The purpose of this study was to discover variables or combinations of variables which would predict academic success in industrial education at Norfolk State College. More specifically, it utilized standardized verbal and nonverbal tests and compared these with the presently used Scholastic Aptitude Tests as predictors of success in industrial education. The data for this study were collected from tests administered to a sample population by the writer during regularly scheduled class periods in the Fall semester, 1971, and from the Scholastic Aptitude Test records in the Office of the Registrar at Norfolk State College. The variables included in the study were: Scholastic Aptitude Test - Verbal scores, Scholastic Aptitude Test - Mathematical scores, Scholastic Aptitude Test - Total scores, Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test, and the Raven Progressive Matrices.The criteria of success were the final semester grades in the following courses: Basic Woodworking, Introduction to Technical Drafting, Introduction to Industrial Education, Basic Electronics, and Automobile Engines.In order to show the relationship between the variables studied, the data were analyzed and statistics were computed throw a program developed by the Health Sciences Computing Facility at University of California at Los Angeles. This program incorporated a step-wise regression and rendered a correlation matrix, an analysis of variance, a multiple r and a standard error of estimate. All statistics utilized in this study were computed by the Ball State University Computer Center. The results of this study indicated that the variable that offered the best information of predicting academic success in industrial education at Norfolk State College was the Raven Progressive Matrices. The combinations of variables which were statistically significant were the SAT Mathematical and the Bennett MeoY~anioal Comprehension Test correlated to final grades in Electronics, and the SAT Mathematical, Raven Progressive Matrices, Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test, and SAT Verbal correlated to final grades in Drafting. The results of the study seem to justify the following conclusions: 1. The SAT scores are not valid predictors of academic success in several of the technical areas of industrial education and probably should not be used as such. 2. The Raven Progressive Matrices showed evidence of contributing significantly to prediction of academic success in industrial education at Norfolk State College. 3. The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test showed a high correlation with final grades in Drafting but probably should not be used as a predictor in other areas. 4. Neither verbal or nonverbal tests used without benefit of other devices should be used as predictors of academic success in industrial education at Norfolk State College. As a result of the present investigation, it is recommended that: 1. A follow-up study of the students in this research study be conducted to ascertain their success as students and later as teachers in the field of industrial education. 2. An investigation employing individual rather than group testing as predictive devices be conducted.3. Further study of the use of the Raven Progressive Matrices be made with larger samples and other criteria of success.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two career orientation and exploratory programs on the vocational maturity level of seventh grade students. Two independent variables involving type of program and length of program were manipulated by the researcher by using a 2 x 3 factorial design to analyze adjusted treatment effects upon the dependent variable of vocational maturity. The experimental groups were composed of seventh grade students participating in the"Careers and You" and"Interest Block" programs, while the control group consisted of students in band and/or choir who did not receive instruction in either of the two treatment groups. The participants selected for the study were students from four junior high schools within the local school division. Each participant was pretested on both the Career Development Inventory and Career Maturity Inventory Attitude Scale test instruments. Results of the pretest mean scores for the groups indicated significant differences on the CMI Attitude Scale scores between the"Careers and You" and"Interest Block" groups. Inasmuch as the strength of the difference was small (R² = 0.04), valid posttest comparisons were felt to be statistically appropriate. One-half of the participants in the three groups were posttested on the CDI and CMI Attitude Scale at an 18-week time interval, while the remaining participants were tested at the end of a 36-week interval. Posttest analysis was conducted using a two-way analysis of covariance, with the pretest scores being used as a covariate to adjust for group bias and to add sensitivity to the dependent variable measure. Nine hypotheses were tested at alpha equals .05 with the following results: The first six hypotheses dealt with comparisons among the three groups on the Total Scale of the CDI and the Attitude Scale of the CMI. Because the F values showed no significant group effect, hypotheses one through six failed to meet the rejection criteria. Null hypotheses seven through nine pertained to effects of the length of program within the various groups. Results indicated by both the CDI and Attitude Scale of the CMI were not significant. Therefore, hypotheses seven through nine failed to meet the rejection criteria. / Ed. D.

M.S.

This study was made to determine the guidance needs of former students of vocational agriculture. It was hoped that information gained by this study would be of use to guidance workers in the improvement of guidance services in the high schools, Too, it was hoped that agriculture instructors could use the information in improving the dissemination of occupational information to vocational agriculture students, Further, it was felt that suggestive recommendations based on the findings might be used in the organization and administration of guidance services for in-school-youth. / Master of Science

Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to determine the need for establishing new vocational agriculture departments in public accredited county high schools in areas of Virginia which were not offering a vocational agriculture program. Problem Analysis An analysis of the problem listed the objectives of this study as: 1. To determine each public accredited county high school in Virginia in which there was a need for establishing a new vocational agriculture department. 2. To determine the number of teachers required in each of the new vocational agriculture departments needed. 3. To determine the total number of public accredited county high schools in Virginia in which there were needs for establishing vocational agriculture departments. 4. To determine the total number of teachers required in the new vocational agriculture departments needed. / Master of Science

One true measure of successful training in trade preparatory classes is the ability of the former students of these classes to obtain and persist in employment in the trades or allied occupations for which they received training The value of a similar study of the former students of Monroe Trade School in Lynchburg has long been recognized. In 1952 steps were taken to review the activities of the students who attended the school during the period of 1940 to 1950. This report represents a study of the scholastic progress of the six hundred seven students who attended Monroe Trade School and a follow up study of 34.67 per cent or 190 of the 548 students who successfully completed at least one semester of work Although only slightly more than one third of the total number of students were contacted, the study portrays conditions which may be representative of the entire group. Because of early drop-outs, defense employment opportunities, enlistments into the armed services of our country, and steady draft requirements, the enrollment for Monroe Trade School changed continually. The percent of students followed up represents a random sampling of the entire group of students distributed over the ten year period. / Master of Science

M.S.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

In order to determine the effectiveness of vocational agriculture in Virginia from 1918 to 1932, and to further assist the teachers in this follow-up work, this study was made with the following objectives in mind: 1. To determine the occupational status of former students of vocational agriculture in Virginia. 2. To determine trends in occupational selection and the relation of industrial and agricultural economic conditions to occupational selection. 3. To evaluate some of the influences on occupational selection, such as amount of vocational agriculture; type of agriculture of the community; efficiency of the Agriculture Department, and certain census data regarding counties. This study includes data from 148 white and 25 negro schools, and also includes follow-up records from 7,784 white and 1,583 negro ex-students of vocational agriculture in Virginia from 1918 to 1932. / Master of Science

This questionnaire study was an attempt to determine the practices teachers follow in planning and conducting a program of vocational education in agriculture in Virginia high schools. The study revealed that the thinking of the regular teachers of vocational and the assistant teachers of vocational agriculture in charge of veterans was comparable as indicated by the nearly equal percentage of teachers from both groups who checked the practices on the questionnaire as “Commonly practiced" or "Recommended". Many practices were not carried out by a majority of the teachers; however, the additional recommendations to these practices indicates that the majority of all teachers favored the use of most of those practices in the instructional program of vocational agriculture. The responses to some practices were not complete, particularly by the assistant teachers of vocational agriculture in charge of veterans who failed to provide information on the practices dealing with the FFA program. The number of teachers who failed to recommend these practices were in a small minority and only one practice was checked as not recommended by a majority of the regular teachers of vocational agriculture. On the whole, most practices were favored by all teachers. The large majority of teachers who carried out these practices or recommended that they be carried out would tend to indicate that they favor using these practices in the program of vocational education in agriculture in Virginia high schools. / M.S.