Date of Award

5-1975

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Education

Committee Chair(s)

Theodore W. Ivarie

Committee

Theodore W. Ivarie

Committee

Lloyd A. Drury

Committee

Harold R. Wallace

Abstract

In 1906 cooperative education was established by Dean Herman Schneider of the University of Cincinnati. Since that time legislation has been passed, such as the Vocational Act of 1963 and the Amendments of 1968, which have played an important part in the adoption of cooperative office education programs in the schools. Prior to 1963 there were approximately 450 programs, and in 1969-70 there were approximately 2,321 programs operating.

Douglas, Blanford, and Anderson, in their book Teaching Business Subjects state that "Cooperative education is a method of education that integrates learning experiences in the school with work experiences made available in some cooperating agency outside the school."2 The student alternates periods in school with periods in business, a practice which gives the student an opportunity to use skills already learned in the classroom. Cooperative education holds promise for the next few years when secondary education will be called upon to train more young people for more diverse professions and occupations than at any previous time. A problem in education is to train for the needs of today and the future. These needs can be met by educators and businessmen working together in programs such as cooperative education. Cooperative education is not the only answer, but it strengthens classroom instruction with practice on the job. This plan requires the student's employment to be related to the instruction received in the classroom. For example, a secretarial student is placed in an office, instead of cooking in a hamburger stand . The job should be diversified enough that the student will have varied experiences. An ideal situation would be where the work increases in difficulty and responsibility as the student progresses in the related class.

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