CALI FORNI!\ STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
EVALUATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS PROGRAM THROUGH NEEDS AND INTEREST IDENTIFICATION
A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in
Horr.e Economics
by
Muriel Ardelle Andrews
~-
June, 1977
The Thesis of Muriel Ardelle Andrews is approved:
California State University~ Northridge
ii
To my parents, husband, and chiidr2n who each in turn has encouraged me to continue learning.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Mrs. Louise B.
Sutton~ Assistant Professor of Home Economics, for her empathy, advice,
and cheerful guidance throughout this study.
Grati~ude is also expressed to Dr. Marjory L. Joseph, Professor
and Cha ·j rperson of the Home Economics Department~ and Ms. Betty Ll.
Bailey, Assistant Professor of Home Eccnomics, for their assistance and encouragement.
Grateful apprec~ation must be given to the students and
parents at Fillmore High School who participated in the investigation.
Recognition and appreciation is further expressed to Mrs.
Ca1nmen \!Jilkins for her work in trans·lating the questionnaire ·into
Sparri sh.
Finally acknowledgment is made to the home economics depart- ment and the administration of Fillmore High Schoo1 without whose cooperation this study would have been impossible.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
·DEDICATION . • • • • . ACKNOWLEDGivJENTS
; LIST OF TABLES
• ABSTRACT . . . Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION
Justification of the Study Purpose of the Study . Assumptions
L imitations Definitions
II. REVIHJ OF LITERATURE
The Changing Scene in Home Economics The Challenge to Change .
Fami1y and Community Influence on Education Emerging Roles and Patterns in Family Life . . III. METHODS OF INVESTIGATION .
Selection of the Sample
The Questionnaires . . . Presentation of Data . .
1 IV. ANALYSIS AND INTERP:{ETATICN RESULTS Description of Respondents . . . . Parent and Student Rankings of Concerts
·j n Home Economics . . . . Child Development and Family Relations Management of Finances. Resources, and Foods and Nutrit·ion . . . .
Clothing and Textiles
Housing and Home Furnishing Comments of Respondents
v
.
Serv-ices
·j i ~ . iv;
vii viii
1 ,.,
(.
2
..J' ~·
6 ,., o·
8 13 16
24'
""-"' L'+•
25·
26
28 28
44
45 4-7 49 49 51 54
, Chapter
. V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary . . . .
Conclusions Recommendations
• BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . Appendixes
. A. STUDENT SURVEY PART I B. PARENT SURVEY PART I .
C. PARENT AND STUDENT SURVEY PART II
'
57
691 7::l; ~·1
80
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vi
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
' l 0.
i 11.
I 12,
i 13.
I 14,
. 15.
: 16.
: 17.
18.
19.
; 20.
LIST OF TABLES Demography of Respondents . . . . Permanent Members in the Home . . . . Minors per Family as Reported by Parents Family Employment Data . . . . Annua 1 Family Income . . . . Housing Characteristics of Respondents Convenience Items and Equipment in the Home Educational Achievement of Parents, Stepparents,
and Guardians . . . . Postgraduate Expectations . . . . Languages Spoken in the Home Student Activities . . . .
Frequent Expenditures of Students . . . . Activities Shared by Student and Family Student Use of Leisure Time . . . . . Ar·eas of Home Economics Ranked in Importance
Concepts in Child Development and Family Relations (Weighted Rank Order) . . . . Concepts in Management of Finances, Resources.
and Services (Weighted Rank Order) . . . . Concepts in Foods and Nutrition (Weighted Rank Order) . Concepts in Clothing and Textiles (Weighted Rank Order) Concepts in Housing and Home Furnishing
(Weighted Rank Order) . . . .
29 30 31 !
32 33
33 34
37 39 39 4i ! 42 42 I 43 44
46 48 50 52
------· --~--- -~-~------ -------~------~---~---~---~---- -~--~~--~---
vii
ABSTRACT
EVALUATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS PROGRAM THROUGH NEEDS AND INTEREST IDENTIFICATION
by
Muriel Ardelle Andrews
Master of Science in Home Economics
The focus of this study was familiarization with home environ- ments and attitudes of families in the Fillmore Unified School District and identification of concepts considered valuable for home economics curriculum. Results would provide a basis for recommending modifica-
t·ion, enlargement, and possible changes in curriculum.
Study participants included 124 Fillmore High School home economics students and 52 parents.
Data collection concerned interests, needs, home living condi-
i I '
t1onss and opinions regarding priority of home economics concepts.
Differences between student and parent priorities were revealed.
Resulting recommenda.tions included: (1) reestablish a child growth and deve1opment c·lass, (2) initiate a family life c1ass,
1(3) offer a consumer education course, (4) expand consumer emphasis to
L ... ··--·---·-·-·----.. -· ... ---· ... ---·-· ________ .. -... ·--.. ---·--·· .. -·---·---.. ·---- --.. -... ·--·-··---··-·-.. ----·--·-·-·-·--- ---·-·-- :
vi ·1 i
<all home economics classes, (5) elevate the home economics program to academ-ic status thus improving the public image of the program,
'(6) determine the appeal of home economics offerings to all grade 'levels, and (7) reevaluate course titles and content.
Follow up studies at~e recommended to ascertain: (i) if current·
home economics curricula are of equal interest to both sexes, (2) if curriculum five years hence meets current and future needs, and (3) if :a consumer education class or proficiency examination should be a high 'School graduation requirement.
ix
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
If the home economics program is to be valuable to the persons
~it purports to serve it must be centered on the needs of individuals in.
'specific families and comrnunHies rlnd should be cooperatively p1anr.ed, executed, and evaluated (20:145).
To teach students something that will enrich their lives as : -'individua.ls and as family members is not an easy challenge {20:109).
;Contained within the home economics classroom wi11 be the gifted , students, s1cw ·learners~ and pupi1s from a wide variety of cuitura·;
:backgrounds. During high school some students will be p}~eparing for .college while others wi11 wish to terminate classroom experiences prior , to graduation. Each of these students is a family member and potential:
:citizen. If young people are to be prepared for an indefinite future.
education must give them capabilities, perceptions, and attitudes that .will be needed later for occupational mobility, individual productivity~
:and satisfying human relationshios (46:8). Fai"!ure to identify the
;needs of students may cause them to drift along, be disappointed in 'school, or fail and drop out. School dropouts are generally associated: '
w"ith cun~icu1um maladjustmer.t (t17:35). /1.11 students need to understand • . their situation in the world realistically and to acquire skills which
will enable them to cope with the tasks of daily living (31 :320).
No matter how great the handicap~ students participating in regular classes want understanding (20:3i7).
Justification of the Study
This study is important for identifying the interests, needs, and home environments of the students enrolling in the home economics program in an endeavor to plan a more effective home economics
curriculum. MacKenzie (30:2) stated:
What and how you teach should be adjusted to the individual differences of your students. The pace at which you move, the material you try to cover, the methods you use to present the material, should all be planned with the students1 individual differences in mind.
It was anticipated that this study would ident·ify needs and propose changes in the home econorni cs cur1~i cul urn and course content which would benefit the student and~ in turn, the community in which he lives. The study was needed because it had not been done in the Fillmore Unified School District and, as a result, present teaching inc.1uded what it was fe1t that the student should 1earn rather than being directed tc identified needs and interests.
The study should make a contribution to the literature by identifying educational needs of the home economics program and by emphasizing the need for similar o.ction reseal~ch studies ir. othel~
departments and/ or in otht~; sc hoo: s.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exlsting home economics cun-iculum by: (1) identifying the interests and needs of students! eliciting parenta1 opinions on what they consider
2
3
important areas to be taught in home economics~ and (3) stimulating the interest and enlisting the cooperation of all the home economics , teachers in the Fillmore Unified School District.
It was hoped that through identification of student needs and
· interests and subsequent changes in the progl~am that more persons would : be motivated to enroll in home economics courses. In our dual role ' society the inclusion of courses that have appeal for boys and the
1Tilk"ir1g of a concentrated effort to increase the enrollment of boys ·ln , the program were important considerations.
As_~!Jmpti ons
For· the purpose of this study it \"!'as assumed that the question- . . nail~e is a valid measurement toor and that a suitable one could be
• "located or designed for identifying student and parent interests and
·the home environments of these persons.
It was further assumed that the students enrolled in home
economics c1asses and the parents of these students were representative' of the preva i1 i ng attitudes of other students and parents of students
• planning to enroll in home economics in the future. It was also . assumed that they were representative of the high school population
'fr·om which the sample was drawn.
Limitations
The population for this study was 150 students, grades 9-12,
•who were enrolled in home economics and the parents of these students;
. therefores the results cannot be generalized to populations outside of 1
• the distl~·)ct. The primary funct·ion of the study was to discove1n
indicators that would help the home economics teachers in the Fillmore
• Unified School District work effectively with the present and future school populations of the district. Additionally, the number of
·responses from boys was limited since they represented only about one-
• eighth of the horne economics em~ollment.
Due to diversity in student and parent abilities, the question-:
i naire was constructed in English and Spanish to facilitate answering the questions and to assure as complete a survey response as possible.
· A Spanish speaking aide was available to assist the researcher in . administering the questionnaire and to answer student or parent ques-
tions that arose.
Definitions
Attitudes. Are dispositions toward something; 11 • • • they are
unique to the individual and usually evolve from something outside actual experience, more often than not the utterances of influencia1 publications or persons or the opinion of one•s friends (18:299)."
Belief. "The emotional acceptance of a proposition or doctrine upon what one implicitly cons·iders adequate ground (20:176)."
Con~t. 11A key idea. topic, or main thought. It is what an
; ind·ividual thinks about a particular subject or topic (11 :1) .11
Copes.. 11Behaves in a purposeful prob1em-solving m,:mner (9:28):•
Curriculum. 11P1anned set of identified educational goals and ---+---'·l_....e=a._.rn.._-'--'-'-ing experiences that are orqanized in a manner to faci1 itate
evaluation of learner outcomes (41:"1).11
4
---~~---·---· - - - ----·-- ---·- ------~
Evaluation. '1Attempts to describe something and to show
<apparent strengths and shortcomings (18:363).11
Family. "A unit of intimate transacting, and interdependent persons who share some values and goals, resources, responsibility for 1 'decisions and have commitment to one another over time (5:26)."
Generalization. "Statements, pertinent to a given topic or
;concept, that students can be expected to conclude having been exposed l
to related learning environments (24:xiii)."
Role. "A function assumed by an individual or a group in a 'particular situation (9:28)."
_Surv_ey. "To examine comprehensively or· to consider in detail;
a detailed study, as by gathering information and analyzing it (7:5).11 Traditional Family. "The traditional family style . . . was :influenced by European tradition~ in which the father was head as :monarch, and all other family members were his subjects (25:13)."
Transfer of Learning. "The ability to apply what you learn
·today to a future time and a different situation, requires that one be :capable of seeing relationships and making generalizations (20:140).11
Value. "A learned belief concerning an idea or object that is held in the mind of the individual so strongly that it affects the
!attitudes and behavior of the individual {4:201) ."
5
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Jhe f2hang1ng Scene in Home Economics
Periodically all fields of study are carefully scrutinized in endeavor to discover the best way to transmit knowledge. Si nee 1960 : especially, home economics educators have concentrated on examining and.
:defining the field so that educational programs might be logically and :meaningfully planned (20:109). Times and lifestyles are changing,
schoo 1 s and students are changing; therefore, home economics must
With current emphasis on women1s liberation students need to be shown that there is more to home economics than they m~y
• b 1 • ' d t r .._ .. • 1 , -1- • h k • I 2' ') . if' \ nave· e 1evea an .. ~a~ n: 1sn t JUS;.. a course 1n ornema:1ng \ c...~u,.
Today1s high school students will be in their early forties by
the year two thousand. East (16:18) asked if it is possible to design a home economics curriculum today that will be useful to these students' twenty-five years hence? 'lWho can tell what the future will be and :what is best for that girl or fellow who w111 be working in 2000
She further commented that it is easiest for us to keep striving to perfect our present teaching by using criteria of past :excenence ("i4:14). Youmans (2"1:69) stated that 11this is not the time
in histor·y to tt~_y to keep a go1den mean.n Nevi directions in home
~economh.s must consider the competencies required for the future and
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how efforts n~ed to be directed to achieve such proficiencies. Main- taining the status quo is undesirable for we, as a nation, have moved :away from the period of home production and servicing into a consumer
~economy. What was appropriate teaching last year or five years ago may :not be satisfactory for the needs of today. According to Fleck (17:1) 1one of the primary steps in the improvement of home economics instruc-
tion is intensification of teacher awareness of the world in which she and her students are living.
Social, technological, and economic changes are occurring 'Within our nation with greater rapidity than ever before and have :caused Koontz (26:588) to observe that the role of home economics must
change in a society that has and is changing rapidly from rural to urba~
1and suburban living. Along with urbanization has come a change in the
;Character of family living. In 1850 ~pproximately 85 percent of the
!American society lived in 11rural Amet·ica11 and only 15 percent in the
!Cities, but by 1969 the percentage of those who lived inside city limits had increased to 89 percent (10:7). Armstrong (3:15) and Agan (1 :15) :have reminded us that population density continues to increase in the .United States. Speit·s (2:118) noted that in 1969 about one-third of the.
population of the United States lived in the inner core of our cities.
In any evaluation of home economics she felt we must ask, 11are we con-
;tributing to the solutions of problems of urban families, particularly :the poverty group?'' Predictions have been made that by the year· two :thousand approximately three-fourths of the population will live in as 'few as two hundred megalopolises. Youmans (21 :72) felt we have not , properly heeded societa 1 change and referred to remarks by aohn Gardener,:
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7
i-·- --- ·----···---·-- ---~-··-·--·---~------ ---- ---··· ---
executive director of the Urban Coalition, when interviewed on ''Face , the Nation,11 January 26, 1969:
John Gardener identified the top three priorities for federal support against crises in cities as employment, housing, and education. If home economics is really serious about its commit- ment to promote change and contribute toward improvement in these three areas, it must gain a new academic stature through required courses ·j n the areas of urban studies and through existing courses made relevant and true to the way people live in potential crises situations.
It is evident from the above that Gardener felt that home economics has·
not moved with the times nor kept current with the changing needs and demands of the people. Newkirk (34:7) also evidenced concern:
Home economists can no longer content themselves with only a knowledge and undel~standing of contemporary problems affecting individuals and families. We must transl~te this knowledqe and understanding into changes that unquestionably will stren~then
the fiber of American fami l.Y 1 i fe. . Home Economists must move into the arena where the action is.
The Challenge to Change
Rapid changes in the technologica15 scientific~ economic,
political, and social spheres are presenting new challenges to all con- cerned with the future of home economics. Kupsinel and Channels (27:18) writing on heme economi:s careers made the observation that by the year two thousand today1s high school boys and gir1s may be vmrking ir: e career that hasn't been invented yet. Weiss (50:586) felt that home economics education is being challenged to broaden it's contributions in an attempt to reach all students. Schools require programs that ca~
accommodate and build upon the exciting changes occurring in the tran- sient age in which we live. Today many professions are retooling in order to serve society better. If home economics is to move in new
8
:directions in a changing world, one must critically examine all aspects i
iof the discipline (21:68).
Long range predictions of what will happen to the status and ineeds of man by the year two thousand have caused Byrd (8:413) to make
a forecast of man1s needs which have implications for the home economics:
A constructive approach to.the real~ties of the human condi-
tion~ providing youth and families guidance in developing intel- 1 ectua ·1 and emoti ona 1 stability to cope with change and the marked diversity in the world environment
An increased public awareness of environmental quality rela- tionships to human welfare ·
Emphasis on the optimum development of families, capitalizing on strengthst interactions, and relationships
The development of high quality interpersonal relationships
and partnerships between men and women in the family as a means of preserving family stabi"lity
The development of new norms for a new kind of parenthood, since working wives and mothers are a permanent part of our technological society
A creative approach to the solution of people problems in the urban complex with the ultimate objective of assisting the urban dweller in designing an environment which will enable him to develop his humaneness
New approaches to maximizing the utilization of resources-- man, material, money: and machines--in the attainment of family goa 1 s
A broadening of understanding and competences in assuming the var·led functional roles of family members
Fi~om the above it can be seen that home economics has an important ro 1 e · :to play in meeting the future needs of students and their families. It
also indicates the need for a thorough evaluation of the present home
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9
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:economics curriculum and perhaps, for some, an almost total change in 'the concepts being taught.
A home economics program focused on the European-inspired tradi-' :tional family in \vhich the father was the head and all other members his'
:
subjects has lost credibility. With greater democratic awareness and :increased empha.sis on the dignity of ever.Y" human being, the family is
i '
,moving away from the inherited pattern. With the transition has come 'conflict for it is painful when roles and power claims change (25:13).
Home economics programs need to be restructured to accommodate mobile families with multiple parental obligations (47:127). Due to changes :in family structure the traditional definition of family may be too
:~arrow for today and possibly should be expanded to include several .adults with shared living quarters or a single adult with child care
responsibilities.
Recognition of the need for curriculum reform began gathering :momentum in 1957 with the launching of Sputnik and the advent of the
space age (9:11). According to Peterson and Sisler (38:31) traditional·
home economics is yielding to change. Increased knowledge, rising :costs, ·lack of funds, and the recurring c1~y for accountability have
·caused traditional curricula and teaching methods to be challenged, :evaluated, and revised.
Regarding our present situation in curriculum reform, it is impossible to know all the answers for obviously the problems are rapidly changing. Brown (7:4) in 1963 expressed concern and presented the situation thus:
10
We say: Education should help youth to develop potentialities of living meaningful and satisfying lives-- We say: The schools can
familiarize students with the world of today--
We say: Students need to be educated for 50-60 years of tomorrows which will continu- ously be changing-- We say: The schools can
change--can try to keep up--
but the world of the next 50 to 60 years in which today's youth will live will be changing more rapidly than at any period in history.
but the world in which students will spend their lives will . be different--quite different : socially, technologically, · and politically.
but we don't now [sic] have the facts of tomorrow, the new principles and theories which · will be discovered and
developed tomorrow.
but society outside the school changes faster~ schools hold on to obsolete . curricu- . 1 urn.
Twelve years later, in 1975, Trotter (46:8) voiced some of the same concerns and ideas as Brown when she stated that education needs
·to prepare students for life and that lifelong education will be a
;necessity in order to keep pace with the next twenty-five years.
Trotter, like Brown, felt that educational programs must prepare
·students for the future as well as the present.
Does this mean then that the problem of what to teach is insur-:
mountable or that a11 of what we have been teaching in home economics is outmoded and in need of revision? Not at all, according to Brown : (7:7); it means, rather, that it is essential to keep learning and
helping our students master an area of current knowledge but that this
;alone is not enough. She concluded that home economics teachers ought .to keep trying to assist students in the development of a value system
consistent with what is important or necessary for them in theit~ search·
•---·
:for recognition of their worth and dignity. Within the student value isystem the teacher should strive for learning transfer so that the ,student will receive the type of education that can be adapted to an
·indefinite future. Apparently Chamberlain and Kelly (11 :7) agreed with
!Brown regarding transfer of learning:
Since most of the disconnected facts that o.re .. learned11 by indi- viduals are forgotten in a short time, students must be helped to formulate generalizations that can be used as guidelines in the future as well as the present. When students are able to develop generalizations showi~g the inter-relationships a~ong concepts, they aJ~e better prepared to transf2r learning fram one situation to another.
:Hall and Paolucci (20:141) maintained that for studen~s to be able to :transfer learning and gain the ability to generalize the teacher must
have precise information about the students--their situations, previous '
I
' '
learning~ experience, attitudes, and needs. neck (18:88-108) caut·ioned·
'that transfer of learning doesn't occur automatically but that teachers i :must teach learning transfer to their stude~ts. She further warned that
the use of past and present learning in future situations will take .place only to the degree that the student can discover a personal
maaning in the idea or situation being taught. A teacher who can moti- •
·vate and lead students to the thresholds of their own minds must under-.
·stand and respect their individuality (3:16).
Learn-ing in the scientific age means differ-ent things to diffe1·-: i
:ent people. Home economics programs need to provide learntng experi-
:ences that will assist students in techniques of problem solving, social
development~ and decision making. In the anticipated futur-e there will ,be few old models for students to follow (43:6). Perchance Yule (51 :23):
answered how this learning can be accomplished without threatening
1 ...
{.
--- ---- -~-----~ - - - ----~--- - - - -
!individuality when she contended that in expanding our concept of home 1 econom·ics education, 11flexibility11 will be the educational watchword
~for the coming years.
Family and Community Influence on Edu~ation
How much influence and impact does the family and community
!have on education? Novak (36:38} stated, "The family is a stronger
j I
'agency of educational success than the school. The family is a stronger teacher of the religious imagination than the church." Nondale (35:12) ·
said~ "Families have been and continue to be the most fundamental and
j i
influential institution in America.11 Therefore~ family impact upon the' ,child's school education is apparent. In planning home economics cur-
i
·riculum it is important to know the types of families in a particular
:community; wh-ich ones a1~e ahead of the times and which families and how :
many are behind the times (16:17}. Youmans (21:70) stressed that we
•need:
the ability to understand~ to know and accept~ the conditions under which families live--not fiow we wish or think they live but
how in hard reality they do live--and to visualize v,rays to bring about improvement.
We need to ask further which traditional standards fostered in courses need to be made mon: realistic in order to promote meaningful o.ppr·oaches to families and their requirements. Rudd and Hall (40:98)
f1~1t the successfui home economics program to be one that was based on the needs and interests of those it served and that it should help
' peop ·1 e expand thEd r horizons. Maurice Dorsey ( 14:22) ~ a home economist~
vwrking with a unique out-r·each program in Baltimore's ·inne;~ c'ity con-
·tended that no matter how 1ittle money families have they shou1d be
13
able to live in an environment that works for them. It is questionable
i
iif home economics is serving all segments of society according to :Youmans (21:70) and Lund (29:11). Youmans (21:70) also asked if home .economics programs are ignoring social concerns. Fleck (17:87) reaf- :firmed the feelings of Youmans and Dorsey by stressing that at every
opportunity in the classroom approach the personal and family needs, interests, and problems of students be utilized.
In planning a sequence for home economics, careful consideration of personal and family situations must be included if we are to be
·successful in nurturing more mature ways of coping with home and family·
;problems. This attention needs to be focused on students at various :1eve1s. According to Hall and Paolucci (20:27) it ·is important to vie\'1':
.the home economics program in relation to the community in which it
exists. The community is a dynamic force and exerts a very real influ-
·ence on the manner in which a program is organized and thus on its 'Ultimate success or failure.
Assisting students in personal development is difficult if the
·teacher is not aware of the family and personal situations of the stu-
·dents. As far as students are concerned the personal and family prob-
;lems of everyday living are an important pal~t of the curriculum (18:65).,
It mea~s that these problems need to be recognized and solved in such a . :way that they are intelligent1y answer·ed for the present and that
through their solutions students may transfer an acquired ability to .solve other problems.
As stated in National Goals and Guidelines for Research in Home;
i Economics ( ·~2: 21), 11More knm"'l edge and under·s tand·ing of d·i ffe·l'ences in i
L ______________ ---·-- --- --- ---·- --- ------~
14
:fa1nily structure and function within particular ethnic, race, and socio~
economic groups are necessary . . . II Without this information, programs \llith noble intentions may further alienate families from society thereby inadvertently contributing to their instabi1 ity, :economic disadvantage~ and frustration. A curriculum planned without :consideration of the home conditions is therefore inadequate.
Fleck (18:76-77) saw homes and families at the core of the home!
:economics program. Teacher awareness of family differences in national or··igin, race. size, residence, r·eligion, socio-economic status~ values,
.and goals is imperative. She felt programs are possibly strengthened :or diluted by whether the teacher's opinion of families is broad,
i
:sympathetic, a.nd knowledgeable. Hall and Paolucci (20:4·1-46) expressed
I
:the same sentiments when they noted that the major goal of the home :economics teacher is to aid individuals and families to live more .effective1y. In order to accomplish this the teacher must acquaint
herself with the various community forces and influences such as back- ground, attitudes, industries, practices, and resources. Recognizing prevailing attitudes can make the teacher more accepting of her stu-
~dent's 1"ife styles. Prior to embarking on a program change in home
:economics geared toward improving~ changing, and emphasizing homemaking
1
ipractices the teacher needs an awareness of student attitudes and :beliefs. Recognition of prevailing home practices is important in :determining what should be included and taught in specific subject
matter areas.
15
_!:merging Roles and Patterns in Family Life
A shift in the family 1 ife pattern over the yea\''S has been
;noted by a number of authorities (42:21, 16:14, 25:13, 30:9, 28:7-il).
:Kupsinel and Channels (27:189) noted that making a productive and .happy life is more complex for modern-day-youth than it was for their parents • :and grandparents. Previously, traditional roles, life ~ty1es, and
1
expectations \·tere clearly drawn and offered little choice. Tacionis (44:27) referred to a quote from the year 1918 which indicated strong feeling toward traditional roles:
11The man or woman ·who deliberately chooses the single life, or being married selfishly refuses duties of parenthood, should be compelled by the state to contribute to the care and support of orphan children."
Once upon a time simply by being born a female and thus feminin~
.a girl could look forward at approximately age eighteen to having only : .two major deC'isions--vJhen and whom to marry. By contrast tod3.y1S woman~·
.whether by choice or circumstance, ·is almost sure1.Y destined to spend a:
good portion of her adult life in combined roles of wage earner, wife, and mother (35:12) 26:588, 40:46). Tate (45:45) stated that the modern :world necessitates this dual role. She continued to say that one-half :of the vJOmen marry before the.Y are tv1enty-one year·s of c.ge r.nd that ha 1f
10f these vril1 complete their families by age twenty-six. The result
;that about one-half of the m3.rried women in the United States hr.we
is '
! I
>approximately forty-four years of "!ife "left after the 1ast child enters.
'school and twenty-five yeat~s after the last ch·t"!d comp'!etes high school.
This leaves women many years to be involved and pr·oductive outside the . home sphel~e.
·-··--··--·---~---· -~···----·---------· .. ---·----·-·----~---. ·----·------·-···---·-----·----····---· ... ---·-···· ----·--___________ ._ ______ --· ----....
In the United States over 90 percent of the people marry : (45:225~ 6:107). About one-half of the \1/0men in this country marry 'before the age of twenty-one. The majority continue working until the
• first child is born, retire until the child reaches school age, and then return to the labor force. One-half of the working women are married. AddHionally~ three-fourths of the married women without
·small children, approximately one-third of the women with preschool children, and one-half of the women with children between 6 and 17 years of age work outside the home (45:225). A study by Walker (48:7) 'revealed that employed women work a 66 to 75 hour week at combined job
and household duties as compared to the 42 to 59 hour week of women
'
fifty yea1hs ago. Without question family 1 ife for these individuals is;
:far different from the traditional system where father·s earned the brf~ad:
and mothers baked it. Home economics teachers need to review their proJ grams to see if they are providing the type of learning situations that, 'Will be applicable and useful to persons with this type of life style.
A glimpse of high school graduating ciasses today reveals many students engaged and planning to marry soon after graduation and in
;many instances they marr·y prior to it. ~~any of these young people have!
~not realistically looked at marriage and are ill prepared to assume its;
!resoonsibi1ities. Bowman (6:107) noted that the median age for marriage:
: j
has shown an overall decline since 1890, but that there has been rela-
1tive1y little change in the past few years. He further stated that
;there must be some point past which the median age cannot further .decline and that possibly this point has been reached. The median age
; of a. first marriage for a woman a.t present is twer:ty-p l us .Yf~ars
'17
:---·---~---~-~----·-·---·----·---·----·---·---··· ---·· --··---:
a man twenty-three years. Hall and Paolucci (20:154) directed atten- :tion to remarks by Moor·e in 1960 that one-fourth of all eighteen-year- _olds were married, one-sixth of the seventeen-year-olds, and one of :every sixteen girls age sixteen was also married. These young people .face the very real problem of 11growing up11 in marriage.
A 1976 article in Forecast for Home Economics (37:54) stated that 11 • • • the number of mothers in the United States under the age .of 16 has increased 80% between 1960 and 1973. Each year, over 200,000 :Qirls between the ages of 12 and 18 give birth to a baby." The article·
continued to say that about 60 percent of these young mothers marry :prior to del·ivery. Milk (32:34) ftJrther added to the picture of young :parenthood in 1973:
One out of every ten g i ~~ 1 s nov1 in schoo 1 wi 11 become a mother before she is 18 years old.
Over 210,000 school age girls give birth each year . . . their numbers are increasing.
Nearly 85 percent of those 210,000 school girls attempt to mother their child. Only about 15 percent place the baby for adoption.
:According to Walters (49:26) the average U.S. woman married while still
1 in her teens, with one chance out of four that she was a 1 ready pregnant , iand one chance out of two that by the time she celebrated her first
wedding anniversary she already had her first baby. He further pointed 1
!
out that these young parents often found themselves in unsatisfying roles and were ill-equipped mentally, emotionally, or financially to
·care for their babies (49:24). What is home economics doing for these ,premature parents forced into adult roles while they are still children?
'--·-··--··· ... --.---·---· - - - · - - - -- · - - · - -.. ---·-··---··---·'
18
On the divorce side of the ledger, in 1973, Creasy (13:12) referred to statistics by the National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare which indicated that for every 1000 marriages in the United States in that year, 455 of them ended in divorce. Early marriages significantly increase the possi-
!bility of divorce; males that married between ages of 14 to 21 and
'females who married at ages 14· to 19 had approximately twice the divorce
I
:rate of those who married later (6:108). Tate (45:44) believed that happy family living is more important and more difficult today than
pl~eviously because in the past family members were dependent upon one
;another and this was a cohesive force. Man \'Jas dependent upon his wife
!and she on him but today the pendulum has swung toward increased inde- 1pendence for both husband and wife.
According to Creasy (13:11-13) more and more people, especially.
the young, are questioning the necessity and value of marriage. Roles
·of family members, which were once sharply defined, are in a state of 'change. It is generally agreed that the roles of husbands and wives
' :are changing today and traditional stereotyping is on the decline;
'however, as a society we have clung to the traditional form of marriage.:
!Creasy concluded that ther'e are indications that shared-role patterns
!will become more prominent in the future. Schlater (42:170) noted that;
for each group advocating changes in family life structure there is
;another group committed to the traditional relationship. As family ,life and pe!~haps family structure changes in our society the value of
including boys as well as gir1s in the home economics program becomes :increasingly visible.
:.__ __________________________________________ ------~---~------·---1
19
Although family life styles vary, the inclusion of males vlithin' ithe family group make it important for boys to become aware of what the; I traditional woman's role has been and for girls to become more familiar :with the financial aspects of family life. In the world of today there lwil1 often be an exchange and sharing of roles. Role sharing is evi-
denced by more and more men participating in childbirth experiences, :child care, and routine housework. Increasingly, married women are
seeking additional roles outside the home and are sharing financial
;responsibility for family support (13:11). According to Ruud and Ha11 ;
. (40:46) there are working wives in over one-half of the families in the:
:united States. Increased role sharing and dual roles for both men and ,women provide reasons why boys as well as girls need to be included in home economics classes. Boys often place importance on and are inter-
I
1ested in things that girls might overlook and vice versa. In a mixed tclass each helps the other become aware of the mutual role sharing and
cooperation involved in the establishment of a home and family.
Today home economics education is an integral part of the public.
schools in the United States. Students and adults are increasingly :cognizant of the fact that the complexity of modern-day living demands 'that they have'some formal training if they are to satisfactorily and :more easily cope with and solve problems of family living (20:19).
Changes in societal values necessitate curricular change in home economics programs. It is a weighty challenge to teachers to develop practical and relevant curriculum for students about to enter a turbulent world. Linus (21:8) expressed the fee'Iing we11, 11--but there :is no heavier burden than a great potential.11
20
,---~----- --~------ --- --- ---·-·-··-·-·---·---~-----·--·--- -·-·· --- ---· ----~ ·---·---· --- ·--··--!
Sine~~ males are a part of the family and since their inclusion into the home economics program is a goal for which the profession
;strives, is it possible that home economics teachers may not be encour-' aging males to enroll in home economics? Despite an avowed interest in i recruiting larger numbers of males into the program are there hidden ,persuaders in the classroom that unconsciously discourage free sex-role: I
:choice? Hutton (23:30) studying sex-role illustrations in junior high
;school home economics texts found that the books being published, with :few exceptions, did not support multi-dimensional roles for men and 'women. Quick (39:39) asked: "In this time of shared roles in the :family, unisex clothing styles, and the awareness of women's rights in
!
'
:the business world, are the rights of young men being neglected by home:
! • ?II
.econom1cs. She further advised the home economics teachers to ask
·themselves if curriculum titles challenge the interest of boys and could :they be comfortable teaching a class of boys with mixed abilities, per-i
sonalities, and interests. Could boys be comfortable in their class- rooms, chairs, or cooking units? Are textbooks suitable and interesting for males and are room settings and decor compatible with male needs and tastes? Is equipment suitable for males? Could she cope with the
·directness of young men's questions? Quick continued by stating that if the home economics teacher cannot respond affirmatively then she is :tntly saying, 11stop! males not wanted.11 As reported in "Focus on . • ' I
'Men in Home Economics'' (19:35) Jeff Berman, a home economist, declared that changes in home economics are coming too slowly. He felt, along :with many others, that home economics is no longer in the bus·iness of
training girls to be wives but now has emphasis on people-orientation.
21
,---·---·---·· ---·- - - - · - - - -·--·--- ---·---·---·-·---·-·-1
;As this concept takes hold and truly becomes a reality in the home
:economics classroom more males will become interested in the course and'
<indeed some vli1l become home economists themselves. In the same article' David Van Dommelin (19:34), another male home economist, asked how we
.can revitalize home economics and make it an area that can act as a
leveling off point for the sexes? One that will be concerned not with 1 1male and female or name changes but with the individual person. As if
:in response, Weiss (50:586) has reported on what she considered appro- priate guidelines for home economics in the middle schools:
Education pt~ocesses would foster skills in self-understanding
and self-presentation, evolving satisfying modes for interaction with others~ formulating personal values and standards, and anal- yzing social attitudes and human behavior.
'The above guidelines would appear equally appropriate for the high 'school home economics program.
Competencies in home economics need to be stated in accordance :with societal needs and changed as society changes. What is valued by :society will provide direction for appropriate learning experiences
(12:27). East (15:17) provided a final guideline for curriculum
;development when she declared, 11What isn1t important for boys to learn :begins to seem less important for girls to learn.11 It is generally :agreed that the best home economics programs are those that concentrate ;
!On ways to meet the needs of young people of both sexes and where
' infor·mation pl~esented and taught will be transferrable and adaptable 'to future requirements and situations of the students.
" • . . to just memorize an isolated fact
is not enough.
One must open the doors
! ________ ·- -.---- -·-- ---- -·-·- -- - - - · - -·--- _________________ , __ --- --- - - - - --- ---· --- --- ---·
'
in his closed mind and see correlations.
The closed doors of my mind have been opened
and I have become
a free and happier person . . . (9:10) .11
---·---·---~---
23
CHAPTER III
METHODS OF INVESTIGATION
This project was a survey study. It was developed to gain
familiarity with the home environments of the high school home economics students in the Fillmore Unified School District. It further attempted to identify those concepts in home economics they considered important and which should~ in their estimation, be included in the high school home economics program.
The goa1 of the study was to evaluate the existing home
~conomics curriculum. consider student and parent indicated needs and wishes. and make recommendations for possible additions to or changes in the existing program.
Data were collected by means of a questionnaire which was adapted from those developed by the Sacramento City Unified School
District (52), Azusa High School (53)~ Orville Wright Junior High School (54L and La Puente High School (55).
Selection of the SamDle
The sample consisted of the students in the high school home economics classrooms on a specific day in May 1975 and parents of these
students. Due to the element of time no attempt was mede to give a make-up session for absentee students or to reach their parents. From
this sample 124 usable student and 52 usable parent questionnaires were secured.
The Questionnaires
A questionnaire was prepared in an effort to gather information about the families in the Fillmore Unified School District and the attitudes of these persons toward selected concepts in home economics.
The questionnaire was then submitted for suggestions to three faculty members from the Home Economics Department at California State Univer-
sity, Northridge. Suggestions regarding the questionnaire were also obtained from members of the Fillmore Unified School District.
The survey was constructed in both English and Spanish and con- sisted of two parts. Part l, the first portion of the questionnaire, was similar for both students and parents and was designed to col1ect personal data about the family. These data are cited in Appendix A and B respectively. The second section, shown in Appendix C, was identical for both students and parents. It contained eighty-four' possible teaching concepts divided into five areas of home economics that might be included in the home economics curriculum.
The cover sheet for· parents informed the participants in the study that the questionnaire was printed in both English and Spanish and contained the name and phone number of the researcher and the name and phone number of a Spanish speaking assistant who would be available to help should any questions arise.
Instructions for the students were both typed on the question- naire and read verbally by the researcher as part of the administration
, - - - - ---~------ --- -- - - - ---- - - - - - - - - - ---·---·---·---
:procedure. The researcher remained in the room throughout the time the i
1students were completing the survey and permitted no talking among students. The questionnaire was administered to students on one day in order to insure consistency in directions and circumstances.
Instructions directed the students and parents to carefully .read the questions, check their response, and not sign their names.
This assured the anonymity of the respondent. Both samples were
informed that the completed questionnaire would help identify the needs·
•of families in the community and assist home economics teachers in planning a more practical course of study for students enrolled in
'
the home economics program. Part II instructions directed the respon- dent to check the category that indicated how worthwhile they felt each i
I I
of eighty-four concepts would be to learn. Thl~ee categorical levels of' importance v;ere designated--very impor·tant, of some value, and of no
iva l ue.
Questionnaires for the parents of the students were taken home . by the student and, when completed, were returned to the school via a
self-addressed stamped envelope.
Presentation of Data
The collected data were tabulated by frequency and percentage of the response to each question. Since some persons neglected to 'answer all questions in the survey, either inadvertently or· deliber-
ately, the total number of responses from one question to another va.l"·i ed.
26
In the second part of the survey where concept ranking was employed it has been given in three forms: parent ranking, student ranking, and combined ranking of parents and students. The combined ranking consisted of weighting the collective responses to each concept.
\~here weighting was used to achieve a combined rank each response to a concept considet·ed by the respondent to be "very important" was given a weight of two, each response to a concept considered to be "of some value" was given a weight of one, and each response to a concept rate
110f no value" was given a weight of zero. The weights for each concept were then totalled for all the students and parents and combined. The concept within each area receiving the highest score was rated number one in importance to teach, the second highest score number two, and so on until all the concepts in each teaching area had been given a rank priority.
27
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION RESULTS
The findings of this study are reported in percentages and
rank order; and, whenever feasible, tables. No other statistical tools' were employed. Percentages were carried three places beyond the decimal:
and rounded to the nearest hundredth.
At the end of the questionnaire respondents were invited to include comments of their own concerning the survey or the home eco- :nomics program. Although fev1 did so~ some comments have been included
;and discussed since they might reflect a need or a prevalent attitude among the sample.
Description of Respondents
There was a tota 1 of 176 student and parent respondents, the majority of whom were female. See Table 1~ page 29. The information 'gathered from student responses showed student enrollment to be fairly
·equally divided among grades nine through twelve.
! ;
Responses indicated that a mother was permanently living in the·
,home in 89.34 percent of the cases, fathers 75.41 percent of the time) th·is Has followed by stepfathers 9.12 percent~ guardians 6.56 percent, :and stepmothers 3.28 percent. Additionally) brothers and sisters were
pr·esent i:~ 78.68 pel~cent of the homes, other adults over eighteen years:
28
