AN EXPLORATORY STUDY:

THE NEED, SCOPE, AND RAMIFICATION OF AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM*

P. J. KARR

Texas Woman's University. Denton, Texas 76204

Demands to consider job marketability, particularly in the education areas, are becoming more urgent due to enrollment decreases which are continuing to occur at the public school and college levels. Educators at the college level are now faced with considering alternative curriculums in addition to certification programs based not only on varied demands but also on the actual need which is becoming more evident. However. quick implementation of any alternative program could also be detrimental. There is enough time to consider present alternative programs prior to making the necessary changes and lor additions. Thus. it is the purpose of this article to address one such program and curriculum, namely. the educational-studies major. To accomplish this, available literature regarding the program, compiled data collected by the author regarding attitudes towards the program and job marketability of graduates, and perceived benefits and limitations of the program will be considered.

Considerable attention has been devoted to the devc!opment of college level teacher certification programs. Depending on the status of these certification programs, educators have become involved, to varying extents, in the developing curriculums of such programs. More recently, however, the attention of educators is being directed to alternative programs in addition to the certification programs.' Specifically, due to the growing demand and awareness of education majors and faculty, concern is being expressed with regard to job marketability upon graduation (Coughlin, 1977 and Karr, 1978). To date, the literature regarding alternative curriculums and programs is limited. However. one program, the educational-studies major, has received some attention. This particular program and related curriculum has been designed and implemented due to enrollment decrease in public schools and college education departments, increased awareness regarding the need to expand the scope of education departments, stu-

dent demands, and others. The latter has received considerable attention. Aside from the enrollment concerns. "nearly all Deans say the new programs are largely a response to student demands" (Coughlin, 1977, p. 7).

To determine not only the feasibility of such a program in terms of longevity. scope, and developing curriculum but also whether or not this is a rational and stable move for educators, rather than just a fad, one must be aware of the total ramifications of such a program. Thus, it is the purpose of this article to address a) the scope of this alternative program and curriculum, namely the educationalstudies major b) the attitudes of graduates, undergraduates, and concerned citizens regarding the adoption of a program of this nature c) the job marketability of such majors and d) the perceived benefit~ and limitations of such a program.

.:, This research was funded by an institutional grant.

136

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Alternative Educat ion Program and Curriculum ... / 137

The Educational-Studies Major and Curriculum

First and probably foremost, it should be noted that a limited amount of literature is available regarding this program." Similarly, the titles of such programs vary, although the program structure throughout various institutions seems to be similar.

The major difference between this major and the traditional education major ieadina to certification is the elimination

o

of certification for public schools. In-

stead, the emphasis is on general educa[ion courses as they pertain to social service and public policy areas. Internships and practicums are generally fi~ld work in prisons, government agencies and related social services (Coughlin). Thus the foundation areas of this program' are interdisciplinary in nature (e.g., research, social sciences, general education, policy development, organizational communication). Educators at such educational institutions as Northwestern, Duke, University of Missouri, University of Delaware, and Emory have implemented such programs, either recently or 3-6 years ago (Coughlin). More specifically, the curriculum at Northwestern is not only designed but also implemented according to the following criteria:"

1) The program requirements are divided into three areas: a) general education (history, philosophy, religion; fine arts, literature, music; social science and/ or math. introductory studies) b) individually planned concentration in social and behavioral disciplines (self-designed to "improve the students' mastery of the concepts and skills upon which he or "he has chosen to focus") and c) learning environments core curriculum (research skills, seminar, practicum, seminar in policy analysis, and senior research essay) .

2) April 1 of the junior year, each student submits a research grant proposal

to Administrative Committee [0 be approved.

3) New stalling requirements, based on present staff and competencies, aren't essential. Some faculty are education faculty, others are joint appointments.

4) This program should in no way interfere with the School of Education's ability to continue to offer a high quality undergraduate program in teacher education.

5) The program serves both terminal and preprofessional students. Those who seek work upon graduation will be well qualified for positions in hospitals, prisons, halfway houses, neighborhood centers, social agencies and juvenile institutions. Graduates will also be prepared for advanced study leading to careers in such fields as social work, criminal justice, labor organizations, health education, mental health, industrial training, educational media, recreation and education itself.

Although the aforementioned programs are similar to the Northwestern program, the author is limited, at this time, in specific knowledge regarding the other programs. However, one of the programs at Emory already has graduates.

"Although most of the "non-certifiable" education program" are still new and unproved, the six-year-old program at Emory already has craduates . . . cateers chosen are work in ~urriclllum development for organizations such a, prison. school systems and government agencies . . . others have gone on to graduate studies in law psychology, and other areas." (Coughlin, p. 7.)

A ttitudcs Regarding the Adoption of the Program

To assess the attitudes regarding the institution of such a major, a questionnaire was distributed to 101 respondents. These respondents were mainly undergraduate and graduate students in the education program at Northeastern University and Texas Woman's University. However, other parents, businessmen and

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138 / Education Vol. 99 No. 2

«thers :lh(l responded to the questionnairc.

After reading the specifics of the program and its present status, each respondent indicated whether he/she favored, questioned, or was against the institution of such a program in colleges of education. The results indicated that 82.18% favored the institution of the program, 14.85 % were against the institution of the program, and 2.97% question the institution of the program. In addition to the preceding categories, further data was compiled based on the individual comments of the respondents. The following is a partial list of those responses:

1) Certainly educators must be open to new areas of interest with continuing decreases in public school enrollment.

2) Teaching in prisons, continuing education programs, senior citizen groups, bilingual adult programs, government institutions and various agencies involved in rehabilitation all offer new or expanding opportunities for graduates with the B.S. in education degree.

3) This type of degree could be built on at the graduate level when a firm decision is made as to future employment. 4) Will some type of professional standardization be used to insure uniformity? 5) With today's tight job market, such a program would help to broaden the availability of job, associated in some way with education.

6) It seems to me that the two programs both present at any university could workingly support and complement each other.

7) I would hate to see someone come out of school with a B.S. in Education and not be able to teach.

R) I think that general education would prepare teachers for many alternatives and there wouldn't be such a pigeonhole effect.

9) For teachers who find they are burned out on teaching public school after 5-10 years, there would be another

I-CSOur~c area to fill.

(0) It also broadens the marketability of the students graduating with these degrees because they will have had more practical experience in different settings and different situations.

11) This is a world of specialization-the educational-studies major would be unqualified to teach in many areas.

12) I seriously doubt if any educational majors without certification could obtain employment.

13) It (educational-studies) could bring people with an educational background into other satisfying professional jobs. 14) Many problems of our faster paced society itself need and cry out for the institution of this major.

15) All the "gloom and doom" projections in marketing techniques upon graduation tend to make a student more career-minded into a specialized field for an economic survival upon graduation with a degree. However, too many fields have become narrowed with certification in a "specialists type of field"-and then market requirements to he met insist almost upon broader fields.

Given the context of the preceding results and comments from the respondents, the majority certainly favor the institution of such a program. However, one must also acknowledge the criticisms and suggestions as well as the positive attitudes, for they are also realistic perspectives regarding potential or future concerns related to the program.

Job Marketability for Majors

To identify the job market with regard to these or similar majors. another questionnaire wa-, distributed on a national level. The questionnaire was distributed to 754 potential andz or nresent employerx of graduates of such interdisciplinary areas. There was a 20.42% return, a typical survey return, yet a low one. The following is a partial list of those respondents:

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Allernative Education Program and Curriculum ... / 139

Stale Librane .... , Office of Health Services and Environmental Quality, Commissions on Human Relations, Equal Rights Commissions, Offices of Education, Departments of Health and Social Service, Councils on Criminal Justice, Departments of Corrections, Divisions for Youth, Food and Drug Divisions, Boards of Public Affairs, Youth Councils, Departments of Environmental Conservation, Institutional Research Departments, Mental Health and Retardation and others.

The questionnaire focused on perceived present and/or future need for education majors who graduate with coursework in interdisciplinary areas, as previously outlined, A partial list of results which are helpful in analyzing the job marketability or related concerns for graduates are indicated below:

I) Results from employers regarding some of the needed educational skills for future employment - educational learning and psychology 20.8%, evaluation 62.9%, research 53.2%, implementation of programs 57.7 %, designing of programs 57.7%, teaching 37.0%, and instructional design 29.2 %.

2) Results from employers regarding the degree level (s) needed for future employment-B.A. 47.4%, B.S. 41.6%, M.A. 55.2%, M.S. 48.1 %, Ed.D. 14.3%, Ph.D. ]9.5%.

3) Results from employers regarding the desired capacity for future employmentFull Time 83.1%, Half time 6.5%, and Consulting 16.9%.

4) Results from employers regarding internships and related pay scales-In favor of paid interns 64.3%, in favor of unpaid interns 25.3%.

Perceived Limitations and Benefits of the Program

Based on available literature and compiled data regarding this program, there arc certain limitations and benefits that

',h0111d he acknowledged. Similarly, as educators, we should truly care that quality and relevancy of new programs be investigated prior to actual implementation. To insure that the former is considered, it is necessary to assess both the weaknesses and strengths of the program.

Some of the limitations that might be considered prior to the institution of this or a similar program are 1) the need to collect further specific literature regarding already-existing programs 2) the need to identify other concerns related to job marketability in addition to data results reported in this article 3) the need to identify areas within specific regions that are receptive towards related internships and practicums, if the program is initiated and 4) the need to assess whether or 110t new or additional faculty is needed and if budget allocations are adequate for both new faculty and program implementation. If this criteria is used and analyzed, faculty can avoid some of the early "pitfalls" associated with new program development.

Some of the benefits that could contribute to the success of the program are 1) the use of established program designs which not only have graduates but also have shown improvement regarding job marketability concerns 2) the use of data result, and related lists, indicated in this article, to assess who receptive employers might be in your region and 3) the use of data results and related lists, indicated in this article, to note what organizations might be receptive to internships and practicums.

Although the present attempts to explore the ramifications of such programs are laudable ones, educators must still acknowledge that more data analyses and specific literature about this program or similar programs are needed. If we, as educators, are genuinely involved in responding to student demands, job marketability concerns and the like, then we must be careful and diligent in our efforts

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140/ Fducotion Vol. 99 No. 2

~l!IJ analyses regarding pi ograiu developrneut and related aSSCSSl11ent~.

References

Coughlin, L, "Making education degrees marketable." The Chronicle of Highc) Educetion, 1977, 14,7.

Karr, D. 1. "An alternative program: are cducator s concerned?" The afiec t tree. 1978, 2,

Notes

1 At the public school level, several interviews with Mr. Corcoran, Assistant Superintendent of a suburban Boston school district. revealed that many school districts are confronting enrollment decreases until 1980 At the college level, several interviews with Dr. Sidney Berquist, formerly of Northwestern University.

revealed that education departments are beginning to or are already considering alternative curriculums in addition to certification progrnrns. given student demands, enrollment decreases and other".

2 An article entitled, "Making Education Degrees Marketable" in the The Cln onicle of Higher Education, May 9, 1977, deals with a general description of the educational-studies major at different universities. Most literature. however is in the form of brochures or obtained from personal interview with faculty or Deans of related programs.

:1 The author conducted several interviews with Dr. Sidney Berquist, formerly of Northwester n U niv ersity, to obtain more specific d.lt<l regarding the curriculum at Northwestern. Dr. Berquist also supplied the author with a related outline describing in detail. the general information given in Nos. 1-5.

Salt and Light. Talks and Writings Oil the Sermon Oil the MOIlIlI. Eberhard Arnold. Plough Publishing House, Rifton, New York, 1977,310 pp. It is a translation of a book lir st printed in German. It is the story of the Sermon on the Mount as interpreted by a religious society, The Hutterian Society of Brothers. It is the story of how these people seek to dedicate themselves entirely to all men, and based largely on their interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount. The author maintains that love must be there, love to men. One most easily feels at home among children. for with them love simply rules, without any special purpose, This is the way to become true men. The light referred to is Jesus himself.

Practice in Survival Reading 6: It's On The Map. Patricia Kelly Waelder. New Reader Press, Syracuse, New York. 1978. 64 pp. This is a workbook which contains 25 sample pages of maps. Generally, the sample page is an authentic copy, became real mater ials are important to students. For each map there is a set of 10 questions for the student to read and answer. There are three levels involved: (1) Locating Iactv, (2) Interpreting fads. and (3) Applying knowledge of facts.