An Analysis of the Causes and Results of Position Changes by Industrial Educators

130 p.Thesis (Educat.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1981.Statement of the Problem. A major factor in the creation of the demand for industrial education teachers is the number of teachers who leave teaching positions after one or two years of teaching. To be able to reverse this trend it would be necessary to identify as many factors as possible that were involved in the creation of the position changes by industrial education teachers in the public secondary schools of Illinois and the nature of the results of those changes in terms of the positions and the individuals involved.The study used the school districts of the Rockford and Peoria regions identified during the 1978-79 school year as offering industrial education programs at the seventh through twelfth grades. From the baseline data collected during that phase it was possible to identify 324 teachers and positions at 106 attendance in 60 districts. Those 60 districts reported 40 FTE vacancies at the beginning of the 1978-79 school year, a vacancy rate of 12.3%.Thirty-five percent of the industrial education teachers who leave education would not consider returning.In April of 1980, all districts that had been identified as having industrial education programs were contacted by telephone to determine what changes had taken place in programs and personnel between January, 1979 and January, 1980. As a result of the telephone survey it was determined that 47 FTE vacancies had occurred affecting one-half the districts for a rate of turnover of 14.5%.It was possible to interview, by telephone, 34 of the 47 persons who made position changes. The interviews were to determine the reasons they made the change, their current type of employment, the gross annual income differential between the previous and present position, and under what conditions they would consider returning to teaching industrial education.Those who made position changes were generally less than 30 years of age, male and married with two children of less than high school age. Their industrial education teaching experience typically was less than three years total and in the last district. Seventeen of the 34 had left education for employment in business or industry. Fourteen had remained in education, 11 teaching industrial education, two in administration, and one in graduate school. One had retired, one was a minister, and one was unemployed. The primary reasons for making the position change were financial, administrative and student problems. The primary area of job satisfaction was working with students.Two-thirds of those who made changes increased their gross annual income. Those who changed and left education increased their income double ($7,500) those who changed and remained in education ($3,400). Six had no change, three of those remained in education. Five had a decrease three of which said their cost of living was lower so they did not consider they had a net loss.Thirty-five percent of those who left education stated they would not consider returning under any circumstance. An additional 45% would only consider returning if the salary and fringe benefits were equal to industry. The remaining 20% would consider returning at the post-secondary level.Conclusions. Until salaries are competitive with business and industry the profession will have a rate of teacher turnover between 12 and 15 % per year. This turnover will be most felt by the smallest districts, those districts with low per pupil expenditure and the area vocational centers.The industrial education teacher who changes positions will do so because of dissatisfaction caused by financial factors, administrative, and student problems.The gross income was improved by those who made position changes. Those who leave education improved their income substantially more than those who changed and remained in education.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD