Dissertation Abstract

An Assessment of Educational Needs and Interests of Secondary Health Occupations Education Teachers in Alabama.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived educational needs and interests of the secondary health occupations teachers in Alabama. The population included all 78 secondary health occupations education teachers in the state of Alabama. Data were collected using an instrument developed by the Center for Vocational Education at The Ohio State University and the researcher. The data were statistically analyzed utilizing polychoric correlations, factor analyses, and MANOVA models. General Linear Model and Reliability Analyses from SAS (1982) and $SPSS„sp{„rm x}$ (1986) were the statistical procedures of choice for performing the exploratory analyses of the data.

Responses were returned by 75 (96%) teachers, of which 71 (91%) were useable. Of the 71 usable cases, 97.3% were females; average age ranged between was 31 and 40; 53% held no baccalaureate degree while 26.7% held baccalaureate degrees in nursing; 68% held a Type I Certificate; and 73.7% were licensed as RN's.

Factor analyses were employed to determine the basic dimensions of the 22 adjusted variables from the questionnaire for MANOVAs. A varimax structure was fitted. A four factor solution for 22 items with 71 cases was used to account for more than 60% of the variance; MANOVA analysis of the factor scores with post hoc Scheffe' test were deemed appropriate.

The results of the statistical analyses indicate MANOVA significance for tenure, Master's degree in a field other than Health Occupations Education (HOE), interest in HOE, and educational status at the.008,.001,.055, and.003 levels respectively. The factors that demonstrated significant differences were: Leadership for tenure, Professional Development for Master's degree in a field other than HOE, and Professional Ethics for interest in HOE and educational status. A conclusion of this study was that the HOE teachers indicated an interest in several degree programs and perceived themselves competent in the majority of responses; yet, want and need continuing education workshops or course offerings to address their needs regarding radiography, medical laboratory EKG/EGG, dental, medical records, medical assisting, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, veterinary assisting, and home health aid procedures.

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