Publication Date

1963

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Maxwell, Lyle

Degree Name

M.S. Ed. (Master of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Business Education

LCSH

Business education--Missouri--Saint Louis

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the business education curriculum of McKinley High School, St. Louis, Missouri, is fulfilling the needs of its students. Procedure: An opinionnaire survey was used to obtain information for this study. In addition, related materials were gathered from several business educators and from libraries at Northern Illinois University and the St. Louis Public Library. The opinionnaire was sent to a total of 626 1957-1961 graduates who had taken at least four semester courses in business education. Personal telephone calls were made to all graduates who had not returned the opinionnaire after three weeks from the date sent. Those who could not be contacted by telephone were sent a follow-up letter with another opinionnaire enclosed. Approximately 65 per cent (404) of the opinionnaire were returned but out of this total only approximately 37 per cent (231) were useable. Summary of findings: Some of the more important findings were: 1. Clerk-typist was the predominant beginning office position. 2. Manufacturing companies employed the most beginning office workers (21 per cent). 3. Appropriately 93 per cent of the graduates warn working full or part-time at the time the survey was taken. 4. The "frequently" performed duties were answering the telephone and greeting visitors, fixing, typing straight-copy material, mailing duties, and operating office machines other than duplicating or calculating machines. 5. The most "occasionally" performed duties were composing letters, filing, typing straight-copy material, calculating machines, mailing duties, and operating duplicating machines. 6. The most "seldomly" performed duties were composing letters, using voice-writing machines, bookkeeping, taking shorthand, and switchboard duties. 7. Typewriting ranked highest of all business subjects taken and was also considered the most valuable subject by the graduates. 8. Additional subjects the graduates would like to have taken were office practice, bookkeeping, and shorthand. 9. Almost 67 per cent of the 231 graduates felt that their business education was adequate. Recommendations: From the study the following was recommended: 1. Another follow-up study should be completed in preferably two years. 2. Office practice is needed and should be re-established in the business education curriculum. 3. More emphasis should be placed upon the value of all education in hopes that future generations will have a higher regard for education. 4. More typewriting courses should be offered to met the demands of the students. 5. More boys should be encouraged to enter the business education program.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

viii, 56 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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