Home satisfaction, work satisfaction and the presence or absence of children were quantitatively assessed using responses from 132 Virginia vocational home economics teachers. Analysis of variance was used to examine whether home satisfaction and the presence or absence of children made a significant difference in work satisfaction. Those items which teachers found most and least satisfying in both their work and home situations were also identified. The analysis of variance found that mean home satisfaction scores made a significant difference upon work satisfaction, while the presence or absence of children did not. The interaction of home satisfaction and children made no significant difference. Home and family items teachers identified as being most satisfying were personal habits, housing, health of family members, and personal health. Those least satisfying were amount of time for self! division of household duties, time together as a family, and family schedule. Aspects which were the most satisfying at work were amount of commuting time, amount of control over job, opportunity to work independently, and friendships at work. Those which were least satisfying were flexibility of work schedule, opportunities for advancement, salary, and meal and break times. Overall, this group of vocational home economics teachers indicated a high level of satisfaction with work and home life. / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The primary purposes of this study were to assess the understanding and attitudes of teachers, to determine the interaction effects of certain variables, and to determine if there is a correlation between understanding of economic concepts and attitude toward economic education. The problem of the study was an assessment of the attitudes toward and understanding of economic concepts held by secondary school teachers in Arkansas who taught economics or economics-related subjects.

Bibliography: pages 88-95. / The aim of the investigation is to assess the extent to which various initiatives aimed at improving the status of a technical subject like Home Economics (H/E), have helped to transform the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and students in a school in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out at Rusununguko Secondary School in Zimbabwe, where H/E was one of the technical subjects within a curriculum mainly dominated by academic subjects. Students and teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards H/E were assessed along the following dimensions: 1. The extent to which H/E is subjected to gender stereotyping; 2. The extent to which H/E is viewed as suitable for slow learners and low-achieving students; 3. The extent to which the subject suffers from subject choice constraints; 4. The extent to which H/E is viewed in terms of low academic and occupational expectations; 5. The extent to which the subject is perceived as offering low-status knowledge when compared to other subjects.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This dissertation is an interpretive analysis of the professional experiences of six beginning Home Economics teachers in Malawi. The specific aim of the study was to explore the opportunities, challenges and problems of the teachers in their first year of teaching. The data for the study were developed using a triangulation of five research methods, including a questionnaire, face-to-face interviews, classroom observations, teachers’ reflective diaries and focus group discussions. Grounded theory was used as the methodology and analytical framework of the study. Research in teacher education acknowledges that learning to teach is a complex process (Calderhead & Shorrock, 1997; Flores, 2001; Flores & Day, 2006; Solmon, Worthy & Carter, 1993) and that the first year of teaching has a very important impact on the future careers of beginning teachers (Stokking, Leender, De Jong and Van Tarwijk, 2003; Solmon et al., 1993). The transition from the teacher training institution to the secondary school classroom is characterised by a type of reality shock in which the ideals that were formed during teacher training are replaced by the reality of school life (Lortie, 1975). The results in this study point at the school context as the ‘reality definer’ in the professional experiences of the teachers. The findings also support previous studies of beginning teachers which have emphasised the vulnerability of beginning teachers and show the first year of teaching as a ‘sink or swim experience’. However, the results show a unique relationship between the school context and school expectations. In this dissertation I contend that it is this relationship that was fundamental to the professional experiences of the six beginning Home Economics teachers. In the dissertation I present a three-stage substantive-level theory of the beginning teachers’ experiences and argue for the redefinition of the perception of teacher learning in Malawi: from a definition of pre-service teacher education as teacher learning, to teacher learning as a ‘triadic process’ comprised of teacher education, school induction and continued professional development.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the main features of the Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) learning area is that it prepares learners to participate in an economically complex society where social justice and a healthy environment are key concerns. Teachers are faced with an important learning outcome in the EMS curriculum, namely Sustainable Growth and Development, requiring them to equip learners with an understanding of sustainability and to encourage critical reflection on the related processes. This research aims to explore EMS teachers’ underlying conceptual understanding of sustainable development and to establish how these understandings relate to their teaching practices. The meaning of sustainable development has elicited multiple and contested reactions in the literature. Many authors are in agreement that development strategies should be consistent with the planet’s resources and linked to a balance between society, economy and the environment. However, increased production and consumption resulting from neoliberal economic policies and intensified global competition invariably disturb the earth’s ecosystem. On the one hand, increased economic activity has the advantage of resource development (capital, natural and human resources) that promotes economic growth. On the other hand, this growth occurs at the expense of resource exploitation which in turn leads to environmental degradation, the erosion of cultural identities, health risks and, in many instances, unsustainable lifestyles. There is a growing consensus that knowledge and a changed mindset are required for developing an enhanced focus towards a sustainable future. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) provides the knowledge, skills, values and theories for promoting sustainable development. The research was conducted within a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm. A case study design strategy, as part of a qualitative research approach, was selected to best answer the research question. The data collection was done by means of the literature reviewed, in-depth interviews and subject-object interviews (written explanations). This was followed by the systematic categorisation and coding of the data by means of content analysis. The main finding of the study was that EMS teachers had a single focus with regard to sustainable development: their understanding predominantly related to the economic pillar of sustainable development. The interrelatedness of the economy, society and the environment to achieve sustainable development objectives was not subjected to much scrutiny. This research showed that there is a need for ESD to be integrated into the EMS discourse. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die uitstaande kenmerke van die leerarea: Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe (EBW) is dat dit leerders voorberei vir deelname binne 'n ekonomies komplekse samelewing waar maatskaplike geregtigheid en ‘n gesonde omgewing ‘n kern-uitdaging vorm. Onderwysers word gekonfronteer met 'n belangrike leeruitkoms in die EBW-kurrikulum, naamlik Volhoubare Groei en Ontwikkeling, wat van hulle verwag om leerders toe te rus met 'n begrip van volhoubaarheid en om kritiese refleksie oor verwante prosesse te stimuleer. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om die onderliggende konseptuele begrip van volhoubare ontwikkeling by EBW-onderwysers te verken en vas te stel hoe hierdie begrip betrekking het op hul onderrig praktyke. Die betekenis van volhoubare ontwikkeling het verskeie en omstrede reaksies in die literatuur ontlok. Baie outeurs stem saam dat die ontwikkeling van strategieë in ooreenstemming moet wees met die planeet se hulpbronne en gekoppel moet word aan 'n balans tussen die samelewing, die ekonomie en die omgewing. Verhoogde produksie en verbruik, as gevolg van die neoliberale ekonomiese beleid, versterk egter wêreldwye mededinging en versteur sodoende die aarde se ekosisteem. Enersyds het toenemende ekonomiese aktiwiteit die voordeel van hulpbronontwikkeling (kapitaal, natuurlike en menslike hulpbronne) wat ekonomiese groei bevorder. Andersyds vind hierdie groei plaas ten koste van hulpbronbenutting, wat weer lei tot die agteruitgang van die omgewing, die aftakeling van kulturele identiteit, gesondheidsrisiko's, en, in baie gevalle, nie-volhoubare lewenstyle. Daar is 'n groeiende konsensus dat kennis en 'n verandering in denkwyse nodig is om ‘n sterker fokus op 'n volhoubare toekoms te verseker. Opvoeding vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (OVO) verskaf die kennis, waardes en teorieë vir die vestiging van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Hierdie navorsing is onderneem binne 'n konstruktivisties-interpretivistiese paradigma. Om die beste antwoord op die navorsingsvraag te bied, is ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gekies en ‘n gevallestudie-ontwerpstrategie gevolg. As deel van die data-insameling is die literatuur voortdurend verken en in-diepte onderhoude is gevoer, gevolg deur geskrewe verduidelikings. Hierna is die sistematiese kategorisering en kodering van die data deur middel van 'n inhoudsanalise gedoen. Die belangrikste bevinding van die studie was dat die EBW-onderwysers 'n enkele fokus gehad het ten opsigte van volhoubare ontwikkeling: hul begrip het hoofsaaklik betrekking gehad op die ekonomiese pilaar van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Daar was deurgaans 'n gebrek aan kritiese refleksie oor die interverwantskap tussen die ekonomie, die samelewing, die omgewing en die wyse waarop die doelwitte van volhoubare ontwikkeling bereik kan word. Hierdie navorsing het getoon dat daar 'n behoefte bestaan om OVO binne die EBWleerarea te integreer.

The purposes of this study were to determine the role expectations of academic counselors in vocational education as perceived by home economics cooperative education teachers and academic counselors, to compare the extent of agreement between these two groups, and to determine if selected demographic variables caused significant differences in perceptions of role expectations. This study surveyed randomly selected counselors and teachers by means of a questionnaire designed to ascertain role perceptions and to collect demographic data. The Likert-type scale instrument consisted of 46 items that were categorized into six areas of counseling tasks. A total of 45 teachers and 158 counselors returned usable questionnaires.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education