Attitudes and perceptions held by parents toward vocational education: An assessment of influential factors

The fundamental purpose of the study was to assess attitudes of parents toward vocational-technical education. A secondary purpose of this research was to determine how much influence parents have on their children in their choice of a conventional or vocational curriculum. The extent of this influence was also examined specifically for the purpose of identifying techniques to stabilize the enrollment at the comprehensive full-time Kent County Vocational-Technical High School.;More specifically, the study attempted was designed to answer the following research questions: (1) Is there a difference in attitudes toward vocational education between parents of students enrolled in vocational technical courses at an area vocational school and parents of students not enrolled in vocational-technical courses at an area vo-tech? (2) Do parents from large rural schools have different attitudes toward vocational-technical education at an area vo- tech than do the parents from small rural districts? (3) Is there a difference between attitudes toward vocational education of parents who have had prior training in vocational-technical education and parents who have not had prior training in vocational-technical education? (4) Is there a difference in attitudes between male and female parents toward vocational-technical education? (5) What attitudes may be identified which will be helpful in determining future educational planning for vocational education?;Major conclusions include:;(1) Parents were in general agreement to certain perceptions toward vocational education. (2) Parents of students enrolled in vocational-technical courses from large school districts showed no significant difference in attitude toward vocational education than parents of students enrolled in vocational-technical courses from small school districts that are rural in nature. (3) There was no significant difference in attitudes toward vocational-technical education of female major wage earner parents of students enrolled in vocational-technical courses and male major wage earner parents of students enrolled in vocational-technical courses. More than half of the total responses returned by parents who had children enrolled in vocational courses were male major wage earners. (4) There was no significant difference in attitudes toward vocational-technical education of female major wage earner parents of students not enrolled in vocational-technical courses and male major wage earner parents of students not enrolled in vocational-technical courses. (5) There was no evidence that major wage earners with vocational training had a more positive attitude toward vocational education than did major wage earners who had not experienced vocational training. (6) There was a significant difference in attitudes toward vocational education between major wage earners or students who were enrolled in vocational courses who had no vocational training and major wage earners of students not enrolled in vocational education who had no vocational training. Wage earners whose children were in a vocational education program had more positive attitudes than wage earners who did not have children in vocational education programs. (7) Parents of students enrolled in vocational education courses had a significantly more positive attitude toward vocational education than parents of students who were not enrolled in vocational courses. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...