and the training being offered. Furthermore, due to the increasing number of individuals who lack certain desired educational or occupational background experiences, instructor in-service training becomes a very important factor in assuring that quality instruction will be forthcoming. Orientation Programs Orientation programs are an important means, whereby lines of communication, policies, and procedures between instructional staff and administrators can be initially implemented. The understanding and rapport which are established among all personnel are an important benchmark in establishing a viable and effective educa­ tional program. However, several institutions often overlook this means of opening communication channels and establishing rapport. Considering the case of the part-time instruc­ tor, the importance of orientation procedures cannot be overlooked just because he was employed on short notice or employed for only one term or semester. As Table 3 indicates, a majority of institutions studied had some form of orientation procedure for both part-time and full-time instructors. TABLE 3.— Availability of orientation programs. Full-•time Part-time Response Number Per cent Number Per cent Yes 8 72.7 10 91.7 No 3 27.3 1 8.3 11 100.0 11 100.0 Total In most cases, orientation procedures consisted of one or more activities, such as tours of facilities; meet­ ings with the board members; meeting the president; con­ ferences with the dean or department chairman; instruction on procedures, policies, and philosophy of the college; assignment of classrooms or laboratories; distribution of faculty handbooks or course outlines; assignment of co­ workers in the buddy system; and tours of the local area. It must be emphasized that the orientation procedures which were identified for part-time instructors were very minimal in content. 79 Instructor Responsibility Table 4 illustrates that 90 per cent of the super­ visors interviewed did recognize a difference between the part-time and full-time instructors' responsibilities. However, upon clarifying their remarks, the supervisors indicated no differences in responsibilities existed in regard to classroom instruction. The supervisors' remarks are best exemplified by the following statements: The responsibilities of part-time instructors differ only on such matters as office hours and contractual matters established by the administra­ tion with full-time faculty. Classroom responsi­ bilities remain the same for both part-time and full-time instructors. The difference between part-time and full­ time instructor responsibilities exists outside the classroom, such as: curriculum development, committee meetings, pre-enrollment, and planning budgets. TABLE 4.— Do the responsibilities of a part-time instructor differ from those of the full-time instructor? Supervisor Response Number Per cent Yes 18 90.0 2 10.0 20 100.0 No Total Degree Earned Table 5 indicates there is considerable variation in the degrees earned by part-time and full-time industrial 80 and technical instructors. Over 42.8 per cent of the part-time instructors in the survey had less than a Bachelor's degree. Furthermore, of that 42.8 per cent, 28.5 per cent indicated their highest level of formal edu­ cation was the high school diploma. Of the remaining part-time instructors, 47.6 per cent had earned a Bache­ lor's degree, as compared with 52.4 per cent of the full­ time instructors. Only 4.8 per cent of the part-time instructors had earned a Master's degree or above, as compared with 47.6 per cent of the full-time instructors. One can conclude from the data that advanced degrees are not always a prerequisite for part-time teaching in com­ munity college vocational-technical education programs. TABLE 5.— Highest degree earned by instructors. Part-time Number Per cent Full-time Number Per cent High School Diploma 6 28.5 — — Junior College Degree 3 14.3 — — 10 47.6 11 52.4 1 4.8 9 42.8 — 1 4.8 Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctoral Degree Other Total — 1 4.8 __ 21 100.0 21 __ 100.0 81 Sources of Education The instructors were asked to identify the source or sources through which they had received their educa­ tion or training. -Table 6 contains a tabulation of their response to this question. Fifty-two per cent of the part-time instructors had received their education through the four-year college or university, as compared with 95.2 per cent of the full-time instructors. Thirty-eight per cent of the part-time instructors identified the junior or community college as a source, compared with 14.3 per cent of the full-time instructors. Thirty-eight per cent of the part-time instructors identified the apprenticeship program TABLE 6.— Sources of education and training.* Part--time Full--time Sources Number Junior or Community College Per cent Number Per cent 8 38.1 3 14.3 11 52.4 2 100.0 Industrial or Technical Trade School 3 14.3 2 9.5 Military Service 2 9.5 3 14.3 Apprenticeship Program 6 28.6 3 14.3 Other 4 19.0 7 33.3 Four-year College or University ♦instructors were permitted to mark more than one source. 82 as a source, as compared with 14.3 per cent of the full­ time instructors. Thirty-three per cent of the full-time instructors indicated: "other," compared with 19.0 per cent of the part-time instructors. When identifying "other," the instructors further clarified this to mean training received from business, industry, or military sources. As one full-time instructor phrased it, "Where else can I receive the latest technical knowledge and skills pertain­ ing to my subject area?” Enrollment Status Table 7 shows 87.7 per cent of the part-time instructors were not presently enrolled for additional education, as compared with 52.4 per cent of the full-time TABLE 7.— Distribution of instructors as to enrollments to achieve higher degrees. Part-time Not Enrolled Number Per cent Number Per cent 18 87.7 11 52.4 1 4.8 — — — — — Junior College Degree Bachelor's Degree Full-time — 2 Master's Degree 9.5 7 33.3 Doctoral Degree — — 2 9.5 Other — — 1 4.8 21 100.0 21 100.0 Total \ 83 instructors. The 52.4 per cent of the full-time instruc­ tors not enrolled correlates very closely with the 47.6 per cent of the full-time instructors holding a Master's degree or above. Furthermore, the remaining 47.6 per cent of the full-time instructors seeking Master's degrees or above correlates very closely with the 52.4 per cent hold­ ing the Bachelor's degree. Nonteaching Occupational Work Experience Occupational work experience is often a major con­ sideration for employing part-time and full-time voca­ tional and technical instructors. Table 8 shows the years of occupational work experience completed by the instruc­ tors surveyed. The mean is 11.3 years work experience for TABLE 8.— Years of work experience in occupational area being taught. Years Part-time -------------------Number Per cent Full-time -------------------Number Per cent 0-2 3 14 .3 6 28.6 3-5 2 9.5 6 28.6 6-8 2 9.5 9-11 6 28.6 5 23.8 12 or more 8 38.1 4 19.0 Total Mean 21 100.0 21 11.3 — — 100.0 7.5 84 the part-time instructors, as compared with 7.5 years for the full-time instructors. Nearly 66.7 per cent of all part-time instructors had more than nine years of work experience, as compared with 42.8 per cent of the full­ time instructors. Furthermore, 57.1 per cent of all full­ time instructors had less than five years work experience, as compared with only 19 per cent of the part-time instruc­ tors having equivalent years of experience. Professional Course Work Completed Table 9 gives some indication of the type and amount of professional teacher education the instructors had completed. TABLE 9.— Distribution of instructors by type of profes­ sional teacher education courses and semester hour credits completed. Type of Course General Teacher Education Courses . em^ f^ 4-e°Ur None 1-6 7-12 13 or more Total Specific Education Courses in Major Subject Area Total None 1-6 7-12 13 or more Part-time Instructors 21 100.0 — — ---- ---- 21 100.0 21 100.0 — — ---- 21 Full-time Instructors — 100.0 1 3 4.8 14.3 17 21 80.0 100.0 2 1 7 9.5 4.8 33.3 11 21 52.4 100.0 85 The part-time instructors sampled had not taken professional teacher education courses, as compared with full-time instructors, who had completed a minimum of 6 semester hour credits or more. Teaching Experience Table 10 reveals that full-time instructors had more total teaching experience than the part-time instruc­ tors. This might be expected because of the very nature of part-time employment in teaching and the desire of administrators to secure full-time instructors with prior teaching experience. Full-time instructors with eight or more years of teaching experience constituted the largest group, or 33.3 per cent of the full-time instructors, while only 9.5 per cent were in the 0-1 year experience TABLE 10.— Classification of instructors by total number of years teaching experience. Years Part-time -------------------Number Per cent Full-time -------------------Number Per cent 0-1 9 42.9 2 9.5 2-4 10 47.6 6 28.6 5-7 2 9.5 6 28.6 7 33.3 8 or more Total Mean — — 100.0 21 2.1 21 100.0 6.9 86 group. Part-time instructors had the largest number of respondents, or 47.6 per cent in the 2 to 4 year group, and another 42.9 per cent in the 0 to 1 year group. The full-time instructor sample had a 6.9 year experience average, compared with a 2.1 year average for the parttime instructor sample. Because of the stipulation of selecting only those instructors with the least amount of teaching experience in their present teaching position, data in Table 11 can­ not be considered representative of all community college industrial and technical instructors. The full-time instructors in the sample group had held their teaching positions for a longer period of time , or 3. 3 mean years, TABLE 11.-— Classification of instructors by tenure in present teaching position. Full-time Part- time Years Number Per cent 0-1 11 52.4 7 33.3 2-4 9 42.8 9 42.8 5-7 1 4.8 3 14.3 — 2 9.5 8 or more Total Mean — 21 100.0 1.8 Number Per cent* 21 99.9 3.3 *Detail may not add to 100.0 per cent because of rounding. 87 as compared with 1.8 mean years for the part-time instruc­ tors. Further analysis reveals that 52.4 per cent of the part-time instructors had been in their present teaching positions for less than one year, as compared to 33.3 per cent of the full-time instructor sample. However, the 2-4 year groups, full-time and part-time instructors, numbered the same. Subjects Taught What subjects are part-time industrial and techni­ cal instructors being employed to teach? Table 12 shows the subjects taught by the part-time and full-time instruc­ tors sampled. The courses identified represent subjects to which the greatest proportion of the instructors' time was devoted. Part-time instructors sampled were not con­ centrated in one specific subject area. Basic electricity represented the largest concentration of part-time insturctors, with four of the 21 respondents. Full-time instruc­ tors were concentrated in three subject areas of automotive, mechanical drafting, and machine shop. Combined, these three areas represented 76.2 per cent of the full-time instructor group. The specialized nature of subjects identified as being taught by part-time instructors gives some indication of the reasons for employing part-time instructors. In many cases, part-time personnel are employed where it is impossible to locate or economically 88 not feasible to employ full-time staff to teach special­ ized subjects. TABLE 12.— Distribution of instructors by subject taught. Part-time Full-time Subject Area Number Automotive Electronics Drafting Metallurgy EDP Numerical Control Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Hydraulics Technical English Machine Shop Strength of Materials Shop Theory Basic Electricity Architectural Drafting Technical Mathematics Welding (Arc & Gas) Machinists Handbook Die Design 1 2 1 2 1 1 4 1 5 1 1 1 — 1 — 1 6 1 — — 1 1 4 1 1 2 1 JL 21 Total Number — — — - — ______ 21 Part-Time Instructors' FullTime Occupations What occupational areas and expertise are being brought into the classrooms from business and industry on a part-time basis, through the use of part-time instruc­ tors, by our community colleges? Table 13 shows the occu­ pational fields in which part-time instructors reported working full-time. Nearly 57.1 per cent of all part-time 89 instructors surveyed held the classification of Engineer. Some of the engineering titles given w e r e : Product Engineer, Development Engineer, Product Design Engineer, Process Development Engineer, and Electrical Engineer. TABLE 13.— Full-time occupational classification of parttime instructors. Occupational Classification Number Engineer 12 Programmer N/C 1 Electronic Repair Service 1 Architect 1 Consultant EDP 1 Metallurgist 1 Quality Control 1 Welder 1 Other 2 Total 21 Vocational Certification Table 14 is concerned with instructors' vocational certification. For institutions to be eligible for par­ tial reimbursement of vocational and technical instructors' salaries, the instructor must be vocationally certified by the State Division of Vocational Education. The voca­ tional certification issued to post-secondary personnel 90 is classified as Community College Approval. Table 14 shows 76.1 per cent of the full-time instructors were approved, compared with 61.9 per cent of the part-time instructors. TABLE 14.— Number of instructors with vocational certifi­ cation. Number of Instructors Part-time Yes No Total Full-time 13 16 8 5 21 21 \ Interest in Professional Upgrading Table 15 shows that part-time instructors in the sample were interested in upgrading their professional teaching competence. Nearly 85.7 per cent indicated they would be willing to participate in in-service education TABLE 15.— Part-time instructors' desire for in-service programs. Yes No Total Number Per cent 18 85.7 3 14.3 21 100.0 91 if it were designed to meet specific identified needs. Only 14.3 per cent indicated no interest or time available to participate in such programs. From this it may be con­ cluded that if viable programs were developed and directed toward part-time instructors' specific needs, they would participate in the programs. Summary This chapter has attempted to present factual and descriptive data on part-time and full-time industrial and technical instructors. Evidence is clearly shown that part-time instructors are playing a significant role in post-secondary vocational education. Of the 11 institu­ tions surveyed, 62.3 per cent of the industrial and tech­ nical faculty were part-time instructors. Furthermore, of this 62.3 per cent who were part-time, 43.5 per cent had completed no professional teacher education. Of the part- time instructors in the present study, 42.8 per cent had less than a Bachelor's degree. The full-time instructors were represented by 52.4 per cent with Bachelor's degrees and 47.6 per cent with Master's degrees or above. Further­ more, there was an apparent lack of interest in achieving higher degrees on the part of part-time instructors, with 87.7 per cent not pursuing further degrees. The major sources of professional training for both part-time and full-time instructors were four-year colleges and universities. The community or junior i 92 college was identified as a source of training by 38.1 per cent of the part-time instructors and 14.6 per cent of the full-time instructors. An apprenticeship program was part of the preparation for 28.6 per cent of the part-time instructors and 14.3 per cent of the full-time instructors. The mean number of years of nonteaching work experience related to the subject taught was 11.3 years for part-time instructors, compared with 7.5 years for full-time instructors. Each mean is significantly higher than the two-year minimum requirement for vocational certification. The mean of the total number of years teaching experience for part-time instructors was 2.1 years, compared with 6.9 years for full-time instructors. The mean years of experience in present teaching positions showed 3.3 years for full-time instructors, compared with 1.8 years for part-time instructors. This possibly can be interpreted to mean that increased numbers of part-time instructors are being employed, rather than full-time instructors. The courses being taught by the part-time instruc­ tors were not concentrated in specific subject areas, but rather were in specialty areas. Full-time instructors were concentrated in three subject areas of automotive, mechanical drafting, and machine shop. A survey of the full-time occupations of the part-time instructors re ­ vealed over 57 per cent were classified as engineers. 93 Supervisors believed there were no differences between part-time and full-time instructors' classroom responsibilities. The majority of the community colleges are attempting orientation programs, but are failing to establish ongoing in-service education programs. However, 85.7 per cent of the part-time instructors would partici­ pate in in-service programs that were directed to specific identified needs. CHAPTER V ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS The previous chapter discussed the educational and occupational backgrounds of the instructors surveyed in the study. In this chapter the findings pertaining to the basic problem areas are presented and analyzed. The find­ ings consist of opinions and perceptions obtained through interviews with 20 administrative supervisors and 42 instructors in 11 Michigan community colleges. Additional data were collected from 473 students, through the use of a student rating form. The analysis of data is presented in four main sections of this chapter. The first three sections paral­ lel the principal data sources used in the study. The first section is concerned with the situation as perceived by the administrative supervisors. The second section deals with instructors' perceptions of the situation. The third section sets forth the instructors1 instructional situations as perceived by the students. tion reports the tests of the hypotheses. The fourth sec­ The data were analyzed according to the plan outlined in Chapter III. 94 95 The Situation as Perceived by the Supervisors ~ Problem Areas It was the purpose of this phase of the study to investigate the supervisors' opinions and observations concerning part-time and full-time instructors' problem areas, success areas, and areas in which additional inservice education would be beneficial to the instructors. The opinions of the supervisors represent an understanding which is based on working relationships with the instruc­ tors . A major question of the study was, "What kinds of problems do part-time and full-time instructors have, according to the perceptions of the administrative super­ visor?" To answer this question, the supervisors were asked to cite the areas in which part-time and full-time instructors experienced the most difficulty. Appendix F contains a summarization of the identified problem areas. Analysis of the supervisors' responses revealed 23 dif­ ferent problem areas distributed between the part-time and full-time instructor groups. On the basis of frequency, four problem areas were selected for discussion, as they relate to the part-time instructor. The four problem areas, with supporting statements by supervisors, are as follows: 96 1. Lack of understanding of the methods and pro­ cedures in selecting and organizing course materials. This problem area was mentioned by 60 per cent of +-he supervisors as a problem for many part-time instructors. Supervisors' state­ ments took the following f o r m s : The part-time instructor knows his technical material well, in most cases; but he often may tend to omit intermediate or basic understandings or procedures when organizing and presenting the material. They know their subject matter, but how to organize and present it is a problem. 2. Lack of understanding of the methods and pro­ cedures in grading and evaluating students. Forty per cent of the supervisors indicated that part-time instructors experience some difficulty in this area. Direct and to-the-point responses denoted that "evaluating" and "grading" were two of the difficulties which part-time instructors face. Other supervisors indicated they were often asked "how to figure grades and how many A's, B's, C's, and D's should be given." 3. Lack of understanding and skill in developing test materials. This problem area was mentioned by 20 per cent of the supervisors as a problem for part-time instructors. Some typical state­ ments are as follows: In the preparation of tests, the parttime instructor may vary in degree as to the intensity of subject matter and consistency between what he has covered in class and for what he is testing. Rather than developing testing materials suited to their situation, they select tests which are readily available in the textbook. 4. Lack of understanding in the selection, design, and use of teaching aids and related materials. Twenty per cent of the supervisors felt that this was a problem. A supervisor reported that "the part-time instructors are reluctant or unable to develop or use modern teaching hardware (teaching aids) as a part of their teaching process." 97 Full-time instructors’ problem areas, as reported by the supervisors, were extremely varied. There were no predominate problem areas, as compared with the part-time instructor group. Appendix F lists the problem areas which were identified by the supervisors. In a majority of the situations, the supervisors felt they were able to hire qualified and competent full-time instructors. Success Areas Having identified the areas in which instructors were experiencing the most difficulty, the supervisors were asked to cite the areas in which they felt instructors were having the most success. Ten areas were identified between the part-time and full-time instructor groups. These areas are summarized in Appendix G. Fifty-five per cent of the supervisors believed the part-time instructors had their greatest success in bringing current information and knowledge into the classroom, which was reflected in their instructional procedures and information. Thirty per cent of the supervisors believed the part-time instructors’ instructional success was exemplified by their competence in demonstrating manipulative skills and/or relating to specific trade or occupational situa­ tions. The next highest ranking area identified was part- time instructors' competence in relating with the students and identifying individual needs and abilities. 98 The full-time instructors' highest success area, as perceived by their supervisors, was relating with stu­ dents and identifying individual needs and abilities. This area was recognized by 20 per cent of the supervisors The second highest area, bringing new ideas, innovations, and enthusiasm into the teaching situation, was identified by 15 per cent of the supervisors. Professional Education Needs The supervisors were asked, "What suggestions do you have for assisting in the preparation and upgrading of part-time and full-time instructors which would be bene­ ficial in eliminating the problem areas identified thus far?" Sixteen broad areas of instruction were identified (see Appendix H ) . Sixty per cent of the supervisors believed part-time instructors could benefit from addi­ tional instruction in the methods of selecting, organizing and presenting course materials. Thirty per cent of the supervisors believed additional training in evaluation procedures and selecting and developing tests was needed. Other areas identified by 10 per cent or more of the supervisors include philosophy of vocational-technical education, fundamentals of learning theory, selecting and using related materials, developing visual aids, incorpo­ rating teaching innovations into their teaching, and main­ taining adequate records. 99 Supervisors were far less consistent on what is needed to assist the full-time instructor. Three areas of instruction recommended by 10 per cent of the super­ visors were methods of selecting, organizing, and present­ ing materials; application of visual aids in the class­ room; and additional technical subject content. Thus, the evidence shows there are some areas of need which were identified by a small percentage of the supervisors. The Situation as Reported by Instructors Problem Areas Part-time and full-time instructors1 reactions to the areas in which they experienced instructional or institutional difficulties were determined on the basis of self-ratings of individual items on the Instructor Rat­ ing Form (Appendix C, Part III). Difficulty index scores, frequencies, percentages, and rank order were determined for each item, as outlined in Chapter III. To determine those problem areas which were common to a majority of the instructors, the individual items were analyzed on the basis of having 50 per cent or more of the. respondents indicate for that item a rating of three or above on the difficulty index scale. Using this criterion, three problem areas were identified for the part-time instructor group (Appendix I ) : 100 1. 2. 3. Lack of materials, such as course o u t ­ line, plans, and faculty handbook, which should be furnished upon appointment. 61.9% Self-evaluating my effectiveness as a teacher. 57.1% Adapting instruction to individual differences. 52.4% Considering the short-term employment of parttime instructors and the lack of systematic in-service procedures by the institutions, it would have been sur­ prising if the part-time instructors had not rated item one as a significant problem area. Moreover, this problem was rated as a ,rmajor" problem by 19 per cent of the parttime instructors. The same procedure, as explained above, was used to determine those problem areas which caused difficulty for a majority of the full-time instructors (Appendix J ) . Six significant problem areas were expressed by the full­ time instructors: 1. 2. 3. 4. Determining how to evaluate students effectively. 71.5% Self-evaluating my effectiveness as a teacher. 57.2% Adapting instruction to individual differences. 57.1% Determining the various competencies required of graduates in my subject area. 57.1% 101 5. 6. Keeping abreast of current ideas and trends in my occupational area. 57.1% Developing satisfactory tests and examinations. 52.4% Three of the above problem areas concerned methods and procedures of evaluation. Combined, they were rated as a "major" problem by 33.4 per cent of the full-time instructors. Table 16 shows the difficulty index score and rank order for each item by part-time and full-time instructor groups. Problem area 8, "Determining the vari­ ous competencies required of graduates in my subject area," had the greatest variation (.91) between the part- time instructor group, with a difficulty index score of 1.76, and the full-time instructor group, with a diffi­ culty index score of 2.67. This would indicate that full­ time instructors are less familiar with the occupational competencies for employment in the world of work. The second highest difference between the two groups occurred on item 23, and examinations.11 "Developing satisfactory tests The part-time instructor group rated this problem noticeably lower than the full-time instruc­ tor group. It must be remembered that the part-time instructor group had not experienced professional teacher education; consequently, they may not have been aware of or using known evaluation techniques. r: 102 T A B L E 1 6 . - - D i f f i c u l t y i n d e x a n d r a n k c o m p a r i s o n o f p r o b l e m a r e a s o f t e c h n i c a l i n s t r u c t o r g r o u p s . p a r t - t i m e a n d f u l l - t i m e i n d u s t r i a l F u l l - t i m e P a r t - t i m e P r o b l e m A r e a s D i f f i c u l t y I n d e x D i f f i c u l t y I n d e x * * *2. 7. 3 . 1 4 1 2 . 3 8 8 A d a p t i n g 2 . 6 7 2 2 . 8 1 3 2 . 6 7 2 2 . 4 8 7 2 . 4 3 3 3 . 1 4 1 2 . 4 3 3 2 . 1 9 1 1 2 . 3 8 4 1 . 9 5 1 3 2 . 2 9 5 2 . 5 7 5 2 . 2 4 6 2 . 0 0 1 2 2 . 2 4 6 2 . 0 0 1 2 2 . 1 0 7 2 . 3 3 i n s t r u c t i o n t o i n d i v i d u a l S e l f - e v a l u a t i n g m y e f f e c t i v e n e s s 24. D e t e r m i n i n g t o e v a l u a t e 12. L a c k o f h o w t i m e f o r s t u d e n t d i f f e r e n c e s . a s a s t u d e n t s c o u n s e l i n g t e a c h e r . e f f e c t i v e l y . o r i n s t r u c t i o n a l K n o w i n g w h a t i s e x p e c t e d o f m e r e g a r d i n g r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o t h e i n s t i t u t i o n . 16. L a c k 14. U n d e r s t a n d i n g 20. C o o r d i n a t i n g i n s t r u c t i o n c l a s s e s o r l a b o r a t o r i e s . o f i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h a n d F o r m u l a t i n g 5. S e l e c t i n g m a i n t a i n i n g m e t h o d s o f 15. L a c k o f o p p o r t u n i t y d e v e l o p m e n t . 13. N o o r c l a s s s t u d e n t j o b , e d u c a t i o n a l p o l i c i e s m y o f i n s t r u c t i o n e q u i p m e n t , t o b e i n v o l v e d i n p r o g r a m o r D e v e l o p i n g s a t i s f a c t o r y e x a m i n a t i o n s . O r g a n i z i n g a n d 8. D e t e r m i n i n g t h e v a r i o u s in m y s u b j e c t a r e a . S e l e c t i n g a n d a b r e a s t 19. C o n c e r n a b o u t p a g e a r e 71 c o m p e t e n c i e s p e r s o n a l o r g a n i z i n g K e e p i n g a r e a . ♦ N u m b e r s a n d s u f f i c i e n t t i m e s u p p l i e s , t o c o v e r r e q u i r e d r e l a t i o n s h i p s s u b j e c t o f o f w a g e s c o n s i s t e n t f o r c u r r e n t a n d w i t h c o m p u t a t i o n i d e a s f r i n g e t r e n d s i n m a t e r i a l s . b e n e f i t s . A p p e n d i x C, p r o c e d u r e . P a r t I I I . 2 . 5 2 6 2 . 0 5 8 2 . 0 0 1 2 2 . 0 5 8 1 . 5 2 1 7 1 . 9 5 9 2 . 1 9 1 1 1 . 8 6 10 1 . 6 2 1 5 16 1 . 8 1 11 2 . 6 7 4 1 . 8 1 11 2 . 2 9 1 0 1 . 7 6 12 2 . 6 7 4 1 . 7 6 12 1 . 4 2 1 8 1 . 7 1 13 2 . 0 0 1 2 1 . 5 0 14 1 . 6 7 14 g r a d u a t e s w i t h m y 7 8 r e s o u r c e s t u d e n t s . m a t t e r . a n d 2 . 1 0 2 . 0 5 c o u r s e l e c t u r e s . 21. * * S e e t e s t s p r o v i d i n g 9 m a t e r i a l s i n f o r m e d a b o u t c o m m i t t e e f a c u l t y m a t t e r s . 1. D e v e l o p i n g a n d m a t e r i a l s . 23. 6. o t h e r o b j e c t i v e s s e c u r i n g 3. i n i n t e r e s t . f a c i l i t i e s , p r e s e n t i n g e f f e c t i v e m y c o l l e g e . w i t h s y s t e m a t i c m e a n s o f k e e p i n g f a c u l t y a d m i n i s t r a t i v e d e c i s i o n s c o n c e r n i n g E s t a b l i s h i n g o f f a c u l t y . U n d e r s t a n d i n g p r o p e r c h a n n e l s f o r p e r s o n s , o r i n s t r u c t i o n a l a i d s . 11. a m o u n t * Problem Areas 9. 10. 11. 12. 14. 15. 16. Lack of time for student counsel ing or instructional preparation 10 47.6 2 9.5 3 14.3 2 9.5 Motivating and maintaining stu­ dent interest. 8 38.1 6 28.6 4 19.0 3 14.3 Establishing effective personal relationships with students. 15 71.4 3 14.3 2 9.5 1 4.8 1.76 Knowing what is expected of me regarding the total amount of my responsibilities to the institution. 8 38.1 3 14.3 2 9.5 3 14.3 2.38 No systematic means of keeping faculty informed about committee or administrative decisions con­ cerning faculty matters. 13 61.9 2 9.5 1 4.8 4 19.0 1 4.8 1.95 Understanding procedures and policies of college. 8 38.1 5 23.8 5 23.8 1 4.8 2 9.5 2.24 Lack of opportunity to be involved in program or course development. 12 57.1 2 9.5 3 14.3 2 9.5 2 9.5 2.05 Lack of involvement with other college faculty. 8 38.1 6 28.6 3 14.3 1 4.8 3 14.3 2.29 5 23.8 4 19.0 2.43 2.10 162 13. c Difficulty Index APPENDIX I .— Continued. Degree of Difficulty Problem Areas 1 17. • 00 1—1 • • rH CM 23. 24. 3 4 5 1 4.8 Understanding proper channels for securing supplies, resource persons, or instructional aids. 13 61.9 2 9.5 3 14.3 2 9.5 Lack of orientation to job, facilities, equipment, and mate­ rials available to faculty. 8 38.1 6 28.6 4 19.0 3 14.3 2.10 Concern about wages and fringe benefits. 15 71.4 5 23.8 1 4.8 1.38 Coordinating instruction in my class with instruction in other classes or laboratories. 10 47.6 4 19.0 2 9.5 Keeping abreast of current ideas and trends in my occu­ pational area. 13 61.9 7 33.3 1 4.8 Self-evaluating my effective­ ness as a teacher. 4 19.0 5 23.8 8 38.1 Developing satisfactory tests and examinations. 10 47.6 5 23.8 6 28.6 Determining how to evaluate students effectively. 5 23.8 8 38.1 3 14.3 ♦Distribution; **Percentage. 1.86 163 to o • t—1 22. 2 Difficulty Index 2 9.5 3 14.3 2.24 1.43 2 9.5 2 9.5 2.67 1.81 4 19.0 1 4.8 2.43 APPENDIX J PROBLEMS OF FULL-TIME INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS IN SELECTED COMMUNITY COLLEGES 164 APPENDIX J.— Problems of full-time industrial and technical instructors in selected community colleges. Problem Areas 1. 2. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. Organizing and providing sufficient time to cover materials. 9* 42.9** Lack of materials such as course outlines, plans, and faculty handbooks, which should be furnished upon appointment. 8 38.1 6 28.6 1 3 4.8 11 52.4 8 38.1 1 4.8 6 28.6 6 28.6 2 9.5 2 9.5 Developing lectures. Formulating educational objectives. 6 28.6 2 9.5 7 33.3 Selecting methods of presenting materials. 6 28.6 11 52.4 2 9.5 Selecting and organizing subject matter. 9 42.9 7 33.3 3 14.3 tvs i Difficulty Index 1 4.8 2 9.5 14.3 3 14.3 2.38 1 4.8 1.67 1 4.8 2.52 ^ 2.29 2.00 2 9.5 2.00 Adapting instruction to individual differences. 3 14.3 6 28.6 6 28.6 4 19.0 2 9.5 2.81 Determining the various compe­ tencies required of graduates in my subject area. 4 19.0 5 23.8 7 33.3 4 19.0 1 4.8 2.67 165 4. -i Degree of Difficulty ---------a i- APPENDIX J.— Continued. Degree of Difficulty 9. 10. 11. 12. 14. 15. 16. 5 Index 1 4.8 2 9.5 2.19 2 9.5 2.33 2 3 Lack of time for student counsel­ ing or instructional preparation. 8 38.1 6 28.6 4 19.0 Motivating and maintaining stu­ dent interest. 5 23.8 8 38.1 6 28.6 Establishing effective personal relationships with students. 15 71.4 5 23.8 Knowing what is expected of me regarding the total amount of my responsibilities to the institution. 10 47.6 5 23.8 4 19.0 1 9.5 1 4.8 1.95 No systematic means of keeping faculty informed about com­ mittee or administrative deci­ sions concerning faculty matters. 7 33.3 7 33.3 4 19.0 2 9.5 1 4.8 2.19 Understanding procedures and policies of college. 7 33.3 9 42.9 3 14.3 2 9.5 2.00 Lack of opportunity to be involved in program or course development. 14 66.7 4 19.0 2 9.5 1 4.8 1.52 Lack of involvement with other college faculty. 8 38.1 5 23.8 3 14.3 1 4.8 1 4.8 1.42 4 19.0 166 13. 4 1 2.57 APPENDIX J.— Continued. Degree of Difficulty Problem Areas 1 • 00 17. 19. 21. 22. 23. 24. 3 4 5 1 4.8 Understanding proper channels for securing supplies, resource persons, or instructional aids. 13 61.9 6 28.6 1 4.8 Lack of orientation to job, facilities, equipment, and mate­ rials available to faculty. 14 66.7 4 19.0 3 14.3 Concern about wages and fringe benefits. 11 52.4 2 9.5 4 19.0 Coordinating instruction in my class with instruction in other classes or laboratories. 9 42.9 7 33.3 3 14.3 Keeping abreast of current ideas and trends in my occupational area. 5 23.8 4 19.0 4 19.0 Self-evaluating my effective­ ness as a teacher. 1 4.8 8 38.1 Developing satisfactory tests and examinations. 5 23.8 Determining how to evaluate students effectively. ♦Distribution; **Percentage. 1.62 1.62 3 14.3 2.19 2 9.5 2.00 3 14.3 5 23.8 2.95 10 47.6 1 4.8 1 4.8 2.48 5 23.8 6 28.6 2 9.5 3 14.3 2.67 6 28.6 9 42.9 3 14.3 3 14.3 3.14 1 4.8 167 20. 2 Difficulty Index