JVTE v13n2 - Notes From the Editor


Volume 13, Number 2
Spring 1997

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

This issue of The Journal of Vocational and Technical Education includes several very interesting articles. With this issue, we are well into the cyber age. This spring, 1997 issue (13-2) is the fourth issue of JVTE currently online and all four can be accessed at the following URL (case sensitive):

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JVTE/

The current issue (13-2) was available online by the time the copy was sent to the printer. It is my hope that by the time the next Editor assumes responsibility for JVTE in December, 1997 more readers will have access to the electronic version, e-JVTE as I like to call it, through the Internet than have ever had access to our publication in paper form. I am firmly convinced that the development of e-JVTE will give OTT the same kind of visibility and boost in prestige that resulted from the original development of the printed version of the Journal . I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to be involved in this exciting project.

In this issue:

  1. Dr. Patrick Foster, University of Missouri-Columbia provides an exceptionally thought-provoking look at the historical development of one aspect of practical education in the United states. He focuses chronologically on the past century of American education to remind us that the current state of American practical and vocational education is not unique, even given the popularity of school-to-work legislation and programs, tech prep, applied academics, and the like. Furthermore, he points out, if history is any indication, these advances will be lost in the coming decades unless past mistakes are not repeated.
  2. Dr. Rosini Abu, of the Universiti Pertanian, Malaysia and Dr. Jim Flowers, North Carolina State University report the results of a study designed to determine the effects of the cooperative learning approach of on the achievement of content knowledge, retention, and attitudes toward the teaching method. Cooperative learning was compared to non-cooperative (competitive) learning classroom structure using a quasi-experimental design.
  3. Dr. Rodney Custer, University of Missouri-Columbia, who was honored as the 1996 OTT award recipient for Outstanding Young Scholar, Dr. Sheila K. Ruhland, Western Wisconsin Technical College, and Dr. Bob Stewart, University of Missouri-Columbia report on a study that examined the progress in implementation of Tech Prep in Missouri.
  4. Dr. Randy McElvey, Valdosta State University and Drs. Helen . Hall and Richard Lynch, of The University of Georgia report the results of a study of perceptions of presidents and faculty of technical institutes in Georgia toward the leadership attributes of the presidents of those institutions. Not surprisingly, the authors report that presidents and their faculty members did not agree on leadership attributes as demonstrated by presidents at technical institutes in Georgia.
  5. Dr. Vidya Singh-Gupta and Dr. Eileen Troutt-Ervin, both of Southern Illinois University, report the results of a study designed to determine the usefulness of various course topics of technical Bachelor of Science degree graduates to their subsequent employment and the types of writing skills needed in the work place.
  6. Dr. Bob Stewart, University of Missouri-Columbia and Dr. Don Bristow, Columbia, Missouri Public Schools, report the results of a study designed to gain consensus from a panel of experts on the role and the essential elements for high quality tech prep programs.

As usual, this issue of JVTE presents our readers with a look at some of the excellent research that is "leading the way" toward a bright future for our profession.

Good Reading,

Bill Camp , Editor, February, 1997