Factors affecting secondary teacher attitudes toward Tech Prep programs in selected Indiana and Illinois high schools
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting secondary teacher attitudes toward Tech Prep programs in selected Indiana and Illinois high schools. These factors included school demographics, the percent of graduates who anticipated attending a four-year college, and academic versus vocational faculty teaching appointments. An additional analysis compared the teachers' stages of concern with their school's actual Tech Prep implementation phase. The population for this study was secondary school teachers from Indiana and Illinois. These states were selected because of their contrasting two-year postsecondary institutions in which Indiana's Ivy Tech system is technical-oriented and Illinois' community colleges are academic and technical based. To answer the research questions posed, an equal number of teachers from each state was selected to represent three demographic regions: rural, suburban, and urban. Within the demographic regions the teachers were further divided into three high school subject areas: vocational, math/science, and communications. This produced 18 different groups of teachers. The primary instrument used in this study was the Stages of Concern About the Innovation Questionnaire developed by the Research and Development Center for Teacher Education at the University of Texas at Austin. A demographic worksheet was also developed to supplement the questionnaire. This study found that: (1) the majority of teachers in both states were concerned about how the Tech Prep program will affect them on a personal level; (2) the teachers in both states felt that they lack a complete understanding of their responsibilities within the Tech Prep program; (3) the teachers were found to be less concerned about how Tech Prep affects their students than themselves, and (4) the teachers were actively engaged in developing Tech Prep articulation agreements even though they lack a full understanding of Tech Prep.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Russell, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Vocational education|Secondary education|Educational software
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