The role of industry in public secondary vocational education in medium-sized school systems in Texas

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of agreement of the opinions of school administrators, vocational educators, and industry personnel as to: (1) industry involvement that presently exists in public secondary vocational education in Texas, (2) the industry involvement that is desired in public secondary vocational education in Texas, and (3) factors which facilitate or constrain industry involvement in public secondary vocational education in Texas. Data for this study were elicited from school administrators, vocational educators, and industry personnel in seventeen (20 percent) of the eighty-five communities in Texas whose 1970 population was between 5,000 and 100,000, and whose school system had a designated vocational director. Questionnaires were distributed to 40 school administrators, 85 vocational educators, and 246 industry personnel in the 17 sample communities. Thirty-three school administrators, 79 vocational educators, and 73 industry personnel completed and returned questionnaires, representing 83, 93, and 30 percent returns, respectively, and an overall 50 percent return. Hypotheses were tested using contingency tables and the chi square test for independence. The results were used in conjunction with opinion percentages to determine, (1) levels and adequacy of industry involvement as pertain to 42 industry services selected for the study, and (3) constraining and facilitating factors to industry involvement.