Wastage among evening students at Technical Colleges I

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1 The Vocational Aspect of Education ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: Wastage among evening students at Technical Colleges I James Brown To cite this article: James Brown (1956) Wastage among evening students at Technical Colleges I, The Vocational Aspect of Education, 8:16, 9-17, DOI: / To link to this article: Published online: 30 Jul Submit your article to this journal Article views: 122 View related articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at Download by: [ ] Date: 16 June 2016, At: 06:32

2 WASTAGE AMONG EVENING STUDENTS AT TECHNICAL COLLEGES--F a) By JAMES BROWN Hantoub School, Wad Medani, Sudan (This article is based on a thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Master in Education.--EDITORS.) 1. Synopsis The full thesis contains sections on wastage among part-time day release students; wastage statistics at one college; opinions of part-time teachers, of employers and of education officers in industry; and details of interviews with twenty students who had left evening classes. The section condensed below is considered to be that most likely to interest teachers in technical colleges. A small ballot form was offered to students in evening classes at two colleges. The students were invited to place a cross against the three most serious difficulties, from a choice of twelve, which they encountered in the pursuit of their studies. From an analysis of the replies, in relation to the age, level of study, nature of study and marital status of each student, a picture could be drawn of the difficulties likely to influence each type of student. 2. Description of the Experiment The ballot form listed the following twelve items: A. Long way to travel. B. Bad weather. C. Missing meals. D. Poor college conditions. E. Dislike of teaching methods. F. Work in class too rapid. G. Lack of facilities for home study. H. Text-books too expensive. J. Homework takes too long to do. K. Too little time for social activities. L. Too tired after work to study. M. Home responsibilities. In addition each student was asked to indicate (a) his age in years, (b) whether single or married. His branch of study--either electrical or mechanical engineering, and level of study--s.1, S.2 or S.3 Ordinary National Certificate or A.1, A.2 Higher National Certificate, were already known. Each student was invited to cross three items only. This avoided the possibility of some students crossing all or almost all items (which implied a mountain of (a) Part II will appear in the next issue of this Journal.

3 10 Wastage Among Evening Students at Technical Colleges difficulties) and also avoided the artificial cramping of opinion, which a request for a single item might have created. In the event a few students did restrict themselves to only one or two items. Three separate investigations were made. At the first college, 'M', 210 students were covered in spring At the second college, 'N', 266 students were covered in spring The preliminary analysis of these results showed similarity overall, but with a single marked difference. To test this item, mainly, but also as a check on consistency, a small group of 97 students was retested at college 'M' in late spring The restriction to either electrical or mechanical engineering and to National and Higher National Certificate courses had been made in the earlier parts of the investigation to facilitate comparisons and to bring the whole research down to manageable size. TABLE 1 Age and class statistics for each investigation (these are specified by college and year; thus M(1951), N(1952), M(1952) ) Group S.1 Elec. Eng. S.2... S.3... A.I... A.2... S.1 Mech. Eng. S.2... S.3... A.I... A.2... Numbers M(1951) Average ages S. M. S. " M "7 ] 26'4 10 5!24'5 [29" ] 30"3 11 [12_ 23"4127"8_, 14 2 L 18-4 j [ ~ 127" '6 I 26.9 N(1952) I M(1952) I Numbers Aver~age ages ]Numbers- Average ages 27 8 i B s 7757g [33.3-I-! '5i26'3118] 4i25" ] /--I- [ i25'5 29' "8 30' "3 26" [ 20" ' J18 i / i22'5128'3 123'9 250 Note: S... Single M... Married. The age distribution shows no outstanding features; generally college 'N' students are a little younger than those of college 'M', and married students tend to be older than single ones. The above tables show that each branch and each level of study was represented by a reasonable number of students. Totals used later can be readily deduced from Table 1 by adding the appropriate entries. 3. General Plan of Analysis Three distinct major tabulations were made: (i) A complete tabulation showing an entry for each student listing his college, branch of engineering, class level, age, marital status, and the codeletters indicating his chosen items from the ballot form. This was the source of all other tabulations.

4 JAMES BROWN 11 (ii) Separate tabulations were made for single men and married men. Analysis showed a marked difference in response from these two groups, hence parallel analyses were performed throughout for the two groups. (iii) A tabulation was also made with age as the criterion, suppressing other factors (except for marital status as mentioned above). This enabled the influence of a student's age to be investigated, irrespective of his level of study and branch of engineering. From these tabulations, many subsidiary tables were formed to emphasise in turn: (a) the college as an influence, (b) the level of study, (c) the branch of engineering.(o 4. Major Comparisons (a) Single students compared with married students The frequency of choice of each item for each type of student was tabulated for M(1951) and N(1952). The M(1952) group included too few married students to permit this division of the data. (i) M(1951) TABLE 2 Frequency of choice of each item <b) A B C D E F G H J K L M Total Single students ~8- Married students /:I~ Total (ii) N(1952) A B C D E F G H J K L M Total Single students II Married students I 142 Total It is clear from an examination of the expected frequencies that: (i) Item M (Home responsibilities) is, not surprisingly, chosen almost exclusively by married men. (ii) Items K and J (Too little time for social activities, and Homework takes too long to do) are largely chosen by single students. (iii) Item H (Text-books too expensive) is important to single students at college 'N' but relatively unimportant at college 'M' in (a) The chi-square (X ~) test was applied throughout this section of the research. In each case contingency tables were set up by extracting data from the main tabulations and testing the significance of the null-hypothesis that "no difference on this criterion exists between the two groups selected'. (The complete tables and results are given in Appendix 2 of the thesis.) (b) When B and C are grouped for M(1951), X 2 = 88'81, d.f. = 10; when B, C and D are grouped for N(1952), X ~ = 114"4, d.f. = 9.

5 12 Wastage Among Evening Students at Technical Colleges (b) The influence of the branch of engineering This was examined, although there was no apparent reason why it should affect the difficulties facing students. In the event, the only demonstrable influence suggested that mechanical engineers responded differently from electrical engineers at college 'N', among single students only. It was clear, however, that the difference of age was marked, and it was later demonstrated that the real factor was the age, and not the branch of study. Hence it was found possible to ignore the branch of study for many comparisons and add both groups together for the analyses. (c) The influence of the level of study Two divisions were made in the five levels of study. First, 'Junior' compared to 'Senior', being S.1. and S.2 compared with S.3, A.1 and A.2; in some cases S.3 could be separated from the Senior years where numbers permitted. This division runs largely parallel to the age division, since the age groups within each class were not exceptional. Hence the results tend to agree with those later obtained by age analysis alone; the differences shown between this analysis and the age analysis in fact reveal what is attributable to level of study and what to age. The second division compares' Certificate' years (S.3 and A.2) with the others (S.1, S.2, A.1). This division was designed to show any effect, caused by the major examination leading to certification at the end of the S.3 and A.2 years, in the factors chosen by the students. This second division tends to neutralise the age differences between classes. An example of the tabulation of replies to meet the first division of classes is shown. TABLE 3 Choice of items at succeeding levels of study Ca) (Single students at M(1951) ) A B C D E F G H J K L M Total S.1, S ~ S.3 -, A.I,A Total Similar results were worked out for married students at both colleges. The conclusions drawn from all the results were: (i) Item F (Work in class too rapid) largely chosen by S.3 and A.2 married students. (ii) Item D (Poor college conditions) and item E (Dislike of teaching methods) are consistently biased towards the certificate years, although the former item is chosen only by college' M' students. (College' M' was old-fashioned and poorly (a) Combining A, D, E and H; B, C and L; F, G and J; and K, M. X ~ = 17'39, d.f. = 6.

6 JAMES BROWN 13 equipped with amenities, in direct contrast to college 'N', which is a modern building with adequate facilities). (iii) Item E (Dislike of teaching methods) also showed an increase in the S.3 and A.2 years among both married and single students. Hence, items D, E and F, all concerned with teaching conditions and methods, gain in importance in the critical S.3 and A.2 years; possibly this reflects the greater strain induced by the approaching examination. At this point in the analysis the response to item H (Text-books too expensive) showed its marked change between the colleges. At college 'M' in 1951 this item was relatively unimportant to all students, whereas at college 'N' in 1952 it had leapt into prominence, especially among the single, junior students. It was this major difference between the colleges that led to the third investigation at college 'M' in It was then found that the lapse of one year approximately had now made this item important at college 'M' also. The conclusion seems inevitable that the interval of one year, during which prices of books, as with many other articles, rose sharply, had had a measurable effect on the response. Hence it could no longer be concluded, as a 1950 investigation had shown, 1 that most students could afford at least one text-book in each subject studied each year. With younger students, on smaller wages, the cost of books now represented a serious item in their budget. (d) The influence of the age of a student on his choice of items In this analysis the level and branch of study were ignored and the replies re-tabulated with age as the sole criterion. Several groupings were made using different divisions of age groups; ultimately for single students the groups' 16 to 20 years' and' over 20 years' were found to have the merit of simplicity without concealing important age effects. Similarly, for married students, the groups ' less than 29' and ' 29 and over' were found to be suitable divisions of the age distribution. Thus the full table was reduced to separate dichotomies for each investigation. Table 4 is a typical one of this group. TABLE 4 Choices of single students at college M(1951) Age group A B C D E F G H J K L M Total 16 to Over Total ~ This table makes clear why, first, a more detailed separation of ages added very little to the information gained from the analyses, since for some items the frequency of choice is low; and secondly, why it was necessary to combine such items as B, C and M (for single students) with others, since their overall importance is low.

7 14 Wastage Among Even#~g Students at Technical Colleges For single students at college 'N', who were consistently younger, this agegroup division gave 390 in the 16-to-20 group and 151 in the older group, a reversal of totals compared to the college 'M' figure given in Table 4. Thus a raising or lowering of the 20-year division line between groups made the ratio between 'young' and 'old' totals wider still between the groups, with detriment to the simplicity of the analysis. This point is made, partly because the results of this analysis were important and may appear to be based on too loose and arbitrary a grouping, and partly because many separate analyses were in fact made using finer age divisions, and these exhibited the same results. The main results from these analyses can be summarised as follows: (i) Young, single students consistently choose item J (Homework takes too long to do) and frequently couple item K (Too little time for social activities) with it. (ii) Item F (Work in class too rapid) also has a bias towards younger students, both single and married, especially at college 'M'. (iii) The 'middle' age group at college 'M', composed of older single men and younger married men, stress item D (Poor college conditions). (iv) Item L (Too tired after work to study) is usually the older, married students' choice; there is little age bias among younger students. Also item M (Home responsibilities), although chosen almost exclusively by married men, is still chosen more often among the older married men than among the younger married men. (v) Item H (Text-books too expensive) has already been shown as the younger man's choice. (vi) The remaining items, A, B, C, E, G, are either unimportant overall or show no age bias at all. 5. Summary First, the overall importance of each item in each group is worth considering. Table 5 shows the percentage of students in each group choosing each item. TABLE 5 Items in order of frequency of choice for each group (a) Single Students I0 I1 12 M(1951) - Per cent - N(1952) - Per cent - M(1952) - Per cent - K F L J A D G H E M C B K J L H F G A E M C B D K F H L J G A D M E B C

8 (b) Married Students M(1951) - Per cent - N(1952) - Per cent - JAMES BROWN M F L G K D A E J H C B M F L G K J A E H C B D These tables show items K, F, L and J are most important to all single students and illustrate the great gain in importance of item H from 1951 to Items such as A and G are consistently in the middle of the table for single students, and items C, M, E and B are consistently at the bottom of the table and relatively unimportant for single students. The consistency between the colleges among married men is remarkable in that the first five items are in the same order: M, F, L, G, K. Also, items D, A, E, J and H are in the middle of the group and items C and B at the end. The position of item D for both single and married men reflects accurately the contrast between old and new college buildings. Having considered the overall importance of each item, it is now possible to take each item, one by one, and build round it the picture of the kind of student who is likely to select it. Item A (Long way to travel). A moderate handicap to older students, whether single or married. About 20 per cent of all single men and 20 per cent of all married men choose this item. Items B and C (Bad weather, and Missing meals). These items are chosen infrequently. Both can best be classified as minor nuisances which affect married men and those whose health is perhaps poorer, rather more than young and robust men. Item D (Poor college conditions). Totally unimportant at college 'N'; it is important enough at college ' M' to be selected by a quarter of all students. This quarter is usually older than the average and is likely to be in S.3 and A.2 years. Among part-time day students, a questionnaire showed that while older students tended to emphasise the lack of academic and technical facilities, young students generally complained of the paucity of comforts and social amenities. Item E (Dislike of teaching methods). This item was chosen largely by married men, from all classes, but particularly from S.3 and A.2 classes and of all ages. Interviews with students who had left classes showed that young ones tended to complain of bad teaching, whereas older ones blamed circumstances outside the college. A more correct description of the younger students' attitude may well be 'a dislike of being taught'. About 18 per cent of all married students and about 8 per cent of all single students chose this item. Item F (Work in class too rapid). This is an important item to all students and has no marked age trend. It is a reasonable supposition that it is selected by

9 16 Wastage Among Evening Students at Technical Colleges the weaker students. Overall, about 35 per cent of all students chose this item, with a trend towards the S.3 and A.2 years. Item G (Lack of facilities for study at home). One would expect this item to permeate every group of the students, as indeed it does. It is the most' unbiased' item of all, being selected by about 24 per cent of all single students and 27 per cent of all married students. This is sufficient to make the quality of housing a factor in the problem of wastage. Probably other parts of the country, showing a larger percentage of middle-class and professional homes in which study facilities are commonplace, would produce a very different response to this item. Item H (Text-books too expensive). This item only appeared to develop its importance in At college 'N' in 1952, 37 per cent of single students and 14 per cent of married students chose the item. Hence it seems that about a third of the single students in 1952 found books expensive, although the impact of rising prices of books had been slight on married men. Perhaps the married men earn more money, being older, or have a keener sense of the value to their studies of buying books. Items J and K (Homework takes too long to do, and Too little time for social activities). These items are often found together, possibly because the first directly affects the second. Item K is the most important for all single students and still very important for married students. Item J is not far behind in either case. Item K probably represents, to the serious student, his greatest sacrifice on the altar of learning. To the married student, with greater financial commitments, there is probably already a reduction in social activities, and the loss of them through study does not seem so serious; thus, among married men, a fall in the importance of the item is not unexpected. Item L (Too tired after work for study). This item was second only to item K in importance with single men, and second to item M with married men. There was a trend towards mechanical engineers of both groups, possibly reflecting a larger proportion among them engaged on physically tiring work. Since this item is quoted by students rather frequently as an excuse for not handing in homework and to explain a lack of progress in class, it seemed reasonable to make some analysis of the work performed by students. At college' M ', although classification was rather difficult in some eases, it appeared that 24 per cent of students were engaged on 'physically tiring' work and a further 15 per cent on 'tedious and repetitive' work. These percentages agree rather remarkably with the 39 per cent of students at college ' M' who select item L. Whilst this classification provides a fair measure of the proportion of students likely to be tired, it cannot say whether the students who chose the item are the same ones who have tiring work. The item proved to be an important one among the students interviewed later after leaving their studies. Item M (Home responsibilities). Sixty-four per cent of all married men chose this item, and only 5 per cent of all single men. The only bias shown among this

10 JAMES BROWN per cent was on grounds of age, the older married men choosing the item even more frequently than the younger married men. In fact, younger married men are not very different in their response from single men of comparable age; it is the older married man who sets the pattern of his group. It is claimed that this picture of some five hundred students does suggest points at which wastage could be attacked and emphasises which factors, when eliminated, are likely to have the greatest effect. REFERENCE 1. BROWN, JAMES (1950). 'An Investigation into the Number and Sorts of Text-books owned and used by Students in National Certificate Engineering Classes'. The Vocational Aspect, No. 5, Vol. II, pp