AN ASSESSMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AT OAKWOOD COLLEGE BY FIRST-YEAR, THIRD-YEAR, AND FIFTH-YEAR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION GRADUATES AS AN AID TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM APPRAISAL SYSTEM

This study assessed the suitability of the Oakwood College Teacher Education Program Objectives as perceived by the fifty-one 1979, 1977, and 1975 elementary education graduates. A questionnaire was designed to gather the data and a 100 percent response rate was received. Analysis of the data was made to answer questions relative to the extent that graduates entered the teaching profession and remained in service; attained the objectives before, during, and after entrance into the training program; felt that the objectives had relevance to teaching contexts; felt that the program helped them reach the objectives; felt that the program failed to help them reach the objectives. Crosstabulations were used to analyze data related to general, competency with learners, and subject matter objectives. Associations were made between the objectives and ratings of perceived attainment, time of greatest impact in attainment of objectives, appropriateness of objectives, and program effectiveness in helping respondents reach objectives. Major conclusions were as follows: Ninety percent of the graduates entered the teaching profession. At the time of the survey, 73 percent were still in service. Ten percent entered other professions. The others assumed homemaking responsibilities or graduate study. Graduates rated teacher training experience as the time of greatest impact in the attainment of the objectives. However, experiences after training were felt by more experienced teachers to have greater impact than by teachers with less experience. General objectives were perceived as highly important but less highly attained. High importance was more closely related to high attainment in subject matter objectives. Objectives dealing with competency with learners were perceived as highly important though not all were perceived as highly attained. Objectives receiving high not much help ratings dealt with mainstreaming, health, ethnic relations, and science. This assessment identified procedures for use with other graduates and will aid in developing a program appraisal system for Oakwood