Archived Information

Conclusions

The following conclusions are offered based on the collective evidence provided in this paper. The reader is reminded again of the many caveats provided about the lack of a collective theoretical framework and the quality and consistency of research design underlying the various studies reviewed. Nevertheless, the following are offered for the reader's perusal:

1. Nearly all vocational and technical education teachers have acquired paid occupational experience as a prerequisite to employment in vocational education. The minimum required for any vocational education field may be as few as 500 clock hours of university-supervised experience (e.g., in marketing education as part of a college teacher education major) to as much as nine years of occupational experience (e.g., in trade and industrial education in lieu of college-level preparation).

2. In some states there are subject areas identified with vocational education where paid occupational experience isn't prerequisite to teacher certification or employment. However, teachers have had considerable applied experiences in college laboratories and classrooms in processes identified with occupational competence in areas such as computer applications, office systems, technology, drafting (CAD and CAM), child care, and accounting. Even in these states and in these subjects, preference in employment is given to those with paid occupational experience.

3. For some subjects (trade and industrial education and health occupations in particular), occupational experience replaces state requirements for a college degree and college-level preparation in a subject area, the liberal arts, and in pedagogy. Years of occupational experience provide "alternative certification" in some subject areas of vocational education.

4. The belief that occupational experience is prerequisite to teaching an occupational specialty is heavily grounded in vocational education history and philosophy.

5. The National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) provides a source for nationally-developed, occupational competency assessment that is used by many states as a basis to certify the occupational competency of vocational education teachers for as many as 56 specialized occupations.

6. No reliable correlation has been established among scores on NOCTI or state-developed occupational competency tests and such variables as teacher qualifications, teacher satisfactoriness, or teaching effectiveness.

7. Some occupational experience is helpful - especially to novice teachers. It gives them a context and confidence in which to teach their occupational specialty. Extensive occupational experience has no effect on teaching effectiveness in contemporary vocational education programs.

8. Better educated teachers produce better educated workers for our nation's workplaces. As a corollary, better educated vocational education teachers and effective programs enrich the post-graduation earnings and workplace performance of graduates.

9. The collective findings from research on beginning vocational education teachers and the process used by public schools to induct them into the profession are dismal. Primarily, there is too little assistance for beginning teachers, especially in areas they perceive as having the most impact (e.g., mentors, adequate teaching materials, extra periods to plan, clerical assistance, and a teacher's aide).

10. All beginning teachers have problems, but alternatively certified vocational education teachers have additional problems. They are not getting much help in solving these problems. Apparently, the four types of induction and teacher training programs provided for alternatively certified vocational education teachers (as discussed by Beidel, 1993) are not in effect in any macro sense. Large numbers of alternatively certified teachers - a vast majority of the population - are being left to fend for themselves and to solve their own problems without benefit of a formal assistance program.

[Empirical Evidence]

[References]