DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 153 0.78 08 CE 015 876

Professional Teacher Education Module Series. Developan Active Personal Philosophy of Education, Module1-3 of Category I--Professional Role andDevelopment.

INSTITUTION Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center forResearch in Vocational Education.

SPONS AGENCY National Inst. of Education (MIEN), Washington,D.C.

PUB DATE 78NOTE 57p.; For related docuuents see CE 015 8741-881 ;

Parts may be marginally legible due tc coloredbackground

AVAILABLE FROM American Association for Vocational InStrilctionalMaterials (AAVIM) , 120 Engineering Center, Universityof Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 ($3.10)

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$3.50 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Behavioral Cbjectives; Educational PhiloSophy;

*Ethical Values;- Ethics; *Learning Activities;Learning Modules; Performance Based TeacherEducation; *Personal Growth; Persona; Values; PostSecondary Education; Secondary Education; TeacherEducation Curriculum; *Vocational Develcpaent;*Vocational Educaticn leachers

TITLE

ABSTRACTThis third in a series of eight learning modules on

professional role and development is designed- tc give secondary andpostsecondary vocational teachers help in developing the basiccompetencies needed to develop and maintain a personal philosophy ofeducation and ethical standards. The terminal objective for theModule is to develop an active personal philosophy of education whileworking in an actual school situation. Introductory sections relatethe competencies dealt with here to others in the program and listboth the enabling objectives for the six learning experiences and theresources required. Materials in the learning experiences includerequired readings, self-check quizzes with model answers, a casestudy to critique :with model critique, personal philosophy work formsand checklist, and the teacher performance assessment fora for use inevaluation of the terminal objective. (lhe modules on professionalrole are part of a larger series of 1CC performance-Lased teachereducation (PBTE) self-contained learning packages for use inpreservice or insorvice training of teachers in all occupationalareas. Each of the fieId=teSted modules focuses on the development ofone or more specific professional competencies identified throughresearch as important to vocational teachers. Materials are designedfor use by teachers, either on an individual or group basis, workingunder the direction of one or more resource perscns/instrtctors.)(JT)

***************************************4*******************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

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CO

INUNrtLai

Develop an ActivePersonal Philosophy

of EducationMODULE 1-3 OF CATEGORY I-- PROFESSIONAL ROLE ANn DEVELOPMENTPROFESSIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION MODULE SERIES

U S. DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH,

EDUCATION & WELFARENATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROMTHE PERSON ORORGANIZATION ORIGIN-ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONSSTATED DO NOTNECESSARILY REPRE-SENT OFFICIAL

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OFEDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

iodTO THE EDUCATIONAL

RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ANDUSERS OF THE ERIC SYSTEM "

The CenteriOr Vocational EducationThe Ohio State Unhersity

KEY PROGRAM STAFF:

James B. Hamilton, Program Director

Robert E. Norton, Associate Program Director

Glen E. Fardig, Specialist

Lois G. Harrington, Program ASSistarit

Karen M. Quinn, Program Assistam

Copyright 1978 by The Center for Vocational Education, The Ohift State Univer-sity, 1960 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210.

Copylightts claimed until Januaty14.1932-Thereatter porti-ns of thtwork covered tri this cot:0914%0be in the public domain.

This work was developed under a contract with Department of Health, Education. end Wstfare,Hatienal irsatitute of Educates). However. the opinions erne other content do nol necessarilyreed the position or policy of the Agency, and no official endorsement should be intend.

1978

ISBN 0-89606-018-7

Published and distributed by the Americanon

forVocational instructional Materials (AAVIM), 120 EngineeringCenter, University of Georgia, Athens, GeOrgia 30602, (404)542-2586.

1 2

FOREWORDThis module is one of 'a series of 100 performance-basedteacher education (PBTE) iaarning packages focusing uponspecific professional competencies of vocational teac hers. Thecompetencies upon which these modules are based were iden-tified and verified through research as being important tosuc-cessfulvocationdl teaching at both the secondary and post-secondary levels of instruction. The modules are suitable forthe preparation of teachers in all occupational areas.Each module provides learning experiences that integratetheory and application; each culminates with criterion refer-enced assessment of the teacher's performance of the spec-ified competency. The materials are designed for use by indi-vidual or groups of teachers in training working under thedirection and with the assistance of teacher educators acting asresource*persons.:Resource persons should be skilled in theteacher competency being developed and should be thor-oughly oriented to PBTE: concepts and procedures in usingthese materials.

The design of the materials provides considerable flexibility forplanning and conducting performance-based preservice andinservice teacher preparation programs to meet a wide varietyof individual needs and interests. The materials are intended foruse by universities and colleges, state departments of educa-tion, post-secondary institutions, local education agencies, andothers responsible for the professional development of voca-tional teachers. Further information about the use of the mod-ules in teacher education programs is contained in three re-lated documents. Student Guide to Using Perfdimance-BasedTeacher education Materials, Resource Person Guide toUsing Performance-Based Teacher Education Materials andGuide to Implementation of Performance-Based TeacherEducation.

The PBTE curriculum packages are products of a sustainedresearch and development effort by The Center's Program forProfessional Development for Vocational Education. Many in-dividuals, institutions, and agencies participated with The Cen-ter and have made contributions to the systematic develop-ment, testing, revision, and refinement of these very significanttraining materials. Over 40 teacher educators provided input indevelopment of initial versions of the modules, aver 2,000teachers and 300 resource persons 20 universities, colleges,and post-secondary institutions used the materials and pro-vided fbedback to The Center for revision and refinement.Special recognition for major individual roles in the direction,development, coordination of testing, revision, and refinementof these materials is extended to the following program staff:James B. Hamilton, Program Director; Robert E. Norton, As-

sociate Program Director, Glen E. Fardig, Specialist, Lois Har-rington, Program Assistant, and Karen Quinn, Program Assis-tant. Rrcognition is also extended to Kristy Ross, TechnicalAssistant; Joan ...nes, Technical ASsistant,eod Jean -Wiwi-baugh, Artist for their contributions to the:final refinement-Ofthe materials. Contributions made by former program staff to-ward developmental versions of these materials areelseac-knowledged. Calvin J. Cotrell directed the vocational teachercompetency research studies upon which these modules are-based and also directed -the curriculum development effortfrom 1971-1972. Curtis R. Finch provided leadership for theprogram from 1972-1974.

Appreciation is also extended to all those outside The Center(consultants, field site coordinators, teacher educators,teacheit, and others) who contribUted so generotistiin Variousphares of the total effort. Early versions of the materials _weredeveloPed..by-The Center in-cooperation with thevocational-teacher education faculties at OregokState University and atthe University of Missouri-Columbia. Preliminary testing Otthematerials was conthicted at Oregon State University, Te'npleUniversity, and University of-Missouri-Columbia.

Following preliminary testing, major revision'oten,.....iterialswas performeo by.Center Staff with the assistance of numerousconsultants and visiting scholars from-throughout the country.

Advanced testing of the materials was carried out with assts=lance of the vocational teacher educators and Cr} dztral Washington State College; Colorado State Univeisity; FerrisState Col ege, Michigan; Florida State UniversitY ;;Holland Col-lege, P.E.I., Canada; Oklah)m... State University; Rutgers Uni-versity; State University College at Buffalo;.Temple University;University of Arizona; University of Michigan-Flint; University ofMinnesota-Twin Cities; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Univer-sity of Northern Colorado, University cl Pittsburgh,-Universityof en nessee, University of Vermont, and Utah State University.

The Certer is grateful to the National Institute of Education forsponsorship of this PBTE curriculum development effort from.1972 through its completion. Appreciation is extended to the.Bureau of _Occupational and Adult Education of the U.S.Oiliceof Education for their sponsorship of training and advancedtesting of the materials at 10 sites under_provisions of EPDAPart F, Section 553. Recognition of funding support of theadvanced testing effort is also extended to Ferris State College,Holland College, Temple University, and the University ofMichigan-Flint.

Robert E. TaylorExecutive DirectorThe Center for Vocational Education

THE CENTER FOR VOCATIONAL. EDUCATIONTM O.* S. 4. MO KM Road Cetut C .1210

The Center for Vocational Education's mission is toincrease the ability of diverse agencies, institutions, andorganizations to solve educational problems relating toindividual career planning, preparation, and progression.The Center fulfills its mission uy:

Generating knowledge through research.Developing educational programs and products.Evaluating individual program needs and outcomes.Installing educational programs and products.Operating information systems and services.Conditcting leadership development and trainingprograms.

A AVIM

AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONFOR VOCATIONAL

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALSEngineering Center

University of.GeorgiaAthens, Georgia 30602

The American Association for Vocational InstructionalMaterials (AAVIM) loan interstate organization of univer-sities, colleges and divisions of vocational education de-voted to the improvement of teaching through better in-formation and teaching aids.

3

INTRODUCTION

What do you really believe about the teachingprofession? Up to this point, you may not havetaken he time to reflect on such matters, but havesimply acted on your decision to be a teacher.However, a commitment to be a teacher carrieswiih it a commitment to develop and maintain apersonal philosophy of education and a code ofethics that will guide you in formulating your be-liefs, attitudes, and values as a teacher.

A philosophy is a set of beliefs and attitudes(e.g., "I believe that all men are created equal."). Itis likely that what you believe will affect how youact, but this is not stated. A code of ethics dealswith the concepts of good and bad, right andwrong; it deals with duties one must performbased on a moral position (e.g., "I will treat all menas equals.").

Most conscious decisions you make in life arebased on your fundamental beliefs and standards.If you call the police to report an inoperative trafficlight, it is because you believe that citizens have aresponsibility to do so, or you believe that thefaulty, light could be dangerous. What you believeaffects how you will act in a given situation. As ateacher who has the responsibility for the guid-ance, development, and education of young

people and adults, it is absolutely essential thatyou be aware of your personal beliefs. Further-more, it is essential that you weigh and comparethem with other existing beliefs and standards,in cludii ig those of your professional organization,so that your actions as an educator are of maxi-mum benefit to your students.

You need to examine your concept of what isright and what is wrong as it applies to education.A clear and consistent set of ethical principles is anecessary foundation for your day-to-day deci-sions and actions as you work with students, par-ents, and fellow teachers. Your teaching must notonly be educationally sound, but morally right asyou see the right. Educational philosophy andethics are mutually interdependent, but in thismodule they are treated separately in order tomake it easier to deal with them.

The philosophy and the ethical standards youchoose will not be developed apart from your in-nermost beliefs, attitudes, and values, nor will theyremain constant once developed. This module isdesigned to help you develop the basic competen-cies you need in order to develop and maintaina personal philosophy of education and ethicalstandards.

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ABOUT THIS MODULE

Objectives

Enabling Objectives:1. After completing the required reading, demonstrate

knowledge of the need for developing and maintain-ing a personal philosophy of education (LearningExperience l).

2. After completing the required reading, prepare a writ-ten statement expressing your personal philosophyof education and describing the behaviors you wouldexhibit as a teacher as a result of each belief (Learn-ing Experience II).

3. After completing the required reading, critique theethical standards implied in a 1927 teachers' contractand stated in the 1975 National Education Associa-tion's code of ethics (Learning Experience Ill).

4 Given a ^ase study describing the actions of a particu-lar teacher, critique that teacher's performance usingyour own personal philosophy of education and ethi-cal standards (Learning Experience IV).

5 After completing the required reading, prepare a writ-ten statement expressing your personal philosophyof vocational education and describing the be-haviors you would exhibit as a teacher as a result ofeach belief (Learning Experience V).

ResourceiA list of the outside resources which supplement thosecontained the module follows Check with yourresource person (1) to determine the availability and thelocation of these resources, (2) to locate additional ref-erences in your occupational specialty, and (3) to getassistance in setting up activities with peers or observa-tions of skilled teachers, if necessary. Your resourceperson may also be contacted if you have any difficultywith directions, or in assessing your progress at anytime.

Learning Experience INo outside resources

Learning Experience IIOptional

A resource person and/or peers with whom you candiscuss your educational beliefs and the actionsyou can take in support of these beliefs.A teacher experienced in developing and maintaining a functional philosophy of education whom youcan interview.

4

Learning Experience IIINo outside resources

Learning Experience IVRequired

A resource person and 2-5 pters to work with incritiquing a case study.A resource person to assess your competency incritiquing the perforMance of a teacher in a given.case study.

Learning Experience VOptional

Reference: Marland, _Sidney P., Jr. Career Educa-tion: A Proposal for Reform. New- York, NY:McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1975.Reference: Strong, Merle E. (Ed.) Developing, theNation's Work Force, Yearbook 5. Washindtoii, DC:American, Vocational Association, 1975.Reference: Law, Gordon F. (Ed.) ContemporaryConcepts in Vocational Education, First Yearbookof the American-Vocational Association. Washing-ton, DC: American Vocational Association, 1971,Reference: E'arlow, Melvin (Ed.) The Philosophy forQuality Vocational Education Programs, FourthYearbook of the American Vocational Association.Washington, DC: American Vocational Association,1974.

A resource person and/or peers with whom you candiscuss your philosophy of vocational education.

Learning Experience VIRequired

An actual school situation in which you can developan active personal philosophy of education.A resource person to assess your competency indeveloping an active personal philosophy o! educa-tion.

This module covers performance element numbers 301-303 from CalvinJ. Cotrell et al., Model Curricula for Vocational and Technical TeacherEducation. Report No. V (Columbus, OH. The Center for VocationalEducation, The Ohio State University, 1972) The 384 elements in thisdocument form the research base for all The Center's PBTE moduledevelopment

For information about the general organization of each module, generalprocedures for their use, and terminology which is common to all 100modules, see About Using The Center's PBTE Modules on the insideback cover.

EnablingObjective

Learning Experience I

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6

OVERVIEW

For information on the reasons for, and the factors to be considered andsteps to be followed in, developing and maintaining a personal philosophyof educatiOn, read the following information sheet:

DEVELOPING AN ACTIVE PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OFEDUCATION

Have you ever met a person who had no opin-ions or beliefs regarding education? Probably not.Since most adults attended school for many yearsthemselves, pay the taxes which support publiceducation, or have children who.are students, theyusually have opinions about what education is orshould be. Thus, you probably have such opinionsalso. Most teachers: have many beliefS regardingeducation. However, many have never taken' thetime to formulate in writing a professional philos-ophy, or set of beliefs, which they Can examine. Aphilosopher once said, "We probably live our wayinto a system of thinking (a philosophy) rather thanthink our way into a pattern of living." The questionis, can professional teachers who gi..ide,the learn-ing of students afford this luxury?

In order to ensure that vocational teachers"think their way into a pattern of teaching," it isvital that each vocational teacher write out a list ofhis or her beliefs regarding both education in gen-eral and vocational education in particular. Theprocess of organizing your beliefs into a writtenphilosophy generally accomplishes several keythings: (1) it allows you to think about ail that youbelieve in a systematic way; (2) having to writeeach belief down forces you to put vague beliefsinto words, which allows you to examine themmore closely and critically; and (3) with a list ofwritten beliefs, you can compare these beliefs tosee if they are consistent with each other.

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This written philosophy can then be used- oguide youraclions a.teacher.:13y taking.the timeto recognize ;tour beliefs, values, and attitudes,you can arrive t better educational decisions. Hav-ing a philosopny also allows you to act on the basisof rational thinking rather than on a spontaneousexpression of "feeling." In addition, since valuesreinforce one another, having an established phi-losophy can give strength to your convictions, ,a1,-lowing you to make consistent decisions withoutrepeatedly having to weigh all the factors involved.

Another reason for developing a personal phi-losophy of edtication is to assist you in-matchingyour philosophy to the philosophy of a school sys-temyou Work in ardealre to mirk in. If there is areasonable match between your personal philos-ophy of sducation and the philosophy of the edu-cational institution in which you .are,employed,there is greater opportunity for job satisfaction andteaching efficiency.

Finally, having carefully developed a written phi-losophy of education makes it easier for you tocommunicate your beliefs to others. Because youhave taken the time to think through your beliefsand check them for consistency, you are betterprepared to support them. This is essential whenyou begin to apply for teaching positions. As partof the application process, you will be interviewedby the district's personnel director or some otherhiring official. In order to determine if you are thecandidate to be hired, this person will generallyask you a number of questions about your educa-tional beliefs. if you have already prepared a writ-ten philosophy, you should be able to respondconfidently and well to such questions.

Education as a ProfessionA philosophy of education is often called a pro-

fessional philosophy. ,Now,.what exactly is a "pro-fessional" philosophy? A professional philosophymay be described as a set of beliefs which are inaccordance with the tenets of one's profession.

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As you develop your personal philosophy ofeducation, you will want ,to examine each of thefollowing criteria suggested by Lieberman' ascharacteristic,of a profession. Measuring educa-tion in terms of each criterion should serve to helpyou decide how well education, at this time, meetsthe criteria of a profession. Various viewpoints arepresented below in relation to several of Lieber-nan's criteria. You should make a personal deck..,sion as to your acceptance of, and commitment to,each of the criteria, and embody the principlesexpressed into your own philosophy.

Aprofession provides a unique, definite, andessential social service.The social service pmvided by education is toteach the nation's youth in terms of the needsof society. Whether it provides a unique-oressential social service has been argued.A profession emphasizes intellectual tech-niques in performing its services.There is an emphasis on intellectual tech-niques if one considers all information de-signed to tell teachers "hew to teach," 'butsome argue that teaching methodology is un-necessary if one is competent in subject mate-rial.Aprofession requires a long period of special-ized training.To qualify for teaching in public elementary,junior, and senior high schools requires spe-cialized training, ,lut certification standardsvary from state to state.Both the individual practitioners of the pro-fession and the occupational group as awhole have a broad range of autonomy.

Teachers have a considerable amount of au-tonomy, especially within the classroom, but

1. Adapted from Myron Ueberman, Education as a Profession (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1956), pp. 1-8.

this varies since they are accountable to theadministrators, the board education, andthe public. These groups have the power toset up required curricula and compeisorystandards.The practitioners of the profession acceptbroad personal responsibility for judgmentsmade and acts performed within the'scope ofthe profession.Most teachers accept responsibility for theiracts; others feel that since they are acting inaccordance with externally manufacturedgoals and standards, they need not be heldpersonally accountableIn a profession, there is an emphasis upon theservice rendered rather than an economicgain to the practitioners. Professions are soorganized that professional workers cannotavoid certain obligations regardless of theirpersonal feelings.Dedicated teachers feel they emphasize ser-vice rather than economic gain. Other peoplepoint to the three months' vacation eachsummer, and at teachers who are on strikedemanding, among other things, higher sala-ries, and conclude that economic gain andpersonal status are being, emphasized, Why-teachers.Professions possess a complex, systematicbody of knowledge based on research.Education is in the process of developing anextensive research base. One argument lev-eled against these efforts comes from peoplewho feel that the humanistic nature of educa-tion excludes it from scientific analysis.Professions have a comprehensive, self-governing organization or a professional as-sociation. Large groups such as professionsneed an orderly procedure to set standardsLir entry and exclusion, to promote high stan-dards, and to raise the social and economicstatus of the group.The National Education Association is a com-prehensive, self-governing organization, butmembarship is not required, and its principlesand policies are subject to interpretation atthe state and local level. Furthermore, numer-ous other organizations exist, such as theAmerican Federation of Teachers and theAmerican Vocational Association, and there isno definite agreement among them as tostandards.The professional organizations do providemechanisms for continued professional de-velopment via meetings, workshops, and pub-lications. However, since membership is notrequired, this does not reach all teachers, andsome teachers do not, or cannot, take advan-tage of these cervices.

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Professions have a written code of et!'':..s orset of standards which have been cleb.,fiedand interpreted through concrete cases.The NEA has a written code of ethics as domost, but not all, other professional teacherorganizations. AVA, for example, does nothave a code, but the National Association ofVocational Agriculture Teachers (NAVAT) hasa specific "creed" which Includes statementsof an ethical nature as do some of ,the otherAVA affiliated organizations. However, none of'these organizations has a strong judicialbody, so in effect, the profession does little toregulate itself.The conduct of medical doctors and lawyers,for example, is subject to review by a board oftheir peers, and violators of professionalstandards may be removed from practice inthe Oroleilibli. in the lie education, thereis no tradition. or legal basis for this kind ofself-regulation. On the other hand, a differenttype of regulation or control does exist in thatadministrators have the power to recommendor not recommend tenure to teachers. Also,boards of education have the power to granttenure, to hire, and with just cause, to fire eventenured teachers.

The foregoing characteristics of the professionare not intended to be all-inclusive. Other charac-teristics often associated with professions are thatentry into the profession requires formal training,the professional practice is based on theory, andso forth. The main point is that, while educationmeets most of the criteria outlined quite well, thereis still room for improvement. This, then, may be achallenge for all educators to assist in makingeducation more professional. You may wish to in-clude this goal in your personal philosophy of ed-ucation.

We have said that in a profession, the servicerendered is more important than economic gain.We have also said that some people feel thatteachers are not professional because they strikefor salary increases. However, the first statementdoesn't say that economic gain is wrong; it justsays it should be less important than the servicerendered.

Angelo Gillie2 makes a distinction betweenthese two types of concerns. He says there areprofessional concerns (e.g., service rendered)and employment concern; (e.g., economic gain).According to Gillie, professional concerns relatedirectly to the students and their instruction. Em-ployment concerns relate to salaries, benefits,

2. Angelo C. Mlle, "Vocational Mission Versus Employment Concerns."American Vocational Journal 47 (October 1972): 37-38.

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cont,-acts, etc. Although both may be impertant,professional concerns must take priority over em-ployment concerns if education is to be con-sidered a profession.

Matching the Philosophy aid theSituation

The following examples describe two teacherSwith varying philosophies of education. Note wheth-er their behavior is consistent with their beliefs.

Since these two systems of beliefs, or philoso-phies, differ extensively, which is the most profes-sional teacher. Mr. Thomas or Mr. Ernest? Con-sider these teachers in the following frames ofreference. Mr. Thomas in School A, and Mr. Ernestin School B.

`Now, reverse the positions and place Mr.Thomas in School B, and place Mr. Ernest inSchool A. How well does each fit? Consider theeffect Mr. Thomas' individualistic beliefs wouldhave on the morale and cooperative efforts ofSchool B. Consider the effect Mr. Ernest's extraefforts would have on a community in which hedoesn't live, oron students unable to stay for chessbecause they can't get a ride home. Either mancould generate frustration or friction because hisphilosophy varied from the philosophy of theschool.

The point is, even if a person has formulated awell-developed professional philosophy, theremay still be a problem in implomentation if thatpersonal philosophy is not consistent with thephilosophy of the institution. Two alternative solu-tions lie in (1) selecting a teaching dosition in keep-ing with your personal philosophy, or (2) given aposition not in keeping with your personal philos-ophy, adhering to what exists while working con-structively to change it .3

Thus, implementing a professional philosophy'involves not only acting in a manner consistentwith your beliefs, but doing so within the frame ofreference of your school situation.

Maintaining a Personal ProfessionalPhilosophy

A mature and functional philosophy is achievedthrough an increased understanding of one's self

3. To gain :kill inselacting a teaching position that matchesyour profes-sional belief s, your at/lities, and your goals, you may wish to refer toModule 1-5, Obtain a Suitable Teaching Position.

and one's attitudes in terms of today's conditions.Since both ycu as an individual ana society ingerieral are constantly changing, your philosophycannot remain static. Thus, you must periodicallyrevise your professional philosophy in light ofyour current attitudes and values as well as interms of current societal conditions.

You can maintain a functional professional phi-losophy which will serve you by following foursimple steps. First, work toward an increased un-derstanding of yourself, your values, your beliefs,and your attitudes. For example, your attitudestowards learners may change as you work withthem. As you develop a sensitivity to the feelings ofmany different kinds of people, you may come tovalue abilities previously unrecognized.

Second, keep abreast of societal trends. Keepaware of population trends, new services and in-dustries. Note changing attitudes. Recent ex-amples have included attitude changes towardwork, toward women, and toward the environ-ment. Education must serve the current needs ofsociety.

Third, keep abreast of research which has im-plications for education. For example, at one timemany educators accepted the concept of a fixedintelligent quotient (IQ), while today many educa-tors question the reliability of IQ tests. This hasmany implications for grouping and working withstudents. Thus, it is important that you keep up todate with research related to education. This maybe accomplished through activities such as read-ing professional periodicals, being actively in-

0

volved in professional organizations, and throughcontinuing education.4

The last and final step in maintaining a func-tional professional philosophy involves the pro-

4. To gain additional skill la the techniques for keeping up to date in yourprofession and in your occupational specialty. you may wish to refer toModule 1-1. Keep Up to Date Professionally.

.1.-cess of examining your philosophy and revising itperiodically. Your beliefs will change and evolve asyou continue to grow professionally. Thus, onedoes not develop a philosophy which will last forthe duration of one's professional career. Rather,one develops a professional philosophy based oncurrent beliefs,,and-then periodically revises it asbeliefs and conditions change.

The following items check your comprehension of the material in theinformation sheet, Developing an Active Personal Philosophy of Educa-tion, pp. 6-10. Each of the four questions requires .a short essay-typeresponse. Please respond fully, but briefly.

SELF-CHECK

1. What is the purpose of developing a personal philosophy of education?

2. Assume that one day you walk into the teachers' lounge and discover a group of teachers heatedlydiscussing whether or not teaching is a profession. As you enter, one of the teachers turns to you-and'demands, "What do you think?" How would you respond?

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6111,-

3. How might a personal philosophy of education which differswidely from the philosophy of the schoolby which you are employed cause a problem?

4. Why is it important for vocational teachers to periodically assess their personal philosophies ofeducation?

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NOTES

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Compare your written responses on the Self-Check with the Model An-swers given below. Your responses need not exactly duplicate the modelresponses, however, you should have covered the same major points.

MODEL ANSWERS1. The purpose of developing a professional phi-

losophy is to organize a set of educational be-liefs based on your attitudes and values. Writingyour philosophy out will assist you in formulat-ing a consistent set of belie.;. The process ofwriting out this philosophy also aids in clarifica-tion, and promotes behavior consistent with be-liefs.

2. If you chose to support the resolution, youcould have supported your answer on the ba-sis that education is commonly considered aprofession, thus, it is the job of professionaleducators to make it more professional. Youmight support the resolution on the basis thateducation meets most of the criteria of a pro-fession because it provides a unique and essen-tial service to society, it emphasizes intellectualskills in performing this service, and it requiresa period of specialized training. In general,teachers have a considerable amount of au-tonomy, accept responsibilities for their profes-sional decisions, and emphasize service morethan gain.If you chose not to support the resolution, youmay have supported your answer on the basisthat it is not possible for education to meet all

the criter;a for becoming a profession. For ex-ample, it is not likely that all teachers will everbelong to a professional organization. In addi-tion, since education is such an applied field,and because of its humanistic nature, its re-search base is questionable. Also, educationdoes not have a strong judicial body whicii en-forces a code of ethics.

3. If your personal philosophy of education differsfrom the school's philosophy of education, itmay be very difficult for you to ini151-difierityourphilosophy through actions. Implementingyour philosophy may cause problems with theadministration and; or members of the commu-nity. Even though you may feel your actions arevery professional and they may be consideredprofessional in some schools, you might becriticized for your actions. This is very apt tolimit your job satisfaction.

4. A philosophy changes and evolves as your be-liefs, attitudes, and values change, so it must beperiodically updated. Also, society is constantlychanging, so the implementation of your phi-losophy or your actions may need to change tocorrespond with. current societal needs.

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: Your completed Self Cr.c.k should have covered the same major points asthe model responses. If you missed some points or have questions about any additional points youmade, review the material in the information sheet, Developing an Active Personal Philosophy ofEducation, pp. 6-10, or check with your resource person if necessary.

1413

F-0

I

I..

For information describing the steps to follow in developing a preliminarypersonal philosophy of education, read the following inforthation sheet:

DEVELOPING A PERSONAL EDUCATIONALPHILOSOPHY

The actual-development of your personal phi-losophy of education can be accomplished by fol-lowing a few simple steps. The first step is to breakdown the topic. To ask yourself, "What do I believeabout-education?" is too broad a question. Oneway to handle this is to break the topic down intocategories similar to those which follow.

Program Planning, Development, and Evalua-tionStudent Instruction (Planning, Execution,Evaluation)Instructional ManagementStudent GuidanceSchool-Community RelationsStudent Vocational OrganizationsProfessional Role and DevelopmentCoordination of Cooperative Vocational Edu-cation Programs

For each of these categories, you need to askyourself specific questions as to what you believe.Let's use "Program Planning" as an example of thetype of questions you should ask -

What are the major purposes of programplanning?

What is the valtie to society ot program plan-ning?Who has the major respertsibility for planningvocational programs?What islourrole in program ,Planning?What are your responsibilities for programplanning?What basic principles should govern' pro-gram planning?

These are not the only-questions, but by askingthese 'types of questions, you should be able tobegin generating a list of statements *bribingyour philosophy-ofeducation. This is still notenough, however. Once you have generated thislist of statements' of beliefs, ydu need to.subjectthese statements to a series of tests.

First, you need to carefully weigh- each tl:ute-ment to-determine Hit truly expresses somethingyou believe. Next, you need to compare the variousstatements to see if they are consistent with eachother. Finally, you need to,test each statement byasking four basic philosophical questions: (1)Does-the statement reflect what is real? (2)-Doesthe statement reflect what is true? (3) Does thestatement reflect what is good? (4)' Does thestatement reflect what is reasonable?

For example, assume one of your statementsreads, "I believe that democratic principles shouldbe adhered to in program planning." You need todetermine (1) if you truly believe that, (2) if thestatement is consistent with your other state-ments, and (3) if, in terms of society's standards,the statement reflects what is real, true, good, andreasonable. If any statement fails any of thesetests, you need to revise or rework your statementsaccordingly.

At the end of this process, you should have awell-developed, written personal philosophy ofeducation. However, it is recommended that yougo one step further. If your philosophy exists-onlyon paper it is of little functional value. You need toput that philosophy into practice, to-act on thebasis of your beliefs. Therefore, it is helpful to thinkthrough in advance how your statements-of belief-translate into attitudes and behaviors. For ex-

16 17

ample, if-you believe that democratic principlesshduld be adhered to in program planning, whatwill you attempt to do, and how will yciir act as aconsequence?'

These steps in developing a philosophy may beaccomplished by using a worksheet such as theone given in Sample 1. The first (left-hand) column

`presents your beliefs (what you believe to be true)about education. These beliefs should be based onthe facts as they-are now known, though of coursejijey are subject to change in the light of newinformation or new scientific data.

The second column indicates personal attitudesabout each belief. Attitudes grow out of personalopinions, feelings, and reactions to experience.Attitudes reveal personal values ...,what you feelto be good or bad, valuable or useless, desirable orundesirable. Although attitudes are much less ob-jective and fact-based than beliefs, they are indi-cators of future behavior.

The third column gives a list of things that areconsistent with the expressed beliefs and attitudeswhich a teacher might do to develop or prdmotehis or her beliefs about education.

By conscientiously going through the precedingprocess step by step, you will have developed aworkable preliminary philosophy of educationwhich you can then adapt and adjust as yOu teachand grow. During your teaching career, yourphilosophy shall change as you gain in experi-ence, knowledge, and maturity. Your philosophyshould become richer in depth and meaning, and apattern or coherence should develop within it sothat new experience and understanding can beacco m mod ated' readily.

s17

st,

ct)

Activity

Using the steps outlined and Sample 1 in the information sheet, Develop-ing a Personal Educational Philosophy, pp. 16-18, as a guide, complete theWorksheet for Educational Philosophy, pp. 19-22. In the left-hand columnlist your philosophical beliefs regarding each of the fcllowing eight educa-tional areas.

1. Program planning, development, and evaluation2. Student instruction (planning, execution, evaluation)3. Instructional management4. Student guidance5. School-community relations6. Student vocational organizations7. Professional role and development8. Coordination oltcooperative education

Then, for each belief, ask yourself what attitudes (feelings, opinions) youhold that are related to that belief. List these in the middle column. Finally,determine what behaviors you would exhibit as a teacher as outcomes ofthe beliefs and attitudes, and list these in the right-hand column. Use asmany additional sheets of paper as needed to complete this task coveringeach of the eight areas listed above.

WORKSHEET FOR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

BELIEFS ABOUTEDUCATION

STATEMENTS OFPERSONAL ATTITUDES

OBSERVABLE TEACHERBEHAVIORS

I believe the following to betrue:

I personally feel that:

2q9

In my teaching, I will:

BELIEFS ABOUTEDUCATION

STATEMENTS OFPERSONAL ATTITUDES

OBSERVABLE TEACHERBEHAVIORS

I believe the following to be.true:

I personally feel that:

*--

2120

In my teaching, I will:

BELIEFS ABOUTEDUCATION

STATEMENTS OFPERSONAL ATTITUDES

I believe the following to betrue:

OBSERVABLE TEACHERBEHAVIORS

I personally feel that:

22

In my teaching, I will:

BELIEFS ABOUTEDUCATION

STATEMENTS OFPERSONAL ATTITUDES

OBSERVABLE TEACHERBEHAVIORS

I believe the following to betrue:

I personally feel that: In my teaching, I will:

After you have completed your worksheet, use the Educational PhilosophyChecklist, p. 23 to evaluate your work.

2322

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY CHECKLIST

Directioris: Place an X in the NO, PARTIAL, or FULL box to indicate thateach of the following performance components was not accomplished,43artially,accompliahedr.or.fully_accomplished..ILbecause_of, special cir-bumstances, a performance component was not applicable, or impossibleto execute, place an X in the N/A.box.

Name

Date

Resource Person

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

k-DSO e

1.. The teacher's statement of a personal, educational philosophy in-cluded the following areas of professional concern:a. program planning, development, and evaluation CI El 0b. studenLinstruction_(including planning, execution, and-evalua- El El Eltion)

c. instructional management

d. student guidance

e. student vocational organizations

f. school-community relations

g. professional development

h. coordination of cooperative education

2. For each of the stated beliefs in the philosophy, there were:a. statements of personal attitudes associated and consistent with

the beliefs

b. examples of teaching behaviors appropriate to, and consistentwith, the beliefs and attitudes El 0

3. The completed statement of educational philosophy:a. expressed the teacher's own beliefs and principles ,b. indicated the teacher's general acceptance of recognized demo-

cratic principles El El 0c. indicated willingness to be committed to a philosophy of 0 Eleduca-

tion Eld. showed a commitment to serve the needs of students

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: All items must receive FULL, or N/A responses. If any item receives a NO, orPARTIAL response, review the material in the information sheet, Developing a Personal EducationPhilosophy, pp. 16-18, and the reading in the previous learning experience, pp. 6-10, revise yourstatement of educational philosophy accordingly, or check with your resource person if necessary.

23 24

OptionalActivity

4110

410"`"`I Optional

Activity

4%00

You may wish to clarify your educational philosophy by discussing with asmall group of peers and/or your resource person your beliefs and howyou will put your beliefs into action. If these peers also have developedpersonal philosophies of education, you can compare and discuss thesephilosophies. To guide discussion, you may wish to use the series of testsdescribed on p. 16.

You may wish to arrange with your resource person to meet with andinterview an experienced teacher who has successfully developed andmaintained a personal philosophy of education. You could discuss withthis teacher how well he orshe has succeeded in acting on the basis of hisor her philosophy. This teacher could also review your completed philoso-phy worksheet and assist you in determining how realistic your statedbehaviors are.

24

25

Learning Experience IIIOVERVIEW

EnablingObjective

2625

For information oh the criteria to use in developing a good code of ethics,read the following information sheet:

FORMULATING A PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICSOne of the characteristics of a profession is that

it must have a code-of ethics which has-been de-veloped and is enforced by the professional group.Such,cocles-serveaNariety.of-purposes. They-as-sist in orienting the newly-initiated to professionalrights-and' obligations. They provide the profes-sion with a basis for excluding an incompetentpractitioner, and for defending the professionalwho is unjustly attacked. They also serve as aguide to laypersons in understanding the profes-sion.

Some of the criteria for a good code of ethicsinclude the following.

A good -code must be clear, explicitly differ-entiating between ethical and unethical con-duct. It must lay down principles-which aredefinite enough to be applied in a variety ofspecific cases. It must avoid ambiguity.A good code should assume agreement anprofessional policy only where such agree-ment exists. Policies on which professionalsmay differ are not included.A good code must avoid insisting upon unrea-sonable standards of behavior for the prac-titioners. This does not mean that the codewill not require some sacrifice on the part ofthe professional.,A good code should deal only with behaviorwhich bears an unmistakable relationship to

professional conduct. It should not be used,to regulate the nonprofessional lives of thepractitioners.A good,code should.not,conf use undesirablepatterns of behavior with unethical ones.Since every good code should be enforced,the,violation of a provision should justify clis=ciplinary action by the profession against theviolators.A good code should be complete in the sensethat it does not *leaf any important ethicalproblems'oflhe-ProfeSsion.A good code should,piotect competent prac-titioners. it should not regard lay popularity asthe test of professional integrity and compe-tence.A good code is not static. It must be modifiedfrequently to keep it in accord with the chang-ing standards of society and the profession.

The code of ethics of the. National EducationAssociation (NEA) is sometimes assumed to be"the" code of ethics of the teaching profession.This assumption probably results from the fact that.NEA reaches such a broad spectrum of educators.Also, many state ,associations which are affiliatedwith the NEAOrganiiation aclOpt its Code of ethics,or one very similar to it.

The NEA code is periodically reviewed and re-vised. The constitution of NEA contains provisions"to censure, suspend, or expel a member for viola-tion of the Code of Ethics of the Education Profes-sion." An NEA review board has the authority "tovacate, censure, lift suspension, or reinstate amember."

While these provisions and the authority exist,their effect and influence on members of the pro-fession is quite limited for at least two reasons.First, the authority available has been only rarelyused, and second, loss of NEA membership posesno real sanction against a member, because mem-bership is not required -in -order to teach. In fact,many teachers never join NEA and, hence, theassociation is powerless to suspend or expelsomeone who is not a member in the first place.

26 27

Read the following sample of a 1927 teachers' contract, and the currentNEA code of ethics, pp. 28-29. As you read, remember the criteria foragood code of ethics, and note the differences in ethical standards impliedin the 1927 teachers' contract and stated in the NEA code of ethics.

CONTRACT AND CODE OF ETHICS'

-EX=TEACHER-REFLECTS -ON-STIFF 1927--CONTRACT

Lakewood, Colorado (AP)Male teacherscould go courting one night a week if they at-tended church regularly, but women teacherswere not to keep company with men at all.

These were two of the regulations in Samuel M.Barbiero's contract when he began teachingschool in 1927 in the now-vanished community ofMount Harris near Steamboat Springs in the Col-orado Rockies.

Barbiero, who recently retired as supervisor ofthe pupil personnel department of the JeffersonCounty Public Schools, found a copy of his firstcontract while sorting mementos of his 47 years inteaching.

Here are some of the contract's provisions:"Women teachers are not to keep companywith men and agree to be home between thehours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending aschool function.

"Women teachers agree not to get married.This contract becomes null and void im-mediately if a woman teacher marries.

"All school employees are not to leave town atany time without the permission of the chair-man of the school board.

"(The teacher) agrees not to smoke cigarettes.

"This contract becomes null and void im-mediately if the employee is found drinkingalcoholic beverages.

"Women teachers are to dress and conductthemselves in a puritanical manner as follows:not to dress in bright colors; not to dye herhair; to wear at least two petticoats; not towear dresses more than two inches above theankle; not to use face powder, mascara orpaint the lips.

"Men teachers may take one evening a weekfor courting purposes, providing they attendchurch regularly or teach a Sunday schoolclass.

"(The teacher agrees) to keep the classroomclean, to sweep the classroom floor at leastonce daily, to so-rub the classroom floor once aweek with hot water and soap, to clean theblackboards at least once daily and to start thefire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm at 8 a.m.when thepatrons arrive; to carry out the ashesat least once daily and shall perform otherduties as prescribed by the board of educa-tion.

"Each teacher should lay aside from each paya good sum of his earnings so he will notbecome a burden to society."

For meeting all the contract's provisions, the paywas $120 a month, Barbiero recalled.

But there wasn't much grumbling about the con-tra& terms, he said.

"Jobs were not easy to come by, and at least youknew you had a warm place to spend the winter."

2827

CODE OF ETHICS OF THEEDUCATION PROFESSION

Adopted by theNEA Representative Assembly, July 1975

PREAMBLE

The educator, believing in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognizes th' supremeimportance of the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, and the nurture of democratic principles.Essential to these goals is the protection of freedom to learn and to teach and the guaiantee of equaledUcational opportunity for all. The educator accepts the responsibility to adhere.to the highest ethical.standards. -z.t:A..-

The =stiucator recognize, the magnitude of-the responsibility-inherent'in'theleaching:process: Thedesire for the respect and confidence of one's colleagues, of students, of parents and of the member's ofthe community provides the incentive to attain and maintain the highest. Possible degree of ethicalConduct. The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession indicates the aspiration of all educators andprovides standards by which to judge conduct.

The ;emedies specified by the NEA and, or its affiliates for the violation of any provision of this Code shallbe exclusive, and no such provision shall be enforceable in any form other than one specificallydesignated by the NEA or its affiliates.

PRINCIPLE ICOMMITMENT TO THE STUDENT

The educator strives to help each student realizehis or her potential as a worthy and effectivemember of society. The educator therefore worksto stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition ofknowledge and understanding, and the thoughtfulformulation of worthy goals.

In fulfillment of the obligation to the student, theeducator-1. Shall not unreasonably restrain the student

from independent action in the pursuit of learn-ing.

2. Shall not unreasonably deny the student accessto varying points of view.

3. Shall not deliberately suppress or distort subsect matter relevant to the student's progress.

4. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the stu-dent from conditions harmful to leaming or tohealth and safety.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Shall not intentionally expose the student toembarrassment or disparagement.Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex,national origin, marital status, political or reli-gious beliefs, family, social or cultural back-ground, or sexual orientation unfairly:a. Exclude any student from participation in

any program;b. Deny benefits to any student;c. Grant any advantage to any student.Shall not use professional relationships withstudents for private advantage.Shall not disclose information about-studentsobtained in the course of professional service,unless disclosure serves a compelling profes-sional purpose or is required by law.

PRINCIPLE_IICOMMITMENT TO THE PROFESSION

The education profession is vested by the publicwith a trust and responsibility requiring the highestideals of professional service.

In the belief that the quality of the services of theeducation profession directly influences the na-tion and its citizens, the educator shall exert every

effort to raise professional standards, to promote aclimate that encourages the-exercise-of profes-sional judgment, to achieve conditions which at-tract persons worthy of the trust to careers in edu-cation, and to assist in preventing the practice ofthe profession by unqualified persons.

28 29

In fulfillment of the obligation to the profession,the educator-1. Shall not in an application for a professional

position deliberately make a false statement orfail to disclose a material fact related to compe-tency and qualifications.

2. Shall not misrepresent his/her professionalqualifications.

3. Shall. not assist entry into the profession of aperson known to be unqualified in respect tocharacter, education, or other relevant attri-bute.

4. Shall not knowingly make a false statement--- --concerning the qualifications ota candidate for

a professional position.

5. Shall not assist a non-educator in the unau-thorized practice of teaching.

6. Shall not disclose information about col-leagues obtained in the course of professionalservice unless disclosure serves a compellingprofessional purpose or is required by. law.

7. Shall not knowingly make false or maliciousstatements about a colleague.

8. Shall not accept any gratuity, gift, or favor thatmight impair or appear to influence profes-sional decisions or actions.

3029

Olin

Below is a list of Critique Questions to guide you in preparing a writtencritique concerning the ethics presented in the 1927 teachers' contractand in the NEA Code of Ethics.

CRITIQUE QUESTIONSJS the, ,codeclear enough..tote applied_in,a_variety_otsituations?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

2. Does the code assume agreement on professional policy only where there is such agreement withinthe profession?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

3. Does the code of ethics avoid insisting upon unreasonable standards of behavior for the practitionersof the profession?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

4. Does the code deal only with behavior which bears a direct relationship to professional conduct?1927 Contract:

3132

NEA Code of Ethics:

5. Does the code deal with only unethical (rather than undesirable) patterns of behavior?

192? Contract:

*NEA*Code-aEthics:

6. Is the code complete in the sense that it does not neglect any important ethical problems in theprofession?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

1

7. Does the code protect competent practitioners?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

8. Is the code modified frequently to keep it current with the changing standards of society and the

profession?1927 Contract:

NEA Code of Ethics:

3233

-.

Compare your completed written critique of the code of ethics with theModel Critique given below. Your responses need not exactly duplicate themodel responses, however, you should have covered the same majorpoints.

MODEL CRITIQUE

1. The ethical conduct prescribed in the 1927 con-tract. is_painfullyclear. Teachers signing thiscontract knew exactly how they had to conductthemselves.

The 1975 code is also fairly clear; it outlinesspecific behaviors to be followed relative toeach general belief. The weakest points are thequalifiers: what exactly is meant by "unrea-sonably restrain," "unreasonably deny," and"reasonable effort?"

2. The 1927 teachers' contract is not concernedwith agreement within the teaching profession,but it probably represented public opinion in aparticular community, at a specific time. Itperhaps can be safely assumed there was nosuch agreement within the teaching professionat that time.

If it is assumed that the representatives to na-tional and state NEA assemblies representteachers in general, then this code assumesagreement within the profession which doesexist. If this assumption is invalid, then thisagreement does not necessarily exist. The factthat all teachers are not members of NEA mightsupport the latter position.

3. Since the 1927 contract was not developed as acode of ethics for practitioners in the teachingprofession, but rather represents an expressionof conduct prescribed by a particular schoolboard, it is perhaps unfair to measure it by thiscriterion. However, looking at the 1927 contractfrom a contemporary frame of reference, it cer-tainly insists upon an unreasonable standard ofbehavior. This may have been less true in 1927.For example, the double standard of behaviorfor male and female teachers was probablymore acceptable at that time.

Most teachers would probably agree that theNEA Code of Ethics specifies only reasonablestandards of behavior. however, the qualifyingwords (e.g., "just," "reasonable," etc.) couldmake the code reasonable or unreasonable de-pending on how they were interpreted.

4. Again, looking at the 1927 contract from a con-temporary, frame_ of..reference,. the-rules con-cerning courting, smoking, dress, and marriageseem to have little to do with the teaching/learning process. However, if the teacher'schore in 1927 was to serve as a model for "rightliving" (which they felt they could define), thenthese rules are, indeed, relevant.

The 1975 code seems to touch only on mattersrelated to the professional conduct of teachersor to nonprofessional cob-duct-clearly related toprofessional conduct. However, how profes-sional conduct" is defined changes as the roleof the teacher in society changes. In 1927, ateacher's role was to serve as a model and trainstudents to fit that model. Whether or not the1975 code continues to cover professionalconduct will depend on how much the role ofthe teacher changes.

5. The 1927 contract seems to deal more with un-desirable behavior (as defined by the schooldistrict) than unethical conduct. However, ateacher who did not live up to those standardswould undoubtedly be fired.

The NEA code seems to be `much closer tomeeting this criterion. However, this would de-pend upon how the qualifiers in the code wereinterpreted.

6. The 1927 contract is very limited in the behaviorwhich it covers, as it does not even touch uponthe "teaching" aspects of the job.

Various aspects of a teacher's functioning inrelationship to students, to the profession, andto employment practices are included in theNEA code. The list may not be all-inclusive;especially lacking for vocational educators isthe teacher's professional relationship with thebusiness and industrial community.

7. This 1927 contract affords no such protectionfor practitioners.

Protection is provided for competent prac-titioners in the NEA code. Of course, this again

33 34

is somewhat dependent upon how the qualrifiers are interpreted.

8. There are no-provisions in the 1927 contractregarding revision, but it is reasonable to as-sume that, as the role of the teacher changed in

the view of the community, changes would bereflected in future teacher contracts.

The NEA code is periodically updated andbrought before a national convention for adop-tion.

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: Your completed critique should have covered the same major points as themodel responses. If you missed some points or have questions about any additional points you made,review the material in the information sheet, Formulating a Professional Code of Ethics, p. 26, or checkwith your resource person if necessary.

35

34

Learning Experience IV

EnablingObjective

3635

OVERVIEW

Activity Read the following Case Study to determine the educational philosophyportrayed by Virgil T. Fry, so that you will be able to critique his perfor-mance as a teacher.

CASE STUDY: WHO IS VIRGIL T. FRYVThe remarkable facts about a man whois either a master teacher or a big fraud

I have never known a man more fascinating than-Mr. Virgil,T. -Fry:.His-fascination-grows-daily-be--cause I have never met him.

Mr. Fry, you see, was my predecessor in a smallIndiana high school. He was a teacher of the socialstudies, and he was fired for incompetency. I wasbrought in to take his place.

Dr. Kelwell, the superintendent of schools in Ak-ara, first told me about Virgil-T. Fry. "Fry," he said,"was a most impossible man to work with. I hopeyou will not be like him."

"What was his trouble?" I asked.

"Never anything in on time. Very hard man towork,with. Never took advice," was the reply. Dr.Kelwell paused and leaned back in his chair. Heshook his head violently: "Very poor professionalspirit." He nodded as if to agree with himself, thenrepeated, "I hope you won't be like him."

The principal, Mr. Hasbolt, was considerablymore blunt.

"You have a great chance here," he said. "Mr.Fry, your predecessor, was a very poor teacher. Heantagonized everyone. Constant source of friction.I don't recall when we ever had a teacher here whocreated more dissension among our faculty. Notonly his own department, either. Everyone in thisbuilding hated that man, I really do believe. I cer-

.tainly hope- you won't make the same mistakes."He wrung my hand vigorously as if to welcome meas a real relief from a most pressing and unpleas-ant problem.

The head of the social-studies department inwhich ! worked was more like Dr. Kelwell than likeMr. Hasbolt. He merely hinted at Mr. Fry's dis-crepancies. "Very inadequate scholar. Very un-sound. Apt to no off NM-cocked," he mused.

"In what way?" I asked.

"Oh lots of ways. You know. Crack-pot ideas.Poor tact in expressing them You have a real op-

5. James A. Michener, Who is Virgil T. Fry?" The Clearing House 16(October 1941): 67-70.

portunity here to do a good job. I certainly hope.you-won't-make-Fry's-mistakes. --

But if the head of my department was-indirect,the head of the English department wasn't. "Thatman?" she sniffed. "He really was a terrible per-son. I'm not an old maid, and I'm not prudish, butVirgil T. Fry was a most intolerable person. He notonly thought he could teach social studies andmade a mess of its but he also tried to tell me how toteach English. In fact, he tried to tell everyone howto.do everything."

Miss Kennedy was neither an old maid norprudish, and she was correct when she intimatedthat the rest of the staff felt asshe did. Mr. Fry hadinsulted the music department, the science de-partment, and above all the physical-educationdepartment.

Tiff Small was head of athletics. He was a.fineman with whom I subsequently played a greal dealof golf and some tennis. He wouldn't discuss Fry."That pansy!" and he would sniff his big nose intoa wrinkle. "Pretty poor stuff."

Mr. Virgil T. Fry's landlady ultimately became mylandlady, too, and she bore out everything the fac-ulty had said about her former boarder: "Nevercleaned his room up. Smoked cigarettes anddropped the ashes. I hope you don't smoke. Youdon't? Well, I'm certainly glad. But this Mr. Fry, myhe was a hard man to keep house for. I pity the poorgirl that gets him."

Remembering Tiff Small's insinuation, I askedmy landlady if Fry ever went with girls. "Him? Hecourted like it was his sole occupation. Finallymarried a girl from Akara. She was-a typist down-town. Had been to the University of Chicago. Verystuck-up girl, but not any better than she had to be,if you want my opinion. Quite a girl, and quite goodenough for Virgil T. Fry."

As the year went on I learned more about Fry. He'must have been a most objectionable person, in-deed, for the opinion concerning him was unani-mous. In a way I was glad, for I profited from hisprevious sins. Everyone was glad to welcome me

3637

into the school system and into the town, for, to putit baldly, I Was a most happy relief from Virgil T. Fry.

Apart from his personality he was also a prettypoor teacher. I found one of his roll books onceand just for fun distributed his grades along thenormal curve. What a mess they were! He had 18%A's where he should have had no more than 8%!His B's were the same. And when I reached the F's,he was following no system at all. One person witha total score of 183 was flunked. The next, with atotal score of 179, had received a C! And in theback of his desk I found 247 term papers he hadnever even opened! I laughed and congratulated

-myself on-being at least more honest than my pred-ecesai, even if I excelled him in no other way.

I was in this frame of mind when Doris Kelley, thesixteen-year-old daughter of a local doctor, cameinto my room one evening after school. "May I askyou a question?" she said.

"Of course."

"Maybe you won't like it," she replied hesitatinga moment.

I laughed. "Certainly I will. What is it?"

"Why don't you teach the way Mr. Fry did?"

I was taken aback. "How did he teach?" I asked.

"Oh," was the answer, "he made everything sointeresting!"

I swallowed and asked her to elaborate.

"Well, Mr. Fry always taught as if everything hetalked about was of utmost importance. You got tolove America when you got through a course withMr. Fry. He always had a joke. He wasn't afraid toskip chapters now and then.

"He could-certainly teach you how to write asentence and a term paper. Much better than theEnglish teachers, only they didn't like it very much.And did you read books when Mr. Fry taught you!Ten, maybe, a year, and all in the very kinds ofthings you liked best. Hitler, strikes, the Constitu-tion, and all about crime. Just anything you wantedto read.

"And class was always so interesting. Not bor-ing." She stopped and looked at me across thedesK with a bit of Irish defiance in her eye.

Shewas a somewhat mature girl and I con-cluded that she had had a crush on this remarkableMr. Virgil T. Fry. "Did all the pupils feel that way?" Iasked her.

"1 know what you're thinking," she said, smiling."But you're wrong. Everyone liked him. Almostevery one of them did. And the reason I came in tosee you this evening is that none of us like the wayyou teach. It's all so very dull!"

I blushed. Everyone had been telling me what afine job I was doing. I stammered a bit, "Well, Mr.Fry and I teach two different ways."

"Oh, no," she insisted, "it's not that. Mr. Fry reallytaught. He taught us something everyday. I'll bet ifyou ask all the pupils they'll all say the same thing.He was about the only real teacher we.had."

I became somewhat provoked and said a verystupid thing. "Then why was he fired?"

No answer.

"You did know he was fired, didn't you?"

-Doris-nodded.

"Why?" I repeated.

Doris laughed. "Don't you know? All the kidsdo." And she stood in the door, smiling. "Jeal-ousy," she said.

I was alarmed. I wondered if the pupils really diddislike my teaching as much as Doris had implied.The next day in a class of which Doris was not amember I tried an experiment.

"Well," I said, "we've now reached the end of thefirst unit. I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea togo back to a discussion of the big ideas of thisunit?"

I paused.

Not much response, so I added: "The way Mr. Fryused to do?"

Imme 'iately all the pupils sat up and started topay attention. Most of them smiled. Two of the girlsgiggled and some of the boys squirmed. They ob-viously wanted to accept my suggestion. "Tom," Iasked, "will you take over?" for I had no idea whatMr. Fry's method was

Tom nodded vigorously and came to the front ofthe room.

"All right," he rasped, "who will dare?"

"I will," said a girl. "I believe that Columbus cameto the New World more for religious reasons thanfor commercial reasons."

"Ohl" groaned a group of pupils, snapping theirfingers for attention. Tom called on one.

"I think that's very stupid reasoning, Lucille.Spain was only using religion as a mask for im-perialism."

Lucille turned in her seat and shot bark, "Youwouldn't think so if you knew anything aboutPhilip the Second."

And the debate continued until Tom issued hisnext dare. A. pupil accepted and defiantly an-nounced: "I think all that section about Spain's

37 30

being so poor at colonizing is the malarkey. Every-thing south of Texas except Brazil is now Spanish.That looks pretty good to me."

I winced at the word "malarkey" and the pupilswinced at the idea. The tigers of Anglo-Saxonyrose to the defense of the text and the challengingpupil did his best to stand them off.

A few nights later I drove some other pupils to abasketball game in a nearby city. One of the boysobserved, as we were coming home: "Class hasbeen much better lately. I sort of like history now."

"How do you moan, better?" I asked.

"oh, more the way Mr. Fry used to teach."

"Was Mr.. Fry such a good teacher?" I asked.

"Oh, boyl" chortled the crowd, all at once. Andone continued, "Was he? Boy, he could reallyteach you. I learned more from him than my bigbrother did at the university, in the same course.That's a fact! I had to read more, too, but I certainlyliked it."

"I always thought he was ratherwell, sissy?" Iobserved.

"Fry? Oh, no!" the boys replied. "It's true hedidn't like the athletic department and used tomake some pretty mean cracks about athletes, butwe all liked it a lot. No, Mr. Fry was a very goodtennis player and could swim like a fish."

The question of reading bothered me. I had al-ways aspired to have my pupils read a great deal,and here they were all telling me that last year they

read and this year they hadn't. I went to seeMiss Fisher, the librarian, about it.

"No," she said, "the books aren't going out theway they did last year."

"Could it be that maybe Mr. Fry knew how to usethe library better?" I asked.

"Oh, no!" was the laughing reply. "You're twicethe teacher Mr. Fry was. All the staff thinks so. Hewas a terrible person around a library!"

This depressed me, and I sought for an answeroutside the school. I went around that night to visitDr. Kelley, Doris' father.

"The fact is," he said, "you're in a tough spot.Virgil T. Fry was a truly great teacher. You're fillingthe shoes of a master. I hear the children talking atthe table and about the house. Fry seems to havebeen the only teacher who ever really got undertheir skins and taught them anything."

He paused, then added, "As a matter of fact, thepupils find your teaching rather empty, but I'm gladto say they think it's been picking up recently." Heknocked out his pipe and smiled at me.

"Then why was Fry fired?" I asked.

"Difference of opinion, I guess," the doctor re-plied. "Fry thought education consisted of stirringup and creating. He made himself very unpopular.You see, education is really acomplete social ven-ture. I see that from being on the school board. Frywas excellent with pupils but he made a terriblemess of his adult relationships."

"You're also a father," I said. "Don't you thinkyour daughter deserves to have good teachers?"

He lit his pipe again. "Of course, if we want thetruth, I'd rather have Doris learri under Fry than

.underyourIn-the-longIunrshe'd.learn-more:"-He-smiled wryly. "At the same time, what she learnsfrom you maybe better for her in the long run thanwhat she would have learned from Fry."

"May I ask you one question, Doctor?" I in-quired. He assented. "Did you concur with Fry'sdismissal?"

Dr. Kelley looked at me a long time and drew onhis pipe. Then he laughed quietly. "I cut boardmeeting that night. I knew the problem was com-ing up."

1-"How would you have voted?" I persisted.

"I think I would always cut board meeting," heanswered. "Fry was a disruptive force. He was alsoa very great teacher. I think the two aspects bal-anced precisely. I would neither hire him nor firehim. I wouldn't fight to keep him In a school and Iwouldn't raise a finger to get him out of one."

I frowned.

He continued: "The fine aspect of the wholething is that you, a beginning teacher, don't have tobe all Fry or all yourself. You can be both a greatteacher and a fine, social individual. It's possible."

Dr. Kelley laughed again as he showed me to thedoor. "Don't worry about it. And you may be in-terested to know that your superintendent, Dr.Kelwell, feels just as I do about the whole problem.He stood out at the last minute to keep Fry. Veryreluctant to have him go."

I went home badly confused, and I have re-mained so ever since.

As I said before, I have never known a man sofascinating as Mr. Virgil T. Fry. Not a member of hisfaculty has a good word to say for him and not apupil in any of his classes has an unkind word tosay against him.

38 39

1

1

Select a group of 2-5 peers and arrange (1) for the peers to have a chanceto read the case study on Virgil T. Fry, and (2) for the peers and yourresource person to meet to discuss and critique Virgil T. Fry's performance.

During the discussion session, briefly explain (or provide each person witha written explanation of) your personal philosophy of education and yourchosen code of ethical standards. (You may use a code of ethics you havedeveloped, the 1975 NEA Code of Ethics, or a code of ethics recommendedby your resource person.) Then, with the resource person acting as groupleader, discuss each of the following points with your peers.

Based on the information provided in the case study, what does VirgilT. Fry's personal philosophy of education seem to be?In what ways does Fry's philosophy conflict with the educationalphilosophies-of his peers and-of the school administrators?!n what ways is Fry's behavior consist( nt, or in conflict, with yourpersonal philosophy of education?In what ways is Fry's behavior consistent, or in conflict, with yourethical standards?Consider the areas In which Fry's behavior is in conflict wifh yourphilosophy or code of ethics. Do you consider Fry's behavior to L9correct and, if so, what implications does this have for yourphilosophy? Or, do you consider Fry's behaviorto be incorrect and, ifso, now should he have behaved instead?

If peers are not available to you, you may answer the above questions inwriting and provide your resource person with a copy of your written (1)philosophy, (2) code of ethics, and (3) critique of Fry's performance.

After you have completed your verbal or written critique, arrange to haveyour resource person evaluate your work. give him/her the CritiqueChecklist, p. 41, to use in evaluating your work.

4039

1

NOTES

40 41

CRITIQUE CHECKLIST

Direotions: Place an X in the NO, PARTIAL, or FULL box to indicate that'each of the following performance components was not accomplished,partially accomplished, or fully accomplished. If, because of special cir-cumstances, a performance component was not applicable, or impossibleto execute, place an X in the' N/A box.

Name

Date

Resource Person

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

In critiquing Virgil Fry's performance, the teacher:1. determined the educational philosophy of Virgil T. Fry by analyzing

his behavior El2. expressea ways in which Fry's philosophy was inconsistent with that

of the school administration, faculty, and community

3. compared and contrasted his/her educational philosophy with thatexhibited by Fry

4. compared and contrasted his/her code of ethics with that exhibitedby Fry

5. arrived at some defensible conclusion about the quality and effec-tiveness of Virgil T. Fry's teaching El El

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: All items must receive FULL, or N/A responses. If any item receives a NO, orPARTIAL response, the teacher and resource person should meet to determine what additional activitiesthe teacher needs to complete in order to reach competency in the weak area(s).

A

4241

NOTES

42 43

.

a

al/

Of-

For background information on the definition, goals, and principles ofvocational education to use in developing your own philosophy, read thefollowing information sheet:

DEVELOPING A PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OFVOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Developing a written philosophy of vocationaleducation becomes a relatively straightforwardprocess after you have developed a philosophy ofeducation. This is because vocational education isan extension and specific application of generaleducation. As a-basis for such a philosophy youwill need, in aduition to well-founded beliefs abouteducation, a clear concept of vocational educa-tion, its goals and principles.

Definition of Vocational EducationThe question is often asked, "What distin-

guishes vocational education from general educa-tion? One way of expressing it is that education isvocational depending on the Intent of the learner.If the learner intends to use the education to earn aliving in an occupation, the education is voca-tional. The study of Latin may be vocational if thestudent intends to become a teacher of classicliterature. Conversely, a course in computer pro-

gramming would be a part of general education fora student who wanted to learn something aboutthis subject in order to be 3 more intelligent citizenin a technological society. A formal definition ofvocational education might be stated thus:

Vocational education includes the knowledge andskills of a particular occupation, taught and learnedIn their practical and proper application to thework.

OR

Vocational education is designed to improvethrefficiency of an indivickial in a specific occupation.General education is of value to an individual re-gardless of the occupation which he or she isstofollow.

It can be seen that there is, no clear and rigiddistinction between vocational education andgeneral education. The differenbe is not that.ofsubject matter, but one of objectives and focus.Each in its way is essential as preparation for aproductive and rich life.

Recently, the concept of career education hasassumed increased importance. Career educationis a broader term than vocational education. Thefollowing functional definition of career educationwas accepted by the Chief State School Officers in1974.6

Career education is essentially an instructionalstrategy, aimed at improving educational outcomesby relating teaching and learning activities to theconcept of career development. Career educationextends the academic world to the world of work... A complete program of career education in-cludes awareness of self and the world of work,broad orientation to occupations, exploration ofselected clusters, career preparation, an under-standing of the economic system of which jobs area part, and placement for all students.

Most educators seem to agree that career edu-cation (1) should be experienced by all studentsfrOm kindergarten through adult education, (2) in-volves more than simply skills training, and (3)emphasizes preparation for work. In this sense,vocational education is a part of career educationand serves-in the carearipreparatiop phase:ofstudent& development. Thus, the goals of career.education can only be fulfilled by a strong andexpanded system of vocational education avail.able to all who need it.

6. Sidney P. Marlend, Jr., Career Education: A Proposal for Reform (NewYork, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1974), p. 105.

44 45

Goals. of Vocational EducationThe broad goals of vocational education are

generally-agreed to be

to meet the manpower (or human power)needs of societyto increase the options or choices available toeach student.to serve as a motivating force to enhanceteaming of all types

In addition to these basic goals common to all ofvocational education, each occupational servicearea and each course has its own goals and objec-tives.

The oldest and most widely accepted goal ofvocational education is to provide a means formeeting the manpower needs of society. Always amajor effort in every society, providing trained per-sonnel has become increasingly difficult as therate of change in manpower needs has acceler-ated. More formal training is required as the levelof technology advances and as the need for un-skilled workers declines while the need for semi-skilled and skilled workers rises.

Automation and mechanization are selective,and manpower forecasting is not a highly accuratesciencepso-imbalances.in-the-nurnber-of trainedworkers needed in specific occupations remains aconstant challenge. Vocational educators aremeeting this challenge by devising new occupa-tional programs and continually revising existingones. Recent federal legislation has required voca-tional.educators to expend additional effort ontraining certain segments of society such as youth,the handicapped, and the disadvantaged. Trainingworkers for the new post-industrial society is agreat and still not completely fulfilled function ofvocational education.

The second broad goal of vocational educationis that of increasing the available options orchoices for each individual. Greater freedom ofchoice permits an enriched and varied lifeonemore adaptable to personal development andsocietal change. Individual options are increasedby such factors as verbal ability, physical ability,manipulative skill, mental and physical health, andincome above the subsistence level. An individu-al's options are decreased or limited by suchthings as illiteracy, prejudice, social isolation,handicaps, and lack of job training. A major goal ofAmerican society is to minimize those factorswhich limit individual options, and provide peoplewith experiences that give them increased lifechoices.

Vocational education provides these personaldevelopment opportunities in a number of ways.Vocational programs offer job training, enrichedgeneral education, and opportunity for increasedincome and occupational advancement. Voca-tional youth organizations offer opportunities forleadership and social development. Vocationaleducation prepares people for "career ladders"that lead from lower to higher positions with in-creased opportunities and greater rewards (e.g.,from carpenter's helper to journeyman carpenter,clerk to legal secretary, nurse's aide to registerednurse). It also trains individuals so they are able toshift from one career to another to take advantageof employment opportunities and allow for per-sonal growth.

The third, and possibly least understood, of thegoals of vocational education is that which sug-gests that the study of vocational education canhelp interpret general education to vocationalstudents. As students progress through their voca-tional programs, many begin to see the need forthe general education that they had previously re-jected. As a result of vocational education, stu-dents can perceive the relevance of the basicacademic skills of reading, writing, and computa-tion, and the concepts of science, economics, andgovernment.

446

This process may occur naturally, with littlespecific help from the vocational teacher. Often,however, the perceptive teacher can assist stu-dents in understanding how the skills of generaleducation are important, not only for an occupa-tion, but also for life.

Principles of Vocational EducationA principle is an accepted rule of action, a fun-

damental doctrine or tenet from which others arederived. A number of the principles of vocationaleducation were ennunciated early in the move-ment and have stood the test of time. In ThePhilosophy for Quality Vocational Education Pro-grams? Melvin Barlow has selected a number ofprinciples of vocational education first stated inthe period between 1906 and 1917.1t is worthwhileto reexamine these principles as you develop yourown philosophy of vocational education.

Citizenship. Vocational education supports,fosters, and promotes good citizenship. This con-cept of the productive worker as a law-abiding,tax-paying, stable member of society was embed-ded in the early rationale for vocational education.In the process of extending the educational systemupward through the high school, proponents ofvocational education moved to encourage occu-pational preparation as a part of the citizenshiptraining program.

General education. Thorough grounding inthe basic general studies was regarded as a foun-dation upon which vocational aducation couldbuild. As the education requirements for employ-ment have risen through the years, the need foreducational achievement has become even moreessential. Vocational education is designed topromote and enhance general education and per-sonal cultural growth.

Clientele.An early vocational publicationstates that schools should be "open to all, sex,creed, color, and nationality should not debar any-

-One." This has been reemphasized in recent voca-tional legislation which states that vocational edu-cation is intended for "all people of all ages in allcommunities."

Theory and practice.The concept of combin-ing t:ir, "theory of doing" and the "practice of do-ing" in the curriculum was a modern idea in 1908.1tis still a valid concept today. The intent of instruc-tion was to produce an exceptional craftspersonwho could advance to positions of increasing re-sponsibility. Provision for theory and practice in

7. Melvin F. Barlow, (Ed.), The Philosophy for Quality Vocational Educa-tion Programs, Fourth Yearbook of the American Vocational Association(Washington, DC: American Vocational Association, 1974), pp. 19-22.

46

vocational education makes for efficient learningand provides a strong foundation for continuingoccupational development.

Cooperation.The concept of cooperationamong employer, employee, and educator was ac-knowledged as indispensable to quality vocationaleducation. Advisory committees and communityinteraction committees have emerged from suchideas.

A national problem.Because of the difficultyfor states and local school districts to develop vo-cational education programs, and the need for ahighly trained labor force, vocational educationwas thought to be a national responsibilityonerequiring federaLfunding_and.developed.throughfederal legislation. Through the years, the conceptof vocational education as a national concern hasnot diminished. The demands for an educatedlabor forte have become stronger, the nation'sworkers have become increasingly mobile, and theneed for vocational education in every state hasbecome more acute.

Individualized Instruction.The concept of in-dividualized,instruction has long been consideredan integral part of vocational education. For ex-ample, as early as 1908 the view was expressedthat "most of the instruction must be individualrather than group to adapt it to the varied abilitiesand shop experiences of the pupil." In recentyears, individualized instruction has receivedgreat emphasis at every level of education.

Vocational Instructors.An important quali-fication for vocational instructors was, and still is,extensive experience in the occupation. It is alsodesirable that the teacher have wide-ranging per-sonal skill in practical application.

Class distinction. -- Vocational education is op-posed to the promotion of class distinction. Anearly principle of vocational education leaderswasto develop a training system in which studentswere not divided by class lines or social distinc-tions.

These are some of the basic principles uponwhich contemporary vocational education is built.To maintain its vitality, the system must allow forchanges in the industrial,,technologicaLagricul-tural, social, and economic structure of our soci-ety. This has been done by reinterpreting the prov-en principles of vocational education in the light ofsocietal changes.

One way this reinterpretation takes place isthrough federal vocational legislationfrom the

47

PRThict9Lesof

Voc.A-no N

Emu CAT %ON

...-""""

landmark Smith-Hughes Act.of.19171hrough.sub:_sequent major vocational bills. In 1917 for ex-ample, when the first vocational legislation wasdeveloped, vocational education was conceivedas a program for high school students and em-ployed adults. At that time it would have beenabsurd to propose a post-secondary programsince only 20 percent of the age group attendedhigh school and an even smaller proportion wenton to advanced training. Over the years, as thenumber of students increased and society neededmore highly trained people, the need for voca-tional education at the community college levelbecame evident.

Note that the principle of preparing people foremployment is unchanged, but the principle was

)00

Optional1)0 Activity

%WO

reinterpreted to meet changing needs by increas-ing the number of programs and making themavailable at different levels.

It follows that, as new interpretations of voca-tional principles evolve, new ways of implement-ing these principles must be developed. Evolutionof philosophy, however gradual, is ultimately re-flected in changed action. The quality of voca-tional education is directly related to the way inwhich teachers and administrators deal with thenecessary change. They must understand the na-ture of the reinterpreted principles, and carefullymatch the programs they implement to contem-porary principles of vocational education.

Your own philosophy of vocational educationmay be drawn from a number of sources, but as itdevelops and matures it will be a unique and per-

_sonal_seLoUeli eS,_andvalues. Your ideas will be enriched by contact withleaders in vocational education through your read-ing. Association with educators and teaching col-leagues will allow you to refine your philosophyand subject it to the scrutiny of others. Your lifeexperience, as an individual, as a citizen, and as ateacher in the classroom will provide opportunityfor philosophical growth and change.

From these and many other sources, you candevelop a well-founded and integrated philosophy.Such a philosophy, however, will not-mature of itsown accord. It needs to be nurtured by new experi-ences, cultivated to stimulate growth, and periodi-cally reexamined for vitality and strength.

You may wish to read one or more of the following supplementary refer-ences:

For a more complete undersoding of the principles on which voca-tional education is based, read Cross, "Goals and Roles of VocationalEducation," in Strong (Ed.), Developing the Nation's Work Force, pp.325-335.For a discussion of the philosophical implications of federal voca-tional education legislation, read Beaumont, "Philosophical Implica-tions of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968," in Law (Ed.),Contemporary Concepts in Vocational Education, pp. 12-17.For a better understanding of the concept of career education and itsrelation to vocational education, read Marland, Career Education: AProposal for !Worm, pp. 83-106.For a concise review of current issues in vocational education, readBarlow, (Ed.), The Philosophy for Quality Vocational Education Pro-grams, pp. 261-279.

4847

Prepare a position paper, or statement, of your personal philosophy ofvocational education. Your statement should be as complete as possible,but should be couched in general terms. It should, of course, be consistentwith your philosophy of general education. Remember, you are not beingasked to plan a vocational program, but to express your beliefs and princi-ples. The questions that follow are designed to guide your thinking andhelp you organize your thoughts.

What is vocational education?For whom should vocational education be provided?What are the values of vocational education?How should vocational education be related to the total educationprogram?What should be the bases for developing and offering vocationaleducation programs?Who should be involved in control of vocational education?

After you have prepared a draft of your statement, compare it with yourphilosophy of general education. Check the two for consistency. If neces-sary, revise the philosophies accordingly.

Using your completed philosophy of vocational education, write an ex-ample of the behavior you would exhibit as a teacher as a result of each ofyour major beliefs. (For example, if you believe that vocational edubationshould be provided to handicapped youth, you might reorganize yourprogram and facilities zo accommodate the handicapped, and inform po-tential students of the opportunities for training and jobs in your occupa-tional area.)

You may wish to meet with a small group of 2-4 peers and/or with yourresource person to discuss the philosophy of vocational education ingeneral, and your personal philosophy in particular. Individuals in thegroup can compare and contrast elements of their philosophies and pre-sent the reasoning they used in the development of their beliefs. Yourresource person may serve as moderator, questioner, and clarifier in thediscussion session.

After you have developed your position paper, use the Vocational Educa-tion Philosophy Checklist, p. 49, to evaluate your work.

48

49

It;

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY CHECKLIST

Directions: Place an X in the NO, PARTIAL, or FULL box to indicate thateach,of the following performance components was not accomplished,partially accomplished, or fully accomplished. If, because of special cir-cumstances, a performance component was not applicable, or impossibleto execute, place an X in the N/A box.

Name

Date

Resource Person

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

1. The teachers statement of personal philosophy of vocational educa-tion included the following concerns:a. the nature of vocational education El El CIb. for whom vocational education should be provided

c. the values of vocational education

d. relation of vocational education to general education

e. the bases for developing and offering vocational programs

f. who should be involved in the control of vocational education .

2. The teacher's philosophy of vocational education was consistentwith his/her philosophy of general education El El CI

3. The examples of the teacher's professional behaviors were consis-tent with his/her philosophy of vocational education Ell El EJ

4. The completed written statement of vocational philosophy:a. expressed the teacher's own beliefs and principles

b. included an example of supporting behavior for each majir belief El5.. The..philosophy and supporting _behaviors gave evidence of the

teacher's general acceptance of recognized principles of vocationaleducation El

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: All items must receive FULL, or N/A responses. If any item receives a NO, orPARTIAL response, review the material in the information sheet, Develor.:ng a Personal Philosophy ofVocational Education, pp. 44-47, and the readings in previous learning experiences, pp. 6-10 and pp.16-18, revise your philosophy of vocational education accordingly, or check with your resource personif necessary.

5049

Learning Experience VI

TerminalObjective

FINAL EXPERIENCE

For a definition of "actual school situation:. see the Inside back cover.

5251

NOTES

5352

TEACHER PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FORMDevelop an Active Personal Philosophy of Education (1-3)

Directions: Indicate the level of the teacher's accomplishment by placingan X in the appropriate box under the LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE heading.If, because of special circumstances, a performance component was notapplicable, or impossible to execute, place an X in the N/A Lox.

I.

Name

Date

Resource Person

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE

b4, ;7,

2 o oe 4fr C?

0

Philosophy of Education1. The teacher's statement of a personal educational

philosophy included the following areas of professional

a. program planning, development, and evaluation ... El El Elconcern:

b. student instruction (including planning, execution,and evaluation

c. instructional management

d. student guidance Ele. student vocational organizations El EDf. school-community relations El ED

g. professional role and development D Elh. coordination of cooperative education

2. The statements within the philosophy were consistentwith each other El El

3. The complete.., statement of educational philosophy.a. expressed the teacher's own beliefs and principles . El Elb. indicated the teacher's general acceptance of recog-

nized democratic principles ED Elc. showed a commitment to serve the needs of students

d. was .ealis.ic in terms of the actual school situation

e. was well organized, clear, and readable

5453

0 4,

\i" ,b00 0

Philosophy of Vocational Education4. The leacher's statement of a personal philosophy of vo-

cational education included the following concerns:a. the nature of vocational education I:b. for whom vocational education should be provided

c. the values of vocational education

d. relation of vocational education to the total educationprogram El

e. the bases for developing and offering vocational pro-grams El

f. who should be involved in the control of vocationaleducation 0-0--

5. The teacher's_philosophy of vocational education wasconsistent with his/her philosophy of general education CI

6. The philosophy and the supporting behaviors gave evi-dence of the teacher's:a. general acceptance of recognized vocational educa-

tion principles Elb. commitment to vocational and personal development

of students El Elc. realistic understanding of contemporary vocational

education and the school situation

7. The completed written statement of vocational philoso-phy:a. expressed the teacher's own beliefs and principles . El Elb. was well organized and clearly written El

55

54

'Code of Ethics8. The selected code of ethics:

a. is clear enough to be applied in a variety of situations

b. deals only with behavior which bears a direct relation-.ship to professional conduct

c. deals only with unethical patterns of behavior ratherthan undesirable patterns of behavior El [1] [1]

d. deals with all the important ethical problems in theprofession El

e. protects competent practitioners DImplementatiOn of Philosophy and Code of Ethics9. The teacher provided documented evidence of his/her

behavior which was consistent with the stated:a. philosophy of education El'b. philosophy of vocational education [1] [1]c. code of ethics

10. The teacher's behaviors indicated a commitment to his/her educational philosophy a CI

11. The teacher documented instances in which he/she wasnot able to translate his/her philosophy or code of ethicsinto actions El El El El

12. The teacher suggested adjustments for those areas inwhich he/she had difficulty in translating:a. educational philosophy into action [1] El Elb. vocational philosophy into action ElC. a code of ethics into action [1] [1] D

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE: All items must receive NIA, GOOD, or EXCELLENT responses. If any itemreceives a NONE, POOR, or FAIR response, the teacher and resource person should meet to determinewhat additional activities the teacher needs to complete in order to re.. .h competency in the weakarea (s).

5656

NOTES

5756