Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

6-6-1969

Abstract

A 24-item questionnaire was sent to 123 graduates of the University of New Mexico’s Department of Secondary Education from the classes of 1962 and 1966 exclusive of graduates of specified departments such as industrial education and business education. The majority of the questionnaire items were for descriptive data collecting; five items sought evaluations of one kind or another while a final item sought open-end responses. The return rate was 86 per cent with 105 of the graduates responding. Data handling was accomplished by means of computer tabulation and multiple sorts on a mechanical sorting machine. The open-end question was hand-tabulated and the responses were categorized into summary statements. The most common suggestion made in the open-end responses was that the secondary education student should spend more time in observing and serving in an actual classroom situation. Almost one-half of the respondents are presently engaged in teaching. The next largest occupational group of 12 per cent is housewives. More than one-third of the respondents reside in Albuquerque. The nest largest number reside in California. All but one-fourth of the respondents have changed jobs more than once and more have taught in junior high schools than have taught at the senior high level. Non-teachers, exclusive of housewives, are earning more than are teachers but most of those not teaching listed reasons other than financial for leaving teaching or for never having taught. The larger number of respondents, both teachers and non-teachers, rated their present working conditions as good to excellent. Class discussion is by far the favorite teaching method of the respondents as student teaching is rated as the most helpful class in the undergraduate preparation. More males than females responded to the questionnaire and 80 per cent of the respondents of both sexes are married. Of those who did not sign their names to the questionnaire, the largest number are teachers. All but two-fifths of the respondents have had some post graduate college work. One of the many conclusions of the study is that the graduates, by and large, retain an identification with and an interest in their college and department. One of several recommendations of the study is that some means be found to expose the student to the realities of the classroom as early as possible in his or her college career.

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Secondary Education

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

William Barton Runge

Second Committee Member

John R. Dettre

Third Committee Member

Robert Harold White

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