Browsing by Author "Green, Ron"
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Publication Factors that Influence the Desire to Become Teachers of Technology: An Australian Study(Avondale Academic Press, 2007-01-01) Greive, Cedric; Green, RonIn this study, 337 pre-service teachers enrolled in Technology Teacher Education Programs (TTEP), in eight tertiary institutions across Australia, responded to a questionnaire seeking information about those factors that influenced their decision to become teachers of Technical and Applied Studies (TAS). The study found: a majority of the respondents were male (71%); most came from urban areas (61%); just over half (51%) entered the course from the workforce and just over a third of the respondents entered the course direct from school. Of the 172 respondents who came from the work force, a total of 93 (86 male) had prior trade experience. Factor analysis of attitudinal items set against a four-point Likert scale produced three factors related to their decision to become TAS teachers. These included encouragement from members of the community, the influence of experiences in technology at school, and a desire to teach. A three stage regression model was created with the scale ‘Desire to Teach’ as the ultimate dependent variable. Factors most strongly influencing ‘Desire to Teach’ included hobbies and interests prior to enrolment, encouragement from members of the community and the influence of experiences in technology at school. The authors propose a number of strategies for promoting technology teaching and increasing the TTEP student intake, based on their findings.
Item Influences on Individuals to Enrol in Undergraduate Technology Teacher Education Programs in Australia(2001-11-01) Green, RonWithin the context of a wide-spread technology teacher shortage, this study focused on undergraduates enrolled in technology teacher education programs (TTEPs) in Australia. The aim of this study was to ascertain the basic demographics of the enrolled student population, and to examine factors that were linked to the decision of individuals in choosing to become technology teachers. The literature search identified useful Australian studies which gave an overview of recent TTEP enrolment trends in tertiary institutions. A questionnaire was constructed as part of the quantitative research design and then distributed to Australian universities that were offering TTEPs at the undergraduate level. From this data the demographics of the respondents were ascertained. To produce a causal model, path analysis was employed using a backward stepwise regression process to weight the dependencies of the model. The study found that enrolees in TTEPs represent a diverse group, with some universities having a distinct clientele profile. The study identified a "desire to teach" as the most positive influence on individuals' decision to enrol in a TTEP. The causal model indicated that it is fostering of hobbies and interests, and the climate, program and personnel of the secondary school that has the potential to influence individuals' decisions to become a technology teacher.