INFO R M ATION TO USERS

This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While
the moat advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document
have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original
submitted.
The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand
markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction.
1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document
photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing
page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages.
This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent
pa^es to insure you complete continuity.
2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it
is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have
moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You w ill find a
good image of the page in the adjacent frame.
3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being
photographed the photographer followed a definite method in
"sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper
left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to
right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is
continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until
complete.
4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value,
however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from
"photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver
prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing
the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and
specific pages you wish reproduced.
5. PLEASE NOTE: Some pagM may have indistinct print. Filmed as
received.

University Microfilms International
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor. Michigan 48106 USA
St John's Road. Tyler’s Green
High Wycombe, Bucks. England HP10 8HR

I
I

77-18,496
JOHNSON, A1see L ., J r . , 1939A SURVEY OF MICHIGAN VOCATIONAL TEACHERS OF
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO DETERMINE THE
EFFECT OF SPECIALIZED INSERVICE TEACHER
EDUCATION ON SELECTED INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP FACTORS.
Michigan State U niversity, Ph.D., 1977
Education, Industrial

Xerox University Microfilms ,

@
ALSCE L .

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106

1977
JOHNSON, J r .

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A SURVEY OF MICHIGAN VOCATIONAL TEACHERS OF STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF
SPECIALIZED INSERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION ON
SELECTED INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP FACTORS
By
Alsce Johnson, J r.

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
In p a rtia l fu lfillm e n t o f the requirements
fo r the degree o f
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum
1976

ABSTRACT

A SURVEY OF MICHIGAN VOCATIONAL TEACHERS OF STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF
SPECIALIZED INSERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION ON
SELECTED INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP FACTORS
By
Alsce Johnson, J r.

The author’ s purpose 1n th is study was to determine whether
specialized Inservice teacher education fo r Instructional personnel
in vocational programs fo r students with special needs has had a
positive e ffe c t on selected Interpersonal relationship factors
(empathy and congruence).

Based on the findings and a review of

the lite r a tu r e , recommendations were made fo r decision makers and
prograrrmers in the f ie ld of vocational education fo r students with
special needs, with emphasis on Inservice teacher education a t the
secondary and post-secondary levels.
The study was also designed to discuss the relationships
found between the normative data (age of the teacher, length of
teaching experience, formal education level attained by the teacher,
and the occupational clu ster 1n which the teacher was employed) and
the interpersonal relationship factors (empathy and congruence).
The descrlptlve-survey and experimental research methods
using a questionnaire were employed to obtain the data In th is study.
In October 1975, 350 questionnaires were mailed to vocational

AT see Johnson, J r .

teachers of students with special needs 1n Michigan.

Two hundred

and s ix ty -fo u r or 75 percent of the questionnaires were returned,
providing the data used 1n th is study.
A three-way analysis of variance was computed fo r the data
collected 1n the study.

In presenting the results of the analysis

of data, a 0.10 level of confidence was used as the c rite rio n of
significance of the stated hypotheses.
The Pearson product-moment correlation c o e ffic ie n t was used
to measure the relationships between the dependent variables (empathy
and congruence) and normative data (age of the teacher, teaching
experience, teacher's formal education le v e l, and occupational
clu ster In which the teacher was employed).

The Independent v a ri­

ables 1n this study were program, c lu s te r, and tra in in g .
Based on the results of the data gathered and analyzed 1n
this study, I t was concluded that:
1.

Specialized train in g made no s ig n ific a n t Impact on the

dependent v ariab le , empathy.
2.

Specialized train in g was e ffe c tiv e fo r the dependent

variab le, congruence.
3.

Vocational teachers employed 1n Health Occupations

generally scored higher than other teachers on the empathy and
congruence scales of the Interpersonal relationship Inventory.
4.

Vocational teachers employed In handicapped programs

generally scored higher than other teachers on the empathy and
congruence scales of the Interpersonal relationship Inventory.

Alsce Johnson, J r .

5.

Vocational teachers who have not attained post-secondary

formal educational levels are the best teachers fo r special needs
programs.
6.

Older teachers appear to be best fo r teaching 1n special

needs programs 1n regard to congruence.
7.

Vocational teachers employed 1n D is trib u tio n /O ffic e and

Business Occupations scored lower than other teachers on the empathy
scale of the Interpersonal relationship Inventory.
In view of the researcher's findings 1n th is study and the
related research, the following recommendations were offered to
decision makers and programmers in the f ie ld of vocational education,
with emphasis on 1nserv1ce teacher education.

Decision makers and

programmers should:
1.

Survey vocational teachers In handicapped programs to

determine why they scored higher on the empathy and congruence scales.
This should produce Information useful fo r planning future inservice
training programs.
2.

Survey vocational teachers employed In health occupations

to determine why they scored higher on the empathy and congruence
scales.

This should produce Information useful fo r planning future

1nserv1ce train in g programs.
3.

Recruit older teachers fo r th e ir special needs programs

In regard to the Interpersonal relationship fa c to r, congruence.
4.

Recruit the teachers with less formal educational levels

fo r teaching 1n th e ir special needs programs.

Alsce Johnson, J r .

5.

Design th e ir 1nserv1ce workshops to emphasize changes 1n

Interpersonal relationship fa c to rs , since vocational teachers
employed In D istrib u tio n and O ffice and Business Occupations scored
lowest on the empathy scale.
The following recomnendatlons are drawn from the review of
lite r a tu r e .
6.

Decision makers and programmers should:
Seriously consider the p o s s ib ility of developing a

curriculum that w ill lead to c e rtific a tio n in vocational and
special education.
7.

Design th e ir curricula to include community work and/or

fie ld experience fo r prospective teachers.
8.

Design th e ir curricula to Include s e n s itiv ity and/or

human relatio n s train in g fo r prospective teachers.

This w ill serve

to develop positive attitu d es toward students with special needs.
9.

Actively re c ru it prospective students for th e ir voca­

tional programs, which w ill prepare teachers fo r working with stu­
dents who have special needs.
10.

Improve the Interpersonal relationship a ttrib u te s of

th e ir special needs teachers through preservice and/or Inservice
training programs.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The w rite r wishes to thank the members of his doctoral
committee:
Fuzak.

Dr. Samuel Moore I I , Dr. Alan S llk e r, and Dr. John

He especially wants to thank his doctoral committee ch air­

man, Dr. George Ferns, fo r his advice and encouragement.
The local and state adm inistrators, teachers, and coordi­
nators of special needs programs in the State of Michigan contributed
substantially to the success of th is Investigation.
The w rite r wishes to thank Ms. Charmalne Johnson fo r her
consistent e ffo rts 1n the early stages of this research.
Further, the w rite r wishes to thank Mr. John Frederick,
Mr. Ralph Mixon, Mr. W ill Johnson, Mr. Raymond Johnson, and Mrs. Mary
Jane Johnson fo r th e ir consistent e ffo rts and support throughout th is
research.
F in a lly , he wishes to acknowledge the patience of his
daughter, A1da-Ka1, throughout this research.

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LIST OF TA BLES............................................................................................

v

Chapter
I.

II.

III.

IV.

INTRODUCTION

................................................................................

1

Background of the S tu d y ........................................................
Statement o f the Problem ....................................................
Significance o f the Study ....................................................
Hypotheses, to Be T e s te d ........................................................
Basic Assumptions ....................................................................
Research Methods ....................................................................
Delim itations of the S t u d y ................................................
D efin itio n o f Terms ................................................................
Summary and O v e r v ie w ............................................................

1
4
5
6
9
9
10
11
14

................................................

18

L ite ra tu re on J u s tific a tio n fo r the Study ....................
L itera tu re Concerning Recommendations to Improve
the Preparation of Teachers o f Students With
Special Needs ........................................................................
L ite ra tu re Related to the E ffect of Inservice
Training on Interpersonal Relationship Factors . .
Summary........................................................................................

18

31
34

DESIGN OF THE STUDY....................................................................

41

Research Hypotheses ................................................................
Analysis Procedures ................................................................
P o p u la tio n ................................................................................
Sampling Procedures ................................................................
The In s tr u m e n t ........................................................................
Research Analysis ....................................................................
Summary........................................................................................

42
44
44
46
48
50
51

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY................................................................

53

Data A n a ly s is ............................................................................
Normative D a t a ....................................................................
Testing o f the Hypotheses....................................................

54
54
58

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

111

22

Chapter

Page

In terp retatio n o f D a t a ........................................................
Summary........................................................................................

65
70

V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................

73

Conclusions................................................................................
Recommendations........................................................................
Recommendations fo r Future Research...... ............................

74
75
77

APPENDICES....................................................................................................

80

A.

LETTERS.............................................................................................

81

B.

TEACHER-PUPIL RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY: TEACHER FORM
“A'NODTMOkromDM LETTER"
.Y 7 . 7 . V . . .

85

TEACHER-PUPIL RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY: TEACHERFORM,
"AbAFTEb FOrMTTSW FO'ft'THFS' STUDY V 7 \ . . .7 . . .

92

OBSERVED CELL MEANS FOR VARIABLES, STANDARD
DEVIATIONS, FACTORS, AND SUBJECT NUMBER ........................

97

C.
D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

................................................................................................

1v

104

L IS T OF TABLES

Table

Page

3.1

Design of the S t u d y .....................................................................

45

4.1

D istribu tio n

54

4.2

D istribu tio n of Sample by Number o f YearsTeaching
E xperience....................................................................................

55

4.3

D istrib u tio n o f Sample by A g e ..................................................

55

4.4

D istrib u tio n o f Sample by P r o g ra m ..........................................

56

4.5

D istribu tio n

of Sample by T r a in in g .........................................

56

4.6

D istrib u tio n

of Sample by Clusters ..........................................

57

Analysis of Variance Summary Table for V a ria b le -E m p a th y ........................................................................................

59

Analysis of Variance Summary Table fo r Variable—
Congruence....................................................................................

60

4.7
4.8

of Sample by Formal EducationalLevels

. .

4.9

Means fo r the Factors—Program x T r a i n i n g ............

4.10

Pearson Product-Moment Correlations of Vocational
Teachers' Scores on the Teacher-Pupll Relationship
Inventory and A g e ...................................................................

63

Pearson Product-Moment Correlations of Vocational
Teachers' Scores on the Teacher-Pupll Relationship
Inventory and FormalEducational Level ..............................

64

Pearson Product-Moment Correlations o f Vocational
Teachers' Scores on the Teacher-Pupll Relationship
Inventory and TeachingExperience .....................................

65

4.11

4.12

D1

Observed Cell Means fo r Variable— Empathy..............

D2

Observed Cell Means fo r Var1able--Congruence

D3

Observed Standard Deviation fo r V ariable—Empathy . . .

D4

Observed Standard Deviation fo r V ariable—Congruence

v

62

98

..................

98
99

.

99

Table

Page

D5

Number o f Subjects and Means fo r the Factor—Cluster .

06

Number of Subjects and Means fo r the Factors—
Program x Training .
.............................................................

100

Number of Subjects and Means fo r the Factors—
Program x C l u s t e r ....................................................................

101

Number of Subjects and Means fo r the Factors—
Training x C lu s t e r ....................................................................

101

07
08

.

100

D9

Number of Subjects and Means fo r the Factor—Program .

.

102

DIO

Number of Subjects and Means fo r the Factor—Training

.

102

D ll

Pearson Product-Moment Correlations of Vocational
Teachers' Scores on the Teacher-Pupll Relationship
Inventory and Normative D a t a ................................................

vl

103

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

What makes a person a special needs student In terms o f voca­
tional education Is that he 1s receiving something special
from vocational educators--something he needs in order to
succeed 1n the regular program.'
I t Is extremely d i f f i c u l t to describe succinctly the popu­
la tio n on which this study was focused.

A review of lite r a tu r e

Indicated that such terms as academically disadvantaged, s o c ia lly
disadvantaged, disadvantaged, educable mentally handicapped, emo­
tio n a lly disturbed, and slow learner, among others, frequently
are used interchangeably when re fe rrin g to students with special
needs.

Group characteristics of these students Include such

problems as deficiencies 1n reading and other basic s k ills essen­
t ia l to learning, the lack of achievement m otivation, and negative
perceptions of s e lf and education.
Background of the Study
I t appears that people with a wide v a rie ty of backgrounds
are being asked to teach and/or are assigned to teach 1n special
needs programs.

Many people currently occupying positions 1n

special needs programs have come from business, the m ilita r y ,
Industry, and self-employment.
In many cases 1t appears these people were excited about
special needs programs.

In other cases, these people were Innovative
1

2

Individuals.

However, 1t appears that 1n most cases they were not

prepared fo r th e ir new assignments.
The 1968 Vocational Education Amendments directed that
each state develop programs fo r the disadvantaged.

Federal funds

from that same act were allocated to provide vocational education
for handicapped persons.

With release of these funds, the

Vocational-Technical Education Service of the Michigan Department
of Education moved to hire consultants to develop programs w ithin
the state fo r the disadvantaged and handicapped.
In 1971 Michigan le g is la to rs passed and the Governor signed
Public Act 198 of 1971, the Mandatory Special Education Act.

The

Act Includes these major provisions:
The law requires that the State Board o f Education w rite
and continually modify a State Plan th a t w ill assure a ll
persons, ages 0-25, who may have handicaps w ill be located and
given the special education programs and services that w ill
develop th e ir maximum p o te n tia l.
The law also requires that each Intermediate School Dis­
t r i c t Board of Education w rite an Intermediate School D is tr ic t
Plan fo r the Delivery of Special Education Programs and Ser­
vices. . . . 2
The Evaluation Report o f the Michigan Vocational Education
Special Needs Programs fo r 1973-74 recommended th a t "The goals of
the Special Needs programs with respect to the area of preservice
teacher education fo r the handicapped and disadvantaged should be
delineated. . . ."**
Concerning teachers fo r such programs, the Disadvantaged
and Handicapped Programs U n it, Vocational-Technical Education
Service of the Michigan Department of Education Indicated, "Teachers

3

must be c e r tifie d In accordance with the Michigan Department o f
4
Education code. . . ."
The Administration Guide fo r Vocational-Technical Education,
Michigan Department of Education, Vocational-Technical Education
Service, stated, "All teachers who are teaching 1n a State reim­
bursed vocational classroom are to be vocationally c e r t i f i ­
cated. . .
However, neither the Guidelines fo r Vocational Education
Programs fo r Persons with Special Needs fo r FY 1975-76 nor the
Administration Guide fo r Vocational-Technical Education indicated
the required characteristics fo r vocational teachers 1n special
needs programs.

Likewise, neither Public Act 198 nor the subse­

quent Special Education Code indicates the desired characteristics
for vocational teachers In special education and/or special needs
programs, nor do they Indicate the desired characteristics fo r
special education teachers teaching 1n special vocational educa­
tion programs.
Jan Baxter stated:
Public Act 198 and the subsequent Special Education Code
do not specify who 1s responsible fo r providing the vocational
instruction fo r handicapped students. The Instruction can be
provided by e ith e r special education or vocational teachers.
Handicapped persons integrated 1n the regular vocational pro­
gram w ill obviously receive th e ir in stru ction from a c e r t i­
fie d vocational education teacher. . . . 6
The Michigan Guidelines fo r Vocational Education Programs fo r
Persons with Special Needs fo r FY 1975-76 Indicated a local educa­
tional agency may be considered e lig ib le to operate a special needs

4

preparatory and/or cooperative education program I f the federal
guidelines are met.
A number o f special needs workshops have been conducted
throughout the State of Michigan.
1.

They are o f two types:

Instructional Strategies 1n Special Needs.

The purposes

of these workshops were:
(a) to update local educators o f the technical requirements
associated with th e ir projects, (b) tra in them 1n the com­
pletion of various forms, (c) provide some discussion of
methods and resources which may be used to In s tru c t the handi­
capped and disadvantaged, and (d) f a c ilit a t e convnunlcation
among the various project personnel and among those contemplat­
ing o ffering a Special Needs Program In the future.?
These workshops were attended by vocational and special education
teachers, paraprofesslonals, and adm inistrators.
The workshops were funded through local d is tr ic ts . . . .
The local d is tr ic ts , sometimes with the aid of the Michigan
State Department of Education and a t times with the aid o f
temporary coordinators funded through Vocational-Technical
Education Services, developed the agendas and handled the
technical matters fo r the various workshops. . . .8
2.

Vocational Education/Special Education Workshops.

The purpose of these workshops was to tra in vocational and special
education teachers to work cooperatively 1n occupational preparation o f students with special needs.

Q

These workshops are funded

by the Michigan Department of Education, Vocational Education and
Career Development Service, Special Needs Section.

The educational

agency fo r these workshops was Central Michigan U niversity.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose o f th is study was to determine whether special­
ized inservice teacher education fo r Instructional personnel 1n

5

vocational programs for students with special needs has had a
positive e ffe c t on selected Interpersonal relatio n ship facto rs.
The interpersonal relatio n sh ip factors selected fo r th is study were
empathy and congruence.

I f a teacher scored high on a teacher-

pupll relationship Inventory, th is was viewed as Indicating a posi­
tiv e e ffe c t.

The study was also designed to discuss the relationships

found between the normative data (age o f the teacher, teaching experi­
ence, occupational clu ster 1n which the teacher was employed, and
formal education level attained by the teacher) and the Interpersonal
relationship facto rs,
An additional

empathy and congruence.
purpose o f the studywas to provide Informa­

tion and recommendations fo r decision makers and programmers 1n the
fie ld o f vocational education
emphasis on Inservice

fo r students

teacher education a t

with special needs, with
thesecondary and post­

secondary leve ls .
Significance of the Study
Finding q u a lifie d teaching personnel fo r vocational pro­
grams fo r students with special needs has been rather d if f ic u lt .^ 0
A few school d is tric ts have provided inservice tra in in g fo r th e ir
teachers, counselors, and other s ta ff members who work with special
needs students.

However, results o f such train in g are unknown.

The typical goals and objectives of un iversity preservice teacher
education programs have not reflected Implementation o f preparation
models fo r vocational teachers of special needs students.

6

Several Individuals have Indicated a need fo r studies such
as the present one.

The AMIDS Report, How to Plan-Conduct-Evaluate.

Indicated:
. . . [For] vocational educators th a t are Involved 1n Imple­
menting programs and services fo r the student with special
needs— the disadvantaged and handicapped student--1nservice
train in g can f i l l a crucial need. This need is fo r new teach­
ing methods and materials that w ill help the special needs
student to succeed In overcoming learning lim ita t io n s J '
Wampler supported th is viewpoint 1n his study, in which the
most consistent findings were as follows:
. . . (1) those subjects with a substantial preservice
experience in a disadvantaged school demonstrated a more posi­
tiv e a ttitu d e toward teaching In s im ila r schools, [and were]
more adequate 1n th e ir teaching s itu a tio n ; (2) those subjects
having a lim ited preservice experience did Indicate that they
were b etter prepared when compared with the no preservice
group, but did not d if f e r as markedly as did those subjects
who had the student teaching experiences; and (3) those sub­
jects with the preservice student teaching were found to be
rated as more e ffe c tiv e teachers and appeared to be more
w illin g to accept a position 1n schools fo r disadvantaged
following c e r t if ic a t io n .12
The preceding p a rtia l lite r a tu r e review has shown th a t edu­
cators are concerned with the importance o f inservice and preservice
training fo r vocational teachers of students with special needs.
The present study is s ig n ific a n t in that i t addresses that problem.
Hypotheses to Be Tested
The central hypothesis tested 1n th is study was:
Michigan vocational teachers who are teaching In special needs
programs and who have completed specialized tra in in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an Interpersonal relationship Inventory
than w ill vocational teachers 1n special needs programs who
have had no specialized tra in in g .
For the purposes of th is study, the central hypothesis was divided
into the following subhypctheses:

7

1.

Vocational teachers with specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupll
relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers who
have had no specialized train in g 1n dealing with special
needs students.

2.

Vocational teachers with specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale of a teacherpupll relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers
who have had no specialized train in g In dealing with
special needs students.

3. Vocational teachers employed in certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale o f a
teacher-pupll relatio n ship Inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed In other vocational clusters.
4.

Vocational teachers employed in certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale of a
teacher-pupll relationship Inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed in other vocational clu sters.

5.

Vocational teachers in three kinds o f special needs programs*
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupil relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers in three kinds of
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .

6.

Vocational teachers in three kinds of special needs programs
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on a congruence scale of a teacher-pupll relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers In three kinds of
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .

7.

The age o f vocational teachers 1n special needs programs 1s
inversely related to empathy, as measured by a teacherpupil relationship Inventory, between teachers who have
specialized train in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .

8.

The age o f vocational teachers 1n special needs programs
is inversely related to congruence, as measured by a teacherpupil relationship Inventory, between teachers who have had
specialized train in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .

♦The three kinds o f special needs programs considered In
this study were handicapped, disadvantaged, and a combination of
the two.

8

9.

Vocational teachers in special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupll
relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
lower formal educational levels.

10.

Vocational teachers 1n special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale of a teacherpupil relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers
with lower formal educational levels.

11.

Vocational teachers 1n a special needs program who have two
to nine years of teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupll re la ­
tionship inventory than w ill vocational teachers with less
than two years or more than nine years of teaching experi­
ence.

12.

Vocational teachers in a special needs program who have two
to nine years of teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on a congruence scale of a teacher-pupil
relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
less than two years or more than nine years o f teaching
experience.
A three-way analysis of variance was computed fo r the data

collected in this study.

In presenting the results of the analysis

of the data, a 0.10 confidence level was used as the c rite rio n of
significance of the stated hypotheses.
The Pearson product-moment co rrelatio n c o e ffic ie n t was used
to measure the relationships between the dependent variables (empathy
and congruence) and normative data (age of the teacher, occupational
cluster in which the teacher was employed, teaching experience, and
formal education level attained by the teacher).
variables were program, c lu s te r, and tra in in g .

The Independent

9

Basic Assumptions
The following basic assumptions underlay the study:
1. I t was assumed that the Instrument could be used as an
Indicator of positive teaching a ttitu d e s .
2.

Another assumption was that positive teaching attitu d es
such as empathy and congruence a ffe c t the q u a lity of
teaching.

3.

F in a lly , I t was assumed that the respondents would
answer questionnaire items honestly.
Research Methods

The research methods used in th is study can be described
as descrlptlve-survey and experimental.

Good stated:

Descriptive studies may Include present facts or current con­
ditions concerning the nature of a group of persons, a number
of objects, or a class o f events, and may involve the proce­
dures o f induction, analysis, c la s s ific a tio n , enumeration, or
measurement. The terms survey and status suggest the gather­
ing o f evidence re la tin g to current conditions. . . J ”
Good fu rth e r enumerated several purposes o f descrlptlve-survey
studies.

They can be used:

(1) To secure evidence concerning an existing situ ation or
current condition; (2) To Id e n tify standards or norms with
which to compare present conditions, 1n order to plan the
next step; (3) To determine how to make the next step (having
determined where we are and where we wish to go). . .
According to Van Dalen, the following tasks are performed
when an experimental study 1s conducted:
1.
2.
3.

Surveying the lite r a tu re re la tin g to the problem.
Id en tifyin g and defining the problem.
Formulating a problem hypothesis, deducing the consequences,
and defining basic terms and variables.

10

4.

5.
6.

Constructing an experimental plan that represents a ll the
elements, conditions, and relatio n s o f the consequences,
which may require th a t he (a) id e n tify a ll nonexperlmental
variables that might contaminate the experiment, and
determine how to control them; (b) select a research
design; (c) select a sample of subjects to represent a
given population, assign subjects to groups, and assign
experimental treatments to groups; (d) select or con­
stru ct and valid ate instruments to measure the outcomes
o f the experiment; (e) o u tlin e procedures fo r co llectin g
the data, and possibly conduct a p ilo t or " t r ia l run" tes t
to perfect the instruments or design; and ( f ) state the
s ta tis tic a l or null hypothesis.
Conducting the experiment.
Reducing the raw data in a manner that w ill produce the
best appraisal of the e ffe c t which Is presumed to e x is t .15
The portions of th is study which can be id e n tifie d as

descrlptlve-survey are the background of the study, statement o f the
problem, d e fin itio n of terms, significance of the study, and norma­
tiv e data c o lle c tio n , while the experimental component includes the
review of lit e r a tu r e , selection of instrument, research method,
research hypotheses, data analysis, and population sample procedures.
Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from data produced by both
research methods.
D elim itations of the Study
The population of this study was lim ited to those special
needs teachers 1n high schools and post-secondary In s titu tio n s 1n
the State o f Michigan that are currently operating special needs
programs under the guidelines fo r vocational education programs for
persons with special needs.

These guidelines are indicated by the

Disadvantaged and Handicapped Programs U n it, Vocational-Technical
Education Services, Michigan Department of Education.

11
Specialized tra in in g , as defined 1n the next section o f
this chapter, was also a lim itin g fa c to r.
D e fin itio n of Terms
The following terms are defined 1n the context In which
they were used 1n th is study:
C lu ster:

A number o f s im ila r occupations considered as a

group because o f th e ir re la tio n to each other or fo r convenience 1n
treatment or discussion.
Congruence:

According to Scheuer,

A highly congruent Individual is one whose self-image corres­
ponds with his expressed behavior, and who can therefore afford
to be himself without the psychological th reat o f exposure.
He 1s perceived by others as sincere, honest, genuine, d ire c t,
and without pretense.16
Disadvantaged persons:

The Guidelines fo r Special Education

Programs and Services set forth the following d e fin itio n o f d is ­
advantaged persons:
Disadvantaged persons means persons who have academic, socio­
economic, c u ltu ra l, or other handicaps that prevent them from
succeeding in vocational education or consumer and homemaklng
programs designed fo r persons without such handicap, and who
fo r that reason require specially designed educational programs
or related services. The term Includes persons whose needs fo r
such programs or services re s u lt from poverty, neglect, d e lin ­
quency, or cu ltu ral or lin g u is tic Is o latio n from the community
at larg e, but does not Include physically or mentally handi­
capped persons unless such persons also su ffer from the handi­
caps described in this paragraph.17
Empathic understanding:

Scheuer defined empathlc under­

standing as follows:
The a b ilit y to accurately experience another's p rivate world,
and to sense the immediate a ffe c tiv e q u a lity and In te n s ity o f
another's inner feelin g s. An overall s e n s itiv ity resulting

12

from the awareness of another's unexpressed feelings In a given
s itu a tio n . The an tith esis of In te lle c tu a l understanding which
connotes the objectlvatlo n o f another person.
Formal education:

As defined In the Dictionary of Education,

formal education Is:
Any train in g or education that 1s conventional, given 1n an
o rd erly, lo g ic a l, planned, and systematic manner: thus formal
education Is said to end with school attendance.'9
Handicapped persons:

The Guidelines fo r Special Education

Programs and Services defined handicapped persons as follows:
Handicapped persons means persons id e n tifie d by an educational
planning and placement committee fo r secondary programs or
c e rtifie d vocational re h a b ilita tio n s ta ff fo r postsecondary
programs as educable mentally Impaired, emotionally disturbed,
learning disabled, crippled, hearing, speech, v is u a lly , or
other health impaired persons who by reason of th e ir handi­
capping condition cannot succeed in a vocational education
program designed fo r persons without such handicaps, and who
fo r th a t reason require special educational assistance or a
modified vocational or consumer and homemaking education pro­
gram. 20
Inservlce:

For the purpose of th is study, inservice tr a in ­

ing includes workshops, conferences, and cred it and noncredit
courses aimed a t improving interpersonal relationships fo r those
teaching in a special needs programs.
Interpersonal re la tio n s h ip :
F r itz Heider defined interpersonal relationship as denoting
relatio n s between “few" usually between "two" people. I t
s ig n ifie s relationships among d iffe re n t persons in a group.
I t is a person-to-person relatio n sh ip . I t may appear between
two persons or more. I t may include the frie n d ly as well as
unfriendly r e la tio n s .2'
Mainstreaming:

Mainstreaming is the integration of those

persons who have disadvantages and/or handicaps in to regular voca­
tional programs designed fo r normal or average individuals.

13

Preservice tra in in g :

For the purpose o f this study, pre­

service train in g 1s considered to be that train in g aimed a t pre­
paring a person fo r an Instru ction al position before that person
1s employed In a special needs program.
Special education programs.

As delineated in the Public and

Legal Acts o f the Legislature o f the State of Michigan,
Educational and tra in in g programs and services designed fo r
handicapped persons operated by local school d is tr ic t s , In te r­
mediate school d is tr ic t s , the Michigan School fo r the Blind,
Department o f Mental Health, Department o f Social Services, or
any combination thereo f, and a n c illa ry professional services
fo r the handicapped persons rendered by agencies approved by
the state board o f education. Handicaps Include, but are not
lim ited to , mental, physical, emotional, behavioral, sensory
and speech handicaps. The programs shall include vocational
tra in in g , but need not include academic programs of college
or university l e v e l . 22
Special needs:

The Vocational Education Amendments o f 1974

gave the following d e fin itio n o f special needs:
The term "person with special needs" means persons who are or
have been adversely affected by physical, academic, socio­
economic, or other factors and conditions which require special
supportive educational assistance and services in order to
succeed in vocational education programs. The term includes
persons who are handicapped, that is , "persons who are mentally
retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech impaired, v is u a lly
handicapped, seriously emotionally disturbed, crippled or other
health impaired persons who by reason thereof require special
services"; and persons who are disadvantaged, that is , "persons
who have academic, socio-economic, or other disadvantagements
which prevent them from succeeding in a regular vocational
education program.^3
Specialized tra in in g :

Specialized train in g refers to work­

shops, professional f ie ld experiences, academic internship programs,
in s titu te s , and/or other recent and relevant formal experiences that
deal s p e c ific a lly with train in g educational personnel to meet the
educational needs o f disadvantaged and handicapped people.

The

14

training may or may not be fo r c re d it and/or use 1n lie u of a formal
degree or c e r tific a tio n requirements fo r a formal degree.
Vocational education:

According to the Vocational Education

Amendments o f 1974.
The term "vocational education" means vocational or technical
train in g or re train in g which is given 1n schools or classes
(including fie ld or laboratory work or remedial or related
academic and technical instruction incident thereto) under
public school supervision and control o r, by p rivate non-profit
or proprietary schools under contract with a State Board or
local educational agency and 1s conducted as part of a program
designed to prepare individuals fo r gaining employment as semi­
s k ille d or s k ille d workers or technicians or subprofessionals In
recognized occupations in new and emerging occupations, . . .
but excluding programs to prepare individuals fo r employment
in occupations which . . . require a baccalaureate or higher
degree. . . .24
Sunmary and Overview
In th is chapter the researcher id e n tifie d the need fo r edu­
cational goals that emphasize preparing vocational teachers to work
with students who have special needs.

Also id e n tifie d was the need

for in-service education that w ill modify teachers' empathy and
congruence toward creating the optimum learning environment in which
students can grow and a tta in th e ir maximum p o te n tia l.

The results

of th is study could s ig n ific a n tly influence the d irectio n and objec­
tives of future teacher tra in in g programs.

The author's purposes 1n

this study in relationship to the defined need were also described.
The significance of the study, hypotheses, d elim itatio n s , and d e fin i­
tion of terms were Included as w e ll.
Chapter I I contains a review o f the research lite r a tu r e
related to the w r ite r ’ s purpose in th is study.

In Chapter I I I the

design o f the study is established by explaining the methodology and

15

procedures used to te s t the hypotheses formulated fo r the study.
Detailed 1n Chapter IV are the findings and the In terp re tatio n of
resu lts, based on the analysis of the data obtained fo r th is study.
The hypotheses of the study are also tested.

A summary o f the study,

conclusions, and recommendations are given in Chapter V.

16

Footnotes—Chapter I
^Barbara H. Kemp, "Where Vocational Education Is a Special
Need," American Vocational Journal 42 (November 1967): 24.
2

Public and Local Acts o f the Legislature o f the State of
Michigan TLansIng, Michigan: Leg islative Service Bureau, 1971), p. 11.
3
Evaluation Report--M1ch1qan Vocational Education Special
Needs Programs, 19^3-74 (Lansing: Michigan Department o f Education.
19741, p. 4.
4
Guidelines fo r Vocational Education Programs fo r Persons
With SpecfVl Needs fo r FV 1975-76 (Lansing: Disadvantaged and
Handicapped Programs U n it, Vocational-Technical Education Services,
Michigan Department o f Education, October 1974), p. 8.
5
Administrative Guide fo r Vocational-Technical Education
(Lansing: Vocational-Technical Education Service, Michigan bepartment of Education, 1974), p. L2.
6Jan Baxter, Development and Implementation of Secondary
Special Education Programs (Lake Odessa, Mich.: E. fe.1 . fereakthru,
In c ., 1975), p. 21.
E valu atio n Report, p. 33.

M1ch.:

8Ib id ., p. 34.
q
Vocational Education/Special Education Project (Mt. Pleasant,
Central Michigan U niversity, 1975), p. 2.
^Kernp, p. 52.

1Ehe AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop fo r Vocational
Educators o f Disadvantaged and Handicapped Students: How to PianConduct-Evaluate (Montgomery, Alabama, Link Enterprises, In c ., 19/3),
p. 4.
12

David R. Wampler, "A Study of F irs t Year Teachers in
Disadvantaged Schools to Determine the Relationship o f Preservice
Preparation Experiences to Present Attitudes and Effectiveness,"
Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich: U niversity
Microfilms, 33/07-A, 1973), p. 3 3 U .
13
Carter V. Good, Essentials o f Educational Research (New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966), p. 192.

17
15

York:

Deobold Van Oalen, Understanding Educational Research (New
--------------------------McGraw-HUl, 1966), p.lEST.

^Arnold L. Scheuer, "The Relationship Between Personal
A ttributes and Effectiveness In Teachers o f the Emotionally
Disturbed," Exceptional Children (Summer 1971): 726.
^ Guidelines fo r Special Education Programs and Services
(Lansing: Michigan Department of Education, ls 7 4 ), p. 1.
l fl
Scheuer, "Relationship," p. 726.
19
Carter V. Good, e d ., Dictionary of Education, 3rd ed.
(New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., ’1973), p. 248.
20

Guidelines fo r Special Education Programs and Services,

p. 1.
21

Mary E. James, "The Effects of Interpersonal Relations
Training on Prospective Teachers," Dissertation Abstracts In te r ­
national (Ann Arbor, Mich.: University MIcrof'Hms, 32/02-A, 1971),
p. 6.
22

Public and Local Acts, p. 637.

23

Vocational Education Amendments of 1974, 93d Congress
(WashingtonY t).C .: Government P rinting O ffic e , 1975), p. 608.
24 Ib id ., p. 605.

CHAPTER I I

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The researcher's purpose 1n this chapter is to discuss the
relevant lite r a tu r e that has im plications fo r the topic under study—
the e ffe c t of specialized inservice teacher education on selected
interpersonal relationship facto rs.
The review o f lite r a tu r e covers three areas of Inquiry that
are pertinent to the topic o f th is research.

They are:

lite r a tu r e

on ju s tific a tio n fo r the study, lite r a tu r e concerning recommenda­
tions to Improve the preparation o f teachers o f students with
special needs, and lite r a tu r e related to the e ffe c t of Inservice
training on interpersonal relatio n sh ip factors.
L ite ra tu re on J u s tific a tio n fo r the Study
In the past ten years a s ig n ific a n t amount of lite r a tu r e
has encouraged specialized train in g fo r vocational teachers of
students with special needs.

A publication e n title d The AMIPS

In-Service Training Workshop o f Vocational Educators of Disadvantaged
Students: Part B indicated:
Individual students have Individual needs. Students vary
In In tere s t and motivation as well as in learning c a p a b ilitie s .
Students who encounter d if f ic u lt ie s 1n achieving learning suc­
cess because o f th e ir s o c ia l, c u ltu ra l, lin g u is tic , or economic
background, and students who are handicapped p h ysically, men­
t a ll y , or emotionally need special help and understanding.

18

19

Teachers who can provide th is help and understanding are the
v ita l foundation o f successful vocational programs or services
fo r special needs students.1
The average teacher's c u ltu ra l l i f e 1s d iffe re n t from that
of a student who has been Id e n tifie d as having special needs.

One's

teacher tra in in g ( e .g ., education courses and student teaching)
seldom prepares him to meet the m ultiple problems associated with
special needs students.

Tledt wrote:

The teacher must be prepared to work with children whose
values and a ttitu d e s are d iffe re n t from his. I t would seem
then that the teacher of the disadvantaged must be very care­
f u lly chosen and train ed . . . .*
McCracken and Brown supported th is position when they stated,
"The essential Ingredient underlying successful curriculum develop­
ment and adoption rests heavily on the shoulders o f well-prepared
teachers. . .
Benjamin Whittens, Superintendent o f Vocational Education In
the Baltimore City Public Schools, spoke a t the Third Annual National
Vocational-Technical Teacher Education Seminar and Indicated:
For too long I t has been f e l t th a t the philosophy, psy­
chology, and methodology of our Instructional programs would
adequately meet the needs of a ll pupils. . . . A fte r a l l ,
vocational subjects were perceived to be the most meaningful
and relevant subjects In the e n tire school curriculum. In
add itio n , vocational educators had been successful fo r several
generations and 1n two national emergencies 1n preparing people
to perform the jobs th a t were needed fo r national s u rv iv a l.4
In 1973, Schmitt brought out the fact th a t teachers are
not being prepared to meet the special needs o f m inority populations:
Few university teacher education programs have adjusted
th e ir professional courses or fie ld experiences to prepare
"new" teachers to cope with the specific learning, c u ltu r a l,
sociological, behavioral and professional situations unique to
specific m inority populations. Consequently, many new teachers

20

dealing with the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t have not received ade­
quate or r e a lis tic teacher preparation In breaking down stereo­
typed thinking, in developing an appreciation o f the resource­
fulness o f a c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t s o c ie ty .5
One o f the f i r s t Innovative experimental programs 1n special
needs teacher education was Operation F air Chance, undertaken at
two C a lifo rn ia State colleges.

The objectives of that program were:

. . . to help prospective and experienced teachers develop
tru ly empathetlc a ttitu d e s toward the c u ltu ra lly deprived, to
find more e ffe c tiv e ways o f teaching disadvantaged children and
youth and o f working with th e ir parents and community leaders,
to emphasize r e a lis tic pupil o rien tation to the world o f work
and to produce new learning m aterials 1n th is area. . . .6
With funds allocated under the Vocational Education Amend­
ments of 1968, many school d is tr ic t s , colleges, and u n iversities
Inaugurated vocational education programs fo r students with special
needs.

These programs created a need fo r instructional personnel

with special train in g 1n this area.
The National Curriculum Development Project fo r Vocational
Education o f Disadvantaged and Handicapped Students comprised a
series of one-week workshops held nationwide beginning 1n July 1971
and ending In November 1972; 1,224 vocational educators attended
these sessions.

The project was one o f many endeavors designed to

help tra in Instructional personnel to teach students with special
needs.

Its goal was

. .to

tra in a nucleus o f vocational educa­

tors 1n developing curriculum and learning m aterials fo r disad­
vantaged or handicapped students. . . ." 7 The project was unique
in four respects:
1.

I t was a u n ifie d , concerted teacher-training and development
e ffo r t conducted on a national scale.

21

2.
3.
4.

I t was planned s p e c ific a lly fo r In -service train in g of
teachers o f disadvantaged and/or handicapped students
enrolled 1n vocational classes.
The project accomplished more than expected—a t less cost
than anticipated.
The train in g was conducted by personnel who are not fo r­
mally associated with the s ta ff or facu lty o f the tr a d i­
tio n al teacher train in g In s titu tio n or u n iv e rs itie s .8
Typical comments made by those who particip ated In the

"human awareness" learning a c tiv itie s component o f Project workshops
were:
The workshop made me more aware o f the unusual problems that
the dlsdavantaged students face. I feel th a t I am b etter
prepared to re la te to these students now.
I learned how to deal with students on a more personal, In d i­
vidual basis. I became more aware of the d iffe re n t learning
c a p a b ilitie s o f each student and how to handle each separately.
I realized that disadvantaged and handicapped students do not
need or want sympathy. I saw that empathy was a much more
constructive a ttitu d e .9
The AMIDS Report: Part B corresponded to the preceding com­
ment, and lis te d fiv e levels of empathy:
Level One—Does everything but lis te n , understand, or be sens itiv e to even the surface feelings o f the other person. Words
Indicate disapproval o f other person by o fferin g unsolicited
advice and t e llin g him what would be "best" fo r him. Does not
give the other person a chance to discuss personally relevant
m a te ria l.
Level Two--Responds to surface feelings of the other person but
ignores deeper feelin g s. Frequently m isinterprets feelin g of
other person. Responds In a "purely professional manner."
Responses have a rehearsed, fa ls e , q u a lity . Displays a lack
o f concern or in te re s t in many ways. Responds mechanically and
remotely to personally relevant m aterial Introduced by the
other person.
Level Three—Almost always responds to surface feelings o f the
other person. Not re a lly aware of who that other person re a lly
1s lik e underneath. Appears to make appropriate responses
which are sincere but which do not re fle c t any real Involve­
ment. Commits l i t t l e o f s e lf. Communicates a p o sitive caring,
but with reservations and conditions. Responses by other per­
son are cautious and without any deep revelation of Inner fe e l­
ings or personal experiences.

22

Level Fou>— Almost always responds with understanding to the
surface feelings of the other person. Sometimes, but not
always responds with empathy to the deeper feelin g s. Responds
with many of his own feelings and means what he says. Respon­
ses Indicate a genuineness o f fe e lin g . Can express even nega­
tiv e reactions In a non-threatening manner to the other person.
C learly communicates a very deep in te re s t and concern. Sees
himself as responsible to , not f o r , the other person. Enables
the other person to express personal feelings fre e ly and spon­
taneously.
Level Five—Responds with f u ll awareness o f the other person.
Displays accurate and comprehensive understanding of the other
person's deepest fee lin g s. Open to experience of a ll types,
both pleasant and h u rtfu l. Comments are always constructive.
Enables other person to engage in Inward probing o f newly
discovered feelings about himself and his world. Communicates
a very deep respect fo r the other person's worth and his rights
as a free In d iv id u al. Committed to the value of the other
person as a human b e in g .'0
L itera tu re Concerning Recommendations to Improve the
Preparation of teachers of Students With Special Needs
One o f the greatest challenges fo r the teacher of students
with special needs 1s helping pupils develop positive a ttitu d e s .
The AMIDS Report indicated:

" . . .

The teacher o f the special needs

students needs new insight and Increased s e n s itiv ity to the deep,
inner feelings and a ttitu d es o f the disadvantaged or handicapped
person."^
Hagadone supported th is viewpoint when he wrote:
There 1s l i t t l e doubt that a ttitu d es a re, 1n large p a rt,
a major contributing facto r to the effectiveness of the teacher
and the learning process. The ro le o f the teacher to each stu­
dent and his responsiveness to th is ro le Is a unique occasion
between these two people and cannot be d u plicated .12
Schmitt concurred:
I t Is imperative th a t a ttltu d ln a l changes become the pin­
nacle fo r e ffe c tiv e preparation o f teachers serving c u ltu ra lly
d iffe re n t populations. Acceptance, respect, compassion, under­
standing, and empathy are foremost a ttrib u te s (a ttltu d ln a l)
with pedagogical s k ills representing secondary a ttrib u te s . . . .

23

Tuckman and O'Brlan noted that "the a ll-Im p o rta n t area o f
attitudes 1s one 1n which a teacher can make major Inroads Into
14
this problem of the c u ltu ra lly deprived. . . ."
In his f1ve-po1nt plan fo r teachers o f the poor, Rlessman
supported th is b e lie f when he wrote,

. . I t 1s not enough to

build respect and knowledge; teachers' a ttitu d es must also be
changed. . . . " * 5
Feck recomnended that the teacher o f disadvantaged youths
must have fa ith in the students' a b ilit y to learn and succeed, a
strong desire to teach the disadvantaged, and respect, understand­
ing, and empathy fo r themJ®

Huff supported th is recommendation:

The teacher must honestly lik e and want to teach th is student.
In addition she must be shock-proof, not e a s ily discouraged,
emotionally stab le, physically strong, and have personal con­
victions and control which command the respect of the stu­
dent. 17
Ryan Included these q u a litie s In his 11st o f characteris­
tics essential 1n the classroom behavior of teachers:

"[classroom

teachers should be] warm, understanding, systematic, responsible,
stim ulating, Imaginative. . . ."

18

Oonaid Maley, head o f In d u strial Education at the Univer­
s ity o f Maryland, Indicated vocational teachers
. . . w i l l need specialized courses 1n the area of Special
Education, Sociology, Economics, and Communication to prepare
fo r teaching assignments 1n groups with special needs. This
may involve one or more forms of community study or work
experiences.l^
Edmund Gordon, chairman of the Department o f Guidance,
Teachers College, Columbia U n iversity, 1n a presentation a t the
Second Annual National Vocational-Technical Teacher Education

24

Seminar, suggested " . . .

s e n s itiv ity train in g [should be] an early

and continuous part o f teacher train in g programs."

20

Scales supported this notion when he concluded:

"All

In s titu tio n s educating teachers must continue to give a tten tio n to
the personality of prospective teachers. . . . "

21

Dixon and Morse found In th e ir study th a t
. . . pupils and supervising teachers considered student
teachers with "good" empathy to be b etter teachers than those
with "poor" empathy. In other words, the student teachers who
developed very positive feelings toward th e ir appraisal o f
themselves as teachers.22
Wampler's study supported Dixon and Morse's conclusions concerning
preservice teacher empathy.

The findings o f Wampler's study showed

. . . (1) those subjects with a substantial preservice experi­
ence In a disadvantaged school demonstrated a more positive
a ttitu d e toward teaching in s im ila r schools, had more posi­
tiv e attitud es about th e ir students, and f e l t fa r more ade­
quate In th e ir teaching s itu a tio n ; (2) those subjects having
a lim ited preservice experience did Indicate that they were
better prepared when compared with the no preservice group,
but did not d if f e r as markedly as did those subjects who had
the student teaching experiences; and (3) those subjects with
the preservice student teaching were found to be rated as more
e ffe c tiv e teachers and appeared to be more w illin g to accept a
position in schools fo r the disadvantaged following c e r t i f i ­
cation. 23
Zdunlch fu rth e r supported th is finding when she concluded
that " . . .

Participants In the experimental program did [e x h ib it]

some s ig n ific a n t Increases in a ttitu d e scores, while the control
group showed no s ig n ific a n t gains. . . . " ^
Kemp noted that I f teachers o f the disadvantaged are to do
an e ffe c tiv e jo b , they must have the following q u a lific a tio n s :
1.
2.

Competence In the subject matter and work s k ills In the
f ie ld o f s p e c ializa tio n .
In te re s t 1n working with young people who have special
problems.

25

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

A b ility to reinforce the slow learner and to re fra in from
responding only to those students who respond to them.
A b ility to seek and fin d additional techniques to enable
them to communicate with a ll students.
S k ill 1n presenting goals to the students and In helping
them to meet challenges.
A b ility to measure students by th e ir Individual achieve­
ments without lowering the standards fo r the class.
Special train in g or knowledge fo r work with the disad­
vantaged, including an understanding o f th e ir way o f l i f e .
A b ility to work with other school personnel to increase
the effectiveness o f th e ir work.
Willingness to use Instructional m aterials geared to the
understanding o f th e ir students and patience to work with
the slow learner.
S k ill in working with students to build up th e ir s e lfconcept, 1n seeking hidden strengths, and in helping to
channel these in productive d ire c tio n s .25
Schmitt made the following recommendations concerning teacher

education programs to prepare teachers o f c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t
individuals:
1.

Vigorous e ffo rts must be placed on re cru itin g and sele c t­
ing teachers from the ranks whom they serve.
2. Professional teacher preparation curricula fo r the c u l­
tu r a lly d iffe re n t must provide a wide array o f courses,
f ie ld experiences, and a c t iv itie s .
3. Teacher preparation In s titu tio n s and agencies fo r the
c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t must provide a continuum of educa­
tional experiences from entry to retirem ent.
4. Teacher preparation fo r the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t must pre­
pare the teacher to genuinely u t iliz e parental Involvement
in developing r e a lis tic educational experiences fo r th e ir
children.
5. Early involvement with c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t child ren ,
youth, and adults must be an important element 1n teacher
preparation fo r beginning teachers enrolled 1n agencies
and in s titu tio n s designed to meet the needs of the cu l­
tu r a lly d iffe re n t.
6. Teacher preparation programs fo r the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t
must be designed so that the teacher has an excellent
chance fo r success.
7. Beginning teachers of the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t must become
increasingly "person oriented" and "student centered."
8. Teacher preparation fo r the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t must
become a cooperative venture between local school systems,
state departments of education, u n iv e rs itie s , Industries,
and community organizations.

26

9.

10.

11.

Teacher education fo r the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t must
establish state* regional and national councils to Insure
a p o litic a l power base from which adequate financing can
be secured.
E ither a four-day teaching week or 15 to 20 percent of
the c u ltu ra lly d iffe re n t teachers* contractual time should
be spent cooperatively with the u n iversity* local school
system and community 1n conduction of pre-service,
In -service education, action oriented research and/or
professional Improvement a c tiv itie s .
Dissemination and sharing of successful teacher education
programs must be made availab le to a ll agencies and In s tir
tutlons preparing q u a lity teachers fo r these populations.26
In a study he conducted in Philadelphia* H ill lis te d the

following requisites for preservice preparation programs fo r teach­
ers of the underprivileged:
1.
2.
3.

The pre-service preparatory programs o f teachers o f the
underprivileged should provide fo r the development of
special methods, and special experiences. . . .
Teachers should develop r e a lis t ic expectations fo r the
behavior of underprivileged children during th e ir pre­
service tra in in g .
Personnel selected to in stru ct in programs fo r teachers
of the underprivileged should have experience in , and be
acceptable in* both lower and middle class cultu ral pat­
terns of behavior.27
In the same study, H ill made these recommendations fo r

inservice train in g o f teachers of the underprivileged:
1.

2.
3.

One phase o f a strong ongoing in -service program should
be to acquaint the teachers with the specific character­
is tic s of the community they serve and the Implications
of these characteristics fo r the school.
Each individual school should develop a curriculum empha­
sis designed to serve the needs and problems of under­
privileged children 1n that school.
Administrators of schools serving underprivileged children
should reinforce the id e a lis tic b eliefs and a ttitu d e s of
th e ir teachers by re fe rrin g to the social significance of
th e ir service. . . .28
Tuckman and 0 *Brian summarized the b e lie f that observation

and p a rtic ip a tio n 1n the disadvantaged community are basic steps In
preparing teachers fo r the disadvantaged:

27

An e ffe c tiv e way 1n which the teacher can gain Insight
Into the world o f youth with special needs Is to become
Involved 1n th e ir world. Reading and discussion alone cannot
bring about the understanding that 1s needed; experiencing Is
a v ita l lin k th a t must be Included. To read, study, experi­
ence, liv e and become Involved 1s the road to understanding,
appreciation, and empathy. . . . A teacher of the disadvan­
taged must build a frame of reference upon which to base and
from which he can project his e x p e rtis e .29
Huffman and Welter supported the preceding viewpoint when
they stated:
The Incorporation of c lin ic a l and f ie ld experiences (in the
disadvantaged community) Into the teacher education program
1s perhaps the most e ffe c tiv e way that teacher-educators can
help prospective teachers build an adequate frame of reference
fo r teaching the disadvantaged.30
Huff had much the same philosophy:

". . .A n e ffe c tiv e

working relationship w ith parents, counselors, and community leaders
31
w ill f a c ilit a t e program planning and community cooperation."
This concept received fu rth e r support from Tiedt:
. . . The train in g o f teachers should Include early and
close contact with disadvantaged children. The prospective
teacher must become involved in community a c tiv itie s involv­
ing not only the disadvantaged youngsters but th e ir fam ilies
as w e ll. Home v is its and community surveys should be an
integral part of th is tra in in g . . . .32
Dawson wrote that 1f vocational teachers are to be e ffe c tiv e
in teaching the disadvantaged and/or handicapped they must:
. . . (1) understand the students and th e ir problems;
(2) be able to keep the students motivated; (3) possess a
high level of competency 1n teaching; (4) keep the comun ity involved 1n the program, a t both the planning and Imple­
mentation stages; (5) keep the curriculum adapted to the
Individual needs o f the students, placing emphasis on the
usage and Im plication; and (6) be able to earn the respect
and confidence of the students.33
McCracken and Brown supported these c r it e r ia , and indicated
that well-prepared vocational teachers " . . .

must become

28

knowledgeable about the characteristics o f the disadvantaged, th e ir
psychological responses, and the environment factors which create
34
and extend dlsadvantagement."
The primary objectives to be achieved In Operation F air
Chance, one o f the f i r s t innovative programs in experimental teacher
education, were to produce behavioral changes in the teacher and/or
prospective teacher of special needs students that would:
1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

Improve teachers' understanding and acceptance o f children
whose backgrounds and behavior patterns are d ra s tic a lly
d iffe re n t from th e ir own;
Improve teachers' a b ilit y to generate 1n such youngsters
a real motivation to learn through greater c re a tiv ity and
s k ill in the design and use of novel and specialized
teaching to o ls, methods, and techniques;
Create and maintain learning situations which w ill lead
students to r e a lis tic vocational objectives, e ffe c tiv e
preparation fo r an occupation, pride in workmanship, and
confidence in th e ir a b ilit y to succeed In the vocation of
th e ir choice;
Increase the teachers' u tiliz a tio n of the possible c o n tri­
butions o f a ll agencies in the community which usually
become involved with such youngsters during th e ir life tim e ;
Increase the re c e p tiv ity and c ap a b ility o f the p a rtic ip a t­
ing school systems to implement and a ctivate the new learn­
ing of teachers.35
Kruppa recommended that a curriculum fo r teachers o f children

with special needs should include three categories:

"(1) General

Education, (2) Professional Education, and (3) Specialization which
could include e ith e r in d u strial a rts , vocational education or both,
36
and special education."
The Educational Policies Coirmission of the National Education
Association and the American Association of School Administrators
published the following statements concerning the education of
teachers of the disadvantaged:

29

1.
2.
3.
4.

The preservice program o f teacher education should seek
to develop In each student a sense o f genuine respect
and empathy fo r the children he w ill teach.
Teacher education should Include observation and practice
1n teaching and otherwise working with the disadvantaged.
Teacher education should include experience in a disad­
vantaged community outside the school.
In-service education should enable teachers consistently
to improve th e ir understanding o f th e ir pupils. Teachers
should acquaint themselves with the liv in g conditions of
th e ir pupils and try to re la te th e ir knowledge of sociol­
ogy and psychology to those c o n d i t i o n s . 3 7
In a fiv e -p o in t plan fo r preservice and/or inservice tr a in ­

ing of teachers o f the poor, Riessman Included the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Building teacher respect fo r disadvantaged children and
th e ir fa m ilie s . This involves a ttitu d e change and a
proposed method o f producing i t .
Supplying teacher experiences with the disadvantaged.
Some general do's and don'ts in teaching the urban poor.
A teaching technology appropriate fo r low-income youngsters.
The development o f a variety o f teacher styles through
integrating other parts o f the plan with the idiosyncratic
potential of each teacher. This concerns the a rt o f teach­
ing and how i t can be developed and o r g a n i z e d . 38
Sciara conducted a study to develop guidelines fo r a pre­

service teacher education program fo r elementary teachers o f the
disadvantaged.

As a re s u lt o f the research, he formulated the

following objectives:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

The teacher education program should provide opportunities
fo r self-understanding as i t relates to thinking.
The teacher education program should provide a ll kinds
o f educational experiences including d ire c t experiences
which aid 1n preparing prospective teachers m entally,
a ttltu d ln a lly , and emotionally to teach disadvantaged
children.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher understand the effects of deprivation and poverty.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher understand the effects of prejudice and m inority
group membership.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher understand the strengths o f disadvantaged students.

30

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ill 1n the application o f diagnostic
and remedial techniques.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ills In e ffe c tin g positive human re la ­
tions with children.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ills in establishing and maintaining
positive parent-teacher relatio n ship s.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ills 1n advancing the needed language
arts s k ills of students.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ills in selecting and adapting curriculum
appropriate to the needs o f the students.
The teacher education program should help the prospective
teacher develop s k ills in organizing the classroom fo r
e ffic ie n t learning.
The teacher education program should provide the prospec­
tiv e teacher with a series o f relevant d ire c t experiences.39
Dawson Indicated that the specific objectives o f an In s titu te

under his directorship were:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

To fu rth e r develop an ideal philosophy and convnltment of
vocational teachers in teaching the disadvantaged and
handicapped.
To enable vocational education teachers to b etter under­
stand the disadvantaged and handicapped In d ivid u als, and
understand th e ir s o c ia l, c u ltu ra l, and socio-economic
problems.
To develop an understanding of the psychology o f learning
of the disadvantaged and handicapped; including psycho­
lo g ic a l, sociological, and c u ltu ra l Influences on learning.
To acquaint the teachers with methods and techniques of
e ffe c tiv e ly communicating with the disadvantaged and handi­
capped.
To extend the teachers' expertise in counseling the d is ­
advantaged and handicapped.
To fu rth e r develop the vocational education teacher's
a b ilit y to motivate the disadvantaged and handicapped.
To extend the teacher's knowledge of developing and imple­
menting a program based on special needs o f the disad­
vantaged and handicapped.
To develop the a b ilit y to u t i liz e community resources In
developing and Implementing programs fo r the disadvantaged
and handicapped.
To enable the teachers to use a variety of measurement
and evaluation instruments 1n determining the strengths

31

10.

and weaknesses o f programs fo r the disadvantaged and handl
capped.
To better acquaint vocational education teachers with
methods and techniques of using Individualized Instruction
fo r teaching disadvantaged and handicapped students.
L ite ra tu re Related to the E ffect of Inservice
Training on Interpersonal Relationship Factors

No program of teacher education can be defended i f 1t pre­
sumes to give a beginning teacher a ll the knowledge and a ll
the s k ill he w ill ever need to have. Nor does any school
system ever get a ll the expert teachers i t needs. Schools
do not get expert teachers--they develop them.41
Teacher train in g Is a d if f i c u l t task; the assignment can be
even more d if f i c u l t when I t e n ta ils train in g teachers to work with
students who have special needs.
Inservice tra in in g , as i t is now conducted, is fa r from
adequate fo r teachers o f students with special needs.
to th is problem:

R iv lin spoke

"Most existing in-service programs are weak

because they tend to stress regulations and procedures and lose
42
sight of the basic purpose. . . . "
R iv lin 's view was supported
by Powell, in a study of the ro le of the university in the education
of inservice teachers; he concluded:

"The ro le of higher education

in s titu tio n s In in -service teacher education has undergone no sign ifle a n t change since the beginning of the twentieth century. . . ."
In a study to evaluate the preservice and inservice educa­
tion of English teachers o f c u ltu ra lly disadvantaged students in
Georgia, Wilder reported that:
. . . In-service programs lack c o n tin u ity, purpose, and d ire c ­
tio n . Furthermore, i t was rare th a t these programs had s ig ­
n ific a n t bearing on the problems of teaching English to the
disadvantaged. . . .44

43

32

A fte r completing a study th a t Involved designing an Inservice
training package fo r teachers o f children with learning d is a b ilitie s ,
Wilson concluded:
. . . The inservice package developed and revised in th is
study has been shown to provide an e ffe c tiv e method fo r
presenting theories and models which teachers can apply to
the educational needs o f learning disabled children. . .
Young supported this viewpoint; she concluded:
. . . I t may be stated th a t th is In -service education and
consultation program was highly e ffe c tiv e with respect to
development o f p o sitive teachers' a ttitu d e s anda b ilit ie s
to
recognize and accommodate problem learners. . .
.46
In a study e n title d "The Development and Evaluation o f a
Special Education In-Service Training Program fo r Regular Classroom
Teachers," Soloway found:
. . . A special education In-service train in g program can
be e ffe c tiv e in improving reactions and a ttitu d e s of regu­
la r classroom teachers related to Integration o f EMR and EH
children into regular classrooms. . . .47
Ponder conducted research on the e ffec ts o f special in service train in g programs fo r work with disadvantaged children.

He

indicated:
. . . There is a c r it ic a l need fo r colleges and school systems,
in partnership, to plan and Implement a d elib erate w e llorganized ongoing in -service education program fo r a ll teachers
to attack the o v e r-a ll problems o f educating children in slum
and ra c ia l m inority ghetto environs.48
As a re s u lt o f his study o f the effec ts o f Interpersonal
relations train in g on prospective teachers, James found:
. . . F ifty -fo u r hours of Interpersonal relatio n s train in g
. . . was adequate in s ig n ific a n tly increasing levels o f
accurate empathy, non-possessive warmth, and to ta l in te r ­
personal s k ills . . . .49

33

F ischle's study of a ttitu d e and behavior change o f teachers
attending an NDEA in s titu te fo r teachers o f disadvantaged children
led her to conclude th a t "There was a s ig n ific a n t change (.01 le v e l)
in teachers' a ttitu d e s toward the teacher-pupil re latio n sh ip as
50
measured on the MTAI. . . . "
She also reported the following
experiences were valuable in promoting the desired changes in a t t i ­
tudes and behavior:
1.
2.

The in-residence experience afforded continuous in teractio n
with other inner c ity teachers and s ta ff members.
Practicum experiences which included working with one
c h ild , groups o f children, and observation of children 1n
the c h ild ’ s environment fostered a greater understanding
and acceptance o f c h ild re n .51
Bishop supported the preceding observation when he reported:

Positive s ig n ific a n t relationships were found between the
ratings of white teachers by the white students with respect
to empathy, congruence, and student regard and a positive
s ig n ific a n t relatio n ship between black teachers and black
students with respect to student regard was f o u n d . 52
In a study that examined the effects o f Minnesota's manda­
tory human relatio n s train in g on the a ttitu d es o f the s ta te 's cer­
tific a te d teachers, Blackburn reported the following findings:
1.

2.
3.

. . . Trained teachers tend to be more aware o f discrim ina­
tion in the school setting than teachers who have not com­
pleted human relatio n s tra in in g . . . .
. . . New teachers and teachers with eleven years of
experience tended to score lower than teachers in the
middle ranges of years o f teaching.
Several s ig n ific a n t Interactions also occurred. . . .
These Interactions suggest th a t human relatio n s tra in in g
had d iffe r e n tia l effects on specified groups o f teachers.53
Lee reported sim ilar findings in his study of the e ffe c tiv e ­

ness of s e n s itiv ity tra in in g in a human relatio n s program fo r
Inservice teachers; he made the following comparisons:

34

Comparing the effectiveness of s e n s itiv ity train in g with
the control group i t was found that teachers in s e n s itiv ity
train in g Improved th e ir scores on the MTAI s ig n ific a n tly more
than did those 1n the control group. . . . Teachers in sen­
s i t i v i t y train in g increased 1n self-esteem , or s e lf-v a lu e ,
. . . s ig n ific a n tly more than did those in the control
group. . . .
Comparing the effectiveness of s e n s itiv ity tra in in g with
the conventional class in human re la tio n s , s e n s itiv ity tr a in ­
ing was found superior in reducing student absenteeism . . .
with near s ig n ific a n t trends favoring s e n s itiv ity tra in in g in
improving MTAI scores and teachers' self-esteem measures on
the Q-Sort instrum ent.54
Summary
The lite r a tu r e reviewed in th is chapter indicated a number
of colleges and u n iv e rs itie s , school d is tr ic ts , state departments
of education, and individuals have developed preservice and inservice
programs with objectives centered around preparing more e ffe c tiv e
vocational teachers fo r service to students who have special needs.
However, the results of those train in g programs are not known.
Some of the research findings have important implications
for vocational educators, as well as for decision makers and progranmers in the f ie ld of vocational education fo r secondary and
post-secondary students who have special needs.
Many a rtic le s and studies have been discussed in th is chap­
te r.

The following implications were selected as being the most

pertinent to the present study:
1.

There is a climate that supports the need to re c ru it

vocational teachers fo r programs intended to serve students with
special needs.
2.

Preservice preparatory programs fo r vocational teachers

o f students with special needs should provide fo r the development

35

of special knowledge, methods, and experiences, I . e . , f ie ld
experience, Id e a lis tic b e lie fs and a ttitu d e s , and creative programs.
3.

Inservice programs should be developed and/or designed

to serve the needs and problems o f special needs students 1n In d i­
vidual school d is tric ts and/or schools.
4.

Vocational programs fo r special needs students should

continuously be evaluated to determine th e ir effectiveness.
5.

Colleges and u n ive rs itie s with preservice preparatory

programs fo r vocational teachers should design a curriculum that
w ill lead to dual c e rtific a tio n in vocational education and special
education.
6.

Colleges and u n ive rs itie s with preservice teacher educa­

tion programs fo r vocational education teachers should design th e ir
curricula to include s e n s itiv ity and/or human relatio n s tra in in g fo r
prospective teachers.
In Chapter I I I the design of the study 1s established by
explaining the methodology and procedures used to test the hypotheses
formulated fo r the research.

36

F o o tn o te s — C h a p te r I I

^AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop fo r Vocational Educators
of Disadvantaged and Handicapped Students: Supplementary M aterials—
Part b (Montgomery, Alabama, Link fcnterprises, In c .. 1973). p. 25.
2
Sidney T le d t, e d ., Teaching the Disadvantaged Child (New
York: Oxford University Pres¥, 1965), p. 16.
3
J. David McCracken and A lice J. Brown, Career Education for
Disadvantaged Students, Final Report (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State
UniversityT Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education 1973),
p. 2.
4
James W. Hensel and Garry R. Bice, Proceedings of the Annual
National Vocational Technical Education Seminar, Chicago, October
21-24, 1968 (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State U n iversity, Center for
Vocational and Technical Education, 1969), p. 41.
5
Henry E. Schmitt, Teacher Education fo r the C u ltu ra lly
D iffe re n t; Appendix C of a H nal Report (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State
University, Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education, 1973), p. 5.
^Operation Fair Chance: The Establishment o f Two Centers to
Improve the Preparation o f Teachers of C u ltu ra lly Disadvantaged
Students, Emphasizing Occupational Understanding Leading to Tech­
nical Vocational Competence; Final Report.! Fresno and Hayward,
C alifo rn ia: C alifo rn ia State Colleges a t Fresno and Hayward,
1969), p. 3.
^Edward G. Olsen, "Teacher Education fo r the Deprived: A
New P attern," School and Society (April 1967): 3.
Q

National Curriculum Development Project fo r Vocational
Educators of Disadvantaged and Handicapped Students; Final Report
(Montgomery, Alabama: Link Enterprises, In c ., 1973), p. i.
9Ib id ., p. 5.
^AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop— Part B, p. 37.
^ AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop fo r Vocational Educators
of Disadvantaged and Handicapped Students: How to Plan-tonductEvaluate (Montgomery, Alabama: Link Enterprises, In c ., 1973), p. 3.
12

Theodore E. Hagadone, "A Study of Teacher Personal and
Professional Attitudes as They Relate to Student Self-Concepts and
Attitudes Toward School in the Six Highest Achieving Schools in
F lin t, Michigan" (Ph.D. d is se rtatio n , Michigan State U n iversity,
1967), p. 49.

37

13

Schmitt, Teacher Education fo r the C u ltu ra lly D iffe re n t,

p. 8.
14

Bruce W. Tuckman and John O'Brian, eds., Preparing to
Teach the Disadvantaged (New York: The Free Press, )96d)
15
Frank Rlessman, "Teachers o f the Poor: A F1ve-Po1nt Plan,"
Journal of Teacher Education (F a ll 1967): 326.
^V incent Feck, What Vocational Education Teachers and
Counselors Should Know About Urban Disadvantaged Youth (Columbus,
Ohio: Ohio State U niversity, Center fo r Vocationa'l and Technical
Education, October 1971), p. 37.
^ M arie Davis H uff, "What Youth Have Special Needs fo r
Livinq, Learninq, Earninq," American Vocational Journal 42 (November
1967): 57.
18
David G. Ryan, "Assessment o f Teacher Behavior and
Instruction ," Review o f Educational Research 33 (October 1963):
417.
19
Tuckman and O'Brlan, Preparing to Teach, p. 100.
20

Hensel and Bice, Proceedings, p. 108.

21

Douglas E. Scales, "S ig n ifican t Factors in Teachers'
Classroom A ttitu d e s ," Journal o f Teacher Education 7 (1956): 279.
^Robert W. Dixon and W illiam C. Morse, "The Prediction of
Teaching Performance: Empathic P o te n tia l," Journal of Teacher Edu­
cation 12 (September 1961): 328.
23
David R. Wampler, "A Study of F irs t Year Teachers in
Disadvantaged Schools to Determine the Relationship of Pre-Service
Preparation Experiences to Present A ttitudes and Effectiveness,"
Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity
Microfilms, 33/07-A, 1973), p. 3314.
24
Louise J. Zdunich, "A Relationship of Selected Personality
Variables of Secondary School Student Teachers Enrolled In a Special­
ized Training program and Their Experienced A ttitudes Toward the
Disadvantaged," D issertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor,
M1ch.: University M icrofilm s, 1973), p. 4025.
25
Barbara H. Kemp, The Youth We Haven't Served, Catalog
No. FS 5.280:80038 (Washington, b .£ .: Government Printing O ffic e ,
1966), p. 12.
26
Schmitt, Teacher Education fo r the C u ltu ra lly D iffe re n t,
p. 30.

38

27

Russell A. H i l l , "The Professional Adjustment o f Teachers
1n Philadelphia Secondary Schools Serving Underprivileged Children
as Reported by Selected Respondents" (Ph.D. d is s e rta tio n , Temple
U niversity, 1963), p. 143.
oo

Ib id . , p. 144.
29
Tuckman and O'Brian, Preparing to Teach, p. 169.
30
Harry Huffman and Clyde W. W elter, Designs fo r the Prep­
aration o f Vocational and Technical Teachers o f Socioeconomically
Disadvantaged Youth--Final Report (Columbus, Ohio: OMo State
U niversity, Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education, 1972),
p. 8.
3^Huff, "What Youth Have Special Needs," p. 57.
32
T1edt, Teaching the Disadvantaged C h ild , p. 17.
33
James I . Dawson, "Inservice R e-training of Vocational
Education Personnel to Amplify and Enhance Their Role 1n Working
With Disadvantaged and Handicapped Learners" (H u n ts v ille , Alabama:
Alabama A g ricultu ral and Mechanical U n iversity, 1971), p. 11.
34
McCracken and Brown, Career Education, p. 2.
35
Operation Fair Chance, p. 2.
36
0.
Russell Kruppa, Preparing Teachers o f In d u strial Educa­
tion fo r Disadvantaged and Handicapped Children a t the Secondary
Leveli Final Report (New Jersey: Department of Education, 1973),
pY 79.
37
Educational Policies Commission o f the NEA and the American
Association o f School Administrators, "The Education of Teachers o f
the Disadvantaged," NEA Journal 54 (September 1965): 13.
38
Rlessman, "Teachers o f the Poor," p. 326.
39
Frank J. Sclara, "Guidelines fo r a Pre-Service Teacher
Education Program by Elementary Teachers o f the Disadvantaged,"
Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity
M icrofilm s, 1968), p. 3538-A.
40
Dawson, "Inservice Re-tra1n1ng," p. 12.
41
Harry N. R1vl1n, "A New Pattern fo r Urban Teacher Educa­
tio n ," Journal of Teacher Education (Summer 1966): 181.
42 Ib 1 d .,

p.

18 2.

39

43

Douglas R. Powell, "A Study of the Role o f the U niversity
In the Education o f Teachers In -s e rv ic e ," D issertation Abstracts
International (Ann Arbor, Mich: U niversity M icrofilm s, 35-06-A,
1974), p. 3568-A.
44
Mary R. W ilder, "An Evaluation o f the Pre-service and
In-service Academic Preparation In English fo r Teachers o f Disad­
vantaged Students 1n Selected Colleges 1n the State o f Georgia,"
D issertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity
M icrofilm s, 31-09-A, 1971), p. 4398-A.
45
Judith A. Wilson, "An In -service Training Package fo r
Teachers o f Children With Learning D is a b ilitie s ," Dissertation
Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity M icrofilm s,
36/07-A, 19*6), p. 4412-A.
46
Dorothy M. W. Young, "The Effectiveness o f an In -service
Education Program fo r Regular Classroom Primary Teachers Regarding
the Recognition and Accommodation o f Children With Learning Problems,"
Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity
Microfilm s, 34/06-A, 1973');" p. 3226-A.
47
Michael M. Soloway, "The Development and Evaluation of a
Special Education In -service Training Program fo r Regular Classroom
Teachers," Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.:
University M icrofilm s, 36/07-A, 19 7 6 ) , pp. 4425-A.
48
Edward G. Ponder, "An Investigation o f the Effects of
Special In-service Training Program fo r Work With Disadvantaged
Children as Viewed by Directors and P a rtic ip an ts," Dissertation
Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity M icrofilm s.
SB/O^-A, 196B), p. '35'35-A.
49
Mary E. James, "The Effects of Interpersonal Relations
Training on Prospective Teachers," Dissertation Abstracts In te r­
national (Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity M icrofilm s, 32/02-A, 1971),
p. 820-A.
^^MUdred J. Fischle, "A Study of A ttitudes and Behavior
Change of Teachers Attending an NDEA In s titu te fo r Teachers o f
Disadvantaged Children," D issertation Abstracts International (Ann
Arbor, Mich.: U n iv e rs ity ^ lic ro f 11ms, £8/10-A, 1568), p. 4oi?3-A.
52

Frank A. Bishop, "A Study of Selected Student-Perceived
Teacher Interpersonal C haracteristics With Reference to Teacher
Demographic C haracteristics and the Academic Progress of Low Achiev­
ing Secondary Students," D issertation Abstracts International
(Ann Arbor, Mich.: U niversity M icrofilm s, 33/03-A, 1972J, p. 1070-A.

40

53
Guy J. Blackburn, "An Examination o f the E ffo rts o f Human
Relations Training on the A ttitudes o f C e rtific a te d Inservice
Teachers 1n Minnesota," D issertation Abstracts Intern ation al (Ann
Arbor, Mich.: U niversity M icrofilm s, 36/&6-A, 19^6), p. 3575-A.
^ W a lte r S. Lee, "A Study of the Effectiveness o f Sensi­
t iv i t y Training in an Inservice Teacher-Training Program 1n Human
Relations," Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, M1ch.:
University M icrofilm s, 28/Of>-A, 1967), p. 1680-A.

CHAPTER I I I
DESIGN OF THE STUDY

In the preceding two chapters, the problem and the review
of the lite r a tu r e in related areas were presented.

In th is chapter

the author d eta ils s p e c ific a lly the manner 1n which the sample group
fo r the study was selected, how the Instrument was chosen, the manner
1n which the data fo r the study were co llected , and the procedures
followed 1n handling the data.
This study was exploratory in nature; 1n i t answers to many
specific questions were sought.

Beyond th is , trends and Im plica­

tions were examined to find answers to questions generated and/or
presented.

The study was equally concerned with generating new

questions.

I t 1s hoped the data presented 1n th is study w ill lead

other researchers to probe fu rth er and to seek additional Informa­
tion about problems related to education fo r vocational teachers
of students with special needs.

In th is sense, th is study Is only

an In c ip ie n t e ffo r t; the Investigation of other researchers Into
its findings 1s in v ite d .
One of the researcher's purposes 1n the study was to determine
whether specialized Inservice teacher education fo r Instru ction al per­
sonnel 1n vocational programs fo r students with special needs has had
a positive e ffe c t on selected Interpersonal relationship facto rs.
selected Interpersonal relationship factors used In the study were

The

42

empathy and congruence; these were the dependent variab les.

Nor­

mative data used 1n this study were age o f the teacher, occupational
cluster 1n which the teacher was employed, teaching experience, and
formal educational level attained by the teacher.

The Independent

variables were program, c lu s te r, and tra in in g .
Another purpose of the research was to provide Information
and recommendations fo r decision makers and programmers in the
fie ld of vocational education fo r students with special needs,
with emphasis on Inservice teacher education a t the secondary and
post-secondary levels.
Research Hypotheses
The central hypothesis tested in this study was:
Michigan vocational teachers who are teaching 1n special needs
programs and who have completed specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an interpersonal relatio n ship inventory
than w ill vocational teachers in special needs programs who
have had no specialized tra in in g .
For the purposes o f the research, the central hypothesis was divided
into the following subhypotheses:
1.

Vocational teachers with specialized tra in in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupll
relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers who
have had no specialized train in g In dealing with special
needs students.

2.

Vocational teachers with specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale o f a teacherpupll relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers
who have had no specialized train in g 1n dealing with
special needs students.

3.

Vocational teachers employed 1n certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale o f a
teacher-pupll relationship Inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed 1n other vocational clusters.

43

4.

Vocational teachers employed in certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale o f a
teacher-pupll relatio n ship Inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed 1n other vocational clu sters.

5.

Vocational teachers In three kinds o f special needs programs
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupll relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers in three kinds of
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .

6.

Vocational teachers in three kinds o f special needs programs
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on a congruence scale of a teacher-pupll relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers in three kinds of
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .

7.

The age o f vocational teachers in special needs programs is
inversely related to empathy, as measured by a teacherpupll relationship inventory, between teachers who have
specialized tra in in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .

8.

The age of vocational teachers in special needs programs
is inversely related to congruence, as measured by a teacherpupil relatio n ship inventory, between teachers who have had
specialized tra in in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .

9.

Vocational teachers in special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupil
relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
lower formal educational levels.

10.

Vocational teachers in special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale of a teacherpupll relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers
with lower formal educational le ve ls .

11.

Vocational teachers in a special needs program who have two
to nine years of teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupil re la ­
tionship inventory than w ill vocational teachers with less
than two years or more than nine years o f teaching experi­
ence.

44

12.

Vocational teachers in a special needs program who have two
to nine years o f teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on a congruence scale of a teacher-pupil
re latio n sh ip inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
less than two years or more than nine years o f teaching
experience.
Analysis Procedures
An analysis of variance was employed to re ta in or not retain

the hypotheses of th is study.

A 0.10 confidence level was selected

as the c rite rio n of significance.

Post hoc procedures were applied

to the analyses that were s ig n ific a n t.

The design o f the study is

illu s tra te d In Table 3 .1 .
Population
The population included a ll vocational teachers fo r special
needs programs 1n Michigan schools operating state-reimbursed
special needs programs during the 1975-76 regular school year.

The

e lig ib le funding categories fo r the reimbursed programs are:
State aid membership. Special Education Services sup­
ported by state Special Education and Intermediate reimburse­
ment 1n most d is tr ic t s . Intermediate Vocational Education
m lllage where applicable. Vocational Education program funds
fo r d is tric ts and programs that q u a lify . . . . Vocational Edu­
cation Special Needs Funds fo r approved projects. E lig ib le
Vocational R eh ab ilitatio n c lie n ts may receive supportive ser­
vices needed to maintain them in on the job train in g programs.^
A d is tin c tio n was made between the types of students served—
handicapped and disadvantaged.

Individual programs were grouped

according to whether they served handicapped students only, d is­
advantaged students only, or a combination o f handicapped and d is advantaged students.

2

Table 3 .1 .--Design of the study.

Dependent Variables

Independent Variables
Treatment
Group

Training

Trained

Untrained

Trained
Disadvantaged
Untrained

Trained
Handicapped
and
Disadvantaged
Untrained

TOTAL

Occupational
Clusters
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

n=l
n=ll
n=2
n=2
n=l
n-i
n=7
n=2
n=l
n=2
n=2
n=ll
n=4
n=6
n=10

n=l

n-19
n=4
n=3
n=9

n=5
n=32
n=15
n*12
n=12
n=3
n=42
n=12
n=12
n=20
n*2S4

Empathy

Congruence

Normative Data
Age

Educational
Level

Teaching
Experience

46

Sampling Procedures
Best defined a sample as "a small proportion o f a population
selected fo r analysis."

3

Van Dalen suggested th a t to construct a

representative sample, a researcher should:
(1) define his population, (2) procure an accurate and complete
l i s t o f the units 1n the population, (3) draw representative
units from the 11st, and (4) obtain a s u ffic ie n tly large sample
to represent the characteristics o f the population.4
A l i s t o f a ll vocational teachers who had attended special­
ized workshops (In stru ctio n al Strategies 1n Special Needs and/or
Vocational Education/Special Education) during the 1973-74 and
1974-75 regular school years was obtained from the coordinator of
the specialized workshops a t the Michigan Department o f Education
and Central Michigan U n iversity.

That l i s t yielded 431 names, which

composed the group o f teachers with specialized tra in in g .
The names of a ll administrators (contact person) o f special
needs programs in school d is tric ts and post-secondary In s titu tio n s
in Michigan were obtained from the Disadvantaged and Handicapped
Programs U n it, Vocational-Technical Education Services, Michigan
Department of Education.

One hundred fo rty -fo u r adm inistrators were

asked to supply the names and addresses of vocational teachers
employed in th e ir special needs programs.

One hundred four or 72

percent o f the administrators returned the information.

This request

yielded 914 names, making up the group o f potential teachers with no
specialized tra in in g .
The two lis t s of names were compared to determine I f any
names appeared on both lis t s ; 131 duplications were omitted from the

47

l i s t o f untrained teachers.

Hence, the resulting l i s t o f untrained

teachers comprised 783 names.
A systematic random sampling procedure was used to select a
representative sample o f 175 individuals from each of the two groups
of vocational teachers.

The number o f members on each 11st,

I . e . , trained and untrained teachers, was divided by 175 to determine
the sampling In terv a l fo r that group.
Three hundred and f i f t y questionnaires were mailed on
October 15, 1975, with Instructions to return them 1n two weeks (see
Appendix A ).

Two hundred twenty-nine Instruments (65 percent) were

returned; 19 could not be used fo r the following reasons:

Improper

addresses, completing questionnaires was against local school
p o lic ie s , incomplete forms, refusal to complete forms, and special
needs programs were not funded fo r the 1975-76 regular school year.
In December, 92 Instruments were mailed to nonrespondents 1n
an attempt to increase the number o f responses (see Appendix A ).
Sixty-two o f these Instruments (67 percent) were returned; eight of
them could not be used 1n the analysis because they were returned
a fte r the data had been processed.
In sumnary, 350 teachers were sent questionnaires.

Two hun­

dred ninety-one questionnaires (83.1 percent) were returned, of which
264 (75 percent) were used in computing the data fo r th is study.
Once the Instruments were returned, they were grouped by
trainin g (specialized or no specialized tra in in g ) and program (han­
dicapped, disadvantaged, or both), and were then hand scored (see
Appendix C).

48

The Instrument
The Instrument used to measure the Interpersonal re la tio n ­
ship factors In th is study was the Barrett-Lennard Teacher-Pupll
Relationship Inventory: Teacher Form.

About 130 studies have been

completed and perhaps another 100 are in progress using th is Inventory and d ire c t adaptations o f i t .

5

The Inventory is availab le in

two forms, each of which includes four variables.

The teacher

form assesses the teacher's self-perception with regard to the
variables "congruence," "empathic understanding," "level o f regard,"
and "u n c o n d itio n ality ."

The pupil form of the same questionnaire

measures the student's perception of the teacher on the same per­
sonality dimensions.6

Only the teacher form of the instrument was

used in this study because of varying policies related to the use o f
students In surveys w ithin local school d is tr ic ts .
A fte r consultation with Dr. Barrett-Lennard, the author of
the instrument, the w rite r decided to use two of the instrument's
four scales—the empathic understanding and the congruence scales.
This decision reduced the Instrument to 32 items, which were scored
on a s1x-point agreement-dlsagreement scale, yieldin g to ta l scores
ranging from +96 to -96 and subscores of +48 to -48 fo r each o f the
two a ttitu d ln a l variables.
In addition to the empathic understanding and congruence
scales, selected normative data {age of the teacher, number o f years
teaching, formal educational le v e l, and occupational c lu ster In
which the teacher was employed) were also s o lic ite d (see Appendix C).

49

The r e l i a b i l i t y c o efficien ts of the 64-item revision o f the
Inventory fo r three studies were cited in the technical note to the
Inventory.7

They are as follows:
R e lia b ility
C o efficien t

Study 1
Form OS

Study 2
Form MO

Level of Regard
Empathic Understanding
Unconditionality of Regard
Congruence
Total Score

.88
.86
.86
.92
.92

Level of Regard
Empathic Understanding
U n co n d itio n ally o f Regard
Congruence
Total Score

.79
.91
.86
.85
.89
R e lia b ility
C o efficien t

Study 3

Level o f Regard
Empathic Understanding
UnconditionalIty of Regard
Congruence

Form OS

Form MO

.74
.90
.80
.88

.86
.84
.80
.87

The Issue of v a lid ity , as stated by Barrett-Lennard, Involved Investl*
gating associations between measures o f functioning based on Rogers'
psychotherapy process scale and the Relationship Inventory.

The

findings of that report were as follows:
. . . The positive findings o f association between these
two th e o re tic a lly related classes of measures are viewed as
lending fu rth er support to the measuring procedures as well as
the theory. Cahoon (1962) found that experiencing levels
(Process Scale) and open-mindedness (Dogmatism Scale) o f practlcum counsellors were, In general, s ig n ific a n tly related to
the client-perceived q u a lity of th e ir counselling relationships
as measured by the R .I. scales.8
A p ilo t study was conducted during July 1975 to determine 1f
the Instrument could be used In the present study.

The p ilo t study

50

population comprised vocational teachers In special needs programs
from four Michigan school d is tr ic ts .

Participants were Instructed

to make comments that d ealt with the c la r it y , appropriateness, and
comprehensiveness of Instructions of the Instrument.

In lig h t of

th e ir comments and answers, no adjustments to the instrument were
made before mailing i t to the study sample.
Research Analysis
A three-way analysis of variance was computed fo r the data
collected 1n the study.

The computer program included adjustments

for unequal c e ll frequencies.

In presenting the results o f the

analysis of data, a 0.10 confidence level was used as the c rite rio n
of significance o f the stated hypotheses.

That confidence level was

selected because the research was exploratory.
The Pearson product-moment co rrelatio n c o e ffic ie n t was used
to measure the relationships between the variables and normative
data.
The ten clusters included in the Vocational Education/Special
Education Project a t Central Michigan University^ were consolidated
Into fiv e fo r computation purposes, to elim inate the p o s s ib ility of
having empty c e lls .

The consolidation was as follow s, with number o f

subjects 1n each cluster:
Cluster

1

A griculture/N atural Resources

N»13

Cluster

2

Automotive and Power Services
Construction
Graphics and Communication Media
Manufacturing

N«122

Cluster

3

Clothing and T e x tile Services
Food Preparation and Services

N=39

51

Cluster 4

Health Occupations

N=36

Cluster 5

D is trib u tio n
O ffice and Business Occupations

N=54

Summary
Described 1n this chapter were the research methodology,
the Instrument used 1n gathering data necessary to te s t the hypoth­
eses, and the type o f s ta tis tic a l analysis used 1n trea tin g the data
gathered.

Chapter IV d e ta ils the findings and the in te rp re ta tio n of

results based on the analysis o f the data.
the study are tested.

Also, the hypotheses of

52

F o o tn o te s — C h a p te r I I I

^Jan Baxter, Development and Implementation o f Secondary
Special Education Programs Hake Odessa. Mich.: E . G . I . Breakthru,
In c ., 1975), p. 22.
2

Evaluation Report—Michigan Vocational Education Special
Needs Programs, 1375-74 (Lansing: Michigan Department o f Education.
19>4), p. 8.
3

John W. Best, Research in Education (Englewood C lif f s , N .J .:
Prent1ce-H all, 1956), p. 263.
4
DeoboId Van Dalen, Understanding Educational Research (New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1966), p. 296.
5
G. T. Barrett-Lennard, Resource Bibliography o f Reported
Studies Using the Relationship Inventory (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada:
University o f Waterloo, 19172), p. 1.
^Arnold L. Scheuer, "The Relationship Between Personal
A ttributes and Effectiveness in Teachers o f the Emotionally Dis­
turbed," Exceptional Children (Summer 1971): 725.
^G. T. Barrett-Lennard, Technical Note on the 6 4 -Item Revision
of the Relationship Inventory (Waterloo, O ntario, Canada: U niversity
of Waterloo, 1969), p. 4.
8I b i d . , pp. 6-7.
9

Mich.:

Vocational Education/Special Education Project (Mt. Pleasant,
Central Michigan U n iversity, 1975).

CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

One o f the researcher's purposes 1n this study was to deter­
mine whether specialized Inservice teacher education fo r Instructional
personnel 1n vocational programs fo r students with special needs has
had a positive e ffe c t on selected interpersonal relationship facto rs.
Another purpose was to provide Information and recommendations fo r
decision makers and programmers 1n the f ie ld of vocational education
fo r students with special needs, with emphasis on 1nserv1ce teacher
education a t the secondary and post-secondary le v e ls .

The study

was also designed to discuss the relationships found between the
interpersonal relationship facto rs—empathic understanding and
congruence.

The normative data used fo r th is study were age o f the

teacher, teaching experience, occupational clu ster In which the
teacher 1s employed, and education level attained by the teacher.
The Teacher-Pupil Relationship Inventory: Teacher Form was
used to obtain empirical data.

The Inventory contains 32 Items

designed to measure the teacher's self-perception with regard to
empathic understanding and congruence.

The Inventory was scored on

a 6-po1nt agreement-dlsagreement scale and yielded to ta l scores
ranging from +96 to -96 and subscores of +48 to -48 fo r each of the
two a ttltu d ln a l variables.

53

54

Data Analysis
In th is chapter the data collected fo r the study are reported
1n an order related to the design.

The results o f the s ta tis tic a l

analysis are presented 1n tabular form.

Tables revealing s ig n if i­

cant data, pertinent to the topic o f th is study, are Included and
discussed In the te x t; other tables are mentioned 1n the te x t but
are Included fo r reference in Appendix D.
Normative Data
Personal characteristics o f the sample, which were used as
normative data, were obtained from the personal data sheet attached
to the Instrument (see Appendix C).
The sample d is trib u tio n by formal educational level showed
that nearly one-half (42.04 percent) of the sample held bachelor's
degrees and less than 4 percent had a tw elfth-grade education or
less.

See Table 4 .1 .

Table 4 .1 .—D istrib u tio n o f sample by formal educational le v e ls .
Educational Level
Eighth grade
Tenth grade
Twelfth grade
One year college or less
Two years college or associate degree
Four years college or less
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Advanced degree
T o ta l

Number

Percent

1
1
6
9
15
17
111
85
19

.4
.4
2.3
3.4
5.7
6.4
42.0
32.2
7.2

264

1 0 0 .0

55

The d is trib u tio n of the sample by number of years teaching
experience revealed that 84 (31.8 percent) o f the vocational teachers
In the sample had been teaching fo r ten or more years.

See Table 4 .2 .

Table 4 .2 .—D istrib u tio n of sample by number of years teaching
experience.
Number of Years Teaching

Number

Percent

1 or less

31

11.7

2-3

51
52

19.3
19.8
17.4

10 or more

46
84

31.8

Total

264

100.0

4-5
6-9

The d is trib u tio n of the sample by age revealed that 85
(32.2 percent) of the vocational teachers 1n the sample were between
the ages o f 30 and 39.

See Table 4 .3 .

Table 4 .3 .—D istribu tio n of sample by age.
Age

Number

Below 20

2

.8

20-29

77

29.2

30-39

85

32.2

40-49

62

23.5

50-59

32

12.0

6

2.3

264

100.0

60 or above
T o ta l

Percent

56

The d is trib u tio n o f the sample by type of program 1n which
they taught showed th a t the m ajority (62.5 percent) of the vocational
teachers In the sample taught 1n programs that Included both handi­
capped and disadvantaged students.

See Table 4 .4 .

Table 4 .4 .—D istrib u tio n of sample by program.
Program

Number

Percent

Handicapped

11.4

Disadvantaged
Combination

30
69

26.1

165

62.5

Total

264

100.0

As shown 1n Table 4 .5 , the d is trib u tio n of the respondents
by trainin g revealed that s lig h tly more than one-h a lf of the
vocational teachers 1n the sample (52.3 percent) did not have
specialized tra in in g .

Table 4 .5 .—D istrib u tio n of sample by tra in in g .
Training

Number

Percent

Specialized train in g

126

47.7

No specialized train in g

138

52.3

264

100.0

Total

57

D istribu tio n by vocational clusters 1n which respondents
taught revealed that nearly one-half of the vocational teachers in
the sample (46.2 percent) taught 1n Cluster 2, which Included the
areas o f automotive and power services, construction, and graphics
and cornnunication media (Table 4 .6 ).

Table 4 .6 .—D istrib u tio n o f sample by clusters.
Cluster

Number

Percent

1

13

2

122

4.9
46.2

3

39

14.8

4

36

13.6

5

54

20.5

264

100.0

Total

Other noteworthy observations related to workshops attended,
location of workshops, and the length of workshops are as follows:
1.

Forty-six percent of a ll trained teachers attended the

Vocational Education/Special Education workshop.
2.

Twenty-five percent o f a ll trained teachers attended

the Instructional Strategies in Special Needs workshop.
3.

Twenty-nine percent of a ll trained teachers attended

special needs workshops other than the Vocational Education/Special
Education workshop and the Instructional Strategies in Special
Needs workshop.

58

4.

Seven u n iversities and colleges In the State o f Michigan

offered courses and/or workshops 1n special needs.
5.

F o rty -fiv e percent of a ll trained teachers attended

workshops fo r three days.
6.

Twenty-three percent of a ll trained teachers attended

workshops fo r one day or less.
7.

Seventeen percent of a ll trained teachers attended

workshops fo r two weeks or more.

Twenty of those attended workshops

other than the Vocational Education/Special Education and the
Instructional Strategies 1n Special Needs workshops.
Testing of the Hypotheses
In presenting the results of the data analysis, an a . 10
level was used as the c rite rio n of significance of the stated
hypotheses.

The Pearson product-moment correlatio n c o e ffic ie n t was

used to measure the relationships between the variables (empathy
and congruence) and the normative data.
The central hypothesis tested In this study was:
Michigan vocational teachers who are teaching In special needs
programs and who have completed specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an Interpersonal relatio n ship Inventory
than w ill vocational teachers In special needs programs who
have had no specialized tra in in g .
Hypothesis 1 stated:
Vocational teachers with specialized tra in in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupll
relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers who
have had no specialized train in g 1n dealing with special
needs students.
Hypothesis 1 was not substantiated by the analysis of the
data.

As Indicated In Table 4 .7 , the value required to re ta in the

59

hypothesis with F=l,234; a=0.10 was 2.71.

The computed F ra tio

obtained fo r the data 1n th is study, related to empathy and special­
ized tra in in g , was 1.36.

Table 4 .7 .--Analysis of variance summary tab le fo r var1able--empathy.
SS

MS

F

P

Source

df

Program

2

212.41

106.20

1.50

.2253

Training

1

96.36

96.36

1.36

.2446

Cluster

4

268.41

67.10

.95

.4371

8

1187.00

148.37

2.10

.0371

2

68.04

34.02

.48

.6192

4

252.42

63.11

.89

.4699

8

697.94

87.24

1.23

.2810

234

16567.67

263

19350.25

Program
X

Cluster
Program
X

Training
Training
X

Cluster
Program
v
A

Training
X

Cluster
Within c e lls
Total
Note:

df
SS
MS
F
p

*
=
3
3
=

degrees of freedom
sums of squares
mean square
F ra tio
probabi 11 ty

70.802

60

Hypothesis 2 stated:
Vocational teachers with specialized tra in in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale o f a teacherpupll relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers
who have had no specialized tra in in g 1n dealing with
special needs students.
Hypothesis 2 was supported by the analysis of the data.

The

value required to re ta in the hypothesis with F=l,234; a=0.10 was 2.71.
The computed F ra tio obtained fo r the data in th is study, as i t relates
to congruence and specialized tra in in g , was 3.00.

See Table 4.8.

Table 4 .8 .—Analysis of variance summary tab le fo r v ariab le —congruence.
Source

df

SS

MS

F

P

Program

2

354.80

177.40

1.95

.1449

Training

1

273.43

273.43

3.00

.0845

Cluster

4

96.67

24.17

.27

.9000

8

1270.56

158.82

1.74

.0893

2

166.06

83.03

.91

.4033

4

554.28

138.57

1.52

.1966

8

1207.31

150.91

1.66

.1098

234

21308.27

91.06

263

25231.38

Program
X

Cluster
Program
X

Training
Training
X

Cluster
Program
X

Training
X

Cluster
Within c e lls
Total

61

Hypothesis 3 stated:
Vocational teachers employed in certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale o f a
teacher-pupil relationship inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed in other vocational clu sters.
This hypothesis was not substantiated by the analysis o f the
data.

The value required to retain the hypothesis with F=4,234;

aa0.10 was 1.94.

The computed F ra tio obtained fo r the data in this

study, as i t relates to vocational clusters and empathy, was .95.
See Table 4 .7 .
Hypothesis 4 stated:
Vocational teachers employed in certain vocational clusters
w ill score s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale of a
teacher-pupil relationship inventory than w ill vocational
teachers employed in other vocational clusters.
Hypothesis 4 was not supported by the analysis of the data.
The value required to retain the hypothesis was F=4,234; a=0.10 was
1.94.

The computed F ra tio obtained fo r the data in th is study, r e la t ­

ing to vocational clusters and congruence, was

.27.

See Table 4 .8 .

Hypothesis 5 stated:
Vocational teachers in three kinds o f special needs programs
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupil relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers in three kinds o f
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .
A comparison o f teachers from three types of programs—
handicapped, disadvantaged, and a combination o f the two--1s illu s ­
trated in Table 4 .9 .
of the data.

Hypothesis 5 was not supported by the analysis

The value required to retain the hypothesis with F=2,234;

a=0.10 was 2.30.

The computed F ra tio obtained fo r the data in th is

62

study, as i t relates to specialized train in g in three kinds of special
needs programs and empathy, was .48.

See Table 4 .7 .

Table 4 .9 .—Means fo r the factors--program x tra in in g .
Program

Training

Empathy

Congruence

Trained

16.06

25.88

Untrained

16.69

27.38

Trained

13.76

24.64

Untrained

12.67

21.75

Trained

15.30

24.07

Untrained

13.71

21.74

Handicapped

Disadvantaged

Combi nation

Hypothesis 6 stated:
Vocational teachers in three kinds of special needs programs
who have had specialized train in g w ill score s ig n ific a n tly
higher on a congruence scale o f a teacher-pupil relationship
inventory than w ill vocational teachers in three kinds of
special needs programs who have had no specialized tra in in g .
Hypothesis 6 was not supported by the analysis of the data.
The value required to re ta in the hypothesis with F=2,234; a=0.10 was
2.30.

The computed F ra tio obtained fo r the data in th is study,

relatin g to specialized train in g in three kinds o f special needs
programs and congruence, was .91.

See Table 4 .8 .

Hypothesis 7 stated:
The age o f vocational teachers in special needs programs Is
Inversely related to empathy, as measured by a teacherpupil relationship Inventory, between teachers who have
specialized train in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .

63

The analysis of the data did not support Hypothesis 7.

As

Indicated In Table 4.10, the correlation o f age with empathy yielded
an r of -0.008 a t the 0.10 level o f confidence.

The r value required

to retain the hypothesis a t that level was .160.

Table 4 .1 0 .—Pearson product-moment correlations of vocational
teachers' scores on the Teacher-Pupil Relationship Inventory
and age.

Age
N = 264

Empathy

Congruence

-.008

.177

r = 0.16038 at 0.10 level

Hypothesis 8 stated:
The age o f vocational teachers In special needs programs
1s inversely related to congruence, as measured by a teacherpupll relationship Inventory, between teachers who have had
specialized train in g and teachers who have not had special­
ized tra in in g .
Hypothesis 8 was supported by the analysis of the data.

The

correlation of age with congruence yielded an r o f 0.177, which was
sig n ifica n t a t the 0.10 level of confidence.

The r value required to

retain the correlatio n o f age and congruence a t the 0.10 level was
.160 (Table 4 .1 0 ).
Hypothesis 9 stated:
Vocational teachers In special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an empathy scale of a teacher-pupll
relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
lower formal educational le v e ls .

64

Hypothesis 9 was not substantiated by the analysis o f the
data.

The correlatio n of formal educational level with empathy

yielded an r of .029 a t the 0.10 level of confidence.

The r value

required to re ta in the correlation o f formal educational level and
empathy a t that level was .160.

See Table 4.11.

Table 4 .1 1 .— Pearson product-moment correlations o f vocational
teachers' scores on the Teacher-Pupil Relationship Inventory and
formal educational le v e l.

Formal educational level
N * 264

Empathy

Congruence

.029

.011

r = 0.16038 a t 0.10 level

Hypothesis 10 stated:
Vocational teachers In special needs programs who have
attained post-secondary formal educational levels w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on a congruence scale o f a teacherpupil relationship inventory than w ill vocational teachers
with lower formal educational leve ls .
This hypothesis was not substantiated by the analysis o f the
data.

The correlatio n o f formal educational level with congruence

yielded an r of .011 at the 0.10 level o f confidence.

The r value

required to re ta in the correlation o f formal educational level with
congruence a t th a t level was .160.

See Table 4.11.

Hypothesis 11 stated:
Vocational teachers 1n a special needs program who have two
to nine years o f teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on an empathy scale o f a teacher-pupll re la ­
tionship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers with less
than two years or more than nine years o f teaching experi­
ence.

65

Hypothesis 11 was not supported by the analysis of the data.
The correlatio n of teaching experience with empathy yielded an r of
.043 a t the 0.10 le v e l.

The r value required to re ta in the correla­

tion of teaching experience and empathy was .160.

See Table 4.12.

Table 4 .1 2 .— Pearson product-moment correlations of vocational
teachers' scores on the Teacher-Pupll Relationship Inventory and
teaching experience.

Teaching experience
N = 264

Empathy

Congruence

.043

.071

r = .16038 at 0.10 level

Hypothesis 12 stated:
Vocational teachers in a special needs program who have two
to nine years of teaching experience w ill score s ig n if i­
cantly higher on a congruence scale o f a teacher-pupil
relationship Inventory than w ill vocational teachers with
less than two years or more than nine years of teaching
experience.
Hypothesis 12 was not substantiated by the analysis of the
data.

The correlatio n of teaching experience with congruence yielded

an r of .071 a t the 0.10 le v e l.

The r value required to re ta in the

correlation of teaching experience with congruence was .160.
Table 4.12.

See

Two of the twelve subhypotheses tested in th is study

were retained.
*

In terp re tatio n of Data
Based upon the data gathered In th is study, 1t was found
that there was no s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t d ifference between

66

Michigan vocational teachers with specialized tra in in g and those with
no specialized tra in in g , as measured by the Barrett-Lennard Inven­
tory, fo r the Interpersonal relationship fac to r empathy.

There was

a s ig n ific a n t difference between the Interpersonal relationship fac­
tor congruence and the Independent variable tra in in g .

An analysis of

the data 1n Table D1 (Appendix D) shows that the untrained teachers
in handicapped programs who were employed in Cluster 4 (Health
Occupations) scored higher (32.00) on the empathy scale while
trained teachers in Cluster 5 (D is trib u tio n /O ffic e and Business Occu­
pations) scored lowest (0 .0 0 ).

The data also Indicated th a t the

trained teachers 1n disadvantaged programs who were employed 1n
Cluster 1 (A griculture/N atural Resources) scored higher (21.00) on
the empathy scale while untrained teachers In Cluster 4 (Health
Occupations) scored lowest (7 .6 7 ).

In a d d itio n , trained teachers

1n combination programs who were employed In Cluster 4 (Health
Occupations) scored higher (20.58) on the empathy scale while
untrained teachers 1n Cluster 3 (Clothing and T e x tile Services/Food
Preparation and Services) scored lowest (9 .8 3 ).
As Indicated In Table D2 (Appendix 0 ), the untrained teach­
ers In handicapped programs who were employed in Cluster 3 (Clothing
and T e x tile Services/Food Preparation and Services) scored higher*
(40.50) on the congruence scale while trained teachers 1n Cluster 5
(D is trib u tio n /O ffic e and Business Occupations) scored lowest (8 .0 0 ).

*In a telephone conversation with Dr. Barrett-Lennard 1n
April 1975, he Indicated that a score o f +20 1s considered an aboveaverage score on any of the four scales o f the TPRI.

67

The trained teachers 1n disadvantaged programs who were employed 1n
Cluster 1 (A griculture/N atural Resources) scored s ig n ific a n tly higher
(30.50) on the congruence scale while untrained teachers 1n Cluster 4
(Health Occupations) scored lowest (1 5 .6 7 ).

Furthermore, trained

teachers 1n combination programs who were employed 1n Cluster 5
(D1str1but1on/0ff1ce and Business Occupations) scored higher (28.42)
on the congruence scale while untrained teachers In Cluster 1
(A griculture/N atural Resources) scored lowest (1 5 .3 3 ).
The data 1n Table D3 show th a t the greatest variatio n 1n
scores on the empathy scale was In the handicapped program, between
trained teachers (17.68) and untrained teachers (0 .0 0 ).
As shown 1n Table D4, the greatest v ariatio n in scores on
the congruence scale was fn the handicapped program, between trained
teachers (20.51) and untrained teachers (0 .0 0 ).

The scores fo r the

cluster factor were s lig h tly higher In both empathy (16.81) and
congruence (24.78) 1n Cluster 4 (Health Occupations).
Teachers 1n Cluster 5 (D1str1but1on/0ffice and Business
Occupations) scored lowest on the empathy scale (13.50) while
teachers 1n Cluster 2 (Automotive and Power Services Construction/
Graphics and Communication Media Manufacturing) scored lowest on
the congruence scale (2 2 .9 3 ).

See Table 05.

The Information 1n Table D6 Indicates th a t untrained
teachers 1n handicapped programs scored s lig h tly higher on the
congruence scale (27.38) and the empathy scale (16.69) fo r the
program and training factors.

Furthermore, the data Indicate that

untrained teachers 1n disadvantaged programs scored lowest (12.67)

68

on the empathy scale while teachers In combination programs scored
lowest (21.74) on the congruence scale.
As shown In Table D7, the teachers 1n handicapped programs
who were employed In Cluster 4 (Health Occupations) scored higher on
the empathy scale (25.33) and the congruence scale (38.33) than did
teachers In the other clusters.
However, teachers 1n combination programs scored higher on
the empathy scale (18.37) and the congruence scale (25.29) than did
teachers 1n the disadvantaged programs.
The data In Table D8 show that the scores fo r the train in g
and clusters factors were higher fo r trained teachers on the empathy
scale (17.80) 1n Cluster 4 (Health Occupations) and on the congru­
ence scale (27.50) in Cluster 1 (A grlculture/N atural Resources).
Trained teachers scored lowest on the empathy scale (13.54)
and on the congruence scale (22.57) in Cluster 2 (Automotive and
Power Services Construction/Graphics and Communication Media
Manufacturing).
The data also Indicate that untrained teachers 1n Cluster 4
(Health Occupations) scored higher on the empathy scale (15.56)
and the congruence scale (2 3 .7 5 ).

Untrained teachers teaching In

Cluster 5 (D is trib u tio n /O ffic e and Business Occupations) scored
lowest on the empathy scale (11.84) while untrained teachers 1n
Cluster 1 (A griculture/N atural Resources) scored lowest on the
congruence scale (18.40) factors train in g and c lu s te r.

69

According to Table D9, the me*.i scores fo r the program facto r
were higher In the handicapped program on the empathy scale (16.33)
and the congruence scale (2 6 .5 3 ).
The data also Indicate teachers 1n disadvantaged programs
scored lowest on the empathy scale (13.19) and teachers 1n combi­
nation programs scored lowest on the congruence scale (22.81) fo r
the program fa c to r.
The data 1n Table DIO show that trained teachers' mean scores
fo r the train in g factor were higher than those o f untrained teachers
on both the empathy scale (15.00) and the congruence scale (24 .4 6 ).
An analysis of correlations between the Interpersonal re la ­
tionship factors (empathy and congruence) and the normative data
(age of teacher, formal educational le v e l, and teaching experience)
Indicated a s ig n ific a n t correlation between teaching experience
and age, congruence and age, and teaching experience and formal
educational le v e l.

See Table D ll.

The correlation between age and teaching experience p aralleled
that reported in a study by Blackburn; he noted, " . . .

New teachers

and teachers with eleven years of teaching experience tended to score
lower than teachers in the middle ranges of years of teaching."^
The analysis of the data also Indicated there was s ig n ific a n t
Interaction between the Independent variables, program and c lu s te r,
and the dependent variables, empathy and congruence.
The data fo r this research were computed and a F ra tio of
2.10 was obtained with 8 and 234 degrees of freedom fo r the

70

Interaction of the Independent variables program and c lu ster and the
dependent variable empathy.
A F ra tio of 1.74 was obtained with 8 and 234 degrees of
freedom fo r the In teraction of the independent variables program
and cluster and the depende.it variable congruence.
According to Glass and Stanley,

p

the c r it ic a l value of

F for 8 and 234 degrees of freedom a t the .10 level of significance
1s 1.67.

See Tables 4.7 and 4 .8 .
Summary
The hypotheses of th is study were designed to determine

whether or not there was a s ig n ific a n t difference in Interpersonal
relationship factors between Michigan vocational teachers in special
needs programs who have had specialized train in g and those who have
not had such tra in in g .

The study was also designed to discuss the

relationship between normative data and the Interpersonal re la tio n ­
ship facto rs.
The standard fo r retaining or not retaining a hypothesis
was the 0.10 level of confidence.

The dependent variables (empathy

and congruence) were measured by an adapted form of the B a rre ttLennard Teacher-PupH Relationship Inventory: Teacher Form.
Based upon the data gathered In th is study, I t was found
that there was no s ta tis t ic a lly s ig n ific a n t difference between
Michigan vocational teachers with specialized train in g and those with
no specialized tra in in g , as measured by the Barrett-Lennard Inven­
tory, fo r the Interpersonal relationship facto r empathy.

There was

71

a s ig n ific a n t difference between the Interpersonal relationship
factor congruence and the Independent variable tra in in g .

There

also was a s ig n ific a n t correlatio n between the Interpersonal r e la ­
tionship fa c to r congruence and the normative data age.
The data also Indicated that untrained teachers employed 1n
handicapped programs who were employed 1n Cluster 4 (Health Occu­
pations) scored higher on the empathy scale than trained teachers.
Untrained teachers In handicapped programs who were employed In
Cluster 3 (Clothing and T e x tile Serv1ces/Food Preparation Services)
scored higher on the congruence scale than trained teachers.
Trained teachers In handicapped programs who were employed
in Cluster 5 ( D 1stribut1on/Off1ce and Business Occupations) scored
lower on the empathy and congruence scales than other teachers.
Teachers 1n Cluster 4 (Health Occupations) scored higher
on both the empathy and congruence scales.
An analysis o f correlations showed a s ig n ific a n t correlation
between teaching experience and age and teaching experience and
formal education le v e l* as measured by the Barrett-Lennard TeacherPupH Relationship Inventory: Teacher Form.

72

Footnote--Chapter IV

Guy J. Blackburn, "An Examination o f the E ffo rts o f Human
Relations Training on the A ttitudes o f C e rtific a te d Inservice
Teachers in Minnesota," Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann
Arbor, Mich.: University M icrofilm s, 30/06-A, 1976), p. 3575-A.
2

Gene V. Glass and Julian C. Stanley, S ta tis tic a l Methods
1n Education and Psycholoqy (Enqlewood C lif f s , New Jersey: PrentlceHaTTT~IncT, T 576), p. 523.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Included In th is chapter 1s a b rie f review of the purposes,
design, treatment, and the experimental hypotheses tested 1n the
study.

Conclusions based on the analysis o f the data described In

Chapter IV are stated.

Also presented are recommendations fo r the

fie ld of vocational education, with emphasis on students with special
needs, and suggestions fo r fu rth e r research.

These are drawn from

review of lite r a tu r e and analysis o f data described in Chapter IV.
The author's purposes 1n the study were (1) to determine
whether specialized 1nserv1ce teacher education fo r Instructional
personnel In vocational programs fo r students with special needs has
had a positive e ffe c t on selected interpersonal relationship fac to rs ,
and (2) to provide information and recommendations fo r decision
makers and programmers In 'the f ie ld o f vocational education fo r
students with special needs, with emphasis on Inservice teacher
education a t the secondary and post-secondary le v e ls .

The study

was also designed to determine the relatio n ship between the normative
data and the Interpersonal relationship facto rs.
The central hypothesis tested 1n th is study was:
Michigan vocational teachers who are teaching In special needs
programs and who have completed specialized train in g w ill score
s ig n ific a n tly higher on an Interpersonal relatio n ship Inventory
than w ill vocational teachers 1n special needs programs who
have had no specialized tra in in g .
73

74

There were twelve subhypotheses, two of which were
retained.
An analysis o f variance was employed to re ta in or not
retain the hypotheses o f th is study.

The Pearson product-moment

correlation c o e ffic ie n t was used to measure the relatio n sh ip between
the dependent variables (congruence and empathy) and normative
data (age of teacher, length o f teaching experience, occupational
c lu ster, and formal education le v e l).
The Independent variables of the study were program, c lu s te r,
and tra in in g .
Conclusions
Based on the results of the data gathered and analyzed in
this study, the following conclusions were formulated:
1.

Based on the researcher's findings in th is study, 1t

appears that specialized train in g made no s ig n ific a n t Impact on the
dependent variable empathy.

2.

Based on the researcher's findings In th is study, I t

appears th a t specialized tra in in g was e ffe c tiv e fo r the dependent
variable congruence.
3.

Vocational teachers employed 1n Health Occupations

generally scored higher than other teachers on the empathy and
congruence scales of the Interpersonal relatio n ship Inventory.
4.

Vocational teachers employed 1n handicapped programs

generally scored higher than other teachers on the empathy and
congruence scales of the interpersonal relationship Inventory.

75

5.

Vocational teachers who have not attained post-secondary

formal educational levels are the best teachers fo r special needs
programs.
6.

Older teachers appear to be best fo r teaching In special

needs programs as regards congruence.
7.

Vocational teachers employed In D ls trlb u tio n /O ffle e and

Business Occupations scored lower than other teachers on the empathy
scale of the Interpersonal relationship Inventory.
Recommendations
Based on the researcher's findings in th is study and the
related research, i t appears that specialized train in g made no sig­
n ifica n t impact on the dependent v a ria b le , empathy.

There was a

sig n ifican t difference between the interpersonal relationship facto r
congruence and the independent variable tra in in g .

There also was a

sig n ifican t correlatio n between the interpersonal relationship
factor congruence and the normative data age.

Hence the following

recommendations were formulated:
1.

Decision makers and programmers in special needs programs

should survey vocational teachers 1n handicapped programs to deter­
mine why they scored higher on the empathy and congruence scales.
This should produce Information useful fo r planning future inservice
training programs.
2.

Decision makers and programmers 1n special needs programs

should survey vocational teachers employed in health occupations to
determine why they scored higher on the empathy and congruence scales.

76

This should produce information useful fo r planning future Inservice
training programs.
3.

Decision makers and programmers 1n special needs

programs should re c ru it older teachers fo r th e ir special needs
programs.
4.

Decision makers and programmers in special needs programs

should re c ru it the teachers with less formal education levels for
teaching in
5.

th e ir special needsprograms.
Decision makers and programmers should design th e ir

Inservice workshops to emphasize changes in interpersonal re la tio n ­
ship facto rs, since vocational teachers employed in d is trib u tio n
and o ffic e and business occupations scored lowest on the empathy
scale.
The following recommendations are drawn from the review of
11terature:
6.

Decision makers and programmers a t the college and

university levels should seriously consider the p o s s ib ility of
developing a curriculum that w ill lead to c e rtific a tio n 1n voca­
tional and special education.^
7.

Decision makers and programmers at colleges ai:d uni­

v ersities with preservice teacher education programs In vocational
education should design th e ir curricula to Include community work
and/or f ie ld experience fo r prospective teachers.
8.

Decision makers and programmers a t colleges and uni­

versities with preservice teacher education programs 1n vocational
education should design th e ir curricula to Include s e n s itiv ity

77

and/or human relatio n s train in g fo r prospective teachers.

This

w ill serve to develop positive attitud es toward students with special
needs. 3
9.

Decision makers and programmers a t the university level

should a c tiv e ly re c ru it prospective students fo r th e ir vocational
programs, which w ill prepare teachers fo r working with students who
4
have special needs.
10.

Decision makers and programmers should improve the

interpersonal relationship a ttrib u te s of th e ir special needs teach­
ers through preservice and/or 1nserv1ce tra in in g programs.
Recommendations fo r Future Research
This study was exploratory In nature; In i t answers to many
specific questions were sought.

Beyond th is , trends and Implications

were examined to find answers to questions generated and/or presented.
The study was equally concerned with generating new questions.

It

is hoped the data presented in the study w ill lead other researchers
to probe fu rth er and to seek additional Information about problems
related to education fo r vocational teachers of students with special
needs.

In this sense, this study Is only an in c ip ie n t e ff o r t; the

investigation of other researchers Into Its findings 1s In v ite d .
I t 1s therefore suggested that future researchers in v e s ti­
gate other dimensions and relationships of th is phenomenon.

The

following are possible areas fo r fu rth er Investigation:
1.

Survey special needs students to determine the desired

characteristics of special needs teachers.

78

2.

Develop an instrument to measure the personality tr a its

of special needs teachers and/or adm inistrators.
3.
Impact

Survey special needs administrators to determine what

the federal guidelines have on local special needs programs.
4.

Survey current preservice teacher education train in g

programs fo r those who teach students with special needs, to deter­
mine the effectiveness of such programs.
5.

Survey special needs administrators to determine the

effect of specialized tra in in g (inservice and/or preservice) on
selected interpersonal relatio n ship facto rs.
6.

Develop a checklist of desired characteristics fo r

Instructional and noninstructional personnel, to be used in select­
ing, promoting, and recru itin g teachers and administrators 1n
special needs programs.
7.

Survey special needs teachers to determine 1f there are

any background experiences and/or factors that seem to Influence
the success of special needs teachers such as re lig io n , economic
status, sex, and race.

79

Footnotes— Chapter V
1J. Russell Kruppa, Preparing Teachers of In d u s tria l Educa­
tion fo r Disadvantaged and Handicapped Children a t the Secondary
Level; Final Report (New Jersey: Department o f Education, 1973),
p. 2.
2
Harry Huffman and Clyde W. W elter, Designs fo r the Preparatlon of Vocational and Technical Teachers of Socioeconomically b is "
advantaged Youth— Final Report (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State Univer­
s ity , Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education, 1972), p. 8.
^Walter S. Lee, "A Study o f the Effectiveness of S e n s itiv ity
Training In an Inservice Teacher-Training Program 1n Human Relations,"
Dissertation Abstracts International (Ann Arbor, M1ch.: U niversity
Microfilms, 2 6 7 '0 5 -A , 1 9 6 7 ) , p" 1 6 8 0 -A .
4
Henry E. Schmitt, Teacher Education fo r the C u ltu ra lly
D ifferent; Appendix C o f A Final Report (Columbus. Ohio: bhio
State U niversity, Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education,
1973), p. 30.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

LETTERS

81

APPENDIX A
LETTERS

M IC H IG A N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EAST LANSING • MICHIGAN • 48824

DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM
ERICKSON HALL

September 4, 1975

Dear Special Needs Administrator:
The problem o f finding q u a lifie d teaching personnel fo r vocational programs
for special needs has been rather d if f ic u lt . Federal funds allocated under
the 1968 Vocational Educational Amendments and Public Act 198 o f 1971 have
placed the State of Michigan in a unique position as fa r as the train in g of
qualified personnel fo r special needs programs.
Under the direction of a Doctoral Committee, Drs. George Ferns, John Fuzak,
Samuel Moore, and Alan S lik e r, I am conducting a research study to determine
the success of teacher train in g programs fo r students with special needs in
the State of Michigan.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether specialized teacher tr a in ­
ing (inservice) fo r instructional personnel in vocational programs fo r spe­
cial needs has had a positive e ffe c t on select interpersonal relationship
factors.
You are lis te d as the Special Needs Administrator (contact person) In your
school d is t r ic t . I would appreciate your cooperation in supplying the names
and addresses (school) of vocational teachers of special needs students In
your school d is t r ic t . A stamped, self-addressed envelope has been enclosed
for your convenience. I re a liz e that th is Imposes on your already busy
schedule, but I feel that your personal cooperation Is extremely Important
to the development of teacher train in g programs fo r students with special
needs in the State o f Michigan.
Your cooperation and tolerance are g reatly appreciated.
September 15, 1975.
Respectfully,

>

2945 Field
Detroit, Michigan

48214
82

Please return by

83

M IC H IGAN S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EAST LANSING * MICHIGAN • 4M24

DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM
ERICKSON HALL

October 15, 1975

Dear Special Needs Teacher:
The problem of finding q u a lifie d teaching personnel fo r vocational programs
for special needs has been rather d if f ic u lt . Federal funds allocated under
the 1968 Vocational Educational Amendments and Public Act 198 of 1971 have
placed the State o f Michigan in a unique position as fa r as the training
of qualified personnel fo r special needs programs.
Under the direction of a Doctoral Committee, Drs. George Ferns, John Fuzak,
Samuel Moore, and Alan S lik e r, I am conducting a research study to deter­
mine the success of teacher training programs for students with special
needs in the State of Michigan.
The purpose of th is study is to determine whether specialized teacher
training (inservice) fo r instructional personnel in vocational programs
for special needs has had a positive e ffe c t on select interpersonal re la ­
tionship factors.
Attached is a questionnaire which w ill serve as the basic data-collecting
instrument. I would appreciate your cooperation in completing and return­
ing this form as soon as possible. A stamped, self-addressed envelope has
been enclosed fo r your convenience. I re a liz e that this Imposes on your
already busy schedule, but I feel that your personal cooperation is
extremely Important to the development o f teacher train in g programs fo r
students with special needs in the State of Michigan.
Your cooperation and tolerance are greatly appreciated.
October 30, 1975.
Respectfully,
i

2945 Field
Detroit, Michigan

48214

Please return by

84

MICHIGAN STATE U N IV E R S IT Y
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EAST LANSING • MICHIGAN • « l »

DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM
ERICKSON HALL

December 1, 1975

Dear Special Needs Teacher:
A completed Teacher-Pupil Relationship Inventory, Teacher Form, has not
been received from you. An additional form is attached to this le tt e r fo r
your use in case the previous form was misplaced.
I would appreciate your cooperation in completing and returning th is as
soon as possible. A stamped, self-addressed envelope has been enclosed
for your convenience. I re a liz e that this Imposes on your already busy
schedule, but I feel that your personal cooperation is extremely important
to the development of teacher train in g programs for students with special
needs in the State of Michigan.
Your cooperation and tolerance are g reatly appreciated.
completed form by Monday, December 15, 1975.
Paenortful 1u

Alsce Johnson, J r.
1933 Orleans #121
Detroit, Michigan 48207

Please return

APPENDIX B

TEACHER-PUPIL RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY: TEACHER FORM
AND AUTHORIZATION LETTER

85

APPENDIX B

University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
N2L 3C1
Faculty of Arts
Department of Human Relations
and Counselling Studies
519/885-1211

Mr. A1 Johnson,
330 Erikson,
College of Education,
Michigan State University,
East Lansing, Michigan,
U.S.A.
48823

April 23, 1975.

Dear Mr. Johnson:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Relationship Inventory.
I am enclosing principal R.I. forms, and related information at hand.
If
you have decided, or should decide, to make use of the R.I. —
1. It would be quite agreeable with me for you to reduplicate
the relevant form(s) of the Inventory for your own research.
In return,
please would you send me a copy of any reports of your work, using the
R.I.
2. Because the R.I. has passed through two revisions, appears in
several f o m s in the current (1964) revision, and has been adapted by some
Investigators for special-purpose applications, it would be Important to
Indicate clearly the specific form(s) that you used (e.g., Form OS-64), when
you report your findings.
3. Should you consider adapting the R.I. in any substantive way
(especially, any way that would affect item content or answer categories)
please write to me about your plan or need.
I may be able to provide rele­
vant further information, comment or advice.
I do look forward to knowing in due course, the specific methods
and results of your research, using the R.I. - Including aspects that may
add to knowledge of characteristics and uses of the instrument Itself.
Sincerely yours

G. T. Barrett-Lennard,
Professor.
Encl.

86

87

Code:

D ate:
TEACHER-PUPIL RE? AT.'ONSHIP I NVENTORY
t e a c h e r ' FORM

Below are liste d a num ber o f ways th a t one person m ay fe e l o r behave In re la tio n to
another person.
Please consider each statem ent w ith reference to your re la tio n sh ip to your students.
M ark each statem ent in the le ft m argin, according to how strongly you fe e l th a t I t Is tru e ,
o r not true in this re la tio n sh ip . Please m ark every statem ent. W rite In **3, +2, +1, o r -1, -2 ,
.-3 , to stand fo t the fo llo w in g answers:
+3*

Yes, 1 fe e l strongly th a t i t is tru e ,

-1:

N o. I fe e lth a t I t Is probably untrue, o r
m ore untrue than true .

+2-

Yes, 1 fe e l it Is ttu e .

-2 :

No, 1 fe e l

+ 1:

Yes, 1 fe e l th a t it is probably tru e , o r
m ore true than untrue.
•

-3 :

N o. 1 strongly fe e l th a t It Is not tru e ,

I t Is n o t tru e .

1 I respect them as persons.
2 I w ant to understand how they see thing s.
3 The in terest I fe e l in th e m depends on w hat th e y say and do,
4

I fe e l at case w ith th e m .

5

I re a lly lik e them .

6

I can generally cope w ith th e ir behavior but I d o n 't re a lly understand how they fe e l
about things.

7

W hether they seem pleated or unhappy w ith them selves doesn't change the way I fe e l
about th e m .

B I'm In clin e d to p la y a ro lo when I'm In fro n t « f them .
> 1 fe e l Im p a tie n t w ith them .
10

1 nea rly always know e x a c tly what th e y 're try in g to t e ll m e .

88

11

Depending on th e ir a e tfo ta I have a b e tte r opinion o f th e m som etim es than I
do a t other tim e s.

13 I fe e l th a t I ’ m re a l and genuine w ith them .
13 I appreciate th e m as persons.
14 1 evaluate what th e y do from m y own p o in t o f vie w .
15 . The w ay 1 fe e l towards them doesn't depend on th e ir feelings towards m e.
IS

I t bothers me when th e y ask o r ta lk about ce rta in things.

17

Most days I ge n e ra lly fe e l In d iffe re n t towards them .

18

l usually sense how they fe e l about thing s.

18

1 w ant them to develop along sp e c ific lines th a t X know w ill be best fo r th e m .

30 1 fe e l th a t l can be sincere and d ire c t w ith them .
21

On the w hole, 1 do fin d the youngsters ra ttie r d u ll and uninteresting.

33

Sometimes they arouse feelings In m e th a t prevent m o fro m understanding
them .

83

M y feelings towards them are not affected by bow th e y fe e l about m e.

34

Sometim es I try to get them to th in k th a t I lik e and understand them , oven
when I d o n 't ic a lly fe e l th a t w ay.

36

1 re a lly carc fo r them .

26

Sometimes I th ic k th e y fe e l a c e rta in way because l happen to fe e l th a t way
a t th a t tim e .

37

I lik e them In some ways, w h ile there are other things about them I do not
lik e .

28

1 d o n 't fe e l th a t I have been postponing o r p u tti ng o ff anything th a t m ig h t
m ake for better cla *:ro o n i rapport.

i

89

A c tu a lly , 1 do disapprove o f th e ir behavior.

30

I understand w hat th e y're try in g to say, even when they c a n 't put th e ir
feelings in to words.

31

M y feelings towards them stay about the same: I'm not sym pathetic w ith
them one tim e and im p a tie n t w ith them another,

32

Sometimes 1 don’t fe e l co m fo tta b le w ith them , but 1 gp on outw ardly
ig noring it .

33

I put up w ith them .

34

I'm usually able to understand w hat's bothering them , even though they o n ly
g ive me scattered "ve rb a l c lu e s ."

35

I f th e y re a lly act hostite towards m e I get upset.

30

I'm generally able to 'b e sincere and honest w ith them ,

37

1 fe e l frie n d ly and w arm towards them as a group,

38

1 ignore some o f th e ir feelings*

30

M y lik in g or d is lik in g them Is n 't affected by w hat th e y re ve a l about them *
selves to m c j

40

A t tim es I'm not sure, or d o n 't re a liz e u n til la te r, w hat m y feelings are
about them .

41

I value the relationships I have w ith them .

42

I appreciate what th e y must be going through e m o tio n a lly .

43

Sometimes I'm pleased w ith them and other tim e t th e y disappoint m e.

44

l.fe e l com fortable te llin g them personal things about m yse lf or about them *

45

1 d o n 't re a lly lik e them as persons.

46 Sometim es 1 fin d I'v e m tiiiiJ g c d lr - v th e y re a lly fe lt about ce rta in things.

90

47

W hether th e y're fe e lin g "h ig h " o r "lo w on c e rta in dayt doesn't change how 1 re a lly fe e l
about them .

48

1 fe e l I can be m y ie lf w ith them .

49

Somehow th e y fttita te m o.

60

A t tim es 1 d o n 't re a liz e how sensitive th e y are about some o f the things we discuss in class.

61

W hether th e ir behavior and feelings are "good" o r
about them .

M

A t tim es m y outw ard responses to them ir o q u ite d iffe re n t from th e w ay I feel inside.

63

A t tim es I fe e l contem pt fo r th c tn .

64

I understand them .

66

Som etim e* th e y seem more "w o rth w h ile '* to m e - as persons - than th e y do a t other tim e s .

66

I d o n 't sense any feelings in re la tio n to them th a t I'm re lu cta n t to a d m it to m yself.

67

I'm re a lly interested in them .

66

O ften I respond to them rather a u to m a tic a lly , w ith out sensing what th e y 're experiencing.

69

I d o n 't think th a t anything they could say o r do w ould change the way I re a lly fe e l about
them .

60

W hat I say to them often gives a wrong im pression o f m y a ctu a l feelings a t the rim e .

61

1 fe e l a deep sort o f a ffe c tio n fo r these youngsters.

62

When th e y're h u it or deeply upset, l*m able to fe e l fo r them , w ith o u t a c tu a lly g e ttin g
upset m yself.

63

T he way other teachers fe e l about them colors my own feelings towards them .

64

1 fe e l that there are things that we don 't get around to ta lk in g about In cla st th a t m ako
m y relatio nship w ith them strained.

bad" doesn't b a sica lly a h cr how I

fe e l

«

91

Cod*......................

Form:..................

tOLATIOHSBIP INVENTORY

° * t# •« **» *’*d :

SCORING SSSST
Item form*
Type o f r e la tio n s h ip ( e .g . husben d/w tfe).

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Respondent' s p o s itio n In re la tio n s h ip (e .g . husband).................................

L ev*I o f Regard

Empathy
P o s ItIV
Items

Answer

U n c o n d itio n a lIty
P osit I VI
Items

Answer

P o s itiv e
Items

20

Sun:
Sub-total #1
Negative
I terns

Sum ( f o r
neg.Item s)

Sub* t o ta l

Answer

NegatIve
items

Answer

N egative
I terns

Negative
Items

APPENDIX C

TEACHER-PUPIL RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY: TEACHER FORM,
ADAPTED FORM USED FOR THIS STUDY

92

APPENDIX C
Below are H a t e d a number of ways that one person may feel or behave In
relation to another person.
Please consider each statement with reference to your relationship to
your students.

Mark each statement in the left margin, according to how strongly you feel
that it Is true, or not true in this relationship.
Please mark every statement.
Write in +3, +2, +1, or -1, -2, -3, to stand for the following answers:
+3:

Yes, I feel strongly that

+2:

Yes, I feel it is true.

+1:

it

is true.

Yes, I feel that it is probably true,
or more true than untrue.

-1: No, I feel that it is probabl
untrue, or more untrue than t
-2: No, I feel

it is not true.

-3: No, I strongly feel that it
not true.

1 I want to understand how they see things.
2 I feel at ease with them.

3 I can generally cope with their behavior but I don't really understand
how they feel about things.
4

I'm inclined to play a role when I'm in front of them.

5

I nearly always know exactly what they're trying to tell

6

I feel that I'm real and genuine with them.

me.

7 I evaluate what they do from my own point of view.
8 It bothers me when they ask or talk about certain things.
9 I usually sense how they feel about things.
10 I feel that I can be sincere and direct with them.
11 Sometimes they arouse feelings in me that prevent me from understanding
them.

1?

^

Sometimes I try to get them to think that I like and understand them,
even when I don’t really feel that way.
Sometimes I think they feel a certain way because _I happen to feel that
way at that time.

14 1 don't feel that I have been postponing or putting off anything that
might make for better classroom rapport.

i

94

^15

I understand what they're trying to say, even when they can't put
their feelings Into words.
Sometimes I don't feel comfortable with them, but I g o on outwardly
Ignoring it.

_1 7

I'm usually able to understand what's bothering them, even though
they only give me scattered "verbal clues."

_

I'm generally able to be sincere and honest with them.

,19

I Ignore some of their feelings.

_20

Ac times I'm not sure, or don't realize until later, what
are about them.

_ 21

i appreciate what they must be going through emotionally.

, 22

my feelings

ifeel comfortable telling them personal things about myself
them.

or about

, 23 Sometimes I find I've misjudged how they really felt about certain
things.

,'24 * feel I can be myself with them.
25 At times I don't realize how sensitive they are about some of the things
we discuss in class.
, 26 Ac times my outward responses to them are quite different from the way
I feel inside.
„ 27 1 understand them.
.28 I don't sense any feelings in relation to them that I'm reluctant to
admit to myself.
,.29 Often I respond to them rather automatically, without sensing what they're
experiencing.
30 What I say to them often gives a wrong impression of my actual feelings
at the time.

31 When they're hurt or deeply upset, I'm able to feel for them, without
actually getting upset myself.
32 I feel that there are things that we don't get around to talking about
in class that make my relationship with them strained.

95

C o d *:....................

Form:...................

RELATIONSHIP IirVSNTOPY

0 - t * * n,w* r * d:

SCORING SBSST
6A I t s * forma

Type o f re la tlo n s h tp (o .g . h u sb an d /w lfe)..........................................................
Respondent's p o s itio n In r e le tlo n s h ip (e .g . husband).................................

Level o f Regerd
P o sit IVI
I tens

Answer

Negative
I terns

Answer

Empathy

U nconditional tt y

Pos11 i ve
i tens

Sue:
Sub-total #1

S u b -to ta l
#1 + #2 :

Scale Score

v

Answer

Answer

NegatIve
it e m

96

Please provide Che following information about yourself.

below 20
“20-29
"30-39

Age:

40-49
>0-59
60 or above

What occupational cluster do you teach?
Agriculture/Natural Resources
Automotive and Power Service
Clothing and Textile Service
Construction
Distribution

^Graphics and Communication Med
Health Occupations
Food Proportion and Service
Manufacturing
Office and Business Occupation

Number of years of teaching completed:
____ 6-9
1 or less
10 or more
2-3
4-5
Level of formal education completed:
8th

“10

12
Col lege
1 year or loss
2 years or Associate Degree
4 years or less
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Advanced Degree
Specialized Inservice Instruction: eg. workshops, courses, etc.
TITLE
____ Instructional Strategies in Special Needs
Vocational Education/Special Education
0 ther(give brief description)

Length of Workshop;
1 day or less
3 days or 1 css
5 days or less
1 week
2 weeks or more

SPONSORING
AGENT/CONTRACTOR
Jackson ISD
Central Mich. U.

COORDINATl
CONSULTA1
Linda McFat
Cleo Johns<

APPENDIX D

OBSERVED CELL MEANS FOR VARIABLES, STANDARD
DEVIATIONS, FACTORS, AND SUBJECT NUMBER

97

APPENDIX D

OBSERVED CELL MEANS FOR VARIABLES, STANDARD
DEVIATIONS, FACTORS, AND SUBJECT NUMBER

Table D1. —Observed c e ll means fo r vari able--empathy.
Clusters
Program

Row
Means

1

2

3

4

5

Trained

15.00

15.55

21.50

22.00

0.00

14.81

Untrained

12.00

15.14

25.00

32.00

8.50

18.53

Trained

21.00

14.64

11.50

10.83

14.00

14.39

Untrained

12.00

12.42

15.00

7.67

13.89

12.20

T ra1ned

13.80

12.47

15.07

20.58

18.50

16.08

Untrained

17.00

15.05

9.83

16.17

11.25

13.86

Handicapped

Disadvantaged

Combination

Table D2.--Observed c e ll means fo r vari able—congruence

•

Clusters
1

2

3

4

5

Row
Means

Trained

23.00

25.64

25.50

38.00

8.00

24.03

Untrained

30.00

23.00

40.50

39.00

22.50

31.00

Trained

30.50

24.27

24.75

20.50

26.30

25.26

Untrained

16.00

21.42

22.50

15.67

24.42

20.00

Trained

27.20

20.94

24.60

26.08

28.42

25.49

Untrained

15.33

24.05

18.50

24.50

18.15

20.11

Program

Handicapped

D1sadvantaged

Combination
.............................

99

Table 0 3 .—Observed standard deviation fo r variab le—empathy.
Clusters
Program

1

2

3

4

5

Trained

0.00

8.34

17.68

14.14

0.00

Untrained

0.00

10.35

2.83

0.00

7.78

Trained

1.41

6.62

5.00

4.40

4.99

7.71

8.16

7.09

11.52

Handicapped

Disadvantaged
Untralned

0.00

Trained

6.61

6.95

10.56

10.34

10.05

Untrained

4.58

9.29

4.13

8.02

8.53

Combination

Table D4.~Observed standard deviation fo r v ariab le —congruence.
Clusters

Program

1

2

3

4

5

Trained

0.00

10.57

20.51

2.83

0.00

Untrained

0.00

9.33

0.71

0.00

3.54

10.61

6.12

9.57

4.64

11.08

0.00

9.66

9.95

1.15

9.11

Trained

11.99

8.57

12.65

7.05

9.83

Untrained

14.29

10.84

5.25

8.01

9.39

Handicapped
Trained
Disadvantaged
Untralned
Combination

100

Table D5.~Number of subjects and means fo r the fa c to r—c lu s te r.
Cluster

N

Empathy

1

13

15.46

24.00

2

122

13.98

22.93

3

39

13.92

23.38

4

36

16.81

24.78

5

54

13.50

23.02

Total

Congruence

264

Table D6.--Number o f subjects and means fo r the facto rs- -program x
tra in in g .
Program

Training

N

Empathy

Trained

17

16.06

25.88

Untrained

13

16.69

27.38

Trained

33

13.76

24.64

Untrained

36

12.67

21.75

Trained

76

15.30

24.07

Untrained

89

13.71

21.74

Congruence

Handicapped

Disadvantaged

Combination

Total

264

101

Table 0 7 .--Number o f subjects and means fo r the factors— program x
c lu s te r.
Program

Clusters

Variables

5

Row
Means

1

2

3

4

Empathy

n=2
13.50

n=18
15.39

n=4
23.25

n*3
25.33

Congruence

26.50

24.61

33.00

38.33

17.67

27.96

Empathy

n=3
18.00

n=30
13.23

n=8
13.25

n=9
9.78

n=l9
13.95

13.64

Congruence

25.67

22.47

23.62

18.89

25.58

23.25

Empathy

n=8
15.00

n=72
13.93

n=27
12.74

n=24
18.37

n*32
13.97

14.80

Congruence

22.75

22.70

21.89

25.29

22.00

22.93

n*3
5.667

Handicapped

16.63

Disadvantaged

Combination

Table D8.—Number of subjects and means fo r the facto rs—tra in in g x
c lu ster.
Training

Clusters
1

2

3

4

5

Row
Means

Empathy

n*8
15.75

n*54
13.54

n=21
15.00

n*20
17.80

n*23
15.74

15.57

Congruence

27.50

22.57

24.71

25.60

26.61

21.66

Empathy

n=5
15.00

n*68
14.32

ns18
12.67

n=l6
15.56

n*31
11.84

13.88

Congruence

18.40

23.21

21.83

23.75

20.35

21.51

Variables

Trained

Untrained

102

Table D9.—Number o f subjects and means fo r the fa c to r—program.
Program

N

Empathy

Handicapped

30

16.33

26.53

Disadvantaged

69

13.19

23.13

Combination

165

14.44

22.81

Total

264

Congruence

Table DIO.—Number of subjects and means fo r the fa c to r—tra in in g .
Training

N

Empathy

Untrained

138

13.72

22.28

Trained

126

15.00

24.46

Total

264

Congruence

Table D ll.—Pearson product-moment correlations of vocational teachers' scores on the Teacher-Pupil
Relationship Inventory and normative data.
Age
Age
Teaching
Experience

Teaching
Experience

Educational
Levels

Empathy

1.000
.510

1.000

Educational
Levels

-.015

.444

1.000

Empathy

-.008

.043

.029

1.000

.177

.071

.011

.554

Congruence
N = 264

Congruence

r = 0.16038 at 0.10 level

1.000

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Administrative Guide fo r Vocational-Technical Education. Lansing,
Michigan: Michigan Department o f Education, VocationalTechnical Education Service, 1974.
AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop fo r Vocational Educators of
Disadvantaged ana Handicapped Students: Mow to Plan-ConductEvaluate. Montgomery, Alabama: Link Enterprises. In c ..
m

r .—

AMIDS In-Service Training Workshop fo r Vocational Educators of
Disadvantaged ana Handicapped Students: Supplementary
Materia Is --P a rt If! Montgomery, Alabama: Link Enterpr 1ses,
In c ., n.d.
Barrett-Lennard, G. T. Resource Bibliography o f Reported Studies
Using the Relationship Inventory. Waterloo. Ontario.
Canada: University o f Waterloo, 1972.
________ . Technical Note on the 64-Item Revision of the Relationship
Inventory. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: University of
Waterloo» 1969.
Baxter, Jan. Development and Implementation o f Secondary Special
Education Programs^ Lake Odessa, Michigan: E .B .I. Breakthru,
In c ., 1975.
Best, John W. Research in Education.
P ren tice -H a ll, 1956.

Englewood C lif f s , N .J .:

Bishop, Frank A. "A Study o f Selected Student-Perceived Teacher
Interpersonal C haracteristics With Reference to Teacher
Demographic Characteristics and the Academic Progress of
Low Achieving Secondary Students." Dissertation Abstracts
In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University M icrofilm s,
33/03-A, 1972.
Blackburn, Guy J. "An Examination o f the E fforts o f Human Relations
Training on the Attitudes o f C e rtific a te d Inservice Teachers
1n Minnesota." Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann
Arbor, Mich.: University M icrofilm s, 3G/06-A, 1976.

105

106

Dawson, James I . "Inservice Restraining o f Vocational Education
Personnel to Amplify and Enhance Their Role 1n Working With
Disadvantaged and Handicapped Learners." H u n ts ville, Alabama:
Alabama A g ricultu ral and Mechanical U n iversity, 1971.
Dayton, C. M itc h e ll. The Design of Educational Experiments.
York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1970.

New

Dixon, W. Robert, and Morse, William C. "The Prediction o f Teaching
Performance: Empathlc P o te n tia l." Journal of Teacher Educa­
tion 12 (Spetember 1961).
Educational Policies Commission o f the NEA and the American Associa­
tio n o f School Administrators. "The Education of Teachers
o f the Disadvantaged." NEA Journal 54 (September 1965).
Evaluation Report--Mlchigan Vocational Education Special Needs
Programs, 1973-74T Lansing: Michigan bepartment o f Educatlo n , 1974.
Feck, Vincent. What Vocational Education Teachers and Counselors
Should Know About Urban Disadvantaged VoutTT Columbus, Ohio:
Ohio State U n iversity, Center f o r Vocational and Technical
Education, 1971.
Ferguson, Edward T ., and Bice, Garry R ., eds. Proceedings o f the
Annual National Vocational-Teacher Education Seminar:
teaching blsadvantaged Youth, Miami Beach, F lo rid a,
October 2b-23, l$fc97 M n a t Report, June 1969. Columbus,
Ohio: Ohio State U n iversity, Center fo r Vocational and
Technical Education, 1969.
Flschle, Mildred J. "A Study o f A ttitudes and Behavior Change of
Teachers Attending an NEDA In s titu te fo r Teachers of Dis­
advantaged Children." D issertation Abstracts International
Ann Arbor, Michigan: U niversity Micro-films, 28/^0-A, 1968.
G illie , Angelo C. "Needed: A New Program o f General Education fo r
Ghetto Youth." American Vocational Journal 42 (November
1967).
Glass, Gene V ., and Stanley, Julian C. S ta tis tic a l Methods 1n
Education and Psychology. Englewood C lif f s , New Jersey:
Prent1ce-Ha11, In c ., 1970.
Good, Carter V ., ed. Dictionary o f Education.
McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1973.

3rd ed.

________. Essentials o f Educational Research.
Century-Crofts, 1966.

New York:

New York:
Appleton-

107

Gove, P h illip B ., ed. Webster's Third New International D ictio nary.
S p rin g fie ld , Mass.: G.
C. Merrlam Co., 1966.
Guidelines fo r Special Education Programs and Services.
Michigan Department o f Education, 1974.

Lansing:

Guidelines fo r Vocational Education Programs fo r Persons With Special
Needs fo r FV 1^75-76. Lansing: Disadvantaged and Handlcapped Programs U n it, Vocational-Technical Education Services,
Michigan Department o f Education, 1974.
Hagadone, Theodore E. "A Study of Teacher Personal and Professional
Attitudes as They Relate to Student Self-Concepts and A t t i ­
tudes Toward School in the Six Highest Achieving Schools in
F lin t , Michigan." Ph.D. d is s e rta tio n , Michigan State Uni­
v e rs ity , 1967.
Hensel, James W., and B1ce, Garry R. Proceedings of the Annual
National Vocational-Technical Education Seminar. Chicago,
October 21-24, 1968. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State U n iversity,
Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education, 1969.
Hicks, Charles J. "The Effects o f Short-Term Group Counseling on
the Interpersonal Behaviors o f Urban Teacher Education
Students." Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor,
Michigan: U niversity M icrofilm s, 32/07-A, 1972.
H i l l , Russell A. "The Professional Adjustment o f Teachers In
Philadelphia Secondary Schools Serving Underprivileged
Children as Reported by Selected Respondents." Ph.D.
d is s e rta tio n , Temple U n iversity, 1963.
H uff, Marie Davis. "When Youth Have Special Needs fo r Living,
Learnlnq, Earnlnq." American Vocational Journal 42 (November
1967).
Huffman, Harry, and W elter, Clyde W. Designs fo r the Preparation
o f Vocational and Technical Teachers of Socioeconomically
Disadvantaged Youth— Final Report^ Columbus, Ohio: Ohio
State U n iversity, Center fo r Vocational and Technical Edu­
cation, 1972.
James, Mary E. "The Effects of Interpersonal Relations Training
on Prospective Teachers." D issertation Abstracts In te rn atlo n al. Ann Arbor, Mlchlqan: U niversity M icrofilm s.
32/02-A, 1971.
Kemp, Barbara H. "Where Vocational Education Is a Special Need."
American Vocational Journal 42 (November 1967).

108

________. The Youth We Haven't Served. Catalog Number FS 5.280;80038.
Washington, D.C.: Government Printing O ffic e , 1966.
Kruppa, J. Russell. Preparing Teachers of In d u strial Education fo r
Disadvantaged and Handicapped Children a t the Secondary Level;
fin a l Report. New Jersey: Department o f Education, 1973.
Lee, Walter S. "A Study o f the Effectiveness o f S e n s itiv ity Training
1n an Inservice Teacher-Training Program 1n Human Relations."
Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor, Michigan:
U niversity M icrofilm s, 28/05-A, 1967.
Malhotra, Sudha. Interpersonal Relationship—Educational Studies
No. 1. Allahabd, India: United Publishers, 1969.
Parent Handbook. Royal Oak, Michigan: Michigan Association fo r
Children With Learning D is a b ilitie s , 1974.
Public and Local Acts o f the Legislature of the State o f Michigan.
Lansing: L eg islative Service Bureau, 1971.
Scales, Douglas E. "S ig n ifican t Factors 1n Teachers' Classroom
A ttitu d e s ." Journal o f Teacher Education 7 (1956).
Scheuer, Arnold L. "The Relationship Between Personal A ttributes
and Effectiveness 1n Teachers o f the Emotionally Disturbed."
Exceptional Children (Summer 1971).
Schmitt, Henry E. Teacher Education fo r the C u ltu ra lly D iffe re n t;
Appendix C of A Final Report. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State
U niversity, Center fo r Vocational and Technical Education,
1973.
Sclara, Frank J. "Guidelines fo r a Pre-Service Teacher Education
Program by Elementary Teachers o f the Disadvantaged."
D issertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor, Michigan:
U niversity M icrofilm s, Z8/09-A, 1968.
Soloway, Michael M. "The Development and Evaluation o f a Special
Education In-Service Training Program fo r Regular Classroom
Teachers." Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor,
Michigan: University Microfilm s, 36/07-A, 1976.
T1edt, Sidney, ed. Teaching the Disadvantaged C h ild .
Oxford U niversity Press, 1968.

New York:

Tuckman, Bruce W., and O'Brlan, John, eds. Preparing to Teach the
Disadvantaged. New York: The Free Press, H§69.
Van Dalen, Deobold. Understanding Educational Research.
McGraw-H111, 1966.

New York:

109

Vocational Education Amendments of 1974.
93d Congress.
D.C.: Government Printing O ffic e , 1975.

Washington,

Vocational Educatlon/Spec1al Educatlon P ro ject. H t. Pleasant,
Michigan: Central Michigan U n iversity, 1975.
Wampler, David R. "A Study of F irs t Year Teachers In Disadvantaged
Schools to Determine the Relationship of Pre-service Prepara­
tio n Experiences to Present A ttitudes and Effectiveness."
D issertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor, Michigan:
University M icrofilm s, 33/07-A, 19^3.
Wilder, Mary R. "An Evaluation of the Pre-service and In -service
Academic Preparation 1n English fo r Teachers of Disadvantaged
Students 1n Selected Colleges in the State o f Georgia."
Dissertation Abstracts In tern atio n a l. Ann Arbor, Michigan:
University M icrofilm s, 31/0^-A, 197l .
Wilson, Judith A. "An In-service Training Package fo r Teachers of
Children With Learning D is a b ilitie s ." Dissertation Abstracts
In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor, Mlchlqan: University M icrofilm s,

35707-7T,' 1975.

Young, Dorothy M. W. "The Effectiveness o f an In-service Education
Program fo r Regular Classroom Primary Teachers Regarding the
Recognition and Accommodation of Children With Learning
Problems." Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann
Arbor, Michigan: University M icrofilm s, 34/06-A, 1973.
Zdunlch, Louise J. "A Relationship of Selected Personality Variables
of Secondary School Student Teachers Enrolled in a Special­
ized Training Program and Their Experienced A ttitudes Toward
the Disadvantaged." Dissertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l.
Ann Arbor, Michigan: U niversity M icrofilm s, 33/07-A, 19/3.