A Description and Evaluation of Vocational Teacher Training Programs in the State of Rhode Island.

Overview & Synopsis

To evaluate undergraduate vocational teacher preparation programs in the state of Rhode Island, the 117 vocational educational graduates of the four institutions were surveyed to determine their opinions concerning their college experience. Responses from 66 graduates indicated that: (1) State needs are being fulfilled in vocational business teacher education, with the exception of the lack of training in distributive business education, (2) Agriculture teacher education supplies students with all necessary knowledge and skills in production agriculture; however, additional emphasis is needed in non-farm businesses, conservation, and food processing, (3) Home economics teacher education produces a sufficient number of well-trained teachers, (4) Trade and industrial teacher education has not kept pace with development of industry and technology and needs progressive change in order to compete with other states, and (5) Actual practical experience in a teacher's occupational field would help him to be a better teacher. (DM)