The perceived staff development needs of part-time occupational- technical instructors in the Virginia community college system

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceived staff development needs of part-time occupational-technical instructors in the Virginia Community College System and to determine if there was a relationship between these needs and selected independent variables. Also considered were the instructors' attitude toward staff development and under what conditions they would participate in an in-service program. The 308 part-time occupational-technical faculty members who made up the sample were surveyed. A total of 196 or 63.6 percent of the 308 questionnaires used in the survey were returned and coded for use in resolving the four research questions. Absolute frequencies, percentage frequencies, and chi square tests of significance were used.

Using the responses on the 196 returned questionnaires, the following conclusions were rendered concerning part-time occupational technical teachers in the Virginia Community College System.

l. That a typical part-time occupational-technical teacher wi 11:

a. Hold at least a Baccalaureate Degree

b. Have more than 200 clock hours of teacher training

c. Have from one to ten years experience

d. Have more than ten years of occupational experience in the field in which they are teaching

e. Be between 26 and 45 years of age

1. There is a need for in-service training for these teachers and that their needs are found in certain areas.

2. There is an inverse relationship between the educational level and certain perceived staff development needs, and that as their education level increases, their staff development needs in the given areas decrease.

3. Staff development is important to these teachers.

4. If a staff development program were offered at a convenient time and if the teachers were paid the same amount as they would receive for teaching, the majority of the teachers would participate in the staff development program.

Recommendations rendered concerning staff development for part-time occupational-technical faculty in the Virginia Community College System were as follows:

1. The characteristics of these teachers discovered by this research should be considered when establishing a staff development program for these individuals.

2. When a staff development program is set up the in-service training should be organized so as to give training in the areas in which the instructors indicated having need.

3. Any in-service program should be developed with the idea in mind that as the level of education increases, the level of need decreases in certain areas.

4. A staff development program should be developed and offered to these teachers at a convenient time and that they be paid the teaching rate for the hours they participate in the program.

5. A study should be conducted to find out what specific kinds of staff development programs would best fit the needs of these individuals.