Vocational Classes

There is an urgent need for support services for teachers and for interventions for students in vocational education mainstreaming programs. Development of appropriate and specific interventions for use in these classes requires precise descriptions of instructional demands and teacher expectations in the technical, home economics, and business areas of vocational education. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the instructional setting demands and teacher expectations of vocational education classes with those found in regular academic classes. Results were mixed and not significantly different for instructional grouping and instructional materials and methods. Teachers in academic and vocational classes also held similar expectations for behaviors necessary for success in their courses. However, significant differences were found in the demands of physical setting, method of instruction, class requirements, and allowed accommodations. In addition, significant differences were found between the three types of vocational courses: home economics, business, and technical. The implications of these findings for future research and classroom practice are discussed.

Switzerland has the lowest adolescent fertility rate in Western Europe. According to data collected in 1993 as part of the Swiss Multicentre Adolescent Survey on Health, 5% of 1,726 sexually active adolescents in a group of 3,993 15-20-year-old women enrolled in academic or vocational classes had ever been pregnant; most of these women (80%) had terminated their pregnancy. Adolescents who had ever been pregnant did not differ significantly from those who had not by demographic characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified seven factors associated with pregnancy: having had four or more sexual partners; not having used contraceptives at first intercourse; ever use of less-effective contraceptive methods; having used illicit drugs during the last 30 days; living apart from one's parents; recently experiencing stress; and perceiving a lack of future prospects.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify a special education teacher’s practical knowledge acquired through carrying out and reorganizing career and vocational classes, by focusing on NCS based thought-expressing and time-management skills.
 Method: The method employed for the study was action research and the participants included one researcher, five students, five class observers and four class professionals. The materials were gathered through the cyclical process of planning, acting, developing and reflecting. There were 5-session classes that were analyzed based on a comprehensive analytical procedure.
 Results: The practical knowledge gathered by the study is divided into four categories, ‘NCS-based lessons part 1: Applying thought-expressing’, ‘NCS-based lessons part 2: applying time-management’, ‘NCS—based lessons part 3: Increasing successful experiences through interesting repetitive activities’, ‘NCS-based lessons part 4: Figuring out the meaning of the NCS-based career and vocational classes for middles school students in special education’, 10 subcategories and 30 meaning units.
 Conclusion: The result of the study suggests that in order to improve the job competencies of students in a special education school, NCS-based career and vocational classes are a necessary part of a students studies.

Reliable estimates for differences in life expectancy (LE) by socio-economic position (SEP), that can be assessed in an international context and are comprehensive in terms of considering different SEP dimensions, are missing for the German population so far. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap by providing estimates for differences in LE by education, household income, work status and vocational class. The lack of national mortality data by SEP required an innovative methodological approach to estimate LE from survey data with a mortality follow-up. The main strengths of the method are the low demand on the data, its simple applicability and the estimation of a set of age-specific probabilities of dying. We employed the method to the German Life Expectancy Survey and estimated period life tables for 45 male and 32 female SEP subpopulations. The results show striking differences in LE across all analysed SEP indicators. Among men, LE at age 40 ranges by more than five years between the lowest and highest household income quartiles, more than six years between individuals with low and high education, around ten years across the work status groups, and almost 15 years across the vocational classes. The proportion of those who reach the classic pension age of 65 years also varies considerably, as does the remaining LE at this age. The corresponding differences among women are smaller, yet still notable. The results yield an interesting finding for the ongoing discussion about the various consequences of an increased pension age. Moreover, they provide policy-makers, doctors, researchers and public health workers with insights into Germany’s most disadvantaged SEP subpopulations and the potential extent of their disadvantages in terms of longevity and mortality.

Reliable estimates for differences in life expectancy (LE) by socio-economic position (SEP), that can be assessed in an international context and are comprehensive in terms of considering different SEP dimensions, are missing for the German population so far. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap by providing estimates for differences in LE by education, household income, work status and vocational class. The lack of national mortality data by SEP required an innovative methodological approach to estimate LE from survey data with a mortality follow-up. The main strengths of the method are the low demand on the data, its simple applicability and the estimation of a set of age-specific probabilities of dying. We employed the method to the German Life Expectancy Survey and estimated period life tables for 45 male and 32 female SEP subpopulations. The results show striking differences in LE across all analysed SEP indicators. Among men, LE at age 40 ranges by more than five years between the lowest and highest household income quartiles, more than six years between individuals with low and high education, around ten years across the work status groups, and almost 15 years across the vocational classes. The proportion of those who reach the classic pension age of 65 years also varies considerably, as does the remaining LE at this age. The corresponding differences among women are smaller, yet still notable. The results yield an interesting finding for the ongoing discussion about the various consequences of an increased pension age. Moreover, they provide policy-makers, doctors, researchers and public health workers with insights into Germany’s most disadvantaged SEP subpopulations and the potential extent of their disadvantages in terms of longevity and mortality.

THOUGH the curriculum comprises all the activities under the direction of the instructional staff, the classroom remains the paramount factor in the high-school program. The classroom is particularly important in the case of general education. In the new high school all other activities, even those of the vocational classes, grow out of, and maintain a consistent relation to, core-curriculum class work. Successful democratic living, educational authorities mainly agree, is the chief aim of the general curriculum. When this theory is realistically and consistently tested in practice, democratic living is found to be not only the aim but also the main method and material of American secondary education.

The permanent records of 562 female adolescents enrolled in school-based programs for pregnant and parenting students in Colorado during the 1984-1985 through 1986-1987 school years were reviewed. The study compared students who graduated with those students who dropped out. The findings indicated that "completers " were more likely to be (a) better students, (b) 16 years of age or older, (c) enrolled in vocational classes, (d) show improved grades once in the special program, (e) fail to show a dramatic drop in their academic performance between grades 7 and 8, and (f) less frequently enrolled in special education classes. Five variables were significant predictors of group membership, predicting group membership with 76% accuracy.

This study examined the relationship between students’ self-ratings and teachers’ ratings of four sets of generalizable skills. The students, who were deaf, hard-of-hearing, or blind or had low vision were enrolled in vocational classes at two residential secondary schools. The findings revealed little agreement between the students and their teachers about the students’ levels of skills.

Aim. To examine whether high school nursing students have a positive opinion on using medical IT applications in classes of vocational subjects Nurse in Primary Healthcare and Principles of Administration and whether students’ opinions regarding integrating medical IT applications in classes were related to their knowledge on nursing documentation and attitudes towards its use in primary healthcare. Methods. The study was conducted in the form of a cross-sectional study. In total, there were 84 participants, all students of the Viktorovac High School in Sisak, who filled in a questionnaire consisting of 37 questions. The answers were defined by the Likert rating scale. Results. Sixty-six (79%) students completely agree with the claim that using the application prior to the workplace is useful. 59 (70%) completely agree that being well-trained in using the application ensures a higher quality documenting skills. 40 (48%) students ranked their knowhow in test application as very good (knowhow sufficient for serious work with the application in primary healthcare), and 21 (25%) as excellent. Those students who ranked their knowhow as higher significantly less agree with the claim that there is no need to document nurses’ work and activities. Conclusion. High school nursing students hold positive opinions towards integrating medical IT applications in vocational subjects’ classes. Students’ opinions towards integrating medical IT applications in classes are related to their knowledge on nursing documentation and attitudes towards its use in primary healthcare.

Alla síðustu öld og fram á þennan dag hafa fræðimenn bent á mikilvægi þess að skólastarf byggist á lýðræði og félagslegu réttlæti. Margar leiðir hafa verið nefndar að slíkum markmiðum en þetta hefur reynst hægara sagt en gert. Hugmyndin um sjálfræði kennara og nemenda er eitt af því sem talið hefur verið að gegni mikilvægu hlutverki við að efla félagslegt réttlæti. Hér verða kennsluhættir skoðaðir í ljósi kenninga um sjálfræði í starfsháttum í námi og kennslu. Markmiðið var að kanna með vettvangsathugunum hvort og þá hvernig kennarar stuðluðu að sjálfræði með starfsháttum sínum. Sjálfræði kennara og nemenda og undirliggjandi gildi þess, virðing, ábyrgð og traust, eru skilgreind sem ein forsenda félagslegt réttlætis í námi og kennslu. Gögnin sem lögð eru til grundvallar eru vettvangsathuganir úr 130 kennslustundum í framhaldsskólum. Notuð var aðleiðsla við greiningu gagnanna og komu þá fram fimm flokkar: Miðstýrð kennsla, prófastýring, viðleitni og virkni, í átt til sjálfræðis og loks nemendasjálfræði í verki. Sýnd eru dæmi úr hverjum flokki, þau skýrð og rædd. Niðurstaðan gefur ákveðna vísbendingu um að þrátt fyrir frjálslynda námskrá og mikið formlegt frelsi sem skólarnir hafa til að móta starfshætti hafi kennsluhættir í anda sjálfræðis almennt ekki náð að festa rætur.

MEN CLAD in green drift slowly across the yard on their way to classes. They are enrolled in academic and vocational courses at Osborne School, located inside Auburn Correctional Facility. Auburn is a maximum-security prison for men in upstate New York. The prison was originally built on the edge of the city of Auburn, but in the last 189 years, bustling neighborhoods have grown up around the 25-acre facility. Inmates can hear the sounds of children playing and the melody of the ice cream truck outside the 40-foot concrete walls. Many of the inmates look forward to being released, while some will never leave. Meanwhile, each morning, they report to their assigned programs at Osborne School. Program requirements for inmates vary by state. New York requires all inmates without a high school diploma or a GED (general education development) certificate to attend school and to work toward acquiring a GED, unless security or other issues take priority. According to the New York State Department of Corrections, the state has a prison population of nearly 63,400 men and women, with approximately 45,000 enrolled annually in educational programs. Auburn typically houses up to 1,750 inmates. About 700 of them participate in academic or vocational classes at Osborne School. Auburn Correctional Facility is the oldest prison still operating in New York State and has housed inmates since 1817. Though today it is an all-male facility, in the past Auburn housed both men and women, and schooling has always been an important element of incarceration here. In the 1840s, the first insane asylum inside a prison in the U.S. stood on the site of the present-day school. As early as the mid-1800s, priests and clergy from a nearby theological seminary taught basic literacy classes inside these walls. From 1893 to 1932 the site was used as the first women's prison in the state. Osborne School, a compact, two-story brick structure built into a hillside, opened in 1962. The school is named in honor of Thomas Mott Osborne, who served as warden of Auburn Prison almost a century ago. Warden Osborne enacted many reforms at Auburn, including the expansion of education programs. Today, Osborne School operates an ambitious, multilevel GED pathway and an array of vocational training programs, including computer repair, building maintenance, masonry, barbering, welding, floor covering, computer operations, drafting, electrical trades, and custodial maintenance. Corrections teachers are a highly diverse group of professionals. Some teachers get their start in corrections by teaching inside during a summer session and becoming fascinated by the unusual teaching challenges they find. Others are retired from traditional school settings and start new careers teaching inmates. (1) There are several avenues for certified teachers who decide to take up employment behind bars. Most jobs in correctional facilities are county, state, or federal civil-service jobs. Each state has corrections and civil-service websites where current job openings for officers and civilian personnel in correctional settings are posted. Sometimes openings for teachers are advertised locally, and people are hired off the street, though they still must meet the necessary civil-service requirements, including a background check. County jails often operate GED programs for minors through contracts with local public schools, in which case applications for teacher openings are processed through the local school district. Classes at Auburn are organized into two, 3-hour modules per day. Students may be enrolled in one academic module and one vocational module, or they may come to school for just one class and have jobs or assignments elsewhere in the facility. As inmates near their release dates, they are scheduled into additional, required pre-release programs. Many of these special programs are also housed within the school. In New York State, programming for inmates is geared to aid with reentry into society and designed to help prevent recidivism. …

According to the experimental material collected during the survey of fourteen rural and urban schools, with participation of 467 students of 9th, 10th, and 11th grades by using a questionnaire, lesson monitoring, conversations with students and teachers, and other methods, an insufficient determination on the future profession choice becomes obvious among the students of senior grades.
 Most (68.52%) students point out that they scarcely know the chosen profession. Nevertheless, the majority of seniors (91.22%) intend to enter higher education and specialized secondary education institutions.
 The majority of just a small group of students who intend after graduation to go straight to work in production (8.78%), explain their choice anything but the significance of their chosen profession to the society. They seek not a deeper understanding of life, but to accumulate the experience required for entrance to a higher education institution. The motives of the majority willing to study further are of a public character.
 Experimental materials show that up till now this issue has not been solved in vocational classes either. Just a small part of students studying in these classes are planning to work according to the profession acquired at school or enter a relevant higher education school.
 Based on that, the article suggests the ways to improve vocational guidance which should both correspond to the needs of national economy and consider the individual inclinations of students and their other personal qualities.
 For systematic and scheduled vocational guidance, certain coordination should be performed by schools, soviet districts and party organizations. Management and directive centers are necessary to implement not only practical but research work as well.

Along with the rising concerns of career education in school, the government in South Korea has increased investments for closing the opportunity gap in career education. However, limited studies explored the equity in students’ outcomes of career education. Focusing on career development competencies, we examined if school career education could reduce the socio-economic disparities in the career development of high school students. We used the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression applying school-fixed effects with the representative data from the Korean Education and Employment Panel II. Findings showed that parental education level was positively linked to career development competencies of high school students, though household income was not shown as statistically significant. We also found that for students who engaged in career and vocational classes in school, the parental education level was less likely to be related to their career development competencies. Also, students who were more satisfied with school career education showed a weaker relationship between career development competencies and parental education level. Based on these findings, we discussed the role of school-based career education to narrow the gap in students’ career development from socio-economic backgrounds.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences experienced by low-career special teachers while teaching career and vocational subjects at special schools through self-cultural technology magazines and how they formed the expertise of career and vocational classes through such experiences. Methods The autoethnography research method was used as a means to the ends of this study. Autoethnography is a research method in which researchers use their autobiographical data to describe individual experiences from a self-reflection and self-reflection perspective. From the point of view of the 1st person protagonist and observer, this research method was used to capture the teacher's vivid teaching experience and in-depth class reflection. Results First, I structured the teacher's curriculum by categorizing practice topics into three levels. In addition, I based our learning goals on the application of making and using practical items in an effort to encourage students with disabilities to lead independent lives when they become adults. Secondly, I designed an evaluation study sheet and result sheet to understand a student's base knowledge and level of performance in practicum. In addition, I came up with an alternative that considers the individual characteristics and abilities of students so that all students can participate in an activity. Thirdly, I implemented repeated learning and formative evaluations, which emphasized on student's learning process. In addition, instead of insisting on a 1:1 or group study, I switched things up. Each week, we rotated 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 learning, which led to an increase in students' participation in learning activities. Lastly, in order to develop the level of professionalism in the practical subjects, peer reviews and self-assessments were conducted to provide opportunities for class reflection and to develop teaching expertise, such as completing the basic curriculum for natural soap and cosmetics. Conclusions As a low-experience special teacher, I found that class expertise was formed and improved through class experiences for disabled students with various characteristics, and for professional classes, teachers had to steadily implement self-discipline courses to cultivate PCK.

Secondary-level practitioners face mounting challenges in providing effective transition services to youth with disabilities living in high-poverty neighborhoods. We examined the summer activities of youth with high-incidence disabilities from high-poverty backgrounds who had taken vocational classes and participated in a self-determination curriculum during the previous school year. Few of the students were employed by the midpoint of summer, with the majority reporting difficulties related to finding a job. Students who were not employed were involved in a variety of activities (e.g., "hanging out" with friends or family, doing occasional odd jobs, caring for a child), but few reported satisfaction with these activities. Findings are discussed and recommendations are suggested for improving the effectiveness of secondary-level educational programming.