Table Of ContentA PROPOSAL FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT
OF EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN HOME ECONOMICS
AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL
DISSERTATION
Presented In P artiel F ulfillm ent of the Requirements
for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the
Graduate School of The Ohio State
U niversity
By
GERALDINE CLENSLL, B.S., M.S.
The Ohio S tate U niversity
1952
Approved byt
Adviser
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful acknowledgement la made to Profeeeor H. Gordon Hullfish
for the invaluable guidance and encouragement he haa given both aa the
advisor for this study and through the stimulation of his teaching.
Sincere appreciation is expressed to Professor Dorothy Scott for the
continued and generous use of her time, and for the helpful suggestions
she has given. Appreciation is also expressed to the other members of
this committee, Professors Harold Alberty end Hugh Iatughlin, for the
valuable advice they have given.
Special thanks are extended to Beulah Coon of the I. S. Office
of Education, to Ivol Spafford one of the outstanding leaders in Home
Economics Education, and to the home economics college teachers who
assisted in the development of the check lis ts . To the home economics
administrators and teachers who have supplied data, the writer is
deeply Indebted. To colleagues who have aided the study by their
interest and by making the leave of absence possible, the writer Is
also greatly Indebted.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER **GE
I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1
D escription of the Study ................................ . . . . . . 7
II. EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN HOME ECONOMICS
AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL ..................................................................... 20
Purposes of Hoee Economics s t the
College Level .............................................................................. 21
Kind of Teaching Necessary in a D em ocracy....................... 23
C haracteristics of A ctivities Important to
E ffective College Teaching ....................................................... 45
Summary ................................................................................................ 48
III. SIGNIFICANCE OF PRACTICES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE
INSTRUCTION IN COLLEGE HOME ECONOMICS WHILE
TEACHERS ARE IN SERVICE................................................................ 50
The need for Continuing Professional Education
of Collegs Home Economics Teachers ..................................... 50
Review of Related Studies ............................................................ 60
Bases for Selection of Practices for Improvement
of Instruction .............................................................................. 65
Summary ................................................................................................ 95
IV. EXTENT OF STAFF PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICES
DESIGNED TO IMPROVE COLLEGE HOME ECONOMICS
INSTRUCTION............................................................................................ 98
Survey of A ctivities Provided by Hone
Economics Units .............................................................................. 99
Extent of P articipation of Home Economics
S taff Members in Practices for Improvement
of Instruction .............................................................................. 112
Summary ................................. 136
V. FACTORS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION OF STAFF MEMBERS
IN PRACTICES FUR MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF
EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTRUCTION....................................................... 140
Reactions of S taff Members to Inservice P ractices . . 140
Conditions Which Influence Effectiveness of
P ractices for Improvement of Instruction ....................... 158
Improvements in Teaching A ttributed to
P articipation in Inaervlce P ractices ............................ 171
i i
il l
CHAPTER PAGE
Probable Sources of Leadership in In itiatio n and
Promotion of Inservlce Practices ......................................... 177
Summary ...................................................................................................132
VI. TEACHER CONCERN FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF INSTRUCTION . . . 185
Development of the Check L ist D evice.........................................186
Evaluation of the Fora of the Device .....................................190
Evaluation of the Use of the Device
to Accomplish Desired Purposes .................................... 199
Summary ...................................................................................................218
VII. SUGGESTIONS FOR PROMOTING PRACTICES FUR THE
MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF EFFECTIVE
INSTRUCTION IN COLLEGE HOME ECONOMICS WHILE
TEACHERS ARE IN SERVICE....................................................................220
General Suggestions for an Inservice Program
for Professional G ro w th ...............................................................222
Guides for Selection of Inservice Practices .................. 233
Cheok Sheet for Evaluation of an Inservice
Program ...............................................................................................245
V III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RESULTING
FROM THE STUDY..........................................................................................248
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................262
APPENDIX A. 3urvey and Check L ist F o rm s ...................................................267
APPENDIX B. Letters Which Accompanied Forms ..................................... 269
APPENDIX C. Summary of Information About Respondents ................... 272
APPENDIX D. Tsbles 13-17, Tabulation of Information
from Check L ist, Part I I I ..................................................274
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
1. D istribution of Responses According to Size Units ................ 12
2. A ctiv ities Provided, Dsts In itia ted , Groups for
Whoa Provided, and Plana Made ....................................................... 100
3* Types of Practices Provided ............................................................... 106
A. Summary of Extent of P articipation in Practices ................. 118
3. Extent of P articipation in Practices Which are
Pronoted by the In stitu tio n ....................................................... 12A
6. Extent of P articipation in Practices Which May or
May Not be Promoted by the In stitu tio n ................................ 131
7. S taff Meabers Reactions to Practices Proaoted
by the In stitu tio n ............................................................................. LA7
8. S taff Meabers Reactions to Practices Which klay or
May Not be Proaoted by the In stitu tio n • • • • • • • • 153
9. Conditions Which Influence Effectiveness of Practices . . 160
10. Improvements in Teaching Reported as Outcoaes of
P articipation in Practices ................................................................ 17A
11. Probable Source of Leadership in Pronotion of
P ractices for Improvement of Teaching ..................................... I'*
12. D istribution of Types of Teaching A ctivities Considered
E ssential and With Which Help is Desired ............................ 193
13. Opinions Expressed by 536 College Teachers Relative
to Teaching A ctivities Which May be used for Effective
Teaching in the Area of Setting up Objectives
(Appendix D) ........................................................................................... 27A
1A. Opinions Expressed by 536 College Teachers Relative
to Teaching A ctivities Which May be Used for
E ffective Teaching in the Area of Planning for
Teaching (Appendix u) ......................................................................... 275
15. Opinions Expressed by 536 College Teachers R elative
to Teaching A ctivities Which May be Used for
E ffective Teaching in the Area of Guiding Learning
Experiences (Appendix D) ..................................................................... 276
iv
V
TABLE PAGE
16. Opinions Expressed 67 536 College Teachers Relative
to Teaching A ctiv ities Which Bay ba Uaad for
E ffective Taaching in tha Araa of Evaluating
Progress (Appendix D ) ......................................................................... 276
17. Opinions Exprassad by 536 Collaga Taacbara Ralatlva
to Taaching A ctivities Which May ba Used for
E ffective Taaching in tha Araa of E stablishing
Good Student-Teacher R elations (Appandix D) ................... 279
CBAPTBl I
DHROOOCTIQtf
Tta* q eality of education which young people are obtaining In
colleges today la , in the fin al analysis, tha responsibility of aach
individual teacher. Tha in stitu tio n has tha resp on sib ility fo r tha
quality of tha to ta l program but only as aach taaohar is effective
w ill tha to ta l program of tha in stitu tio n ba affact!to* To taach so
th a t laarning on tha p art of aach individual studant resu lts is tha
moat im portant function of tha college, and aach taaehar must con
trib u te his share toward helping tha collage f u lf ill th is function*
Taaohing, in shorty is tha most im portant job of the collage teacher*
Every collage taaohar—regardless of where or what subject ha
is teaching, whether ha is a professor or an in stru cto r, or how busy
ba may ba w ith tha many duties which are a p art of tha life of any
collage campus—is involved in tha problem of m aintaining or improv
ing the effectiveness of collage instruction* Tha collage teacher
is no longer a resid en t of an "Ivory Tower"} what he does is subject
to scrutiny by both colleagues and lay citlsens* No parson in higher
education today can ba unaware of tha emphasis placed on tha problems
facing college teaching* Both professional educational and currant
popular lite ra tu re carry a rtic le s which discuss these problems.
Many of those discussions are in tha form of adverse criticism , or
they raise questions regarding tha effectiveness of taaching in
meeting im portant goals of higher education, i t seams im portant
1
th a t taaehar* not only should ba snare of these c ritic is m but also
th a t they should ba activ ely n m « d , nhan tha e ritle ls a s are war
ranted, la elim inating tha eendltioas nhloh ( I ts ris e to them. The
purpose of tha present study? therefore, is to propose guides by
nhieh college hone eoonomiea s ta ff um bers nay se lec t says to work,
ind iv id u ally or in groups, to m aintain and to improve effectiv e
taaohing*
The q u ality of taaohing of each s ta ff am ber, and of the col
le c tiv e s ta ff of any in stitu tio n , has its importance to the students
who are subjected to it* The college is expected to produce students
who understand and value p rin cip les of democracy, and who are able
to p artic ip ate as 1 embers of our dem ocratic society* Students are
not sa tisfie d w ith tra d itio n a l procedures, or w ith the type of teach
ing th a t iso la te s cos subjeot from a ll others* They are not content
to be handed inforaiationj they want to make use of inform ation*
They seek help w ith im e d ia te problem ) they want to learn ways of
working to accomplish th e ir goals* College teaching should help
thee sa tisfy these needs* C onflicts and confusions facing fam ilies
and fam ily liv in g nre so g reat th at individuals need help in decid
ing what values to hold and what they want th e ir homes and th e ir
society to be* Education may be a force in helping individuals
gain d irectio n fo r th e ir liv e s through the c la rific a tio n of values
they hold and develop*
The public. eitlm ens of the com unity, sta te , and nation, are
concerned, since higher education not only re fle c ts contemporary
3
conditions b et Also hsa a resp o n sib ility to develop individuals who
nay p articip ate capably is shaping a desirable soolal atruetors for
th o ir world* Students nood to rolato learning to what is already
known and to tha soolal ass to whieh i t nay bo pat* Taaohing should
load tha stodoat beyond tha "subject" a t hand to its plaeo in con-
tan]11ii ai jr living* I t should so t an example of ways of working* and
estab lish habits of sooting problems*
E ffective iastru o tion a t thn oollogo lev el furthorooro w ill bo
rofloetod in tha quality of taaohing in tha public schools* Exclud
ing hn— asking as a profession, tha larg o st nuaber of students who
receive collage train in g in hose oconoad.cs go into teaching as a pro
fession* Die effectiveness of the teaching which they have had a t
college w ill sake a difference in how they in turn teach* I t is
oonaonly said th at we teach as we haws been taught, not as we hare
been taught to teach* To prows th is true, one needs to watch only
a few teachers as they reproduce techniques, and eren sons sannerisns,
of th eir college Instructors* When the college teaching has been of
high quality the student also nay gain an increased respect for the
profession. With the scarcity of high school haMaaking teachers
whieh ws haws faced and continue to face each year, recruitm ent for
th is vocation grows in Importance* The type of college teaching n*y
sake a difference in the mrnber of students who choose and continue
to follow teaching as a career* I t is im portant, then, th at teach
ing a t the college level be effectiv ely done*
u
ia a nation we have entered Into a c tiv itie s designed to
hoi# othor nations build strong odnootlennl a y t o n . When these
oountrloo look a t what no have, no moot bo sure they observe effeo-
tin s programs. Vo eannot afford to profess to bo ooo thing and
toaoh another. I f no aro to eontinuo to dnaonotrato to othors tho
values no rooogniao in dnaoom tie association, and in an oduoation
nhloh fnrthoro such association, no oust look to our nays of doing
things. There oust, in aaay instances, bo improvement in tho nay
no toaoh, regardless of tho subject content. To neet the responsi
b ilitie s placed on i t , a ll parts of our educational prograa oust
bo effective*
Tot there aro aaay evidences th at eollege teaching is not as
effective as i t night be. Toad points out th at
Everyone fse ll 1 st n ith the present sta te of college teach
ing ,re»11mes th a t a condition of in e ffec tu ality ex ists to a
greater degree than is usually acknowledged. I an one of
those nho believes th a t th is condition is subject to a sig
n ifican t correction.^
Other educators ind icate, as Toad does, th at the noed applies to
the en tire eollege. White narrows tho discussion to the specific
area of hows economics in discussing woman's educations
These field s are not only re la tiv e ly undeveloped a t present
but they seen often to be conceived and taught w ithout imagina
tion. . . . The v erdict, I fear, is ju st, a t le a st in terms
of home economics as i t has generally been taught. 2
^ Qrdway Toad, College Teaching and College Learning*
Preface.
2 Xyan White, J r ., Educating Our Daughters* p , 77.
