Vocational Education Commons^™

Stakeholder Impact On Individual Development Within A Transition Worksite Program: A Case Study, Kong Chen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Emerging adults (Arnett, 2000) struggled with their transition from school to employment (Arnett, 2015). Within that group, individuals with disabilities were in a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged situation. The 2009 to 2019 employment rates for emerging adults with disabilities (33-39%) were far lower than for those without disabilities (73-79%; U.S. Census, 2019). There are employment programs designed to assist and support individuals with disabilities to transition to and retain employment. One such program, Project SEARCH, has served over 34,000 young adults with intellectual disabilities while achieving an average 72% employment rate when program participants had completed the training. Several studies …

1c1. Students With An Edge: Community Partnerships That Support All Learners, Jill Janes, Kris Byam

Education Summit

Today’s pK-12 students are preparing for a future workplace that is being written while they inhabit our classrooms. Educators, employers, and policymakers each have a stake in creating a global-ready workforce, yet each entity alone cannot effectively reach all learners. This session highlights an exemplar model for pK-12 work-based learning that engages all stakeholders in ongoing development of community- and industry-relevant learning experiences. The model encourages community-based career awareness and exploration in elementary grades with more advanced preparation and training in high school. A continuum of structure for accessing work-based learning experiences at the high school provides a culminating learning …

Building 21st Century Business Skills In High School Business Classrooms Using Digital Games And Simulations, Stacy Marcus

Graduate Research Papers

Digital games and simulations are often seen as fun activities to reward students but their potential is much greater. This literature review examined how integrating digital games and simulations into secondary business curriculum can help students build the skills needed for the 21st century workplace in an environment that is conducive to how they learn best. The effects of digital games and simulations on student motivation are also examined as well as how to assess student learning while using these tools. The information found came from peer-reviewed journals, books, and studies from the Web. Digital games and simulations have proven …

An Occupational Analysis Of Prepress In The Des Moines And Eastern Iowa Regions, Lee John Geisinger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

It is important that educators use a relevant, up-to-date curriculum when educating on a specific occupation. Job task analysis is an effective way for educators to understand an occupation and provide students with valuable information. This study analyzed prepress technicians' duties and tasks.

This research used the occupational analysis method called the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process. The DACUM process uses an expert worker panel to identify the duties and tasks of an occupation. This study found that there are 9 duties and 55 tasks for a prepress technician. After identifying the duties and tasks, the study confirmed those duties …

Enrollment Of Students With Disabilities In Career And Technical Education, Cory C. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The enrollment patterns of students with and without disabilities in Career and Technical Education (CTE) were examined. Data were collected from the transcripts and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) of 27 students with disabilities and the transcripts of 27 students without disabilities from three school districts at the end of their senior year. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses to describe differences between the enrollment patterns of students with and without disabilities as well as between students with different types and severity of disability. Overall, students in special education earned more CTE credits than students in general education. Additionally, …

Face-To-Face Training Versus Web-Based Training : Which Instructional Approach Is Better?, Nichola J. Lewis

Graduate Research Papers

Training skilled employees is essential in determining the success of an organization. Determining which type of training, whether face-to-face or web-based, will best serve the needs of an organization remains an issue. This literature review will attempt to answer the questions, "How do adults learn; what is web-based training; what is face-to-face training; is web-based training more effective than face-to-face training; and can web-based training and face-to-face training be combined?"

The Corporate University : Effective Strategies Used To Create A Productive Corporate Training Program, Eduardo Calderon

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review describes the strategies utilized in creating a successful corporate training program. There has been an evolution in the corporate training sector within the past decade that has encouraged the development of the corporate university. Many of our world's top companies are teaching content that is used to motivate employees to ensure a higher level of corporate success. This review suggests that by following the components established by effective training and instructional design, other entities can produce the same prosperous outcomes.

The Transformation Of A Middle School Industrial Shop To A Modular Industrial Technology Lab And Communicating This Transformation To The Local Community, Lynn Figg

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this graduate project was to describe the transformation of a middle school industrial arts shop to a modular industrial technology lab and the subsequent public relations effort to communicate this transformation to the local community. This project facilitated a better understanding of what a modular industrial technology lab is, what it looks like, and how it meets the needs of the industrial technology curriculum.

A PowerPoint presentation was created to explain to the diverse audiences how the change from a traditional industrial arts "shop" class to a modular industrial technology lab at an intermediate school took place, …

Training : What Is Training, Identifying The Need For Training, Methods Of Training, And How Can Trainings Effectiveness Be Evaluated?, Michael Johnson Jr.

Graduate Research Papers

This review involves aspects and elements of preparing effective training programs. In this review the researcher addresses the design and development stages of training programs. This review will provide valuable information for practitioners in the field of training and staff development. Definitions, needs assessment methods, evaluating effectiveness, methods of conducting evaluations, and building a rational for training programs are the areas covered by this review.

This review is written in the perspective for novice trainers and staff developers. The information provided can assist novice trainers build a knowledge base to enhance their ability to provide effective training. This review is …

Investigation Of The Job Training Partnership Act Career Inventory In Predicting Career Clusters For Clients In Black Hawk County, Amy Bryte

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is a federally funded program that is an approach to employee training and placement to the economically disadvantaged, dislocated workers, or those facing significant employment barriers. The goal of ITP A is to put People to work by placing them in jobs through various training activities. Overall the ITP A program strives to move jobless individuals into permanent self-sustaining employment. A service offered through the ITPA program is career inventory. Career inventory are assessment tools used to determine a client's current abilities, values, and interests. After a client completes the career inventory they are …

An Evaluation Of The Ductile Iron Casting Training Program At The Industrial Technology Department Of A Midwestern University, Khalid D. Alkarimy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to determine how efficient this training program is as measured by (a) increasing the knowledge of new employees about the ductile iron casting process and other casting processes as perceived by the participants, (b) participants achievement of the program learning objectives as perceived by the participants, and (c) a positive reaction and attitude toward the program contents, instructors, facility and handout as perceived by the participants. The problem of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ductile Iron Casting Training program offered by the Industrial Technology department of a Midwestern University to …

Curriculum Of The Dubuque Community School District In Relation To Industrial Technology Programs In The State Of Iowa, Boyd A. Card

Graduate Research Papers

This study was conducted to draw a comparison between the Industrial Technology course offerings available in Iowa high schools and those offered in the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD). The top twenty largest school districts grades nine to twelve in Iowa will be selected for this study. The survey will be in table format and sent to Industrial Technology teachers.

Employability Expectations And Hiring Trends Of High School Graduates By Dubuque County Manufacturers, Lisa A. Freebolin

Graduate Research Papers

Little research has been done to show skill requirements and employability trends for high school graduates in a specific local industrial sector, such as manufacturing. It was in an effort to better equip Dubuque's students with the skills they need for employability and success in the workplace, that this research has answered the question: What are the employability expectations and hiring trends of high school graduates by Dubuque County manufacturers?

The Relationship Between Female Enrollment In Ninth Grade Industrial Technology Programs And Recruiting Efforts Made In The Eighth Grade Classroom, Scott J. Garwood

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this casual-comparative study was to investigate the effect of recruitment efforts made in the eighth grade Industrial Technology classroom on female enrollment in Industrial Technology at the ninth grade level. The treatment consisted of a fifteen minute presentation designed to generate interest in Industrial Technology among female students.

It was found that female enrollment in ninth grade Industrial Technology courses was 33% higher among those who received the treatment than those who did not. It was concluded that recruitment efforts made at the eighth grade level did have an effect on enrollment at the ninth grade level.

School-To-Work : What Does This Mean For Our Schools?, Amy K. Leonhart

Graduate Research Papers

Over the course of fifty years the academic content of schools has changed dramatically. Today, employers are looking for different skills from their employees than they were in the 1950s. Therefore, schools have been given the assignment to teach young adults about surviving in the work force.

Where do these skills fit into the schools' curriculum? Is this just another item that is added to the plate of teachers? What time is the "right" time to start teaching these critical skills to youngsters? This paper examines those questions. It also focuses on the different aspects of the school-to-work initiative.

The Effect Of Peer Tutoring On The Test Scores Of Washington High School 9th Through 12th Grade Students Enrolled In Metals/Small Engines Class, Larry D. Harken

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of peer tutoring on the class-average tests scores of Metals/Small Engines students in grades 9-12 at Washington High School, Vinton, Iowa.

Computer-Based Training And Its Impact On Training And Education, Carla Gahwiler

Graduate Research Papers

Computer-based training is an area of training that is growing at a rapid pace. Although it is becoming more and more popular, we must determine the actual impact it has on training in order to assess its usefulness and relevance. This study was developed by researching and compiling available data on the subject of computer based training, and then forming an assessment of this type of training based on that information. It was found that computer based training offers many positive features as well as advantages and appropriate applications, but it does have its limitations, and is not the answer …

The World Of Work : An Intermediate Level Curriculum Model Integrating School-To-Work And Service Learning, Virginia Lavelle

Graduate Research Papers

Workers will need new and different skills for the changing economy in the 21st century. Current legislation includes school improvement and school-to-work. This project was designed to incorporate the educational reform movements of school-to-work and service learning within the school year calendar to provide educational work-related experiences for a full range of intermediate level learners in an inclusive classroom. Within this model students practice developing and applying basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities (SCANS) through work-based experiences which bring together school-to-work and service learning.

The Relationship Of Teachers' Job Satisfaction And Their Perceptions Of Principals' Leadership Styles In Private Vocational High Schools In A Selected Metropolitan Area Of Taiwan, Ining Yuan-Hsiang Chu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and their perceptions of principals' leadership styles (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles) in the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area of Taiwan. A secondary purpose was to examine the difference between teachers' gender, educational level, and length of service in terms of their perceptions of the three different leadership styles and job satisfaction.

The sample consisted of 629 full-time private vocational high school teachers. The translated Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to measure teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership styles. The translated Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) …

Undecided College Students: An Integrative Review, Lori A. Clark-Vanhooreweghe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This integrative review studied the research related to undecided college students. The purposes of this paper were to examine the literature on undecided students, clarify common findings, reveal problematic areas, and suggest future areas of research. In order to accomplish this, the literature was divided into three main categories: differences and similarities between undecided and decided students, types of undecided students, and programs for undecided students. The studies relating to differences and similarities between undecided and decided students were organized according to the types of results they achieved, either evidence of differences or evidence of similarities. This body of literature …

Secondary And Postsecondary Vocational Education Curriculum Articulation As Perceived By Community College And High School Administrators, John W. Sorenson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The transition of the vocational student from the secondary school to the community college may result in unnecessary duplication of educational resources and curriculum, and can cause the student to waste time, effort, and lose motivation (Whitlock, 1978). Curriculum articulation is a significant approach to solving these problems (Hull & Parnell, 1991). The purpose of the study was two-fold: (a) to investigate the perceptions of community college and high school administrators regarding ideal and actual vocational articulation practices, and (b) to investigate the differences of perceptions to determine if differences were a function of administrative position.

The High School-Community College …

Attitudes Of Sophomore/Junior High School African American Males Toward Career-Related Organizations, Phyllis Gail Harris

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Young Leaders in Action, a career-related organization for high school sophomore and junior high school students, has had little success attracting African American males as participants.

The purpose of the study was to describe the attitudes of African American sophomore and junior high school males regarding participation in career-related organizations such as Young Leaders in Action. The study was to help identify barriers to participation as perceived by waterloo East and West Public High School sophomore and junior African America males. The study investigated student attitude of participation and leadership.

Based on the proposition that the recruiting process of career-related …

Listening Comprehension Analysis In A Midwestern Community College, Mary M. Conrad

Graduate Research Papers

At the post secondary level, listening comprehension is one of the most needed and least taught of the communication skills. This study compares whether a direct teaching method.is more effective than an indirect method for improving listening comprehension. Twenty-four secretarial students in two business communications classes were the subjects of the study. There were fifteen females in group 1 and eight females and one male in group 2. The Watson-Barker Listening Test was used to pre- and post-test subjects' listening comprehension.

Group 1 received listening instruction via a direct method; group 2 received instruction via an indirect method. T-test analysis …

Cooperative Learning And Its Relationship To Motivation And Achievement When Working Math Lab Problems In Principles Of Technology, Mark Edwards Rhoads

Graduate Research Papers

Working together in a dynamic group process has been shown to be highly effective in maximizing learning outcomes and helping students realize greater academic and social skills (Glasser, 1986). A great deal of research has been conducted on the relationship of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic efforts and instructional methods (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec, 1988). Johnson and his associates in 1981 (as cited by Wood, 1987) revealed that instruction focusing on cooperation and collaboration resulted in significant gains in achievement, self-esteem and social development. Many viable and successful forms and hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic adherents have realized extraordinary successes using …

Competencies Required Of Baccalaureate Degree Graduates From Graphic Communications Programs, Eldon B. Swanson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this study was to identify and validate a list of competencies that may be used by graphic communications educators as the basis for curricula development that meets the needs of the contemporary graphic communications industry. The purpose of this study was to provide the graphic communications educator with a comprehensive, prioritized, and logically clustered list of competencies required of baccalaureate degree graduates from graphic communications programs as perceived by representatives from the graphic communications industry and graphic communications educators.

The survey instrument used for this study is based on a seven point graphic rating scale on which …

An Analysis Of The Importance Of Selected Applied Physics Concepts As Prerequisites To Training In Automotive Technology, Patrick Michael Mccleskey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study has been to develop information that may be useful in the preparation of curriculums and materials dedicated to the remediation of applied physics knowledge and skill deficits demonstrated by entering automotive technology students. The problem was to identify and rank-order the importance of applied physics concepts within the mechanical, fluidal, electrical/electronic, thermal, and chemical domains that are foundational to training in automotive technology.

A questionnaire containing 77 concept statements with a corresponding graphic rating scale was administered via mailed correspondence to all 196 of California's full-time community college automotive instructors. Of these, 130 (66.33%) were …

Factors Influencing Minority Enrollment In Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education Programs In The State Of Iowa, Samuel Chukuemeka Obi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A study involving minority students was undertaken to ascertain and validate pertinent variables that influenced their enrollment in the postsecondary vocational-technical education programs in the state of Iowa. The study was also used to determine: (a) whether there were significant differences in the perceptions of postsecondary vocational-technical education minority students and vocational-technical-minded minority high school seniors on the one hand, and college-minded, vocational-technical-minded, and non-college/non-vocational-technical-minded minority high school seniors on the other; (b) whether the identified variables had comparable influences on postsecondary minority students to what the students thought; (c) the sources from which minority students learned the most about …

A Comparison Study Of Teaching Basic Drafting Concepts Using Computer-Assisted Equipment And Traditional Methods To Beginning Drafting Students At The Secondary Level, Thomas K. Farmer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine if basic drafting concepts and skills can be learned by students using computer-assisted drafting equipment as well as those students who were taught using traditional drafting equipment. The two methods used in this study were a traditional style, using drafting boards with drafting machines, and the second was using computer-assisted drafting equipment (CAD).

Integrating Mildly Handicapped Students In Industrial Arts Programs In Northeastern Iowa, William Martin Leonhart

Graduate Research Papers

The field of industrial arts is in a position to contribute considerably to the education of this group. It is this field of education that can prepare them personally, emotionally, socially, and economically to meet the demands of an adult industrial society. (Sharkey, 1964, p.17) The problem of this study ls to ascertain how industrial arts teachers can assist with the education of the educable mentally handicapped student, referred to in this paper as the Educable Mentally Handicapped (E.M.H.).

Entrepreneurship Education Project In Vocational Education Programs. Survey Of Program Coordinators., Del Shepard

Faculty Publications

A survey determined the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education within Iowa school systems. Twenty-four teacher/participants in inservice secondary and postsecondary vocational education training who requested and received PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) materials were surveyed with a 92 percent response rate. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents indicated that units were available. Sixty-four percent had received training during the past 3 years. A total of 1;110 students received instruction each year. Seventy-three percent of the students had a realistic option of going into business. Twenty-one respondents said that activities are managed individually. Results indicated that practicing entrepreneurs are involved in …