Abstract:
This study focused upon 187 industrial education graduates of Emporia State University from 1965-1975. The purpose of the study was to gather information concerning the graduates. Information for the study was compiled from 150 questionnaire returns which represented 80.2 percent of the selected population. More than ten years had elapsed since the last follow-up study was accomplished; therefore, the information was considered a valuable tool for future departmental planning. After reviewing the data the following facts were disclosed: 1. Sixty and seven tenths percent of the respondents were teaching or employed in some type of educational work. 2. Seventy-six percent of the respondents were residing in the state of Kansas and 79.8 percent of them were teaching or engaged in educational work. 3. Seventy-one and three tenths percent of the respondents had received teaching positions immediately after graduation. 4. A variety of industrial education courses were taught by the graduates on three different levels; junior high, senior high and post high school level (Va-Tech). The average teaching experience of the graduates was approximately five years. 5. Forty-one and three tenths percent of the respondents were not teaching and listed "higher salaries in other occupations" and "dissatisfied with teaching" as the major reasons for not entering or for leaving the teaching profession. The non-teaching respondents listed 43 different non-educational occupations in which they were employed. 6. Sixty-seven and three tenths percent of the respondents had accomplished study beyond the bachelor level. These graduates had attended 32 different schools located in 14 states and had earned 39 advanced degrees. Of these graduates, 69.8 percent had received their advanced education in Kansas schools and 44.5 percent of the graduates continued study at Emporia State University. 7. Thirty-two and seven tenths percent of the graduates had not pursued graduate study and listed a number of reasons with "lack of sufficient time" and "not interested in graduate study" as the two major reasons. 8. Fifty-six and seven tenths percent of the respondents indicated they would consider continuing education if Emporia State University offered extension courses in their residential areas and only 21.3 percent of the graduates were interested in on-campus study in the evenings and on weekends. 9. Eighty-one graduates requested post-graduate courses in 31 different industrial education areas. 10. Conclusions and recommendations were derived from analysis of the data.