While much remains to be done to broaden the dissemination efforts and make them more effective, a start has been made during the 3 fiscal years the research program has been in operation. With the ERIC system coming into full operation and with the opening of channels through journals and special, popularly written booklets, it is anticipated that substantial improvements in the dissemination of the research continuum will be achieved.

SUMMARY

Provisions for research in vocational education, which had long been recognized as a major need, were made a part of the Vocational Education Act of 1963. Ten percent of the money appropriated under the terms of the act were reserved to the Commissioner of Education for use in research in vocational education. Accordingly, $11.85 million was made available for fiscal year 1965, and $17.75 million for fiscal year 1966, but in fiscal year 1967 the appropriation was reduced to $10 million-approximately 4.8 percent instead of 10 percent. Projected appropriation for fiscal year 1968 for research is $13.55 million, or roughly 6.8 percent, instead of 10 percent.

Organizational relationships for research, approved by the Commissioner of Education on July 20, 1964, assigned the research function to the Division of Vocational and Technical Education.

On the basis of recommendations of the White House Task Force on Education, research in vocational education was transferred on July 1, 1965, to the newly created Bureau of Research and was assigned to the Division of Adult and Vocational Research. Concurrently the Division of Vocational and Technical Education was assigned to the newly created Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and Library Programs. On July 1, 1967, the name of the Division of Adult and Vocational Research was changed to the Division of Comprehensive and Vocational Education Research, and continued as a Division of the Bureau of Research.

The 448 projects and $39 million, for fiscal years 1965-67, were distributed among seven predetermined priority areas for research emphasis. These areas were (1) program evaluation, (2) vocational education curriculum, (3) personal and social significance of work, (4) personnel recruitment and development, (5) program organization and administration, (6) adult and continuing education, and (7) occupational information and career choice.

The council reviewed all projects completed and reported up to July 1, 1967. An analysis of each project was made, and illustrative examples of research completed were included in the discussion of research for each priority area. In addition, the council studied proposal summaries of funded projects which had not been completed. A wide range of research topics within the seven priorities was noted. Research allocations were made nationwide and involved a large number of sophisticated research personnel in education and in related disciplines.

In the spring of 1965, two national vocational education research centers were established; one at the Ohio State University and one at the North Carolina State University. Establishment of the centers had been urged by vocational educators in general, and their activities

were culminated in a resolution of the House of Delegates of the American Vocational Association in December 1963. Actual development of the centers satisfied a "felt need" among vocational educators for a specific focus upon research in vocational education.

The centers interpret their research roles broadly, and the content and direction of the work undertaken by each is different. However, both have involved a number of persons on a national basis, from a number of States and universities, and they have conducted a number of conferences, workshops, and seminars. Plans for the fall of 1967 include an on-the-spot evaluation of the achievements of the centers by the Division of Comprehensive and Vocational Education Research. Establishment of research coordinating units was authorized in April 1965, and subsequently such units were established in 44 States. It was intended that the units give concentrated attention to research for the purpose of extending the quality and quantity of research undertaken in the States. Although the RCU's differ among the States, a number of activities are common to all. For example, nearly all have established a State research advisory committee, have inventoried research resources, have formulated a research philosophy, and have provided service to local schools in regard to a variety of research activities. The Division of Comprehensive and Vocational Education Research plans an evaluation program specifically for the units during the fiscal year 1968.

A start has been made in connection with the dissemination of research information through the Educational Research Information Center (ERIC), and by the periodic lists of research projects provided by the Division of Comprehensive and Vocational Education Research. A plan is underway for publication of case studies of innovative projects, and a special section in the American Vocational Journal, beginning with the September 1967 issue, will provide a brief analysis of research projects in terms that will provide valuable information to teachers and other persons in vocational education.

CHAPTER 6.-TEACHER EDUCATION

Teacher education for vocational teachers developed in relationship to the various areas of emphasis. For example, programs of teacher education were organized and conducted for agriculture, home economics, trades, and industry, and the other areas with special concern for the unique problems in each of these areas. There are, of course, many similarities in these teacher education programs, but the greatest differences are to be found in the programs where special emphasis has been placed upon actual work experience requirements in skills and technical knowledge to be taught.

Although the actual arrangement for teacher education varies considerably among the States and in the various areas, all States have explicit specifications for the preparation of teachers in vocational education.

HOW LARGE IS THE TASK OF TEACHER EDUCATION?

One measure of the size of the teacher education task is the number of teachers employed. It was not until 1965 that an unduplicated count of all vocational teachers was made. The number that year was 109,136. For 1966 the number had increased to 124,042, a gain of 16.6 percent. The number of teachers is shown in table 70.

TABLE 70.—Number of teachers of vocational and technical education programs,1 fiscal years 1964 to 1966

Year:

19641965

1966__

85, 102

109, 136

124, 042

Adapted from the paper, "What's Ahead for Vocational Education," prepared by Division of Vocational and Technical Education, Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and Library Programs, U.S. Office of Education, Mar. 15, 1967, p. 13.

An analysis of preservice teacher education programs indicated that approximately 30 percent of the number of teachers employed were enrolled in preservice programs. A similar analysis indicated that approximately 30 percent of the teachers had been enrolled in inservice programs.

TABLE 71.-ENROLLMENTS IN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, 1 FISCAL YEARS 1965 AND 1966

Two additional problems complicate an analysis of the size of the teacher education task in vocational education. First, the fact is that roughly half (51.1 percent in 1966) of the teachers are full-time teachers and about half are part-time teachers. Teacher education requirements apply to both groups, but not the same requirements. Second, many of the part-time teachers in the adult phase of vocational education are also teachers in the secondary or postsecondary phases of the vocational education program. The number of teachers in the secondary phase who were also employed part time in the adult program increased 16.1 percent from 1965 to 1966; postsecondary teachers increased by 36.4 percent in the part-time adult programs. The largest number of teachers in the part-time adult program are recruited from business and industry. This group showed an increase of 4.6 percent for the period 1965 to 1966.

NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHER

EDUCATORS

Despite the depth of concern for teacher education, little evidence can be found of similar concern for the persons who teach the teachers. Neither the Federal acts nor the rules and regulations for the administration of vocational education provide any standards for the selection or preparation of teacher educators.1

Both the number and qualifications of teacher educators are determined by each State, and accordingly wide differences exist among the States. Figure 15 shows the relationship between the total number of teachers and the total number of teacher educators, full time and part time, in each State. In 1966, the States identified 2,145 teacher educators located in 260 institutions, and 56 teacher educators located on State staffs, as having been designated as vocational teacher educators. Interpretation of figure 15 is difficult because little is known about how each of the States interpreted the requirement of the reporting system which asks for the numbers of teacher educators, and because the actual practices of conducting teacher education vary widely, particularly in the areas of trade and industrial and technical teacher education. Even an assumption that the number of teacher educators reported represents persons whose services were funded under the provisions of the vocational education acts is doubtful. Even if the assumption were true, it is known that other persons provide inputs for the teacher education program who are not counted. Nevertheless, it would appear that States with large numbers of vocational teachers per teacher educator are understaffed. Outside the fact that the national average is 58 vocational teachers per teacher educator, there is no way of knowing whether this represents an optimum relationship.

Figure 16 shows the number of teacher educators, full time and part time, for each of the substantive areas of vocational education. Differences between the numbers of full-time and part-time teacher edu

1 Qualifications of teacher educators and their professional preparation are discussed later in this chapter.