Is There a Need for Adult Vocational Education?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defined adult education as a type of education that “denotes the entire body of organized educational processes, whatever the content, level and method, whether formal or otherwise, whether they prolong or replace initial education in schools, colleges and universities as well as in apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adult by the society to which they belong develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge, improve their technical or professional qualifications or turn them in a new direction and bring about changes in their attitudes or behavior in the two-fold perspective of full personal development and participation in balanced and independent social, economic and cultural development” (Hayden, 1982, p.15). This old definition alone of UNESCO denotes a tone of importance for adult education, what more in today’s society? The world today is much advanced and richer in technology, thus the need for skills improvement is more imperative than before. However, it was estimated that only 50% of the United States population attends college at some point in their lives (Kerr, 1994). The question is what did the other half decided for their lives? Basically, with that huge number of people not attending college, a substitute educational programme like vocational education would be much helpful. After all, vocational training alone can get someone a job, particularly something that doesn’t require any college degree. Because of the fact that half of Americans chose not to take college courses, it is obvious that there is a great need for other alternative courses such as vocational education courses or trainings. Thus, the author proposes to conduct a study that would bring evidence to the importance of vocational education to adults. Specifically, the proposed study will focus on benefits that vocational education give to those who graduated from it, particularly in employment and the rate of being given a chance in pre-employment. Here, the author will present related literatures, methodology, along with other segments that would help present the proposal.
Statement of the Problem
There is a need to determine the condition of those who chose vocational trainings over a college degree. With today’s high technology and competitive environment, the need for an education has been much stressed, moreover having a college degree. Because most modern companies require a college degree or two, there is a slim chance for those who do not have any degree to find a job suitable enough to sustain their needs and their family. The question here can also be thrown to those who only have vocational training – if they’re not having or didn’t have any difficulty finding a suitable job. It can be assumed that there is difficulty, however, in their endeavor because not only there are limited jobs available for those without college degree; there is also a somewhat different unequal level of comparison between academic and vocational courses. As Lewis (1998) stated, there is a division in the curriculum between academic and vocational aspect, with the connotation and treatment of the latter as a default for those who are not suited to enroll or continue study for the former. This negative connotation can be hurtful, as in a discriminating society opportunities would seem to be miniscule.
The division alone and the discrimination that takes place can be enough bases for the need of adult vocational education because without it, it can be said that there would be no other options. However, the need for it and its importance can be further stressed by looking at the condition of those who have taken it, particularly the benefits that it gives to them. Thus, having a considerable job after finishing the course would be positive, while being jobless would be negative. These data to be collected will help measure the importance of adult vocational education.
Research Questions
To be able to solve the problem presented earlier, the author should first answer a few general and specific questions. The general questions are the following:
1. What are the advantages of taking vocational education instead of taking an academic course to adults?
2. What are the disadvantages?
3. Does vocational education provide many job opportunities?
Specifically, the author will then answer the following queries:
1. What are the factors that make upper secondary education graduates choose vocational education over academic college courses?
2. Are they satisfied with their decisions?
3. Do they have a job?
4. If yes, how much time did they spend looking for job before having one?
5. Do they find vocational education as a necessity or do they find it as a forced choice for those who don’t have much option?
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is to provide a quantitative data of evidence to prove the importance of vocational education to adults who finished upper secondary education particularly in getting a job, and the quality of the job they acquired. The same goes in finding out if vocational education is really a necessity, thus stressing its importance and the level of need for it. Another aim of the study is to collate for related studies that has results helpful in the interpretation of data to be acquired.
Hypothesis
The study will seek to prove the hypothesis: “vocational education is a necessity for some due to some internal and external factors.” Of course, the author will try to look for factors why the individual choose vocational course over academic degrees. In doing so, the importance of vocational education would hopefully be revealed.
Significance of the Study
This study will be significant in a sense that it will bring light to the importance of vocational education in contrast to the negative connotation that goes with it. While there have been a great deal of emphasis on its effectiveness in improving the flexibility and performance of an employee who finished an academic course, the study will explore the perception of those who have made vocational education as their greatest educational attainment and will find out how it affected their status in life so far. Thus, the results in this study will benefit those who are interested in knowing the true benefits and shortcomings of choosing vocational education over an academic course. In particular, those who are in upper secondary education who are already decided to take vocational course after high school could reconsider their decisions upon reading the ‘would be’ results of this study. In the same sense, this study could also change the negative perceptions of most people on vocational educational. Furthermore, this study can also serve as a basis for future studies that concerns other areas of study in this topic. This can also serve as a valuable reference for future studies to come.
Literature Review
There is a considerable amount of literature regarding vocational study. The article ‘Vocational Education as general Education’ by Lewis (1998) can be a fresh start for a literature review. In the article, Lewis (1998) made emphasis regarding some biases of perception in vocational education. He stated that the vocational option is more likely to be imposed upon poor communities than upon wealthy ones. Lewis (1998) also stated that in peculiar sociology of the curriculum, vocational knowledge is treated in schools and in society at large as low-status knowledge, unlike academic knowledge which is accordingly advantaged and dispensed. Those who choose the vocational route effectively forfeit the opportunity to go on a university and to gain a high-status job. He explained that the liberal (academic)/vocational divide stays an important screening and sorting mechanism “that even countries wishing to upgrade the status of vocational education are reluctant to dismantle” (p.287). Young (1993a) even stated that the division is ‘inescapably’ embedded in our society because they represent social or status hierarchy. Thus, it is subtly saying that students who have chosen vocational education over prestigious academic courses are doomed living a low-status. The National Assessment of Vocational Education (1994) or NAVE advisory panel found in their study that students who took mostly vocational courses in high school didn’t have any plans going to college. Furthermore, those students with poor scholastic averages and those who are African-American, Natives, and disabled, are most likely to take vocational courses (NAVE, 1994).
However, despite the negative connotation on vocational educational education, its importance is now being seen in the new vocationalization taking place in the US. According to Lewis (1998), the advanced setting of today requires employees to be flexible and learn new technologies in order to keep up with their jobs. Thus, workers are now also being required to take vocational courses as a sort of upgrade to their skills or moreover, as sort of adding additional new skills. However, Velde and Cooper (2000) stated that a vocational education must also keep pace with the changes in the industry that it serves as employers today want a more flexible training. In this case, vocational educators are pointed to play an important role, mainly by trialing the use of more holistic approaches to develop the higher level of competence needs which can increase the benefits of vocational education. Velde and Cooper (2000), researched and defended vocational education in secondary setting, found many advantages for students on providing such education in secondary setting such as: opportunity to link theory to practice; gain work experience and personal insight in a professional role, acquire knowledge and attitudes relevant to future learning, exercise thinking skills in a practical context, and develop a personal maturity. As mentioned, vocational education seems to be being treated as something lower in quality from academic courses. But with the benefits found from secondary education students, it seems that it has its worth after all. Perhaps the only problem is the negative connotation that is embedded within it, particularly to those who haven’t taken any higher education but vocational education.
In the study of Nuehring and Sitlington (2003) about four high school students with autism’s transition to an adult vocational service provider, they found some interesting positive facts. The successful aspects they found include: the employment of knowledgeable transition specialists, the variety of choices students and their families had in the geographic area, and the use of assessment data in one of the agencies. These positive aspects are said to have provided a good learning experience for the students with autism.
On the other hand, Athanasou (2001) found that vocational education is weak in Australia as compared against academic courses when it comes to finding jobs. Athanasou (2001) found that just over 44% of the participants were working in an occupation that did not require a formal education qualification. Furthermore, Athanasou (2001) found that the mean scores for literacy and numeracy for those with degrees and diplomas were higher than those with trade certificates and other qualifications. On the other hand, in terms of demographic factors, he found that the proportions of females working in occupations with a requirement for a degree was double than that of males. Athanasou (2001) stated that this result is consistent with the fact that more women attend higher education than men, as found by Marks et al (2000). Furthermore, only few students in the rural areas achieve a degree as compared to students from the metropolitan areas. Athanasou (2001) concluded that educational-vocational achievements are attained by three groups of factors. The first group include: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and geographical location. The second group of factors, on the other hand, was educational and included early levels of achievement in literacy numeracy, and levels of school completion. Then finally, the third set of factors includes motivational influence of high school interests in vocational areas.
Basically, what are being taught in adult vocational education include basic education, self-improvement courses, or occupational training skills (Minnesota Department of Education, 2004). Both academic and vocational courses are taught in adult vocational education, with hands-on approach. Aside from being an alternative to academic courses, students here aim to earn their high school diploma or GED, or immigrants to learn English (Minnesota Department of Education, 2004). Thus, with such help in both those in and out of college, and to those who are still in high school, the importance of vocational education is evident.
In the NELS survey, students were asked the following question in both 8th and 12th grades: “As things stand now, how far in school do you think you will get?” Overall, expectations were high, with all but 7 percent of 1992 high school graduates reporting in 8th grade that they expected to continue their education beyond high school (table 2). Seventy-three percent reported that they expected to earn at least a bachelor’s degree, and another 20 percent expected to complete some college or vocational training (Horn and Nunez, 2000). This shows that early in high school, there are already students decided to go to vocational education. With this decision, it is possible that they perceived their future will be secured with it. But still, such attitude cannot change the inequality between academic courses and vocational education.
Deissinger stated that vocational education and training systems should be characterized through their “qualification styles” (Deissinger, 1995). These include three aspects: political and organizational regulation frameworks for qualification processes (co-ordination, control and financing), didactic- curricular orientation of qualification processes (underlying didactic and methodological principles, relations between qualification profiles in training and in work life) and the role of qualification processes in the context of socialization (Deissinger, 1995). However, according to Heikkiken (1997), the nature of vocational education as a form of education is insufficiently thematized because merely of its separation from academic courses. However, despite the difference, the facts there are those who would rather choose vocational education over academic courses cannot be underestimated. This demand can be a support in proving the importance of such education.
Methodology
The research being proposed will be a descriptive type of research that will illustrate the importance of vocational education to adults in the United States (U.S.). A descriptive research intends to present facts concerning the nature and status of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study (Creswell, 1994). It is also concerned with relationships and practices that exist, beliefs and processes that are ongoing, effects that are being felt, or trends that are developing (Best, 1970). In addition, such approach tries to describe present conditions, events or systems based on the impressions or reactions of the respondents of the research (Creswell, 1994).
Primary and secondary data will be used in the study. Primary data will come from the responses of the respondents to be surveyed; while secondary data will come from publication materials related to the need for vocational education i.e. published articles from education and vocational training journals, theses and related studies on vocational education.
Quantitative research method will be used in the study because it allows the research problem to be conducted in a very specific and set terms (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 1992). Besides, a quantitative research plainly and distinctively specifies both the independent and the dependent variables under investigation (Matveev, 2002). It also follows resolutely the original set of research goals, arriving at more objective conclusions, testing hypothesis, determining the issues of causality and eliminates or minimizes subjectivity of judgment (Kealey & Protheroe, 1996). Further, this method allows for longitudinal measures of subsequent performance of research subjects (Matveev, 2002). Finally, it provides achieving high levels of reliability of gathered data due to i.e. controlled observations, laboratory experiments, mass surveys, or other form of research manipulations (Balsley, 1970). This study should be based on surveys and statistical treatments, so basically the quantitative approach fits well with it.
For this research, the researcher, after gathering the relevant data needed, will collate them together with published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals, then afterwards render a critical analysis on the collected documents and verbal materials. A summary of all the information gathered will also be provided by the researcher, as well as a conclusion and insightful recommendations on the importance of adult vocational education.
Respondents of the Study
The researcher will survey 300 vocational education graduates within two years and up. The age requirement should be 18 and above since the mentioned number is considered as the standard start of adulthood. The respondents will be chosen through random sampling. They will be surveyed with a structured questionnaire.
Data Collection
Surveys are the most common form of research method for collection of primary data (Commonwealth of Learning, 2000). One of its purpose is to describe, e.g., to count the frequency of some event or to assess the distribution of some variables such as proportion of the population of different age groups, sex, religion, castes and languages, knowledge, attitude and adoption of practices about particular issues, and other information of similar nature about the population (Commonwealth of Learning, 2000). The descriptive survey of the population is valuable in understanding the audience, and in the definition of the existence and magnitude of the problems, and the survey data are also helpful in determining cause and effect relationships between variables (Commonwealth of Learning, 2000).
On the other hand, the questionnaire will be structured questionnaire because it will require less difficulty in analyzing and completion of the task. The researcher originally planned to conduct semi-structured questionnaire because it is more flexible than the structured type. However, semi-structured questionnaires are more difficult and time consuming to complete and to analyze. Because the time available in conducting the dissertation is only limited, the researcher decided to settle to structured questionnaire because it will provide a quick survey process and data gathering.
In the structuring the questionnaire, the researcher will first define the goals of the information collection. Then, the researcher will clarify how those goals can be met by collecting various types of information. Furthermore, variables that need to be measured will be defined.
Enclosed with the questionnaire is an accompanying letter that will introduce the researcher and the purpose of the questionnaire. In addition, the information that should be collected will be mentioned as well as the assurance that each of their answers will be confidential. Questionnaires will be distributed via email, fax, personal interview, and through focus group.
The data collection instrument will be based on a 5-Point Likert scale. A Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement. By rating scale we mean the scales that are usually used to measure attitudes towards an object, the degree to which an object contains a particular attribute, (Like or dislike), toward some attribute, or the importance attached to an attribute (Underwood, 2004). The equivalent weights for the answers will be:
Range Interpretation
4.50 – 5.00 Strongly Agree
3.50 – 4.00 Agree
2.50 – 3.49 Uncertain
1.50 – 2.49 Disagree
0.00 – 1.49 Strongly Disagree
Ethical Considerations
The researcher will only interview the respondents if there is already an approval from the universities and from the teachers themselves. Furthermore, certain requests of the respondents such as the time limit of the interview, or if they decide not to answer a particular question, will be allowed. In addition, the researcher will ensure the confidentiality of their answers.
Data Analysis
First the questionnaire will be validated by having professionals review the structure. Then, the data analysis will be based on Pope et al’s (2000) framework approach. This form of analysis involves five stages. After collecting the data, the researcher must engage in immersion, by carefully reading transcripts and notes, to compile a first list of recurrent themes and concepts. In the second stage, these themes are examined and related back to the specific stated aim of the study. At this point, themes that were not anticipated by previous research will be identified. The themes are then located back in the transcripts, and noted against the text. In the fourth stage the data are charted, by rearranging text, to identify how often a theme emerged and to what other theme or themes (if any) it relates. In the final stage, themes are mapped, so that links between them can be considered, as well as rechecking the themes against the original aim of the study.
Estimated Timeline
10/2004: identify the topic; draw up the outline plan
10-12/2004; carry out a literature search; do reading (write draft literature Review and submit it to supervisor for feedback; plan fieldwork
1-3/2005: identify or construct & pilot your research instrument(s) (negotiate access to your respondents; carry out fieldwork; write draft of Methodology chapter and submit it to supervisor for feedback
4-7/2005: analyze data (write draft Findings and Discussion chapter and submit it supervisor for feedback; write draft of final chapter and submit it to supervisor for feedback
8/2005: write the introduction; write the Synopsis; complete the references; collate and appendices
References:
Athanasou, J.A. (2001). Young People in Transition: Factors Influencing the Educational-Vocational Pathways of Australian School-Leaver. Education & Training, Vol 43, No. 2/3
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Best, John W. (1970). Research in Education, 2nd Ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc.
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Creswell, J.W. 1994. Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
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Velde, C. and Cooper, T. (2000). Students’ perspectives of workplace learning and training in vocational education. Education + Training, Vol.42, No.2; pp.83-92.
Young(1993). Bridging the Academic, Vocational Divide: Two Nordic Case Studies. European Journal of Education, Vol.28, No.2; pp. 209-214.
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