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THESIS /g STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HOMEMAKING CURRICULUM AT ATKINSON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL AS REVEALED BY FORMER HOMEMAKING STUDENTS / BY June Carlisle Powell // A PROBLEM Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Textiles, Clothing, and Related Arts 1962 (3? 600 THS ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author is indebted to Dr. Mary Gephart and Dr. Joanne Eicher for their guidance, suggestions and encouragement in this problem. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I PURPOSE OF STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Review of Literature . . . . . . . . . . . 3 II METHODS OF RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Setting of the Study . o . . . . . . . . 15 The Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Pretest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Execution of the Instrument . . . . . . . 20 III FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 General Description of the Sample . . . . . 22 Evaluation of General Sources of Information in Homemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Homemaking Unit Evaluation . . . . . . . . 33 Cooking, Meal Planning, and Nutrition . 36 Clothing Selection and Construction . . 38 Child Care and Play School . . . . . . . 39 Getting Along With Others . . . . . . . 40 Home Nursing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4l crafts 0 0 O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O 42 Home Decoration . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Money Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Family Relations . . . . . . . 47 Relationship of Background Variables to Re- spondents Rating of Units Summary . . . 49 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 IV SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 APPENDIX TABLE II III IV VI VII VIII IX LIST OF TABLES Sources of Information Checked by Atkinson High School Graduates as Helpful in Homemaking . . . . Rank Order of Sources of Information Helpful to Atkinson High School Graduates in Homemaking . . Rating of Units in Homemaking by Graduates of Atkinson High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suggestions and Criticisms . . . . . . . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of COOKING, MEAL PLANNING AND NUTRITION Unit as Re- lated to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CLOTHING SELECTION AND CONSTRUCTION Unit as Re- lated to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CHILD CARE AND PLAY SCHOOL Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . .~. . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of GET- TING ALONG WITH OTHERS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of HOME NURSING Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CRAFTS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 30 31 34 35 51 53 54 57 58 59 TABLE PAGE XI Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of HOME DECORATION Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . 61 XII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of TEXTILES Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 XIII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of MONEY MANAGEMENT Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . 64 XIV Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of FAMILY RELATIONS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation . . . . . . . . 66 CHAPTER I PURPOSE OF STUDY ‘ The general purpose of this study is to attempt to determine the effectiveness of the homemaking curriculum for previous students, and to make any revisions in the curriculum which may be indicated to meet the needs of future home— making students. It is hoped that the homemaking curriculum will assist in the development of efficiency and increased satisfactions to the future homemaking graduates of Atkinson Community High School. This study may be adapted by other homemaking teachers for evaluation of their curricula. It is the belief of this writer that marked changes will take place in the economic and social aspects of future families, and that for better home and family living a large percentage of women will need to increase their ef- ficiency. Many women will undoubtedly be homemakers and also be employed outside the home. For example, the Daily Dispatch reported recently that 33 per cent of the labor force in Moline was composed of women and predicted that 80 per cent of the women in Moline would be employed by 1985.1 A ngily Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), May 29, 1962. Burgess and Locke reported that the number of working women who were married increased from 515,260 in 1890 to 9,273,000 in 1950. In 1950 married working women were 24.8 per cent of all married women and 52.1 per cent of all working women.1 Curriculum should not be considered permanent since it must be constantly changed to meet the needs, problems and values of the learner. Programs in homemaking should be ap- praised, evaluated and revised at intervals in order for the program to meet the challenge of making home life better for all family members. One way to evaluate a program is by obtaining student reactions or the reactions of former students. This study will employ the method of obtaining reactions of former students. 1Ernest W. Burgess and Harvey J. Locke, The Family (New York: American Book C0,, 1953)-p. 464. Review of Literature An attempt is made in home economics education to help the student realize and prepare for their many responsibilities in a complex society. For example, home economics education is defined by Spafford in terms which also emphasize its importance: Home Economics education is concerned largely with the areas of personal and home living which involve life activities relating to food, clothing, housing, management and use of resources, growth and development of family members, protection of health, immediate social rela- tionships, and development of individual and group in- terests within the home. The field also has a contri- bution to make to the areas of social, civic, and economic and vocational relationships through its interest in the social, political, and economic conditions affecting individuals and homes and by way of vocational guidance and education for wage earning in those occu- pations closely related to the field.1 Dr. William B. Logan, President of the American Vocational Association, states that Vocational Home Economics has a dual function of preparing girls for efficient home- making and for helping to supplement the family income.2 1Ivol Spafford, Encyclopedia of Education Research, (MacMillan Co., New York: 1950). p. 556. 2Dr. William B. Logan, American Vocational Jougnal, (February, 1962), p. 13. 4 Letitia walsh, of the University of Illinois, has re- ported the following excerpts from publications or addresses by specialists: Without families around which to pivot. home economics would have no destiny or purpose. When social and economic changes occur the home economics satellite. too. must change its orbit. Some changes in the present orbit might be a decrease in the hotho-dOvit skills, an ‘ increase in a realistic knowledge of how families live. a setting of high sights concerning universal family values, and an avoidance of perfectionism about the relatively unimportant. —-Beatrice Paolucci What education should strive to produce at every level is the disciplined mind that is needed for intelligent participation in the private and public affairs of a world where decisions must be made on the basis of in- formed and accurate thinking. Vocational training can be integrated with liberal education without destroying the values of either. Education fails unless the three R's at one end of the school spectrum lead ultimately to the four P's at the other: Preparation for earning Preparation for living Preparation for understanding Preparation for participation in the problems involved in the making of'a better world. --Norman Cousins Rapid social changes in the latter quarter of the nine- teenth century produced new problems for families. Concern for these problems stimulated activities culminating in home economics as a field of learning. In meeting the problems of people through the years, home economists have become increasingly aware of the continuing accelerating rate of socio-economic change. These changes hold both new and increased opportunities and problems. --National Project in Agricultural Communications. In addition to the areas previously stressed, there is another which is important to home economics teachers. In the Illinois Teacheg, Lela Adams writes that-condern for feelings has always been important to teachers of home economics andthat they have learned how to take cognizance l Letitia walsh, "Selected Aspects of Social Change", Illinois nggher, Vol. II, No. l,(September . 1958) p. 2. ‘ 5 of feelings as a significant factor in learning. The choices adolescents make depend on how they perceive and define their problems, and teachers can help them to become aware of the many-sidedness of problems and the possible consequences of choices. Development of techniques has now become urgent. The school may be of great service, helping to bridge the enormous gap between generations, interpreting parents to teen-agersand vice versa in a sympathetic manner.1 Ever since the advent of Sputnik I, the study of home economics in high schools has been the subject of derision by many. Henrietta Fleck states that the tendency of the public to clamor for the basic essentials in school courses has implications for home economics. The homemaking curriculum must show others that the limited program recommended will not meet present needs of students and prepare them for com- plete living.2 According to James McCain, President of Kansas State University, an image of home economics has recently come into focus and offers little satisfaction to members of the profession. He reiterates the fact that this began when the Soviets beat us into space with their first Sputnik. He further states that education promptly became the American public's scapegoat for this humiliation, and with the aid of lLela Adams, Illinois Teacher, Vol. IV, No. 5, (January, 1961), p. 199. 2Henrietta Fleck, "Home Economics and the Future." Forecast for Home Economists, Vol. 74, No. 6, (June, 1958), p. 13. many pundits of press, television, and radio, discovered that our schools were wasting the talents of our youth on ”frill” subjects instead of fundamentals. In this process, home economics was equated with driver training, scarf dancing and basket weaving as courses responsible for undermining educational standards. This attitude is especially alarming because home economists have contributed notably to our technical assistance programs in underdeveloped countries in such areas as child care, nutrition, and sanitation; yet, the new American ambassador to a nation which has benefited from these contributions has rated home economics as ”unimportant". This ambassador wants no home scientists in programs he directs. Home economics, as a part of the high school cur- riculum, is unfamiliar to much of the general public and still is viewed with some suspicion by many traditionalists among educators in other fields. Home economics is among the more vigorous and dynamic of the newer professional fields, and the failure of the public generally to appreciate this fact should be of deep concern. To the extent that the public image is a distortion, home economists should be zealous to correct it. To the extent that the image reflects actual shortcomings within the profession, candid self-evaluation and the necessary therapeutic measures should be taken.1 1James A. McCain, "Home Economics. Frill or FundamentalP," Practical Home Economics, (October, 1961), p. 15. 7 The study of home economics makes an important contribution to the future well-being of our young women. When the importance of home economics is stressed in the curriculum, the necessity for evaluation is underlined. There- fore, homemaking teachers have the responsibility of keeping the curriculum as comprehensive and as pertinent as possible. The home economics curriculum, like that of any other area, will be as comprehensive in scope, purposes, and possibilities as the mental pictures carried by those respon- sible for its development. Philosophy of education almost invariably becomes accepted as a way of educational thinking long before it shows results in changed ways of teaching. As teachers and other leaders think more deeply about the program and check practices against philosophy, more significant educational experiences should be insured among their pupils and others for whom the entire program is intended.1 No school subject has a better chance of being taught by the problem method than does home economics. In few realms can be predicted a greater impact of sociological and techno- logical changes than upon home and family living patterns. ”Therefore, the challenge is squarely before us, can we develop and teach a program in home economics that will be intellectually stimulating, that will be preparation for 1Qupriculum Developpent in Educatipn fog Home and Family ppy;pg, Part II, Series I; Spme Procedures Used in Evolving a Philospphy, (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Interior, Office of Education, Vocational Division, March, 1939), p. 2. solving problems of which we are totally unaware today, and at the same time live up to the expectations of students and their parents."1 The viewpoints expressed in the foregoing survey of literature encompass the philosophy and goals of the home- making curriculum at Atkinson High School. According to Lemmon,'bbsolescence is a term that may carry negative over- tones for many of us today; but obsolescence in the home economics curriculum may be a factor about which we should quiz ourselves. Is our teaching of home economics up-to- date?"2 Perhaps for the busy teacher it is easier to assume that the curriculum does not need revision. Another point of view is expressed by Rummel when he states, "Many teachers are too complacent concerning their teaching ability and efforts to maintain continuous professional growth. Such an attitude is not compatable with the most effective teaching in a dynamic world society."3 We should be cognizant of this statement, "As teachers of home economics subjects, dare we 1Rita L. Youmans and Alice Post White, ”Ways and Means Toward Recognized Ends,” Illinois Teacher, Vol. V., No. 4, (December, 1961), p. 146. 2Louise Lemmon, "Is High School Home Economics Education Up To Date," American Vocational Journal, (March, 1962), p. 26. 3 J. Francis Rummel, An Intgoductiongpo Research Procedugep in Educapion, (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1958 , p. 48. 9 do less than strive for top level evaluation as the main-spring in our day-to-day teaching?“1 According to Lyle, a curriculum should not be considered permanent: it must be constantly changing to meet the needs, problems and values of the learner. It is a continuous process, and many kinds of facts and value judgments are needed in this process.2 Sibley states that, "teachers must develop devices simple enough for students to evaluate their own behavior and achievement, and the evaluationdwise teacher may use the process of evaluation to do some self—appraisal of her own."3 It is interesting to note that this need for curriculum study and evaluation was discussed as far back as 1937 when Brown stated that a very large percentage of the home economics studies had dealt with curriculum problems: activity_analyses carried on by means of check lists or questionnaires, by interviews with mothers, or by obtaining the opinions of experts. Many of the changes in curriculum content could be traced to such studies. She believed that more progress had been made in envisioning what ought to be accomplished rather ‘1 1Rita L. Youmans, “Evaluation in Teaching Home Economics," qurnal of Hpmg Eponomgcg, Vol. 51, No. 6, (June, 1959). p. 452. 2Mary S. Lyle, "Graduates Reflect on Their Education." quppgl of Home gcppopicg, Vol. 49, No. 1, (January, 1957), p. 9. 3Bradley Sibley, "Evaluation in Hememaking Education." ggppnpl of Hopp Egpnpmipp, Vol. 51, No. 4, (April, 1959), p. 274. 10 than in accomplishing it. She felt that must always be the case: as Browning pointed out in Andrea Del Sarto, ”A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?f According to Brown, reading the objectives in any contemporary course of study might tempt one to think home economics was making a "marvelous contribution" to the edu- cation of today's children. She doubted whether any other school subject had the potential power that home economics has to bring about improvements in the lives of people: yet often home economics is a subject learned and then forgotten. She warned thatqwe have tended to point instruction toward goals that are quite beyond the attainment of the majority of the students? Brown continued, "As changing times and new forces beat upon us, we have recognized the need for the inclusion of more social, economic, aesthetic, and psychological content.“ Home economists need to develop perspective toward the problems of education in general, to become aware of current trends, and to discover how and where home economics can contribute to students at all levels, both those whose major interest lies in the field of home economics and those whose major interest lies elsewhere. Many other groups in this country are beginning to recognize the importance of education for satisfying personal and family life. Results of research must be carefully interpreted and then used to modify practices that need changing. 11 Brown stated that one should start a program of evaluation on a small scale, and learn what techniques of measurement exist today. Remembering that research data have slight value until they are used, one should try to put into practice what one decides should be done after the situation has been studied in the light of the accumulated facts. Then what has been done should be published, and what one is proposing to do, so that others may profit from the experience-- from the mistakes as well as the successes. She concluded that the time has come when home economists must make critical and sound evaluations of cur- riculum content, teaching procedures, and administrative organization.1 Because Brown's remarks are timely and pertinent to today's conditions, it is difficult to realize they were made almost twenty five years ago. If a homemaking teacher be- lieves in the importance of the study of homemaking to the student, she will desire to make the most of the opportunity to contribute to the future well-being of her students. She will periodically evaluate her homemaking curriculum and will constantly be alert for new ideas and new methods of presen- tation. 1Clara M. Brown, ”Appraisal of Trends in Home , Economics Education Research,” Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 29, No. 11, (November, 1937). p.'604-606. 12 The objectives of homemaking education for all age groups are described specifically as follows: THE BASIC GOAL of homemaking education is to help the individual to live a more useful and satisfying personal, family, and community life. More specifically, the ob- jectives of homemaking education for all age groups are to help individuals to BECOME BETTER CITIZENS through understanding and as- suming responsibilities and privileges as members of the family and of the community. MAKE MORE EFFICIENT USE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES through wise planning of expenditures: through wise selection of food, clothing, housing, furnishings, and equipment; through learning how to save money by home production and preservation of food, construction and repair of clothing, and care and repair of tools and equipment. GUIDE CHILDREN WISELY through understanding their physical and emotional needs. ACQUIRE SKILLS in managing a home and in performing necessary housekeeping duties° ESTABLISH A WHOLESOME ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE through satisfying experiences with them and their families. ADJUST TO CHANGES in their personal lives and in the social and economics order. IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH through an understanding of what constitutes good health and the practice of habits which contribute to it. APPRECIATE BEAUTY which already exists in their environment and to make their homes, clothes, and food more attractive. ENJOY SOCIAL ACTIVITIES through gaining assurance by participation in family and community recreation, hobbies, and other activities. EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT through knowing how to do work well, and through acquiring skills and 13 interests that enable them to express creative ability.1 A review of the literature has revealed that there has been little research in evaluating the over-all curriculum by the method of contacting former students. Studies of Review of Educational Research, for the years 1958, 1959, and 1960, and of the Journal of Home Economics for 1959 and 1960 failed to reveal studies of this nature. Titles of Completed Theses lists two studies. The first was prepared in 1957 by Eula Barnhart for a Master’s Degree at West Virginia University. It is entitled Evaluation of the Home Economics Curriculum By Former Pupils, Hagerstown, MarylandI 1951-1956 Inclusive. The second study, also a thesis for a Master's Degree, was made by Orthula Doescher of South Dakota State College. It was presented in 1958 and is entitled, A Stpdy ggythg Effectiveness of the Three Year Homemaking Program at Brookings High School as Evidenced by Graduates Who Have Established Homes--With Impl;capions for Curriculum Revision.2 lFederal Security Agency, Office of Education. Vocational Education Division, Homemaking Education in the Secondary Schools of the United States, (1947). p. 1. 2Titles of Completed Theses--Home Economics and Related Fields in Colleges and Universities of the United States, U. S. Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Department of Health, Education and'Welfare. CHAPTER II METHODS OF RESEARCH This problem may be designated as an historical and descriptive research paper embracing a curriculum survey. The procedure followed involves an analysis of historical data. Historical analysis incorporates judgment and under- standing of the problem and the information.1 Historical analysis is also the arriving at a conscious unity of ideas from the diversity of human functions encountered in research,2 and the utilization of an appro- priate language.3 Rummel makes the statement that, "Research is an endeavor to discover, develop, and verify knowledge." He continues, "Social research is a study of mankind in a social environment and is concerned with the improvement of understandings of social orders, groups, institutions, and the interactions among them."4 1Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953), p. 138. 29933., p. 144. 3pm., p. 154. 4J. Francis Rummel, An Introdugpgon :0 Research Procedures in Education (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1958), pp. 2, 4. 14 15 In the category of research materials, primary sources have been utilized. According to Good and Scates,1 primary sources‘are the only solid bases of historical work and are the original documents or the first witnesses to a fact. The research design for this study was exploratory in order to discover whether or not former students are making effective application of the knowledge and skills taught in homemaking classes. An exploratory study is one in which the major emphasis is on discovery of ideas and insights.2 Setting of the Study During the several years prior to 1954 certain conditions existed in the Atkinson High School which the school board members decided were not in the best interest of their young people. They felt that discipline was too lax to teach these students how to learn to exercise good self- discipline, and that in certain areas, homemaking for one. the curriculum was not conducive to the kind of future ap~ plication they wished for the students. Consequently changes were made in the faculty for the fall of 1954, including the ‘0 administrator and the homemaking teacher. There have been 1Carter V. Good and Douglas E. Scates, Methods of Research (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc.. 1954), p. 184. 2Selltiz, Johoda, Deutsch, and Cook, Research Mephodg .$B_§°Ci§1 RelaEi225.(New’York:'Henfy Holt and.Co.. Inc;4 I959). p. 50. 16 no arbitrary changes in the faculty since that time. It is impossible to eradicate many prOblems overnight, and until older students were graduated, some reforms did not really become effective. By now the school policies have been quite well established, and the majority of girls in the high school take homemaking classes. Only five girls from the years 1954 to 1962 have not taken any homemaking classes. As a later chapter will indicate, a few go to college and pursue careers for a time, but the majority marry within a few years and become homemakers. For the most part, the parents of these students have had an eighth grade education, or perhaps one or two years of high school. Also, many are just one or two generations removed from Belgium. The majority are of the Roman Catholic faith and family and religious ties are very strong. The farms in the Atkinson area have been highly productive, and the parents have done well financially without formal edu- cation. The students are well-dressed, and a number have their own cars. A few educated people in this small com- munity (population, 900) have not merited respect in the opinion of the majority. Perhaps this is somewhat responsible for the slightly wary and suspicious attitude toward college- educated persons. Their social and cultural background un- doubtedly influences the way these girls adapt to their lives the information they have received at school. At the present time, 1962, the homemaking curriculum includes the following three courses with units in various 17 aspects of homemaking: Homemaking I is taught to ninth grade students. Units include a study of Future Homemakers of America. cooking and meal planning, color and design, how to get along with others (based on the book Building Your Life by Landis and Landis).1 sewing machine skills (which is similar in content to a course offered by the Singer Sewing Machine Company). the making of a cotton dress, and child care. In the spring the ninth grade students cooperate with the sophomore girls and conduct a twoaweek play-school for twelve children between the ages of two and one half to five years. Homemaking II consists of units for tenth grade students. They study home nursing and first aid, the con- struction of a wool garment, cooking and nutrition, grooming, child care, and cooperate in operating the play-school. Juniors are enrolled in Homemaking III and study units in meat cookery, textiles, tailoring, preparing for marriage. budgeting, and interior decoration. . In addition to the classroom curriculum, the Future Homemakers of America is an integrated part of the total program. One of the prime functions of F.H.A. is to help each student learn to work with others: also it has these objectives: a. To develop a better understanding of family members and to contribute to their well-being. 1Judson T. Landis and Mary G. Landis, Building Your Life (New'York: Prentice-Hall). 18 b. To promote good will through getting to know neighbors at home and abroad. c. To help individuals develop their potential abilities. In Administration of Vocational Education,1 the statement is made, ”Directed learning experiences of pupils in the home and in the community, as well as in the school, are important parts of the vocational program in homemaking education.“ According to O'Donnell, almost everything the pupil does in the home such as caring for the baby, washing dishes. or planning social activities, is related to some part of the study of homemaking. Therefore, an important part of the teacher's work is to help the student approach the home activities as problems which can be solved by the methods practiced at school. Home activities offer opportunity to test skills and managerial ability, and the usual sources of information are augmented by consultation with family members at home. In order to make certain that this natural setting for homemaking activities is fully utilized, homemaking teachers incorporate into their teaching what are called "home projects.”2 Early in June the students select the V—v—f 1Federal Security Agency, Office of Education, Administration of Vocapponal Education, Vocational Education Bulletin No. 1, General Series No. l, Reviséd 1948, p.50. 2Beatrice Olson O‘Donnell, "Discrepancies Between Beliefs of Leaders In Homemaking Education in Michigan and Hractices in Local Homemaking Programs" (unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, School of Education, Michigan State College, 1954) p. 251. 19 projects with the guidance of their mothers and the teacher. These home projects are completed during the summer months. Students are required to state goals--and the reason for choosing each project--perform the projects, and then hand in a written report of each project, including a statement on how the project accomplished the goals set up in June. This is another phase of a curriculum designed to produce more efficient homemakers, and the mother in the home and the home- making teacher have an obligation and an opportunity to work together in helping to prepare these young women for their future roles. The Instrument The questionnaire for this study was designed to ob- tain information about the problems and needs of homemakers with the purpose of making generalizations for the high school home economics curriculum in view of the real problems young homemakers must meet. Questions were asked about the background to ascertain any relationship between these back- ground factors and the degree to which the individual found previous homemaking classes to be helpful. Because of cur- riculum revision from time to time, not all of these former students have had an identical course of study. For the purpose of preventing the questionnaire from becoming over- long, the units in related categories were condensed into the major areas of study. The condensed categories were: Cooking, Meal Planning, and Nutrition; Clothing Selection 20 and Construction: Child Care and Play School: Getting Along With Others: Home Nursing: Crafts: Home Decoration; Textiles: Money Management, and Family Relations. Points used as criteria for formulation of the question- naire1 in this study were that: l. The questionnaire should not be too long as busy homemakers might lack time to check and return a long questionnaire. 2. The questionnaire should be easily understood as many of the young women have not had further formal education. 3. Adequate space should be left for comments by re- spondent expressing her individual ideas. Pretest To pretest the questionnaire, it was mailed to twenty former homemaking students who were graduated by Annawan Community High School, Annawan, Illinois. This com- munity is somewhat similar to Atkinson in population and background. The responses indicated that the questionnaire was easily understood and would elicit the information being sought. Execution of the Instrument The population for this study was limited to the 57 f 1See Appendix for a copy of the Questionnaire. 21 former students who were enrolled in homemaking classes and who were graduated by Atkinson Community High School from 1954 to 1961. Data were obtained from compilation of the 40 responses to questionnaires mailed to these 57 former students. The questionnaire was completed voluntarily, and, to their knowledge, anonymously in an attempt to obtain objec- tive information. A code number was used to facilitate a followbup in the case of non-respondents. Thirty-two former students responded to the first mailing. A second copy of the questionnaire was mailed to each of the twenty-five who failed to return the first copy. Eight responded to the second mailing. CHAPTER III ' FINDINGS General Description of the Sample Approximately 25 students usually enter Atkinson High School each fall. Over a period of years the com— position of the incoming class has not been evenly balanced in enrollment of boys and girls. For several years only six or seven members of the class were girls, resulting in small homemaking classes. Of the 57 graduates of the high school who were former homemaking students from 1954 to 1961, 40 responded to the questionnaire. The date of birth ac- cording to the year in which they were born is as follows: Year of Birth Number of Percentage Respondents 1938 10 25.0 1939 4 10.0 1940 10 25.0 1941 5 12.5 1942 7 17.5 1943 _4 _1_O_._g Total 40 100.0 The high school is located in Atkinson, Illinois, Henry County in the northwestern part of Illinois. Rock Island County is to the west, and Whiteside County and 22 23 Bureau Counties bound Henry County on the northeast and southeast respectively. All of the respondents were born in this area. County Number of Percentage Respondents Henry 35 87.5 Bureau 1 2.5 Rock Island 3 7.5 Whiteside ;, _gpé Total 40 100.0 A large percentage of the fathers of the respondents were also born in Illinois as indicated below: Place of Birth Number of Percentage Respondents Henry County 25 62.5 Bureau County 2 5.0 Rock Island County 1 2.5 Whiteside County 1 2.5 Illinois 5 12.5 Other States 4 10.0 Canada 1 2.5 Belgium l _2_.§ Total 40 100.0 24 The birthplace distribution of the respondents' mothers again stresses the lack of mobility of the particular group: Place of Birth Number of Percentage Respondents Henry County 21 52.5 Bureau County 2 5.0 Rock Island County 2 5.0 Whiteside County 1 2.5 Illinois 4 10.0 Other states 5 12.5 France 1 2.5 Belgium ‘_5 lQpQ Total 40 100.0 Almost from the beginning Atkinson was settled by a number of people with Belgian ancestry. The nationality . background of the respondents' fathers and of their mothers is largely central European. Father Mother Nationality Number of Percentage Number of Percentage Background Respondents Respondents Belgian 20 50.0 23 57.5 Dutch and German 13 32.5 7 17.5 American 1 2.5 4 10.0 Other ._§ 15.0 §_. 15.0 Total 40 100.0 40 100.0 25 Seventy per cent of the respondents have some Belgian ancestry from either or both parents. Belgian Number of Percentage Background Respondents Father only 5 12.5 Mother only 8 20.0 Both parents 15 37.5 Neither parent Ag, QQpQ Total 40 100.0 The marital status of these young women showed that 29 of the respondents are married. Marital Status Number of Percentage Respondents Married 29 72.5 Single A; glpé Total 40 100.0 The number of children for the married groups varied from three or more to none. '5 .Number of Number of Percentage Children Respondents None 3 10.4 One 19 65.5 Two 4 13.7 Three or more I... .4213 Total 29 100.0 26 Marriages of most of the respondents have been to the young men of Atkinson and the surrounding area. The ex- ceptions are those who have gone to other areas for additional education or training. Atkinson is a predominately rural section located near the cities of Moline and Rock Island in Illinois, and Davenport in Iowa, which are well-known for the production of farm machinery and which offers some job op- portunities. These three cities are about twenty-five miles away. The occupations of the respondents' husbands are as follows: Husbands' Occupations Number Percentage Laborer 9 31.0 Farmer 7 24.1 Professional or 6 20.7 technical worker Clerical and sales 4 13.7 Student 2 7.0 Armed services 1_ _gpé Total 29 100.0 The majority of the respondents are married, and the larger percentage of these are engaged in full-time home- making. However, some of the married respondents, and the single respondents, reported occupations other than full time homemaking. 27 Married Single Respondents' Number Percentage Number Percentage Occupations Full-time homemaker 23 57.5 Professional or technical worker 6 15.0 2 5.0 Clerical 3 7.5 Student 5 12.5 Vocalist I__ 1 2.5 Total 29 72.5 11 27.5 Forty-eight percent of the respondents who listed an annual income, reported that income as $4,000 to $5,999. The median for all respondents was in this income bracket and compares roughly with the average family income for the United States in 1959 of $4,363.1 Income Number of Percentage Respondents Less than $2,000 0 0 $2,000 - $3,999 9 22.5 $4,000 - $5,999 16 40.0 $6,000 - $7,000 4 10.0 Over $8,000 4 10.0 No response2 _1_, llyé Total 40 100.0 1This calculation is from the 1961 Statistical Abstract of the United States, p. 318. 2The five students did not report an income, and two others did not respond. 28 The 40 questionnaires which were returned show that 77.5 per cent of the women responding are living in rented homes or apartments, and the 7.5 per cent own their homes.1 Own or Rent Number of Percentage Respondents Own 3 7.5 Rent 31 77.5 No Response1 ._9_ pigpg_ Total 40 100.0 Forty—five percent of the women have had some type of education or training beyond the high school level. Education Number of Percentage Respondents Business College 1 2.5 Nursing School 6 15.0 College 11 27.5 None .22.. 55.0 Total 40 100.0 Evaluation of General Sources of Information in Homemaking The respondents were asked to check as many sources of information as they had found to be of help to them after they were graduated from high school. Table I shows the 1The five students and one other respondent did not report. 29 distribution of helpful sources of information. These have been placed in rank order in the table from highest to lowest numbers and not in the order of their presentation in the questionnaire. It is interesting to note that helpful sources checked but not ranked in order of importance reveal that training at home and homemaking classes are checked most frequently, and friends and magazines as sources of in- formation are checked next most frequently. Brookover states that education at best has only a limited impact on the total social system and is only a segment of our entire culture.1 He further indicates that the child is a complete being educated by its total environment and that education cannot be abstracted as a segment in the experience and de- velopment of human behavior. Thus the educational process cannot be confined to the formal program of the school, but is committed to a concept of education as a community-wide function and process.2 The findings in Table I support his statements by indicating that training at home is highly re- garded by the respondents. The teacher must recognize that persons and groups are subjected to many influences which affect the way they live, and the earliest and most lasting of these influences is that of the family which lays the foundation for the development of personality and sets the pattern for individual and group living outside the home. lWilbur Brookover, A Sociology of Education, (New‘York: American Book Company, 1955), pp. 54, 55. 21bid., pp. 390. 391. 30 The home and family are the bases for good citizenship: there- fore, it is important that its contribution to personal and social living be recognized. TABLE I SOURCES OF INFORMATION CHECKED BY ATKINSON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AS HELPFUL IN HOMEMAKING Source of Information Number Percentage of Sample (N . 40) Training at home 39 97.5 Homemaking classes 37 92.5 Friends 35 87.5 Magazines 33 82.5 Future Homemakers of America 26 65.0 4-H membership 23 57.5 Neighbors 16 40.0 ‘Newspaper columns 12 30.0 Other” 5 12 . 5 Home Bureau** 0 0 *These included "experience", "step father-in-law", "self-taught", and ”relative”. **Equivalent of Extension Service 31 The respondents were then asked to rank the three which have been most important: Number 1, the most important: Number 2, the next most important: and Number 3, the third most important. Table II shows this distribution and indicates the relative importance of the various sources. These are not presented in the order of their presentation in the question- naire. TABLE II RANK ORDER OF SOURCES OF INFORMATION HELPFUL TO ATKINSON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN HOMEMAKING : h ____— 1 - 2 3 Percent- Percent- Percent- Numbe; age Numbeg, age ,Number age Training at home 30 75.0 7 17.5 0 0 Homemaking classes 8 20.0 21 52.5 7 17.5 * Other 2 5.0 1 2.5 2 5.0 Magazines 0 0 4 10.0 8 20.0 Friends 0 0 3 7.5 8 20.0 F H A 0 0 2 5.0 7 17.5 4-H membership 0 0 2 5.0 7 17.5 Neighbors 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 Newspaper columns 0 0 O 0 0 0 Home Bureau 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tgtgl 40 100.0 40 100.0 40 100.0 *These included "family? and;"experience" 32 Training at home was checked most frequently as a helpful source of information, as shown by Table I, and also ranked as number one in importance by 75 percent of the respondents. Twenty per cent ranked homemaking classes as most important, and five per cent listed other sources. There was greater distribution in ranking the second and third most important sources of information (Table II). Homemaking classes, checked by 52.5 per cent, again were the two areas ranked highest as important sources of information. Table I indicates that 87.5 per cent of the respondents found friends to be a helpful source of information, but only 27.5 per cent ranked them as second or third most important (Table II). Magazines were checked by 82.5 per cent generally as helpful sources of information, buéxranking the sources only 30 per cent ranked magazines as second or third in im- portance. Although 30 per cent of the respondents checked newspaper columns as being helpful, none of them ranked this source as one of the three most important. The respondents were not asked about their membership in organizations, but Tables I and II would seem to indicate that none of them are members of Home Bureau. The purpose of this study was to provide a means of evaluation and adjustment of the home economics curriculum offered in Atkinson High School, Atkinson, Illinois. The second part of the questionnaire was designed to elicit the information to achieve this purpose. 33 Homemaking Unit Evaluation The family is a basic institution in our society and in free societies throughout the free world. From the earliest experiences in infancy through maturity and old age people are influenced by their own family life. Amongthe goals of free people everywhere is the purpose of founding a home and rearing a family. Wholesome family living is encouraged by an under- standing of what make a successful home, and by developing the attitudes and skills needed to achieve it. In home economics education, all learnings are related to the ex- periences of pupils in their own families and to helping the pupils utilize the various units in the homemaking curriculum to influence their success as family members in their future homes. A variety of units are taught so that as many phases of the homemaker's life as possible will be introduced. Some phases of homemaking require, for proficiency. a repetition which is not possible in high school courses. -In addition, different phases of the homemaking curriculum are stressed in Homemaking I, II, and III. Not all of the respondents have taken homemaking classes for three years. As stated earlier in this study, to prevent the questionnaire from becoming over-long, the units in related categories were condensed into the major areas of study. Table III lists these categories and indicates the number of respondents in each who have rated the unit of study as: 34 Very Helpful, Helpful, Undecided, Rarely Helpful, or Not Helpful. It is readily seen by Table III that the foods and clothing areas are mentioned most often as being very helpful or helpful to the former students. TABLE III RATING OF UNITS IN HOMEMAKING BY GRADUATES OF ATKINSON HIGH SCHOOL Very “ Rarely Not Total Help- Help- Help- Helpd Re- ful ful Undecided ful ful sponses _41 2 3 4 ¥_§ Cooking. Meal Planning, and Nutrition 19 17 2 2 0 40 Clothing Selec- tion and Con- struction 15 21 2 2 0 40 Child Care and Play School 11 13 8 0 2 34 Getting Along With Others 5 15 13 3 l 37 Home Nursing 5 21 7 3 1‘ 37 Crafts 3 14 7 7 5 36 Home Decoration 7 23 3 3 0 36 Textiles l 8 10 5 6 30 Money Management 7 12 5 5 1 30 Family Relations 6 18 9 2 0 35 *Some did not have certain units or did not remember them. 35 Table IV is related to Table III. The respondents were given an opportunity to comment on each area of study and the comments were divided into four groups according to content. Suggestions include all comments which pertain to improving the particular unit of study and are shown in column 1. Many respondents made favorable comments indicating they found the unit helpful but did not make suggestions for improvement, and these are listed in column 2. Column 3 indicates the number of respondents who made no comment in certain areas of study. Negative criticism is shown in column 4, and the discussion of each of the units which fol- lows Table IV includes all of these. TABLE IV SUGGESTIONS AND CRITICISMS OF ATKINSON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ON UNITS OF STUDY IN HOMEMAKING Positive Crit- icism, No No Sugges- Additional Com- Negative tions Contribution ment Criticism Totals 11. 2 ‘ 13 4 Cooking, Meal Planning. and Nutrition 9 21 7 3 40 Clothing Selec- tion and Con- struction 4 24 11 l 40 Child Care and Play School 1 25 14 0 40 Getting along with others 1 19 20 0 40 36 TABLE IV--Cont;nued Positive Crit- icism, No No Sugges- Additional Com- Negative tions Contribution ment Criticism Totals 1 2 3 4 Home Nursing 2 19 16 3 40 Crafts 0 19 19 2 40 Home Decoration 3 25 11 1 40 Textiles 1 10 25 4 40 Money Management 1 15 20 4 40 Family Relations 2 17 20 1 40 Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition This unit is introduced in Homemaking I and is ex- panded in Homemaking II. The students learn the foundations for preparation of many foods and how to combine them in meals. The study of nutrition is begun in Homemaking I and stressed especially in Homemaking II. The Homemaking III students concentrate on meat cookery. Negative criticisms include the following: "Inter- esting but not basic enoug ", and, "Cooking in a group is too different from preparing a meal yourself." Specific areas of cooking and meal planning in which a small percentage of the graduates felt a need for additional training were: snack-type foods for guests, individual cook- 37 ing instead of in groups, learning more about budget-type meals and foods work adapted more to everyday needs. Other comments graduates included about the foods units'were: "Very helpful as both new and supplementary to what my mother was training me for at the time.” ”Makes you aware of the basic daily food requirements. Gives beginners confidence in food preparation." "Helpful, but learned a lot from my mom." "This course has helped me plan nutritional meals for my family, a variety of meals, and has also helped me in planning for guests." "The nutrition part helped me in nurses' training)‘ "I gained more in this area than any other,this I realize now more than ever. ,When I plan a meal, I consider the weather, the mood we are in, the color of the food, the meals we had that same day, etc.‘ I am limited’as to time and must make good use of every minute.” "I use many of the recipes from Home Economics. I can also remember you saying how many meals there would be to prepare. How true! The Foreign Cooking was helpful." The respondents of the earlier two years in this study had their first homemaking courses with a teacher who employed different methods in teaching units in the curriculum. This is illustrated by the following comment from a respondent who felt the cooking unit was rarely helpful: "I believe more time in actual cooking of all phases of food is retained longer--mentally. Too much time was used for discussion.” The present food units include laboratory experience in actual food preparation as well as discussion. as evidenced by this comment from a later student: 38 ”To me this was a very thorough course in learning to prepare tempting meals yet high in nutrition. I think practicing to prepare meals helped very much." Clothing Selection and Construction In each of the three years of homemaking, some phase of this subject is studied. Students learn about clothing selection, basic skills in sewing, how to care for the sewing machine, and how to use the attachments. They begin with simple garments and progress each year to those requiring more skill. A few of the graduates made these related comments about clothing selection and construction: "needed more help in sewing", "more time should be spent with each student", ”would have liked more personal attention", and "didn't learn too much." Educators recognize that a class of any size will contain some students who do not take full advantage of their instruction. Also some students are not as adept as others, and when they see the other students progressing more rapidly, these students tend to feel the teacher must have given more attention to the others. Actually the reverse is more likely to be true. The apt pupils will learn rapidly with very little individual help while the slower students do not absorb the information readily even with re- peated help and do not realize how much time is actually being devoted to them. 39 Suggestions for further information which might be included in this unit were: ”making curtains and bed cover- 1ets", "advanced tailoring in senior year", "altering and re- making clothing”, and "greater emphasis on consumer buying." Respondents made these comments about clothing selection and construction as it is taught: "The hints and short cuts I learned in class are quite helpful today.” “Gives you an awareness of styles in clothing and types of material.” "I learned the basic things I need to know." ”Sewing saves a lot of money in our budget." ”I never would have learned to sew decently if it wasn't for Home Economics." Child Care and Play School The unit in child care and play school is emphasized in Homemaking I and II as mentioned previously in this study. In Homemaking I the girls study about the pre-school child for three weeks and then work in a two-week play school organized and connected with the class. The Homemaking II girls study the requirements for caring for an infant and then work in the play school as an extension of their study in Homemaking I. A group of twelve children attend each morning for the two weeks. The students are divided into groups and alternately Observe and work with the children. Although the majority of respondents checking this area have found it very helpful or helpful, eight were 4O ” undecided, and two checked it as not being helpful. Comments made by these latter respondents were: “started after I graduated," ”helped raise my mother's,” and "have not had a chance to put this into practice." Some interesting comments made relative to this area were: ”makes young people aware of child's development and interest span. Prepares them for taking care of children in home with more understanding of their needs." ”This was the first contact with young children I had. Since many high school girls do a lot of baby-sitting. this unit is particularly valuable." "I haven't had much experience with small children. but I'm sure when the day comes my high school training will be helpful." "A most enjoyable area for the students--a change and a chance to work with real children in a real setting." ”One of the most interesting sections in the homemaking program." Getting Along With Others This is a seyen week unit based primarily on the book, Building Your Life by Landis and Landis. A number of Coronet films correlate well with the chapters in this text and sup- plement the reading. The purpose of this unit is to try to helpcthe students understand themselves better, and to under- stand their responsibilities and relationships with their families and friends. It is taught to freshmen in Home~ making I. As indicated by Table III, the respondents are almost equally divided in opinion as to the helpfulness of the unit. 41 Getting Along With Others. This may be influenced by the fact that this unit is taught early in the high school cur- riculum and enough time has now elapsed so that the graduates can no longer remember utilizing the material. A suggestion offered for this unit was, "stress tolerance of others faults and possible causes and ways these people can be helped." Other comments were: ”You learn that all people don't think alike." "Very helpful, although we do not always make use of the things we learned about this subject." ”This unit is good to have in Homemaking I as an orientation into high school." "I learned to consider others feelings and to con- sider suggestions." Home Nursing Home Nursing is a four week unit for sophomores in Homemaking II. They learn how to follow a doctor's orders and to care fer a sick person in the home. In addition they learn about first aid from the Red Cross Book. As shown in Table III a larger number of respondents checked this area as very helpful or helpful than those who were undecided or thought it was rarely helpful. Originally the unit was based almost completely on first aid, but it has included home care) of the sick for about five years. Those who made suggestions for improvement were mainly concerned with the same things: "Even more--a longer course--in this would be helpful." 42 "Course should have been longer.” "I think more emphasis on this would be good. Situations arise all the time and a woman needs to have some know- ledge. This is more necessary in a community where there are so many young marriages. I found this area extremely helpful although not tremendously interesting at the time. Only now do I appreciate it as I should.” "Didn't like it at the time, but now“is useful. However, such knowledge needs to be refreshed. Other specific positive comments made with reference to this unit were: ”A good part of the course." "This is a good course to have." ”First aid course was tops!" ”The course was definitely well planned and meant to teach the basic steps." Crafts This area has been changed considerably. During the first three or four years that this writer taught in Atkinson, quite a bit was done in this area. However, many of the crafts have been dropped so that the limited time available could be used for developing other units more fully. It was felt that many skills in crafts work could be obtained easily from other sources. At present the Homemaking I girls make Christmas candles of paraffin, and bake and decorate 65 dozen cookies each December. Half of these cookies are distributed by the F. H. A. members while they are caroling at the Henry County Home. The other half of the cookies are contributed to the school Christmas Party for students and 43 faculty. Sometimes instead of cookies, the students make and distribute Christmas tray favors to the county home patients. Homemaking II students learn to knit and to do Swedish weaving on huck towels.' Because of the many changes in this unit it is difficult to assess the value of the decisions which are checked in Table III. Comments on this unit are as follows and are in order from earlier students to later students: ”I'm not interested in this type of thing. If talented in this field, maybe I would enjoy it.” "They don't seem practical, but for added enjoyment of the course they were interesting." "With a family I have very little time for arts and crafts." ”The knitting has been helpful, but most activities are easily picked up later." ”Learned a lot of interesting hobbies." "It was fun to learn to knit.” "I haven't done the same crafts I did in high school, but it made me reach to other areas of crafts." "I loved learning how to knit and do Swedish embroidery. also making Christmas candles. Incidentally I've been knitting baby booties for my married classmates." Home Decoration This is an area of study which is now being revised. Table III indicates that most of the respondents have found it to be helpful, but this writer feels that the course has needed more continuity and that some phases of this subject have been touched upon too lightly. It is part of the Home— 44 making III curriculum and is taught for eight weeks. The girls study art principles in relationship to the home, financing, and efficient arrangement within the home. Many respondents stated, "very interesting," and "has been very helpful." As stated previously 77.5 per cent of the re- spondents live in rented homes or apartments. This is a typical comment: "Our apartment is unfurnished. I've found in decorating it I have used a lot from the "Home Decoration" course in school.“ A small percentage of the graduates made specific comments for additional training: ”Do it yourself is important. Tricks on how to do a lot on nothing are important." "Not enough included." "This section could be more complete since so many of the girls marry immediately after school." The following comments are representative of those who checked this unit as helpful: "I find I learned very much about color and its schemes, also room arranging. etc., especially for room balance. developing taste and color consciousness." "It was especially helpful to go on field trips and see the types and qualities of home furnishings." "I loved making those scales, etc., and then finding fabrics and colors. This is important for every woman, especially for some who desperately need it. Believe it or not this area gave me some very good background for advertising layouts, etc. here at college and in my field. I think this area should be reserved for upper classmen." 45 Textiles This unit is taught for four weeks in Homemaking III. It has included simple fiber identification tests, infor- mation about weaves and finishes, and the names and uses of fabrics commonly found in the community. For the first time this year, the class made notebooks, at their own request, with samples of fabrics labelled as to fiber content, weave, and household use. If the responses shown in Table III are a good criteria for judging this unit, it is in need of re- vision. It is possible that more practical application needs to be stressed. Present plans are for including the study of the textiles for home decoration in this unit. ' One respondent who checked the unit as rarely help- ful stated, "Don't use them.“ The following comment is typical of those who checked it as being rarely helpful: ”Enjoyed this but have not had the occasion to put it in use." Others stated it was not interesting enough or did not in— clude enough. Some of the other comments graduates included about the textiles unit were: "Felt I learned much about fabric and its contents.“ "This is helpful because it teaches us to be more care- ful when buying materials since there are so many grades and qualities." "I wasn't interested in this at the time. Perhaps it would be more interesting now." 46 Money Management The course outline for this unit was completely re- vised four years ago and has had a much more enthusiastic reception from the students since that time. The idea was presented by a homemaking teacher in another community and adapted for the classes at Atkinson High School. The students are involved in a "pretend" situation. Each girl is asked to imagine that she is a new bride and her husband brings home a certain amount of money each week. Each student is given a list of items which the new family owns. She is asked first to choose a place to live which would be available in the locality and to think about an insurance program. Play money is used for the weekly paychecks. Each girl decides on a budget and places the money in envelopes to represent the different budget headings. She also keeps an account book. Each day the class is given a new list of things for which money must be spent. There are a variety of choices at different prices for each budget item. The choices are re- lated to many of the different types of things needed to run a family and a household. Unexpected or emergency types of expenses are occasionally included. Toward the end of the class period a general discussion is held and reasons for individual choices are given. The students begin to see the value of long-term planning and the need for saving and plan- ning for unexpected emergencies as well as for foreseen events. 47 One respondent reported that it seemed like child's play, but she is a brilliant girl and is especially talented in mathematics. One of her classmates complained that the arithmetic involved was too difficult. She was an average student who found mathematics courses difficult. She is now married, and her mother has said that she is an excellent shopper and knows how to stretch her money. Most of the respondents who checked undecided or rarely helpful either did not comment or stated they did not recall this unit. The following are representative of com- ments made by those who checked very helpful or helpful: "I think it's something everyone ought to understand. I do feel you will always spend according to your in- come and yet I see a few people who still need many tips on managing their money." "This has been one of the best courses. I've needed and used the knowledge from it very often. It taught me how to budget my money." ”Really helped knowing how to plan a budget and stick with it." Family Relations This title in the questionnaire proved to be some- what ambiguous to some of the respondents. Undoubtedly those who were puzzled as to the meaning of this term had not taken Homemaking III. Essentially it refers to the eight week unit, ”Preparing for Marriage" taught in the Homemaking III class but was meant also to refer to some extent to information covered within other units in Homemaking I and II. 48 The larger proportion of the respondents checked it as being very helpful or helpful. As discussed previously in this study, these graduates have strong family ties. One re- spondent who checked helpful stated, "It is important, but feel you have to know a family to understand its ways and relations. Feel it is an individual problemi Students usually seem very interested in this unit, but it is more difficult to teach than a unit in clothing, for example. One respondent stated that this was an im- portant subject but wondered if it could be combined with child care. Another commented: "I think that even more emphasis should be placed on family relations since our goal should be to improve family living." Other comments included by the respondents were: "I think this one is essential. If more classes were taught I don't believe there would be as many divorces. It has taught me what to say, when and when not to say it, and how to get along with the members in my family." "This portion of homemaking was one of the more en- lightening. It also answered many personal problems that are often troubling girls of junior and sophomore high school age." "I learned to consider others feelings and to be open for suggestions from others." "I like the way the daughter-family-teacher relation was handled through F.H.A." “I think this helps a lot of students get along better with their own family before marriage and after.“ "Very helpful in establishing the right perspective toward the roles in the family." 49 Relationship of Background Variables to Respondents Ratings of Units The present study was conducted to find out whether or not the homemaking curriculum at Atkinson High School has been meeting the goal of helping students gain the under- standings, appreciations, and abilities to make them more effective members of their families and communities. This writer has assumed that the ethnic background of the community influences the responses of the students to certain phases of the curriculum. Seventy per cent of the respondents are of Belgian ancestry with strong family and religious ties. Lois Smith writes that standards learned at home, whether for or against a practice, are usually those most weighted.l The writer felt before conducting this study that the results would indicate that students with Belgian background would be less receptive to the home- making curriculum. This assumption was based on the fact that strong home ties could lend more credence to the opinion of the mother when the opinion might differ from that of the homemaking teacher. Also, the pupils with Belgian background have been more verbal in expressing disapproval or doubts about some aspects of the homemaking curriculum, and it has been more difficult to convince them of the merits of these aspects. 1Lois Smith, "Studying Values Through Home Economics,” Illinois Teacher, Vol. III, No. 7, (March, 1960). p. 326. 50 The tables which follow are introduced to indicate any trend between certain crucial background factors and the way in which the respondents have indicated helpfulness or lack of helpfulness in each of the major areas listed in the questionnaire. Three variables have been selected because they seem to show a pattern in the responses. The first variable is the nationality background of the parentsj 70 per cent of the respondents have a Belgian heritage and 30 per cent of the respondents have no Belgian background. Marital status was selected as the second variable to help determine whether or not too much emphasis in the curriculum has been developed for the students who marry shortly after graduation. The third variable, year of graduation, was selected to find out whether or not the earlier graduates, or the later graduates, have found various phases of the homemaking curriculum to be helpful or not helpful. Table V indicates that slightly more than one-half of the respondents with a Belgian background have found Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition to be very helpful and one-third of the non-Belgian respondents checked this unit as very helpful. Approximately one-third of the Belgian respondents and one-half of the non—Belgian respondents have found it helpful. Only four respondents checked "undecided” or "Rarely helpful." The responses indicate that a large per- centage of the graduates with Belgian ancestry have found this area of study very helpful, but nearly all of the 51 respondents in both background catagories have found it to be helpful or very helpful. TABLE V Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of COOKING, MEAL PLANNING AND NUTRITION Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Partnts Marital Stgtus ation Evaluation of Either or 1956 1959 Cooking, Meal Both Neither 1957 1960 Planning and Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Nutrit;on Unit (Total) N N N N N N Very helpful (19) 15 4 3 16 11 8 Helpful (17) 10 7 '7 10 ll 6 Undecided ( 2) l l 2 l l Rarely helpful ( 2) 2 l 1 1 1 Not helpful No Response Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 About one-fourth of the single graduates checked the unit as very helpful, but more than one-half of the married graduates rated it as very helpful. Approximately 50 per cent of the single respondents are students, and it may be that they have not as yet had as much opportunity to use knowledge gained in the foods unit. More than one-half of the single respondents and about one-third of the married re— spondents checked "helpful" for this phase of the curriculum. 52 Two of the married respondents and one single respondent were undecided. One married respondent checked "rarely helpful.” It is possible that those who were undecided or considered that the foods study was rarely helpful may feel they learned more at home. The year of graduation does not seem to have had much influence on the ratings by the graduates as approximately one-half of the earlier graduates indicated that the foods unit was very helpful, and one-half of the later graduates also checked "very helpful." On the basis of the information presented in Table V, it would appear that the unit of Cooking, Meal Planning, and Nutrition is meeting the needs of students of varying nationality backgrounds, and the emphasis is not directed too strongly to students who will marry shortly after gradu- ation from high school. In the light of these findings only minor revisions seem to be necessary at this time in the foods area. Table VI indicates that satisfaction expressed for the Clothing Selection and Construction unit is similar to that of the Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition unit. All but three of the respondents of Belgian heritage indicated that this area of study was very helpful or helpful. Com- parison with the marital status section of the table shows that the two respondents of Belgian background who felt that this study was rarely helpful are married. Perhaps limited time is a factor here. All but one of the non—Belgian re- 53 spondents indicated that this unit was very helpful or help- ful: therefore nationality background does not seem to have influenced the ratings by the respondents. TABLE VI Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CLOTHING SE— LECTION AND CONSTRUCTION Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- Evaluation of ground of Parents Marital Statps ation Clothing Either or 1956 1959 Selection and Both Neither 1957 1960 ’ Construction Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 .Qnit, (Totalh N N N N N N Very helpful (15) 9 6 5 10 9 6 Helpful (21) 16 5 5 16 13 8 Undecided ( 2) l l l l l l Rarely helpful ( 2) 2 2 l 1 Not helpful No response Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 According to Table VI neither marital status nor year of graduation show any deviation from the pattern indicated by the nationality background variable. Only one of 11 single respondents was undecided and only one of 29 married respond- ents was undecided. Two married respondents checked "rarely helpful." These four respondents are evenly distributed in the section of the table indicating year of graduation. 54 Information in Table VI indicates that former graduates have found the Clothing Selection and Construction study to be helpful, and this is not affected by nationality background, marital status or year of graduation. The Child Care and Play School unit often aids high school students to become better baby—sitters or to help with younger children at home. Knowledge gained in this aspect of the curriculum may frequently not be used again until the student marries and has children. According to Table VII the two respondents who have not found this unit to be helpful have a non-Belgian back- ground, are single, and graduated during the later years en- compassed by this study. TABLE VII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CHILD CARE AND PLAY SCHOOL Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Marital Status ation Evaluation of Either or 1956 1959 Child Care Both Neither 1957 1960 and Play Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 School (Total N N N N N N Very helpful (11) 8 3 3 8 8 3 Helpful (13) ll 2 -3 10 6 7 Undecided ( 8) 4 4 2 6 4 4 Rarely helpful Not helpful ( 2) 2 2 2 No response ( 6) 5 1 1 5 6 Total (40) 28 12 11 29 24 16 55 Two-thirds of the respondents with a Belgian back- ground checked "very helpful" or "helpful," and slightly less than one-half of the non-Belgian respondents checked these ratings. Marital status shows the same proportion, two- thirds of the married respondents reported that the child care study was very helpful or helpful, and slightly less than one-half of the single respondents have found it to be very helpful or helpful. Fifty-eight per cent of the respondents come from families having four or more children. Four respondents with Belgian background and four with non-Belgian background were undecided as to the helpfulness of this unit. There was no response from six of the respondents. Table VII indicates that more of the respondents of Belgian heritage have found this unit helpful. Perhaps more emphasis is placed upon children in homes with this back- ground. It is perhaps not surprising that fewer single graduates do not find this unit to be as helpful. About half of the single respondents are students, and they may not have had as much opportunity for practical application of the study in the child care unit as married graduates. Year of graduation does not seem to have had a sig- nificant effect upon the responses. Getting along With Others is taught in Homemaking I to help orient the students to the high school environment, and to growth, development and change. Emphasis is not placed 56 upon the life of the student after high school graduation. Slightly more than one-half the graduates with Belgian background indicated the unit was helpful or very helpful, and slightly less than one-half the non-Belgian graduates in- dicated it was helpful or very helpful. Inter-marriage be- tween families with a Belgian background is extensive in Atkinson, and perhaps relationships with others have a deep meaning for the respondents with this heredity. It may be related to the strong family ties. The proportion indicated here is not too different for the non-Belgian respondents. but this writer had expected fewer Belgian-background re- spondents to find the unit helpful because as students many of them appeared self-sufficient and socially sure of them- selves. Although Table VIII shows that no single respondents rated Getting Along With Others as very helpful, approximately one-half rated the unit as helpful. About one-half of the married respondents checked the unit as helpful or very help- ful. Indications are that the emphasis is not directed too strongly toward students who may eventually marry. 57 TABLE VIII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of GETTING ALONG WITH OTHERS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Marital Status ation Evaluation of Either or ' 1956 1959 Getting Along Both Neither 1957 1960 With Others Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Unit (Total) N N N N N N Very helpful ( 5) 3 2 5 4 1 Helpful (15) 12 3 6 9 9 6 Undecided (l3) 8 5 4 9 6 7 Rarely helpful ( 3) 2 1 3 2 1 Not helpful ( l) l l 1 No response ( 3) 2 l l 2 1 Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 Somewhat more than one-half of those graduating in the earlier three years, as reported in this study, stated that the unit has been helpful or very helpful, and slightly less than one-half of those graduating in the later three years checked ”helpful" or "very helpful." Only minor revisions will be made in this unit during the coming year. Home Nursing has been helpful or very helpful to two- thirds of the respondents with a Belgian background, and helpful or very helpful to three-fourths of the non-Belgian respondents. The difference does not appear significant. 58 According to Table IX, 75 per cent of the earlier graduates rated Home Nursing as helpful or very helpful, and 50 per cent of the later graduates checked it as helpful or very helpful. Perhaps the earlier graduates have had more opportunity for practical application. TABLE IX Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of HOME NURSING Unit as Related to Three.Variab1es:. Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Nationality Background, Evaluation of Home Nursing Unit Very helpful Helpful Undecided Rarely helpful Not helpful No response Total Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Magiisl Status ation Either or 1956 1959 Both Neither 1957 1960 Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 (Total) N N N N N N (5) 4 1 5 4 l (21) 13 8 7 14 14 7 ( 7) 6 l 2 5 2 5 (3) 2 1 3 2 1 ( l) l l 1 _(_3_)_ .2— _l_ ..2. __1_ __2._ .1— (40) 28 12 11 29 24 16 None of the single graduates rated the Home Nursing unit as very helpful. it very helpful. Five of the married graduates rated More than one-half the single respondents checked "helpful," and 14 married respondents have found this unit to be helpful. 59 Evaluation of the Home Nursing unit may have been effected by the revisions'made in the course of study four years ago. A somewhat higher proportion of married graduates rate it as very helpful or helpful and perhaps use the information more frequently. Fifteen per cent of the re- spondents reported they attended nursing school. Emphasis in this unit would appear to be directed toward graduates who marry to a greater extent than to those who do not marry. The Crafts unit has been so extensively revised that evaluation of the information in Table X is difficult except in the category of Year of Graduation. TABLE X Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of CRAFTS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background. Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Mapital Statgs__gp;gp__ Either or 1956 1959 Both Neither 1957 1960 Evaluation of Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Crafts Unit (Total) N N N N N N Very helpful ( 3) 1 2 2 1 3 Helpful (14) 10 4 7 7 4 10 Undecided ( 7) 4 3 7 6 1 Rarely helpful ( 7) 5 2 1 6 6 1 Not helpful ( 5) 4 1 5 4 1 No response ( 4) 4 1 3 4 Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 60 Nine of the earlier graduates rated the unit as very helpful and one-sixth of these respondents checked "helpful.” However, 13 of the 16 graduates in the latter three years have found it to be helpful or very helpful. This would ap- pear to indicate that the revisions have made this unit more meaningful. Twenty seven per cent of the married respondents checked "very helpful" or "helpful," and 81 per cent of the single respondents checked these two ratings. Perhaps this can be interpreted to mean that the single respondents have more time for crafts. The two variables, marital status and year of graduation, appear to be more significant than heredity background in the Crafts unit. Two of the non-Belgian re- spondents have found this unit very helpful, and one-third rated it as helpful. One respondent with Belgian background rated it very helpful, and slightly more than one—third checked "helpful." There are no plans for revision at this time. According to Table XI related to the Home Decoration unit, year of graduation has had no effect upon the responses. In each of the two categories 75 per cent of the respondents reported that the Home Decoration unit has been helpful or very helpful. 61 TABLE XI Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of HOME DECORATION Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Marital Status ation Either or 1956 1959 Evaluation of Both Neither 1957 1960 Home Deco- Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 ration Unit (Total) N N N .3 N N Very helpful ( 7) 6 l l 6 7 Helpful (23) 18 5 4 19 11 12 Undecided ( 3) 3 2 1 2 1 Rarely ( helpful ( 3) 2 ' l l 2 l 2 Not helpful No response ( 4) 2 2 3 l 3 1 Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 Eighty-six per cent of the married respondents rated the unit as helpful or very helpful, and approximately 50 per cent of the single respondents have found it to be help- ful or very helpful. Implications may be that the married respondents have had more opportunity to utilize knowledge gained in the study of home decoration, and emphasis in the unit may have been directed toward the students who marry within a few years. There seems to be a significant difference in the responses in terms of nationality background. The Home Decoration unit was rated as helpful by 86 per cent of the respondents with a Belgian background, and helpful or very 62 by 50 per cent of the non—Belgian respondents. For the most part the respondents grew up in middle class homes. Perhaps the mothers of the respondents with the Belgian heritage have been especially interested in this aspect of homemaking. The girls may have been unconsciously influenced by the interest of the mothers. The Home Decoration unit is undergoing re- vision at this time. Table XII shows the pattern of responses to the Tex- tiles unit. On the basis of the following statements, this writer concludes that a larger percentage of the respondents have been unable to make a practical application of this unit. Twenty-one per cent of the respondents with Belgian back- ground reported that they have found the unit to be helpful. None of the non-Belgian respondents checked "very helpful,“ and 17 per cent reported that it was helpful. TABLE XII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of TEXTILES Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ‘gppppg_p§_ggrents MppitalyStatus ation Either or 1956 1959 Evaluation of Both Neither 1957 1960 the Textiles . Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Unit (Total N N N N N N Very helpful ( l) 1 1 1 Helpful ( 8) 6 2 5 3 4 4 Undecided (10) 6 4 2 8 5 5 63 TABLE XII--Con£;nued Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ground of Parents Marital Status__gp$pp___ Either or 1956 1959 Evaluation of Both Neither 1957 1960 the Textiles Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Unit (Total) N N N N N N Rarely helpful ( 5) 5 5 3 2 Not helpful ( 6) 3 3 1 5 4 2 No response (10) 7 3 3 7 H 7 3 Total (40) 28 12 ll 29 24 16 Fourteen per cent of the married graduates rated the textiles unit as helpful or very helpful. None of the single students checked "very helpful," but 45 per cent checked "helpful." This writer is at a loss to explain why single graduates have found textiles study to be more meaningful than have married graduates. Plans for revision of this unit include relating some of its aspects more closely to the Home Decoration unit, and to relate the unit more closely to home- making needs and uses. The year of graduation does not seem to be of significance as 21 per cent of the earlier graduates, and 22 per cent of the later graduates reported that the unit was helpful or very helpful. The Money Management unit is taught in Homemaking III, and the emphasis is on management of money for families rather than for individuals. Not all of the respondents were en- 64 rolled in Homemaking III. According to Table XIII, none of the single respon- dents checked "very helpful.” and approximately one-third of the single respondents checked "helpful." Fifty per cent of the single respondents are students and perhaps have been unable to make a practical application of this unit. Slightly more than half of the married graduates have found the study of money management to be helpful or very helpful. TABLE XIII Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of MONEY MANAGE— MENT Unit as Related to Three Variables: ground, Marital Status, Nationality Back- and Year of Graduation I Evaluation of the Money Management 9.11;?- Very helpful Helpful Undecided Rarely helpful Not helpful No response Total Year of Nationality Back- Gradu— M 1 S __EE£QB____ Either or 1956 1959 Both Neither 1957 1960 Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 (Total) N N N N N N ( 7) 7 7 6 l (12) 7 5 4 8 5 7 (5) 4 1 5 4 1 ( 5) 4 l l 4 3 2 (1) l 1 1 .(.1_0.)_ __ _5... ,.__.§_ _4_ ......_.__.5.... (40) 28 12 11 29 24 16 Year of graduation does not seem to be of signifi- cance as approximately 50 per cent of the respondents in each of the two categories rated the Money Management as helpful 65 or very helpful. Fifty penbent of the Belgian—background respondents reported that Money Management was very helpful or helpful. None of the non-Belgian respondents stated they had found the unit to be very helpful, but 42 per cent checked ”helpful.” This may imply that a characteristic of the respondents with Belgian background is thriftiness. Revisions continue to be made in this phase of the homemaking curriculum and it is hoped that eventually the majority of graduates will be able to apply knowledge gained in the study of money management. The Family Relations unit is part of the curriculum in Homemaking III; not all of the respondents studied this unit. As shown by Table XIV, approximately one-half of the respondents of Belgian background reported that this unit was helpful or very helpful, and three—fourths of the non- Belgian respondents checked "helpful" or "very helpful." This writer speculates that the respondents with Belgian heritage grew up in homes in which some aspects of old world culture and ideas still prevail. The father may be the head of the family, and American ideas of sharing and companion- ship in marriage may not be of as much importance as they are to those respondents whose background is non-Belgian. 66 TABLE XIV Atkinson High School Graduates' Evaluation of FAMILY RE— LATIONS Unit as Related to Three Variables: Nationality Background, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation Year of Nationality Back- Gradu- ‘gpound of?PapentpiMapgpplggpgtus .éEiQB____ Evaluation of Either or 1956 1959 the Family Both Neither , 1957 1960 Relations Belgian Belgian Single Married 1958 1961 Unit (Total) N N ' N N N N Very helpful ( 6) 5 1 1 5 4 2 Helpful (18) 10 8 4 14 12 6 Undecided ( 9) 7 2 3 6 4 5 Rarely helpful ( 2) 2 l 2 1 1 Not helpful No response ( 5) , 4 l 3 2 3 2 Total (40 28 12 ll 29 24 16 Emphasis.in the Family Relations unit is on marriage and the family. This emphasis is reflected in Table XIV. Sixty-six per cent of the married respondents report that it has been helpful or very helpful and 45 per cent of the single respondents checked "helpful” or "very helpful.” Sixty-seven per cent of the earlier graduates have found the Family Relations unit to be helpful or very help- ful, and 50 per cent of the later graduates reported that it has been helpful or very helpful. This may indicate that the older respondents have had more opportunity to apply know- ledge gained in the study of family relations. ‘Revisions will continue to be made in the study of family relations. 67 Summary High school homemaking teachers have been concerned for a long time with the needs and interests of young people. Through education and family guidance the search for many of the satisfactions of enrichening experiences may be ob- tained. Since women often carry the larger share of the activities of the home, it is essential that course work in homemaking provide experiences to build up understanding in these areas. Homemaking is a functional program that is meeting individual needs and interests of-students. Goodykoontz and Coon have stated: Today more than ever, children and young people, men and women need the wise counsel and mature advice of others, to help them.work out their aspirations and lengings in terms of actual ways of living, of work- ing, playing, feeling and enjoying life. Evaluation is an integral part of teaching and of learning: furthermore, it is a means of determining the ex— tent to which educational objectives have been attained. Teachers of homemaking in high school are constantly con- cerned with the extent to which changes result in the growth and development of the individual. The need for evaluation in home economics has become increasingly apparent as the areas of knowledge in this field have become more inclusive and as the influence of home economics has increased in schools and communities. 1Bess Goodykoontz and Beulah I. Coon, Family Living and OupySchools, (New York: Appleton-Century Co.,), p. 2. 68 Homemaking teachers have learned to state goals and objectives clearly in terms of pupil behavior and in terms of what is to be accomplished in the homemaking curriculum before attempting to plan their work. An important first step in evaluation is to use these objectives as guides in planning the measures by which to determine the attainment of goals. Then there should follow mutual understanding by teachers and pupils of the characteristics associated with the goals and the behavior characteristics for each goal. Evaluation for only part of the objectives is not enough. It Should be comprehensive in that there is an assessment of growth toward knowledge, understanding, ability, attitudes. interests, judgments, skills and all other changes indicating attainment. Many different procedures and instruments‘should be used. Self-appraisal of progress makes for growth and self- direction. As pupils learn to compete with themselves rather than with others, they learn to judge their progress on the basis of their achievements rather than their failures. An effective evaluation program will result in pupils profiting from the evaluation in some manner. This writer administered a questionnaire by which former pupils could evaluate the effectiveness of the home- making curriculum at Atkinson High School. The objectives were two-fold: l. to determine where the curriculum is meeting the needs of the former homemaking students. 69 2. andgget up suggestions for curriculum changes in the event the study revealed that revisions are indicated. Questionnaires were mailed to the 57 graduates of Atkinson High School who were/formerly enrolled in homemaking classes at the high school. Forty of the graduates (70 per cent) responded. A summary of results as checked on the questionnaire was as follows: 1. A small percentage of respondents expressed need for additional training in the Cooking, Meal Planning. and Nutrition unit. Thirtyfsix, or 90 per cent, of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the foods units and indicated that this phase of the curriculum has been adequate and helpful. 2. Four of the graduates felt limitations in the study of clothing because of larger classes and lack of personal attention. It was considered very helpful or helpful by 36, or 90 per cent, of the graduates. 3. Twenty-six, respondents, or 65 per cent, found the unit in Child Care and Play School to be helpful. Eight were undecided as to whether or not this unit had been helpful and two of the respondents gave negative responses.1 1Of the 40 graduates who responded. 11 are single and three of the married graduates do not have children, and this may have influenced their viewpoint. 70 Getting Along With Others is a unit which is difficult to assess as the graduates in 1956 and 1957 did not have an opportunity to study the unit. Twenty of the former graduates found it very helpful or help— ful and 13 were undecided. Home Nursing was checked as very helpful or helpful by 26, or 65 per cent of the respondents, and 10. or 25 per cent, were undecided or have found it rarely helpful. As was stated earlier, this unit was revised five years ago. Recently the Crafts and Money Management units were changed extensively and have been considered more successful because of the revisions. The Home Decoration unit has been helpful or very helpful to 30, or 75 per cent, of the respondents but is undergoing revision at this time for the reasons reported earlier in this study. The Textiles unit was checked by nine graduates as helpful or very helpful, and 21 were undecided or have not found it to be very helpful. Plans for revision include relating this unit more closely to the Home Decoration unit. The study of Family Relations unit is revised to some extent each year. Twenty‘four of the respondents checked it as helpful or very helpful, nine were un- decided, and two found it rarely helpful. This unit is taught in Homemaking III and not all of the 40 71 respondents were enrolled in this class. 'A study of this type can serve as a basis for helping to meet interests, values and needs of present and future homemaking students. The goals of homemaking education can be extended not only within the classroom but also through home experiences and the Future Homemakers of America. Tables V through XIV show the relationship of background variables to the ratings of homemaking units by the graduates of Atkinson High School who were former home- making students. The original assumption by this writer that the re- sults of the curriculum evaluation would indicate the students with Belgian background were less receptive to the homemaking course of study does not seem to be correct. A larger proportion of respondents with Belgian heritage re— ported that units of study in child care and decorating the home have been helpful or very helpful. A slightly larger percentage of Belgian respondents indicated that units in Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition, Getting Along With Others, Textiles, and Money Management were found to be helpful or very helpful as compared to the ratings by non- Belgian graduates. Single respondents more frequently checked the Crafts unit "helpful" or "very helpful." A larger percentage of married respondents indicated that units of study in Child Care and Play School, Home Nursing, Home Decoration. Money Management and Family Relations have been helpful or very helpful. Year of Graduation is the variable which appears to have the least significance. The majority of respondents checked "helpful" or "very helpful" for both Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition. and Clothing Selection and Construction. It would appear that skills are important to members of this community and that this is considered when evaluating the homemaking curriculum. It is possible that people of Atkinson who have a Belgian and central European background believe that woman's place is in the home, and that they place much value on homemaking. CHAPTER IV SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS In this study an attempt was made to determine the effectiveness of the homemaking curriculum by evaluating the results of questionnaires returned by graduates of Atkinson High School who formerly were enrolled in the home— making classes. The data were obtained from 40 question- naires that were returned by mail. The 40 respondents con- stitute 70 per cent of the 57 graduates who formerly were members of the Atkinson homemaking classes, and the sample was considered adequate to draw some conclustions concerning the entire group. This chapter summarizes the findings reported in Chapter III. Conclusions are drawn, and recommendations for revision of the Atkinson High School homemaking curriculum are suggested. Background information as revealed by the first page of the questionnaire indicates there is a lack of mobility for this particular group. All of the respondents were born in northwestern Illinois. Eighty-five per cent of the respondents' fathers and 75 per cent of their mothers were born in Illinois. 73 74 The nationality background of 75 per cent of the respondents is largely central European, and 70 per cent of the respondents have some Belgian ancestry from either or both parents. The number of married respondents totaled 72.5 per cent, and the number of children for the married groups varied from three or more to none. Approximately 55 per cent of the respondents' hus- bands are blue collar workers, one husband is a member of the armed services, and two husbands are students. The balance are employed as white collar workers. Approximately 58 per cent of the graduates are full-time homemakers and 12.5 per cent are students. The remaining graduates are em- ployed in professional, technical or clerical positions. The median income for all respondents was in the $4,000 to $5,999 range. Responses to the questionnaires indicate that 77.5 per cent of the respondents live in rented homes or apartments. The five students did not respond to this question. Fifty-five per cent of the respondents have had no education or training beyond the high school level. The questionnaire presented a list of sources of information which could be helpful to individuals interested in homemaking, and the graduates were asked to check the sources which were helpful to them. Sources checked most frequently, in order of the number of responses. were training 75 at home, homemaking classes, friends, and magazines. Respondents were asked to rank the three sources of information which have been most important: Number 1, the most important: Number 2, the next most important: and Number 3, the third most important. Training at home and homemaking classes were ranked highest as important sources of information. Although many respondents indicated that friends and magazines generally were helpful sources of in- formation, the two sources were ranked by less than 31 per cent as second or third in importance, and no respondents in- dicated that they were most important. The second part of the questionnaire was designed to elicit information about the helpfulness of major areas of study in the homemaking curriculum at Atkinson High School. Respondents were asked to check each unit as very helpful, helpful, undecided, rarely helpful, or not helpful. They were given an opportunity to comment on each area of study. The units in Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition, and Clothing Selection and Construction were rated as very helpful or helpful by the majority, 90 per cent, of the respondents. Home Decoration was checked next most frequently. followed by Home Nursing, Child Care and Play School, and Family Relations. Money Management and Getting Along With Others were revealed as helpful or very helpful by approxi- mately 50 per cent of the respondents. About 43 per cent felt that the Crafts unit was helpful, and 23 per cent reported that the Textiles unit was helpful. 76 ABecause background characteristics could influence the responses, three variables were selected which might effect the responses: Nationality Background of Parents, Marital Status, and Year of Graduation. Graduates with a Belgian background more frequently answered that the units in Cooking, Meal Planning and Nutrition, Getting Along With Others, Textiles, Child Care and Play School, and Money Management were helpful or very helpful. Non-Belgian respondents.revealed more frequently that Home Nursing and Crafts were helpful or very helpful. There was very little difference in replies con- cerning the Clothing Selection and Construction unit as revealed by non-Belgian respondents and Belgian-background respondents. The responses expressed by the graduates indicate that a somewhat higher percentage of respondents with a Belgian background have been receptive to the homemaking curriculum. Emphasis in some of the units is directed toward students who marry. This is true of Money Management and Family Relations. A larger percentage of the married graduates felt that units in Family Relations, Money Manage- ment, Home Decoration, Home Nursing, and Child Care and Play School have been helpful. Single respondents more frequently revealed that the Crafts unit was useful. Year of Graduation did not reveal much variation in responses except in the Home Nursing. Crafts, and Family 77 Relations units. In Home Nursing and Family Relations, the earlier graduates report that the units have been helpful, suggesting that a longer period of time has increased the use for the knowledge gained in these two units. Crafts was checked most frequently by later graduates as being help- ful. Recent revisions of the unit have undoubtedly influenc- ed the responses for this unit. According to the 40 former students who returned the questionnaires, the homemaking curriculum as taught in Atkinson High School has been meeting the needs of those enrolled to a large extent. Suggested revisions of the homemaking program based on the results of the questionnaire include the following: 1. Revise the Textiles unit to relate more closely to the experiences of homemaking students. 2. Evaluate the Home Decoration unit after the revised form is taught this year to ascertain whether or not it is as effective as possible. 3. Carefully evaluate the other units being taught and consider whether more depth is needed. The findings of this study may emphasize that meaningful identification of the composite strengths and weaknesses of the homemaking program can be gained through subjective evaluation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Lela. Illinois Teacher, Vol. IV, No. 5, January, 1961. Bloch, Marc. The Historian's Craft, New York: Alfred A. Knofp, 1953. Brookover, Wilbur, A Sociology of Education, New York: American Book Company, 1955. Brown, Clara M. "Appraisal of Trends in Home Economics Education Research," Journal of Home Economics. Vol. 29, No. 11, November, 1937. Burgess, Ernest W. and Locke, Harvey J. The Family, New York: American Book Company, 1953. Daily Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), May, 1962. Federal Security Agency, Office of Education, Homemaking Education in the Secondary Schoois of the United States. Vocational Education Division, 1947. . , Administration 0; Vocational Education. ' Vocational Education Bulletin No. 1, General Series No. 1, Revised 1948. Fleck, Henrietta. "Home Economics and the Future.“ Forecast for Homeygconomists, Vol. 74, No. 6, June, 1958. ' Good, Carter V. and Scates, Douglas E. Methods of Research, New York: Appleton—Century-Crafts, Inc.. 1954. Goodykoontz, Bess and Coon, Beulah I. Family Living and Cup Schools, New York: D. Appleton—Century Company. 1941. Landis, Judson T. and Landis, Mary G. Building Your Life, New York: Prentice-Hall, 1956. Lemmon, Louise. "Is High School Home Economics Education Up to Date?", American Vocational Jogpnal, March, 1962. 78 79 Logan, William B. "Vocational Education Scores Important Gains," American Vocational Journal, Vol. 37, No. 2, February, 1962. Lyle, Mary S. "Graduates Reflect on Their Education," Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 49, No. 1, January. 1957. McCain, James A. "Home Economics, Frill or Fundamental?" Practical HomeAEconomics, October, 1961. O'Donnell, Beatrice O. "Discrepancies Between Beliefs of Leaders in Homemaking Education in Michigan and Practices in Local Homemaking Programs," Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, School of Education, Michigan State College, 1954. Rummel, J. Francis. An Intppduction to Research Procedures in Education, New York: Harper and Brothers. 1958. Selltiz, Johoda, Deutsch and Cook, Reseagch Methods in Social Relations, New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1959. Sibley, Bradley. "Evaluation in Homemaking Education," Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1959. Smith, Lois. "Studying Values Through Home Economics," Illinois Teacher, Vol. III, No. 7, March, 1960. Spafford, Ivol. Encygiopedia of Education Research, New York: MacMillan Company, 1950. U.S. Department of Agriculture, zitles of Completed Theses- Home Economicgiand Related Fieldgyin Collgges gpg Uniyggsities o; the United Stgtes, in cooperation with the Department of Health, Education and welfare. U.S. Department of Interior, "Some Procedures Used in Evolving a Philosophy," Curriculum Devegopment in Education for Homefignd Family Living, Part II, Series I. Office of Education, Vocational Division, Washington, D.C.: March, 1939. Walsh, Letitia. "Selected Aspects of Social Change," Illinoig Teachep, Vol. II, No. 1, September, 1958. Youmans, Rita L. "Evaluation in Teaching Home Economics," Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 51, No. 6, June, 1959. , and White, Alice Post. "Ways and Means Toward Recognized Ends," gllinois Teachgp, Vol. V, No. 4, December, 1961. APPENDIX Atkinson Community High School Atkinson, Illinois May 1., 1962 Your help is needed in assisting me to evaluate the homemaking course of study at Atkinson Community High School. The purpos e is to learn whether or not changes should be made to better meet the needs of future home economics students in this community. The accompanying quewtionnaire is being sent to many of the former s tudents who were enrolled in our home- making classes and who were graduated by.Atkinson Community High School during the years I have taught in this school. The information you give me will be of the utmost value in preparing the units to'be taught to our future homemaking students. The questionnaire is anonymous and you may be completely frank in your comments as this study is part of my work toward a Master's Degree, and.your answers will in no way effect my position at Atkinson High School. Please return the questionnaire in the enclosed envelope by Tuesday, May 15th, as plans for next year's units of study will begin at this time. Sincerely yours, Hrs. June Powell Homemaking Teacher Ill1l E \ .\ ..zillblitl.‘ ‘ ' in". .' ...! T'.‘ 1293 02237 2290