GUIDANCE NEEDS OF THE YOUTH OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS

144 Pages·05.074 MB·English

by  RICHARDSON, THOMAS FELDER

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University Microfilms
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U frj Richardson, Thomas Felder. 1891-
a> 1Nl2 Guidance needs cf the youth of '..’ickite
& U Fails, Texas; based upon youth reaciirrm
J
to certain home, school, and community
influences, and certain relationships
and trends of responses of youth...
Hew York, 1942.
vi,132 typewritten leaves, tables,
diagrs.,forms. 29cm.
Thesis (Ph.D.) - Hew York university,
School of education, 1942.
Bibliographyi p.121-122.
AG9474
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Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
r Theai a aoesptet-
Date AUG 11 1^2
GUIDANCE NEEDS OF THE YOUTH OF
WICHITA, FALLS, TEXAS
Based upon youth reactions to cer­
tain home, school, and community in­
fluences, and certain relationships
and trends of responses of youth
THOMAS F. RICHARDSON
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of.
New York University
1942
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author desires to express his deep appreciation
to the following persons who have directly assisted him in
the preparation of this thesis and in his study of the prob­
lem:
To his wife, Elizabeth Brown Richardson, for constant
encouragement and for much assistance in formulating the prob­
lem and preparing the questionnaires and survey forms.
To Professor Alonzo F. Myers, Chairman, and Professors
Paul V. West and Robert Hoppock as members of his sponsoring
committee, for steering through many difficult and trying
situations and for many valuable specific suggestions in for­
mulating the problem, analyzing and Interpreting the data, and
in arriving at the conclusions.
To H.D. Fillers, Superintendent of Wichita Falls, Texas,
Public Schools; A.K.Presson, Vice-Principal of Senior High School;
T.W.Brumbalow and T.B. Parnell, Principals of the Junior High
Schools; for valuable assistance in determining the question­
naires, for administering the questionnaires to nearly 4000
youths, and for critically reading the findings of the study
and suggesting suitable recommendations.
A S 9 4 7 4
PLEASE NOTE-,
Some pages may have
indistinct print.
Filmed as received.
University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company
TABLE OF CCNTENTS
Chapter Page
I. ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM...................... 1
Scope of the Study ........... 2
Need for the Study...... 2
Some Basic Assumptlons......................... 4
II. HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM....................... 7
A Brief History of Guidance...... 7
The Underlying Theories of Guidance......... 9
The Basic Principles of Guidance .... 11
Research in the Field of Guidance............ 12
III. METHODS USED IN THE STUDY..................... 23
The Sample of Youth Studied.............. 25
Methods of Securing Data.................••• 27
Methods of Organizing Data.......... 33
IV. ANALYSIS OF IN-SCHOOL GROUP.................. 34
Youth Opinions as to Sources of Present
Guidance*. ........ 35
Youth Designate Their Most Perplexing Prob­
lems.......... 39
Relationship between Social Adjustment and
Economic Status .... 43
Relationship between Youth Problems and
Sources of Guidance............ 46
Youth Opinions of Their School............ 50
Relation between Guidance and Evaluation of
School.......... 52
Educational Plans of Youth .... 54
Occupational Choices and Opportunities......... 60
Summary of In-School Groiq> Analysis••••••••...• 65
ANALYSIS OF THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL GROUP........... 69
Recent Graduates and Withdrawals...... .... 69
The Less Recent Graduates and Withdrawals•••••• 89
Summary of the Out-of-School F i n d i n g s . 96
li
TABLE OP CONTENTS (Concluded)
Chapter Page
VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS....... 101
Summary of the Findings..................... 101
Conclusions.................. 107
Recommendations............. 108
Other Needed Studies........................ 119
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................121
APPENDIX A....................................... 123
APPENDIX B....................................... 126
ill
LIST OP TABLES
Table Page
I* Analysis of the In-School Group...... 24
II* Analysis of Recent Graduates and Withdrawals...... 26
III* Less Recent Graduates and Withdrawals............ 27
IV* Consistency of Responses: Determined by the
Standard Error of Difference of Percentages of
Responses of Split-Half Groups of Seventh Grade
Pupils .... 31
V* Present Guidance of Youth....... 36
VI. Perplexing Problems of Youth.................... 40
VII. Social Adjustment and Financial Shortage..........44
VIIA. Types of Problems vs. Sources of Guidance........ 47
VIII* Education of Parents Who Do Vocational Guidance.... 49
IX. Education of Parents Who Do Educational Guidance.•• 49
X. Youth Opinions of the Value of the School......... 51
XI. Sources of Guidance vs. Value of School Training... 52
XII. Recommendations and Desired Courses............. 53
XIII. Comparison of Educational Plans of Youth with the
Education of Their Parents..................... 55
XIV. Educational Plans and Ability to Finance Education. 59
XV. The Number of Certain Jobs and the Number of Youth
Choosing Them................................. 61
XVI. Overlooked Occupations............. 62
XVII. Apparently Ill-Advised Choices...................63
XVIII. Correspondence between Occupational Choices of
Youth and the Occupations of Their Fathers........64
iv
LIST OP TABLES (Concluded)
Table Page
XIX. Last Grade Completed by Recent Graduatesa nd
Withdrawals..................... 71
XX. Reasons Given for Not Continuing School......... 72
XXI. Quality of Work of Graduates and Withdrawals..... 73
XXII. Quality of Work of 1941 Graduates and 1941-42
Withdrawals................ 74
XXIII. Youth Evaluate Their School. ...... 77
XXIV. Evaluation of School and Other Factors... ....... 79
XXV. Youth Recommend School Improvement.............. 80
XXVI. Problems of Out-of-School Youth................ 82
XXVII. Training Since Leaving School ........ 83
XXVIII. Reasons for Leaving School in Relation to Training
After Leaving School....... 85
XXIX. Employment Experience ............... 86
XXX. Attitude Toward Present Employment...........86
XXXI. Sources of Guidance...... 87
XXXII. Age and Extent of E d u c a t i o n . • 90
XXXIII. Training and Types of Jobs Held........... 93
XXXIV. Trai ning and Pay Received. ....... 95
v
V
LIST OP DIAGRAMS
Diagram Page
1* Trends In Occupational Guidance.....*..... 38
2. Trends In Personal Guidance. ........... 38
3. Trends of Problems through Grades ... 42
4* Correspondence between Social Adjustment and
Shortage of Money...... 45
5. Relation between Education of Parents and
Educatlanal Plans of Youth...................... 56
v i