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An analysis of the impact of selected support services on new vocational-technical teachers
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of selected support services on new vocational technical teachers throughout Massachusetts. These services included aspects of preservice and inservice professional development activities. The research studied the manner in which support services were provided, the service providers, and the extent and impact of support services. A Massachusetts Department of Education initiative, called the New Instructor's Tool Kit Project, served as a vehicle of inquiry. The participants in the tool kit project for the past three years constituted one subset of the sample of subjects for the study while the second subset was made up of nonparticipants hired within the same period of time. Both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques were employed by the study. A questionnaire was mailed to 184 subjects and 116 (64%) responded. A structured interview was conducted on a selected group of 6 subjects. Data findings indicated that there is little structured support provided for new vocational technical teachers by local school systems in Massachusetts. In addition, there was little evidence to support the notion that the New Instructor's Tool Kit Project made an appreciable difference in the professional lives of new teachers. Significant findings were: (1) only 5 percent of new vocational technical teachers start teaching with full approval; (2) almost half of all new teachers start teaching without an orientation at their school; (3) many new teachers identified informal support teacher relationships, but few a formally structured program; (4) the subjects identified topics that related to teaching skills as being most important to new teachers; (5) perceived negative experiences during the first year were frustration, student behavior, discipline, professionalism of other teachers, the amount of work required by teaching and parental support; (6) perceived positive experiences were student progress, positive evaluations, satisfaction with working conditions and acceptance as a professional. The results of the study were used to develop recommendations for teacher training institutions, vocational technical school administrators, and the Division of Occupational Education. If implemented they should improve the pedagogical preparation and professional lives of new vocational technical teachers.
Subject Area
Vocational education|Teacher education|Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Shiminski, James Anthony, "An analysis of the impact of selected support services on new vocational-technical teachers" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9100543.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9100543