This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 66—6304 THOMAS, Virginia France, 1914- RELATIONSHIP OF SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF A SUPERVISORY PROGRAM TO A BALANCED HIGH SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS CURRICULUM. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1965 Home Economics University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan RELATIONSHIP OF SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF A SUPERVISORY PROGRAM TO A BALANCED HIGH SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS CURRICULUM DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University BY Virginia France Thomas, B.S., M.S. >West Virginia State College, B.S., 1936 West Virginia University, M.S., 1948 ******* The Ohio State University 1965 Approved by Advisdv School of Home Economics ACKNOWIEDGEMENT The author wishes to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Dorothy Scott and Dr. Ruth Lehman, under whose guidance this study has been ac­ complished. Moreover, the advice and encouragement of many associates in the U. S. Office of Education has been invaluable. The study would have been impossible without the excellent cooperation of Edna P. Amidon, Director, Home Economics Education Branch, Vocational and Technical Edu­ cation, who made the arrangements for use of the national survey data. Dr. Johnie Christian conducted preliminary interviews with home econom- ics supervisors and Dr. Mary Lee Hurt has given consultative help and encouragement throughout the period of this study. Gratitude is ex­ pressed also to the state and city supervisors who responded to both the pilot and the final questionnaire. In addition, the author is indebted to her family and friends for constant encouragement. ii v m August 12, 191^ Bom - Moorehead, Kentucky 1 9 3 6 ........ B.S., West Virginia State College, Institute, W. Va. 1938-^5...... Home Economics Teacher Monongalia High School, Morgantown, W. Va. I9MS-I9 5 5 .... Assistant State Supervisor Home Economics Education State Department of Education, Charleston, W. Va. 1956-1965.... Research Assistant, Home Economics Education United States Office of Education, Washington, D.C. PUBLICATIONS "An Opportunity for Home Economics Education Through Television" Journal of Home Economics, Vol. LI, pp. k22-k26, June 1959 Home Economics in Degree-Granting Institutions, 1959_196o, U.S. Office of Education, OE-83OO8 -6O, pp. $5 Home Economics in Institutions Granting Bachelor's or Higher Degrees, 1961-62, U.S. Office of Education, GE-83OO8 -6 2 , pp. 8l FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Home Economics Education Studies in Home Economics Curriculum. Professors Dorothy D. Scott, Ruth T. Lehman, Marie Dirks, and Helene Heye Studies in Secondary Education. Professors Hugh Laughlin, and Daniel H. Eikeriberry -j , > Studies in Audio-Visual Education. Professors Edgar Dale and Keith Tyler iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. NATURE OF TEE PROBLEM ............................. 1 Statement of the Problem......................... 5 Definition of Terms ............................. 7 Hypotheses..................................... 10 Basic Assumptions ............................... 11 Limitations of the S t u d y ......................... 13 Organization of the S t u d y ........................ 14 II. HISTORICAL SETTING OF THE PROBIEM ................... 16 Educational Demands Incited by the Russian Satellite . 18 Home Economics Curriculum in Retrospect .. ........ 27 Origin of Home Economics Supervision............... 50 III. RELATED SURVEYS AND STUDIES ........................ 60 Emphasis in High School Offerings ................. 6 l Emphasis in College Home Economics Curricula........ 6j Opinion of Administrators and Graduates on Emphases . 69 In-Service and Pre-Service Home Economics Teacher's . Preparation .................................. 71 Supervisory Functions ........................... 76 - IV. PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTING AND ANALYZING TEE D A T A ....... 82 Planning the Study . ........... 84 Supervisor's Questionnaire Check-list .............. 92 Follov-up and Response .................... 98 Coding and Tabulating the D a t a ........ ............ 100 Statistical Treatment of the D a t a ................. 100 V. ANALYSIS OF DATA AND FINDINGS .........................105 Curriculum Balance in Courses Offered in Supervised and Unsupervised Schools.......................... 105 Relationship of Curriculum .Balance to Selected Supervisory Services ........................ Ill Relationship of Supervisory Activities Rated Important to Balanced Curriculum and Time Devoted to Such Activities ................... 123 iv TABLES OF CONTE1NTS Chapter Page VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND REC0MME2JDAII0NS............. 129 S u m m a r y ............................................ 129 Conclusions ...................................... l ^ Recommendations.................................... 137 APPENDIXES........................... .......................139 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................... 162 j ■ ■ .j v U S X OF TABLES Table Page 1. Humber of Four-Year High Schools in the Study, by State Cede and Type of Hone Economics Supervisory Program, Spring 1959 . * ......... 91 2. Questionnaire Distribution to State, Assistant State, and City Supervisors of Home Economics Programs, Employed During the School Year 1958-59 * ..................... 99 3. Average Percentage of Annual Class Periods Devoted to Each Curriculum Group, School Year 1958-59 ............ 106 4. Computations From "a" Test of Significant Differences Between Two Percentages ..................... 108 5. Distribution of Supervised and Unsupervised Schools by Degree of Balance in Group A Areas of Home Economics Curriculum, 1958-59 • «••••••••••••••.. 109 6. Humber of Curriculum Areas and Humber of Supervised Schools to Which Materials Were Distributed, 1955 to 1960, by Degree of Balance ..................... 113 7. Humber of Group A Curriculum Areas and Humber of Uaaupervised Schools to Which Materials Were Distributed, 1955 to 1960, by Degree of Balance ............ 115 8. Degree of Balance in Group A Areas of Instruction in Unsupervised Schools and Distribution of Curriculum Materials, 1955 to 1960 . • ...................... 116 9* Degree of Balance in Group A Areas of Instruction and . Distribution of Curriculum Materials to 502 Four-Year High Schools, 1955 to 1960 ........................... 117 10. Humber of Group A Areas of Instruction and Muuaber of Supervised Schools in Which Teachers Participated in Curriculum Projects^ 1955 to 1960 ••••••••...• 119 11. Supervisory Time Devoted to Curriculum Development Responsibilities and .Frequency of Balanced and Unbal­ anced Instruction in Group A Areas of Instruction in Group A Areas in Supervised Schools, 1958-59 112 Nvi LIST OF TABIES— Continued Table Page 12. Number and Percentage of Annual Class Periods Devoted to Curriculum Group A, B, and C by Type of Home Economics Supervision, and by State, School Year 1958-59........ 1^8 13• Number and Percentage of Annual Class Periods Devoted to Curriculum Group A, B, and C inJ 121 Unsupervised Four- . Year High Schools by State, School Year, 1958-59 ....... 150 Ik. Frequency Distribution of 502 Four-Year High Schools by Percentage of Class Periods of Instruction Devoted to Group A Curriculum Areas, 1958-59 151 15. Frequency Distribution of 502 Four-Year High Schools by Percentage of Class Periods of Instruction Devoted to Group B Curriculum Areas, 1958-59 ................... 152 16. Frequency Distribution of 502 Four-Year High Schools and the Percentage of Class Periods of Instruction Devoted to Group C Curriculum Areas, 1958-59 ................. 153 1 7 . Degree of Balance in Terms of Percentage of Annual Class Periods of Instruction in Group A Curriculum Areas Reported by.Teachers Included in Home Economics Super­ visory Programs by State, School Year 1958-59 15^ 18. Degree of Balance in Terms of Percentage of Annual Class Periods of Instruction in Group A Curriculum Areas Reported by . Teachers in Unsupervised Home Economics Programs by State, School Year 1958-59 ............. 156 1 9 . Percentage of Class Periods Devoted to Group A Curriculum Areas in Supervised Schools, School Year 1958-59^ "by State and Distribution of Materials by Number of Areas . 157 20. Number of Group A Areas of Instruction in Which Teachers Included in a Supervisory. Program Were involved in Cur­ riculum Development, 1955 bo i960 .............. 158 21. Scores for Head State Supervisors and Percentage of Time Devoted to Curriculum Development Responsibilities Pearson r Correlation Coefficient ................. 159 vii LIST OP TABLES— Continued Table Page 22. Scores for Assistant State Supervisors and Percentage of Time Devoted to Curriculum Development Responsibilities Pearson r Correlation Coefficient ................... 160 23* Scores for City Supervisors and Percentage of Time Devoted to Curriculum Development Responsibilities Pearson r Correlation Coefficient . ...................... l6l viii Figure Page « 1. Average Percentage of Supervisory Time Devoted to Various Responsibilities, by State, Assistant State, and City Supervisors, 1958-59 125 ix CHAPTER I NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Achieving the proper balance of stability and flexibility in the curriculum is the challenge of our times in education.^* So great was the concern for balance in public school curricula, that the 1961 Yearbook of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development was devoted to many facets that need to be considered in developing a balanced cur­ riculum. Arthur W. Foshay, then president of the Association,