A description is given of the perceptions and attitudes of 10 teachers currently working in the Dade County (Florida) schools. The paper examines the extent to which changes over the past two decades have affected the ways in which they perceive their work and the teaching profession in general. These teachers entered teaching primarily for…

Although youth employment programs operate on the premise that training will produce economic returns in the form of higher employment probabilities, better jobs, and higher wages, the efficacy of these programs has sometimes been in doubt. To determine if and how these programs produce youths who can find and keep a job, 3-year follow-up data…

This digest discusses the issue of performance standards for school superintendents. School districts are discovering that developing performance standards for administrators can be cost effective, reduce crisis management, set and maintain direction, and give the community a standard for measuring school success. Several aspects of the issue on…

A study was conducted at Olympic College (OC) in the State of Washington, to investigate the personal and academic characteristics of student dropouts and their reasons for leaving the college. Questionnaires were sent to 500 fall 1986 students who completely withdrew from OC during the term or received all F's, W's, or other unproductive grades…

In fall 1987, a five-year longitudinal study was initiated by the Wyoming Community College Commission, in cooperation with the community colleges, to determine the variables that affect student progress toward their personal, academic, and career objectives. The sample for the study consisted of 181 randomly selected first-time, first-year…

In 1986, a Reverse Transfer Project was initiated at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) in order to promote the summer school attendance at MVCC of "reverse transfer" students (i.e., students who attended another institution during the regular academic year). A mailing, containing a cover letter, informational brochure, summer catalog, and…

Research has shown that: (1) Physiological and psychological aspects of stress and burnout are equated with emotional exhaustion and (2) Individual responses to relationships and the working environment are based, to a large extent, upon the individual's expectations. A model was developed that accounts for individual perceptions of reasonable…

Data collected on school environments for "A Study of Schooling" were analyzed to determine teachers' perceptions of their work environment. Two sets of elementary, middle, and high schools were identified from teacher responses. There were 14 schools in the set having less satisfying work environments, and ten schools were in the set having more…

In fall 1981, the cosmetology program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) was evaluated as part of a process to create a model for the periodic evaluation of all occupational programs at the school. In addition to collecting information for planning and program improvement, the study sought to assess the achievement of…

Ageism has taken its place beside sexism and racism not only in society but also in the arenas of social science research and policy. Survey data obtained from an extensive questionnaire published in three North American daily newspapers in 1980 from 2,026 adults, aged 18-90, were examined to debunk the myth of loneliness in old age. The data…

To date, the constructive motivation hypothesis has generally been limited to educational achievement as an outcome variable, and few studies have been specifically designed to investigate student satisfaction outcomes. To measure student preferences for course structure and difficulty level and student perceptions of instructors' orientation…

Discussions by 56 educators from a Canadian school district on their job satisfactions and dissatisfactions, aspirations, and life transitions in tape recorded interviews provided the primary data for this study of adult development among teachers and administrators. Secondary data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of an additional 383…

This book examines the forces which are changing work in the 1980s and offers a concise analysis of the challenges for social policy which lie ahead. The first of nine chapters looks at changes affecting Americans' concept of work, including expectations, commitment to work, satisfaction, and work reform. Discussion in chapter 2 focuses on…

A survey of a sample of employers, high school vocational education completers, and postsecondary vocational education completers was taken to determine their perceptions of the current delivery system, student outcomes from vocational training, and the extent to which vocational education was meeting the labor market needs of the state of…

Job satisfaction in mental health organizations has been a neglected research topic, in spite of the fact that mental health organizations themselves are concerned with quality of life issues. To study job satisfaction at three long-term public psychiatric hospitals, the Job Satisfaction Index was administered to 44 direct service employees. In…