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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Home economics students--Iowa--Cedar Falls; Home economics--Teacher training; Home economics students; Home economics--Study and teaching (Higher); Home economics--Vocational guidance; Iowa--Cedar Falls;

Abstract

This exploratory study was conducted as a part of a national project to provide valid and reliable means of assessment for Home Economics Competency Based Education Programs. It was initiated from an interest in developing an instrument to assess the attainment of the specified suggested competency that the participant will demonstrate a commitment to the professions of home economics and education. Development of the Measure of CHEE {Commitment to Home Economics and Education) accomplished the objective of identifying the criteria for commitment and the construction of an instrument which would be a valid and reliable measure of presence of commitment. The objectives, goals, and philosophy of the profession of home economics were included in the review of literature. These were integrated with commitment theory to formulate items for the Measure of CHEE. This instrument was administered with concealed intent as the Vocational Home Economics Majors' Questionnaire. The Measure of CHEE was validated by eleven professional home economics educators on the college or university level and two city coordinators for home economics departments. The final form used for administering to students had reliability coefficients determined as follows, Correlation between forms, 0.95; Unequal-length Spearman-Brown, 0.97; Equal-length Spearman-Brown, 0.97; and Guttman split-half, 0.97. Participants for this study were students at the University of Northern Iowa during the 19?4-1975 academic year. Eighteen sophomore and 18 senior vocational home economics majors-teaching were included. The seniors had completed their professional field experience during the academic year and had returned to campus following that experience. Data collected were analyzed and statistically tested using the Student's t, Mann-Whitney u, and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients. The Measure of CHEE was used to investigate the degree to which commitment to the professions of home economics and education might be found to differ among groups of individuals. Comparisons were made between sophomore and senior vocational home economics students, and between students who participate and those who do not participate in professionally related activities on scores of a measure of commitment to the professions of home economics and education (Measure of CHEE). Five null hypotheses were statistically tested in this research. No significant difference was predicted for scores on a measure of commitment for the following: sophomores and seniors, students who participate in professionally related activities and those who do not, and students with high and those with low cumulative grade point averages. No relationship was predicted between scores on the Measure of CHEE and the following: cumulative grade point averages and response to request to assist in professionally related activities. Two of the null hypotheses were rejected. Differences did occur for sophomores and seniors at the 0.02 level indicating a higher level of commitment among the seniors. Differences also occurred at the 0.002 level as determined by the Mann-Whitney U indicating that students who participate in professionally related activities are more committed than those who do not. 3 Three null hypotheses were retained. No difference was determined between students with high and low cumulative grade point averages on the score obtained on the Measure of CHEE. No relationship between this score and grade points and response to request to participate was determined. Retention of all three of these hypotheses should be viewed with consideration of the restricted range of the variables that were compared to the scores on the Measure of CHEE.

Year of Submission

1975

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Home Economics

First Advisor

Janice Morgan

Second Advisor

Gilbert E. Hewett

Third Advisor

Charles V. L. Dedrick

Comments

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Date Original

1975

Object Description

1 PDF file (126 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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