Vocational-Technical Education: An Overlooked Component in Teacher Training?

Overview & Synopsis

Within recent educational history, the needs of academic students have been attended to before the needs of vocational and technical students. Academic teachers must undergo a change in attitude toward the vocational-technical (votech) students and the careers they pursue. It is suggested in this paper that information concerning vocational education should be incorporated into the preservice teacher education courses in foundations of education. Preservice exposure to votech education would encompass three parts: (1) an orientation, including specific reference to the application of each of the educational foundation areas to a votech education; (2) a tour of a votech school; and (3) a wrap-up debriefing following the votech school visit. In addition to educating preservice teachers about votech education, there is a need to educate inservice teachers. Most important would be the education of secondary teachers who are called upon to teach English to votech students. A description is given to a 3-week period inservice program that has been successful in enlightening teachers on the career choices open to votech students. Three brief attachments relate oral communication skills to vocational education. (JD)