IDENTIFICATION OF CLOTHING AND TEXTILES COMPETENCIES

IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

by

LINSAE ANTHONETTE SNIDER, B.S. in H.E.

A THESIS

IN

HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATION

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

IN

HOME ECONOMICS

Approved

Accepted

August, 1980

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Joan Kelly for her

professional guidance and encouragement throughout the study.

Appreciation is also expressed to Dr. Merrilyn Cummings and

Dr. Valerie Chamberlain for their direction and interest. In

addition, appreciation is extended to my family for their support

and encouragement.

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

LIST OF TABLES vi

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Statement of the Problem 4

Questions 6

Hypotheses 7

Scope and Limitations of the Study 8

Definition of Terms 10

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 14

Curriculum Theory and Philosophy 14

Definitions of Curriculum 14

Historical Overview of Curriculum

Development 16

Considerations in Development of Curricula 22

Use of Behavioral Objectives in Curricu­lum Development 26

Use of Competencies in Curriculum Development 30

Use of Learning Experiences in Curriculum Development 32

Use of Content in Curriculum Development 33

Development of Clothing and Textiles Curricu­lum for Secondary Schools 34

111

Curriculum Development in Secondary

Schools 34

Consumer Practices of Adolescents 36

Consumer Buying and Consumption Trends . . 38

III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 41

Design and Development of the Instrument . . . . 41

Selection and Description of the Sample . . . . 45

Full-time University Clothing and

Textiles Faculty Members 45

Useful Homemaking Teachers 46

Selected Consumers 47

Collection of the Data 48

Treatment of the Data 53

IV. ANALYSIS AND INTREPRETATION OF DATA 55

Data from the Rating Scale 55

Analyses of Descriptive Data 57

Hypotheses Examined and Discussed 70

Summary 79

V. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND

RECOMMENDATIONS 86

Summary of the Study 86

Findings of the Study 88

Conclusions 93

Recommendations for Further Study 99

LIST OF REFERENCES 101

IV

APPENDICES 106

A. RATING INSTRUMENT 106

B. LETTER TO DEANS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS Ill

C. RESPONSE SHEET 113

D. COVER LETTER TO FULL-TIME UNIVERSITY CLOTHING

AND TEXTILES FACULTY MEMBERS 115

E. FOLLOW-UP POSTCARD TO FULL-TIME UNIVERSITY

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES FACULTY MEMBERS 118

F. LETTER TO AREA CONSULTANTS 120

G. COVER LETTER TO USEFUL HOMEMAKING TEACHERS 122

H. FOLLOW-UP POSTCARD TO USEFUL HOMEMAKING TEACHERS . . 125

I. COVER LETTER TO SELECTED CONSUMERS 127 J. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS OFFERING

ACCREDITED VOCATIONAL HOME ECONOMICS TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS 130

K. RESPONDENTS' COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS 132

LIST OF TABLES

Table

1 RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING AND TEXTILES COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS 59

2 RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING SELECTION COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS 65

3 RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING CARE COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS 66

4 RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS 68

5 RANK ORDER OF TEXTILES COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS 70

6 COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING SELECTION COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS 71

7 COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING CARE COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS 73

8 COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS 75

9 COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO TEXTILES COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS 77

10 COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO ALL CLOTHING AND TEXTILES COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS 78

VI

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Home economics educators face a tremendous challenge to keep

abreast with current curriculum trends in a rapidly changing, complex

society. Two movements have contributed to this challenge. One de­

velopment, which originated in the early twentieth century, has

added new dimensions to education in the United States. This deals

with the reformation of curriculum theory and development. Due to

an in flationary economy, an additional occurence has greatly affect­

ed the lives of Americans in the past decade. It is associated with

the recent growth in concern for consumer goods.

According to Swanson (53), the crisis in education has long

presented confusion in curriculum development. Hughes has stated,

"...the problem of how best to originate knowledge for the purposes

of instruction is one which has been perennially puzzling for the

curriculum scholar" (33:4). Taba has pointed out that in the 1930's

the Commission of the Progressive Education Association laid the

foundations for a comprehensive theory in curriculum planning. She

stated:

The studies of this commission indicated the necessity for analyzing the nature of society and of its demands on individuals as a basis for curriculum development. But above all, these studies, especially those dealing with emotional life and adolescent development, lifted curricu­lum development out of the narrow realm of an exclusive concern for skills and content masters. (53:3)

Perhaps one of the problems encountered with curriculum develop­

ment is a lack of understanding regarding the interrelationship of

curriculum components. McCutcheon (44) has noted that the real

problem in curriculum development is a general lack of understand­

ing as to its purposes of orientation. It is the theory of

Entwistle (19) that learning best takes place among conversations

between two persons such as teacher and student, and that all cur­

riculum development should revolve around this theory. On the other

hand, Hughes (33) has recognized that there are a number of possible

ways in which knowledge may be obtained, and that the curriculum

builder is faced with the challenge of deciding which method or

methods to select for the purposes of instruction in specific sub­

ject matter areas. To some extent, Goldstein showed agreement with

this theory by stating, " . . . there are a number of ways in which

knowledge may be organized so as to help the individual create mean­

ing out of events" (24:24).

According to Havinghurst, " . . . the curriculum should help

youth prepare themselves for life in the society of the next genera­

tion of adults" (28:118). Havinghurst (28) felt that it was upon

this assumption that the tone and content of curriculum development

and writing was changed in the 1960's and 1970's. Several authors

(4, 28, 30, 33) have noted that reasons for this change have in­

cluded the following: (1) the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of

1964 which called attention to poor educational achievement of low

socioeconomic and minority groups; (2) the concept of free and

open education; (3) the desire of educators to develop a curriculum

suitable to the well-motivated, middle-class as well as the alien­

ated, deprived, and disadvantaged lower-class; (4) the increased

interest in eliminating sex bias and sex stereotyping in the class­

room particularly in vocational programs; and (5) the recent legis­

lation demanding handicapped individuals to be placed in the least

restrictive environment.

According to Wood (60), identifying the perceived needs and

interests of the youth of today is one means for developing a rele­

vant curriculum. In their findings of a study on teenage consump­

tion in the marketplace, Nickols and Powell (46) have indicated

that a major objective in supplying relevant materials to adolescents

is to provide youth with information regarding their habits, life­

styles, interests, needs, and behavioral trends. Langrehr (36)

supported Nickols and Powell's assumption in a study dealing with

competencies gained in high school consumer education programs. He

stated, ". . .it appears that programs in which the curriculum is

based upon today's society and economic system may offer potential

for increasing satisfaction in the marketplace" (36:50). It is

important that educators survey the needs of adolescents as a means

of developing an appropriate curriculum.

Because of a growing interest and concern for curriculum

materials which have relevancy and meaning to students, many programs

have established state centers which develop instructional materials.

Personnel employed at the centers have as their purpose the develop­

ment of curriculum guides and instructional materials suggesting

strategies for effectively meeting the needs of students. One such

center is the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center in

Lubbock, Texas. At the Lubbock center, located on the Texas Tech

University campus, a Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide was pub­

lished in 1973. It was designed to aid educators in conveying

clothing and textiles content to students enrolled in useful courses

in high school homemaking programs. The Home Economics Instructional

Materials Center curriculum guide pertaining to clothing and tex­

tiles was being revised in 1980. The present study was prompted by

the need to identify those perceived competencies which would be

useful to adolescents in clothing and textiles courses. The need

was verified by the current emphasis on the importance of developing

curricula which are relevant to the needs, interests, behavioral

trends, and lives of all youth.

Statement of the Problem

Since the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide published in

1973 at the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center at Texas

Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, was under revision, the need

existed to identify the level of importance of specific competencies

to be included in the revised guide and to be taught to adolescents

enrolled in useful homemaking courses. The main problem of the

study was to identify clothing and textiles competencies important

to adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking courses. These com­

petencies focused specifically on the four following areas: cloth­

ing selection, clothing care, clothing construction, and textiles.

To accomplish this, a rating instrument was completed by three groups

of respondents comprised of full-time university clothing and tex­

tiles faculty members associated with institutions of higher learn­

ing in Texas offering accredited Vocational Home Economics Teacher

Education programs, randomly selected useful homemaking teachers in

Texas, and two groups of consumers living in Lubbock, Texas. In­

dividuals rated competencies set forth by the researcher on a five-

point scale ranging from very important to not important. Compe­

tencies rated by respondents were rank-ordered within each of the

four categories of clothing selection, clothing care, clothing con­

struction, and textiles for frequency in selection as being very

important. In addition, comments and suggestions for additional

competencies were gathered.

A secondary problem of the study was to analyze mean importance

rating scores assigned by the three groups of respondents. Sta­

tistical tests were utilized to determine if there were significant

differences among the mean importance rating scores of full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking

teachers, and selected consumers assigned to competencies in the

four categories of clothing selection, clothing care, clothing con­

struction, and textiles.

Prior to the development of the instrument, a review of litera­

ture was undertaken to determine current trends and developments

in the area of clothing and textiles; to identify criteria for writ­

ing competencies and behavioral objectives; and to ascertain theories,

philosophies, and methods of curriculum development appropriate for

the study. Findings from the literature reviewed were utilized in

developing the instrument and also were referred to in developing

relevant content for use in instructional materials.

Questions

Answers to the following research questions were determined in

the study:

1. What is the rank-order of clothing and textiles competencies

considered very important for adolescents to study in useful home-

making courses as rated by full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers?

2. What is the rank-order of clothing and textiles competen­

cies considered very important for adolescents to study in useful

homemaking courses as rated by full-time university clothing and

textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected

consumers in each of the following four categories:

a. clothing selection

b. clothing care

c. clothing construction

d. textiles

Hypotheses

In addition to answering the above research questions, the

following null hypotheses were tested in the study:

1. There are no significant differences among the mean im­

portance ratings assigned to clothing selection competencies by

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, use­

ful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

2. There are no significant differences among the mean

importance ratings assigned to clothing care competencies by full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers.

3. There are no significant differences among the mean im­

portance ratings assigned to clothing construction competencies by

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

4. There are no significant differences among the mean im­

portance ratings assigned to textiles competencies by full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking

teachers, and selected consumers.

5. There are no significant differences among the mean im­

portance ratings assigned to all clothing and textiles competencies

by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, use­

ful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

8

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study was conducted in the spring of 1980 with thirty-

two full-time university clothing and textile faculty members, 166

useful homemaking teachers, and twenty-eight consumers. Both

groups of educators were involved with the teaching of clothing

and textiles subject matter. It was assumed that the consumers

dealt with selected aspects of clothing and textiles in their

daily lives. All subjects in the sample were asked to complete the

instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High

School Adolescents."

The development of the instrument was based on a review of

literature and a study of methods for preparing rating instruments.

The instrument was submitted to a panel of judges. Panel members

were asked to critique the instrument and to offer suggestions for

revision of the instrument. The instrument was also preassessed by

twelve graduate students enrolled in a home economics education

graduate course at Texas Tech University to obtain additional feed­

back. In addition, the instrument was compared to the tentative

conceptual outline for the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide

under revision at the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center

at Lubbock, Texas.

In spite of these precautions, the scope of the study was

limited by the inherent imperfections of a written rating instru­

ment. The possibility existed that respondents would interpret

individual items differently. Also, respondents may not have been

familiar with some terms in the instrument, such as competencies,

objectives, and levels of objectives. Educators and consumers may

also have varied in their degrees of familiarity with characteris­

tics and concepts associated with a course of study in clothing and

textiles. Because of this, educators and consumers may have at

times interpreted items of the rating instrument differently.

The scope of findings in the study was limited by the nature

of the sample. The heads of home economics departments of all uni­

versities in Texas offering accredited Vocational Home Economics

Teacher Education programs were contacted and asked to sumbit the

names of all full-time clothing and textile faculty members asso­

ciated with their institutions. Ten area consultants in consumer

and homemaking education, who were employed by Texas Education

Agency, were also contacted and asked to supply a current list of

useful homemaking teachers in their respective areas. A table of

random numbers was used to select a random sample of ten percent

of these teachers. The researcher asked the manager of a fitness

center in Lubbock, Texas, to encourage male and female members to

represent consumers and complete the instruments. The researcher

requested permission from a member of a women's social sorority

also located in Lubbock, Texas, to distribute the instruments to

members for completion as consumer representatives. Consumer rep­

resentatives to the study were limited to these two intact groups

10

and were not necessarily representative of consumers in Texas as

a whole. All conclusions of the study were limited to this sample.

Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined in order to assist in under­

standing the study:

1. Behavioral objectives - statements which indicate expected

change in pupils' behaviors resulting from participation in learn­

ing experiences.

2. Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High School

Adolescents - a five-point rating instrument with rating choices

ranging from very important to not important distributed to full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers for the purposes of identify­

ing clothing and textiles competencies important to adolescents and

for analyzing mean importance ratings assigned by the three groups

of respondents to all clothing and textiles compentencies and four

competency categories which included the following: clothing selec­

tion, clothing care, clothing construction, and textiles.

3. Clothing care competencies - items included in the rating

instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High

School Adolescents," pertaining to the upkeep, storage, and safety

of clothing and textiles supplies and equipment.

4. Clothing construction competencies - items included in

the rating instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important

11

to High School Adolescents," pertaining to procedures and methods

for using sewing equipment and materials and sewing quality articles,

5. Clothing selection competencies - items included in the

rating instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important

to High School Adolescents," pertaining to choosing, purchasing,

and analyzing clothing for self and others.

6. Competency - broad, terminal performance or behavioral

outcomes through which learning may take place in one or more of

the cognitive, psychomotor, and/or affective domains of learning.

7. Consumer - any person involved in the consumption and

utilization of goods.

8. Curriculum - intended means which guide educators in pro­

viding relevant activities and experiences for learners both inside

and outside the school environment, for the purpose of attaining

objectives.

9. Full-time university clothing and textile faculty member -

a person who devotes 100 percent of his/her employment time to

clothing and textiles related areas in a college or university.

10. Home Economics Instructional Materials Center - a unit

established as part of the Texas Education Agency to prepare and

publish instructional materials for secondary vocational homemaking

programs in Texas.

11. Instructional materials - "any materials, printed, pic­

torial, or audio, that are intended for the purpose of instruction"

(35:10).

12

12. Mean importance ratings - in analyzing the null hypotheses,

the average of the ratings assigned to competencies on the rating

instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High

School Adolescents," by the respondents in the study.

13. Rating instrument - a written device for recording the

degree to which a dimension exists on a five point scale ranging

from very important to not important.

14. Selected consumer - individuals living in Lubbock, Texas,

during May of 1980 who were members of either Oron Fitness Center

or Perceptor Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi women's social

sorority and who were asked by the researcher to participate in

the study by completing the instrument. "Clothing and Textiles

Competencies Important to High School Adolescents."

15. Textiles competencies - items included in the rating in­

strument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High

School Adolescents," pertaining to the characteristics, production,

and trends of textile products.

16. Useful homemaking - subject matter consisting of food and

nutrition, clothing and textiles, human development, housing, home

management, and/or consumer education included in one or more of

the comprehensive sequence courses of Homemaking I, II, and III and/

or one or more of the specialized semester courses of Home and

Family Living, Consumer Education, Child Development, Home Manage­

ment, Home Furnishings, and Home Nursing.

13

17. Useful homemaking teacher - an individual who has majored

in home economics education, earned a college degree in home eco­

nomics from a university offering a Vocational Home Economics Teacher

Education program, fulfilled requirements for a vocational teaching

certificate issued by the Texas Education Agency, and taught some

phase of useful homemaking in Texas during the spring of 1980.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The literature was reviewed in order to obtain background in­

formation for assistance in solving the problems of the study. The

major problem of the study was to identify clothing and textiles

competencies perceived as important to adolescents. A secondary

problem of the study was to determine if significant differences

existed among the mean importance ratings assigned by three groups

of respondents to clothing and textiles competencies. The review

of literature was divided into two sections. The first section

dealt with literature which pertained to current theories and philos­

ophies in curriculum development associated with instructional ma­

terials. The emphasis was on secondary vocational educational mater­

ials. The second section of the literature review covered trends

in consumer buying behavior and consumption trends associated with

clothing and textiles curricula in secondary schools.

Curriculum Theory and Philosophy

Definitions of Curriculum Development

Curriculum development is a vital part of education. In order

for curriculum development to be effective, however, it must be used

constructively, usefully, and discretely. Tanner and Tanner have

stated, " . . . curriculum not only is the means through which culture

is transmitted, but also the means through which it is transformed"

(56:3). They further explained this by adding:

14

15

In a modern, literate, industrial society, the growing complexity of knowledge and life is such that society looks to the school as some­thing that has come to be called the curriculum as necessary for enabling the rising generation to gain the needed insight and power to build a better society. (56:3)

Brown and Haas (8) have expressed similar opinions in their assump­

tions that personal views and experiences of learners provide a

valuable basis for the development of curriculum. Murphy (43) has

also stated that curriculum should be designed to enhance student

learning, and that it is a task which requires orderly thinking.

According to Wood (61) , it can then be assumed that a well developed

curriculum includes those student activities and experiences which

occur under the guidance and direction of the school as a result of

the planned program.

According to Murphy, the process of curriculum development in­

volves one large question, "What can and should be taught to whom,

when, and how" (43:232)? Although there are numerous federal, state,

local, and commercial materials available to assist in the develop­

ment of curriculum, McCutcheon (45) has pointed out that it is the

classroom teacher who must make the ultimate curriculum decisions

about how and when to teach. As a result of a study conducted by

Hughes (34), he concluded that one of the major problems encountered

in curriculum development is how to best organize knowledge for the

purposes of instruction. According to Murphy, there are six ques­

tions to be asked in developing curriculum in any subject matter

area. These include the following:

16

(1) What do you believe about the subject matter? (2) What are the needs of your learners? (3) What should be the objectives? (4) What content is needed and how should it be

organized? (5) What learning activities are needed and

how should it be organized? (6) How will you evaluate student learning?

(43:233-234)

Similarly, it has been suggested by Tyler that the following four

questions be asked and answers sought when attempting to design any

curriculum:

(1) What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

(2) What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

(3) How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

(4) How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? (57:1)

Westbury (59) summarized these suggestions for curriculum develop­

ment by indicating that the overall objective of curriculum develop­

ment should be to prepare youth for life as adults.

Historical Overview of Curriculum Development

In research conducted by Larken (38) , it was found that as the

trend toward accountability increased, curriculum development be­

came more expensive and more responsibilities for program outcomes

were expected. As a result of a study conducted by McCutcheon, she

concluded the following:

17

...also relating to the problem is the fact that teachers report a tendency to plan for approxi­mately a week in advance. They view long-range lesson planning as a wasted effort due to schedule changes arising from snowy days, re­shuffling of classes, and assemblies. Addi­tionally, teachers believe the textbook does much of their long-range planning for them. Short-range planning may mitigate against conceiving of and keeping in mind the whole, the system's over­all orientation. (45:115-116)

In research conducted by Baker (4), she found that there was a lack

of understanding by local school educators in the overall intent of

the schools which further confused the school's attempts to satisfy

demands of many agencies and groups. McCutcheon (45) agreed in that

she found that many school administrations admit to the existance

of a coherent plan for curriculum development, but few understand it.

Tyler supported this in his writings where he stated:

No doubt some excellent educational work is being done by artistic teachers who do not have a clear conception of goals but do have an intuitive sense of what is good teaching, what materials are sig­nificant, what topics are worth dealing with and how to present material and develop topics effect­ively with students. Nevertheless, if an educational program is to be planned and if efforts for con­tinued improvement are to be made, it is very necessary to have some conception of the goals that are being aimed at. (57:2)

According to Darst (15) it should, therefore, be the responsi­

bility of the developers of instructional materials to devise means

for assisting local educators to understand better the processes

associated with curriculum development. Burns and Brooks (9) have

18

indicated that developers of instructional materials should take

into consideration that there are a number of ways in which knowl­

edge can and should be organized in the curriculum for the means

of fulfilling goals of the course, the requirements of subject

matter, and needs of the students.

Hogg and Giusti (31) have pointed out that the current turmoil

concerning the effectiveness of the curriculum of today has brought

about important changes in demands which are placed upon educational

leaders. Giroux (24) has revealed that since the early 1900's ques­

tions have been raised concerning the role that schools and curricu­

lum play in reproducing the values and attitudes necessary for main­

taining a dominant society. In describing curriculum development of

the early 1900's; Saylor and Alexander wrote the following:

Several years ago we agreed that the major ob­stacles educators encountered in improving the high school could be attributed to the fact that many persons who taught there lacked full under­standing of its functions, programs, and possi­bilities (l:v).

Hogg and Giusti (31) have recognized that society has long been

in the midst of a powerful revival of a point of view involving re­

quirements for the education of students. According to Hogg and

Giusti (31), as far back as the 1930's, disciplinarians were attack­

ing Dewey and Kilpatrick because they sought to make education more

responsive to the needs of all individuals. Taba voiced support of

this opinion when she stated:

19

...under the stimulus of the various commissions of the Progressive Education Association, in­cluding the Eight Year Study, foundations were laid for a comprehensive theory of curriculum planning. The studies of these commissions in­dicated the necessity for analyzing the nature of society and of its demands on individuals as a basis for curriculum development. But above all, these studies, especially those dealing with emotional life and adolescent development, lifted curriculum development out of the narrow realm of an exclusive concern for skills and content mastery. (55:3)

As society has changed over the years, so has the basis for

curriculum development. According to Giroux (24), curriculum of

the early twentieth century was based on the following four assump­

tions: (1) it served as a guide to action, (2) it was linked to

value judgments about standards of morality and questions concern­

ing the nature of freedom and control, (3) it consisted of a set

of ideas used for structuring curriculum and was thought of as a

ritual or routine believed to be necessary for education, and

(4) it came to be seen as history. Tanner and Tanner (56) have

suggested that during the first half of the twentieth century, the

influence of progressive education brought about a profound change

in the conception of curriculum.

Tanner and Tanner (56) have emphasized that there was a need

for a radically new concept in curriculum development during the

1950's. Hogg and Giusti (31) noted that during the 1950's many

blamed Deweyism and life adjustment education of the 1930's and

1940's for the fact that the Russians were the first in space.

20

Havinghurst (29) revealed that during this same time parents and

community figures lead rebellions against this type of education.

Tanner and Tanner, who have explored curriculum development during

the middle twentieth century concluded:

Much has been made of the explosion of knowl­edge and its accompanying specialization. While the knowledge explosion has resulted in increasingly specialized functions of the school and the curriculum, it has heightened the danger that the school and the curriculum will become isolated and remote from life problems. A reaction to these developments was the clamor on the part of some radical critics of American education during the 1960's and early 1970's to abolish the school and re­place it with informal, spontaneous arrangements where young people would learn directly from life. To assume that youngsters will be capable of learning whatever may be necessary directly from life not only assumes a romantic perspect­ive of the younger generation, but also of the established society itself. Moreover, there is a failure to realize that as a society becomes more enlightened it looks to the school, more so than any of its other institutions, as a chief means of building a better future society. (56:3-4)

They further proposed:

...the need for a radically new conception of curriculum was the inevitable result of a num­ber of forces - changes in our conception of knowledge; changes in our knowledge of the learning process as a result of the child-study movement, and the need to link formal school studies with the life of the learner and the changing demands of the larger social science. (56:10)

21

Hogg and Giusti (31) denoted this era of curriculum development as

serving well the needs of the disciplines, but lacking in regard to

serving the needs of individuals. In the process of rejecting

traditional conceptions of curriculum, Giroux (24) suggested that

the new curriculum of the 1960's and 1970's emphasized four inno­

vative theories: (1) it operated in the interests of lawlike prop­

ositions which were empirically testable; (2) it provided a model

or explanation for the concepts and techniques of curriculum theory,

design, and evaluation; (3) it provided for knowledge which is ob­

jective and capable of being investigated and described in a neutral

fashion; and (4) it consisted of statements of value that are to be

separated from facts and modes of inquiry that can and ought to be

objective.

Hogg and Giusti (31), McCutcheon (45), and Baker (4) believed

that the primary goal of education in the 1970's should have been to

help youth make themselves into the kind of people they wanted to

be. Hogg and Giusti further noted that

...pleas are currently being made for changes that would give more freedom from imposed goals, rights of self determination and opportunities for develop­ing individual potentials of all students. (31:146)

Martin summarized society's overall view of curriculum development

when he suggested:

Schools have been conditioned to believe that through education, they can solve all of society's

22

problems. Schools have undertaken burdens that they have neither the resources nor the talents to overcome. Our society has been deluded into believing that social problems can be remedied by education in schools. The assumption is false and dangerous. Schools reflect the larger society. While capable of much, they are neither as omnipotent as we might wish nor as futile as their radical critics claim. (40: 279-280)

Considerations in Development of Curricula

The developers of instructional curriculum materials must

consider numerous happenings when preparing materials. Tanner and

Tanner have suggested:

The incessant emergence of problems in our society requires new ways of dealing with knowledge and a constant quest for new knowl­edge for purposes of social problem solving.

The curriculum cannot be conceived of as a mere catalogue of fixed subject matters if the rising generation is to develop the capa­city for building a better life for itself. This does not mean that the curriculum should bend to whatever ill wind may be dominant at any given time, but rather that the curriculum must be constantly evaluated and improved so as to insure the fulfillment of its mission for the rising generation. (56:4-5)

Among these considerations include not only such matters as relevant

materials, but also more importantly, materials which are appropriate

for the student, time, occasion, and budget.

According to Darst (15), there are numerous ways in which knowl­

edge may be organized to help in creating meaning out of events.

Hughes has stated, "...the problem of how best to organize knowledge

23

for the purposes of instruction is one which has been perennially

puzzling for the curriculum scholar" (34:4). Recognizing that there

are a number of possible ways in which knowledge may be organized,

the curriculum builder is faced with the problem of deciding the

most appropriate method for organizing knowledge (34). The Committee

on Youth Education for Citizenship (13) conducted a study in 1979

with secondary school teachers in five states and found that the major

factor shaping curriculum was state legislative mandates. Teachers

from Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and California were

surveyed in regard to the amount of influence legislative mandates

had on planning and carrying out curriculum obligations. Teachers

from Texas responded differently than educators from the other four

states. Texas educators were far more likely to plan and initiate

their respective curricula around rulings by the state. Two-thirds

of the Texas respondents acknowledged that state mandates had some

effect in helping, directing, and reinforcing the curriculum in which

they were involved. The Committee on Youth Education for Citizen­

ship (13) noted that when asked to rank the importance of mandates

in prompting curriculum development, one-third of the respondents

from all five states, ranked state mandates as being very important.

The highest percentage of this group was from Texas and Georgia.

The data indicated that teachers did not see the state mandates as

an imposition in curriculum development. According to the results

of the study, those who were involved in the study admitted by a

three to one margin that mandates helped their teaching and supported

a sound curriculum.

24

Murphy (43) has pointed out that curriculum development is not

only affected by legislation, but also by other processes as well.

According to Williams (60), students are much more likely to retain

knowledge if they can see the relationship between the content to

be learned and its usefulness to their lives. In order to ade­

quately provide such relationships, the curriculum builder must

know the social realities, environment, and the learner as an in­

dividual. Murphy (43) and Wood (61) have indicated that the curric­

ulum builder must also have a sound philosophy of education as well

as be familiar with the class, the school, and the community.

Williams (60) has pointed out that once the curriculum initiator

has been familiarized with these factors, it is then possible to

develop curriculum that will motivate the students. According to

Williams (60), it is motivation that gives direction and intensity

to learning among students in any educational setting. Murphy (43)

suggested that what is believed about any subject matter is depend­

ent on what is believed about the purposes of education in general,

and this directly influences what is believed to be important for

students to learn in the most efficient and effective manner.

Havinghurst (29) indicated that curriculum development should

stress the structure of the subject matter being studied as opposed

to having students temporarily store indiscrete bits of information.

He encouraged the support of a constructive and democratic cultural

pluralism. He further explained that cultural pluralism would

25

contribute to the following: (1) mutual appreciation and understand­

ing of every subculture by the others, (2) freedom for each subcul­

ture to practice its culture and socialize its children, (3) sharing

by each group in the economic and civic life of the society, and

(4) peaceful coexistence of diverse lifestyles, folkways, manners,

language patterns, religious beliefs and practices, and family

structures. In short, Havinghurst stated:

The curriculum should convey to all youth a body of shared knowledge and experience that helps them to grow up and live successfully in the post-industrial society. This applies especially to the middle school and high school teaching what is appropriate to the maturity of the students. (29:120-121)

Likewise, Hogg and Giusti (31) have proposed the following as

solutions in developing curriculum appropriate to all leaners:

(1) do not lessen or discount attention of one group; (2) do not

let the lowest common denominator be the level of highest expecta­

tions; (3) allow each individual to develop to his or her fullest

potential; (4) give all students a conceptual base for more direct

involvement with the development of curricular experiences in which

they will be involved; (5) change teaching methods, not the course

content, because teaching methods should individualize instruction

for those of differing abilities; (6) use the new instructional

media; and (7) provide opportunities for students to learn competen­

cies for becoming leaders which will enable them to trust, formulate

26

ideas, develop leadership traits, promote student involvement, and

inspire progress in themselves.

Use of Behavioral Objectives in Curriculum

Development

According to Murphy (43), subject matter content, learning

experiences, and all other aspects of curriculum development best

relate to one another when behavioral objectives are utilized in

planning and developing curriculum. Behavioral objectives should

be the basis from which all curriculum revolves. In regard to this,

the following has been stated by Camplese and O'Bruba:

If educators were to list evidences of modern thinking in education, an element common to most lists would no doubt be behavioral ob­jectives. Probably no other concept has been the basis for so many articles, speeches, and general discussion among educators as has behavioral objectives. (11:221)

Nonetheless, Hogg and Giusti (31) reported that the U.S. Office of

Education personnel found, that after a four year study of adult

performance levels, that only 46.3 percent of all American adults

were functioning with any degree of real competence. According to

Hogg and Giusti: "This is disturbing when observed from the per­

spective of American education goals which advocate that formal

education be conditioned by what the individual will be expected to

do in life" (31:147) Hogg and Giusti (31) have pointed out that

this indicates the need for more explicit use and explanation of

27

the use of behavioral objectives in the development of instructional

materials. Many education classes include units for the purposes

of developing skills in writing behaviorally stated objectives.

Such units are provided in home economics education courses.

Camplese and O'Bruba (11) surveyed a small group of experienced

teachers and a small group of undergraduate education majors to test

for significant differences in the number of years of teaching ex­

perience and their use of and attitudes towards behavioral object­

ives. The results indicated that there was an increasingly nega­

tive attitude toward behavioral objectives as the number of years

of teaching experience increased. The study revealed that as edu­

cators had more experiences in teaching, they were also more re­

sistant to change, specifically in regard to using behavior object­

ives. Camplese and O'Bruba concluded:

This rigid behavior displayed by the exper­ienced teachers could have been formulated be­cause their teaching behaviors have been successfully reinforced prior to the behavioral objective unit, while the pre-service teachers have not had the opportunity to have been re­warded and thus are more willing to accept any­thing that might bring success. It is also possible that the pre-service teachers are look­ing at teaching from a learner's standpoint, while the experienced teachers look at teaching from a teacher's standpoint and regard behavioral objectives as more busy work. (11:222)

Camplese and O'Bruba (11) have proposed that more emphasis be placed

on the area of behavioral objectives during teacher in-service

28

training. Teachers need a broader understanding not only of how

to write behavioral objectives, but also of how to use them.

Camplese and O'Bruba (11) have noted that unlike in the past

when behavioral objectives were written in terms of what the teacher

would do, behavioral objectives today are written in terms of what

the student should be able to accomplish as a result of the learn­

ing experiences. According to Krawthwohl (35), behavioral objectives

are action phrases. The desired behavior change is stated in terms

of some measurable verb. Murphy (43) has suggested that behavioral

objectives be stated clearly and precisely enough so that they pro­

vide direction for planning, teaching, and evaluating. Murphy (43)

has further stressed the need to state an outcome for the behavioral

objective. This is something the learners will be able to do at

the end of the instruction that they were not able to do before as

opposed to stating an activity the learners will undertake.

Behavioral objectives serve several functions in the develop­

ment of curriculum for instructional materials. Murphy (43) has

suggested several purposes behavioral objectives fulfill in curricu­

lum development. These included the following: (1) organizing sub­

ject matter, (2) providing a basis for evaluation, (3) organizing

learning experiences, (4) helping to establish priorities, (5) giv­

ing direction to the students, (6) providing opportunity for stu­

dents to think at high levels of learning, and (8) helping to focus

attention where it needs to be focused.

29

According to Chamberlain and Kelly (12) behavioral objectives

have been classified into three taxonomies or domains of learning.

The cognitive domain which is the oldest and best known taxonomy

deals with mental processes, or knowledge and thinking types of be­

haviors. In his research with the cognitive domain. Bloom (6) de­

vised six levels of cognitive learning. Each level involved knowl­

edge acquired from the previous level. The behaviors are thought

to be cumulative. Chamberlain and Kelly (12) have noted that no

more than one level at a time should be skipped when progressing

up the levels of learning. The six levels of cognitive learning

devised by Bloom (6) include the following: knowledge, comprehen­

sion, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The knowl­

edge level is the foundation upon which all other levels are built.

As one moves up the levels of learning, the mental behaviors become

more complex.

A second taxonomy of learning is that of the affective domain.

Krothwohl, Bloom, and Masis (36) conducted research in this area

which revolved around learning in the form of attitudes, feelings,

and emotions. Camplese and O'Bruba (11) and Chamberlain and Kelly

(12) have noted that of all types of learning, learning in the

affective domain is the most difficult to measure. Krawthwohl,

Bloom and Masis (36) have devised five levels of affective learning.

These include the following: receiving, responding, valuing, or­

ganization, and characterization. According to Krawthwohl, Bloom,

30

Masis (36) and Chamberlain and Kelly (12), as the learner moves up

the levels of affective learning, he or she takes more and more

initiative in selecting values, goals, and standards as well as

dealing with attitudes, feelings, and interests.

The third taxonomy of learning is associated with measuring

physical skills in which the learner becomes proficient. Simpson

(53) called this domain the psychomotor domain for it involves motor

skills or use of the muscles within the body. Simpson (53), who

has researched the measurement of motor skills, has placed skills

of learning in five categories. These levels included the follow­

ing: perception, set, guided response, mechanism, and complex overt

response. As learners move up the levels of the psychomotor domain,

they also gain more dexterity in using and manipulating motor

skills.

Use of Competencies in Curriculum Development

Because the domains of learning are closely related, it is

sometimes difficult to make a distinction between the three tax­

onomies of behavioral objectives. In this case, competencies are

commonly used. According to Bell (5), a competency may involve

learning from any one or all three of the three taxonomies of

learning associated with behavioral objectives. Home Economics

teacher educators (14) have pointed out that like behavioral ob­

jectives, competencies are written in terms of what the learner

should be able to accomplish as a result of the learning experience.

31

Hall and Jones (28) have indicated that competencies are written

in behavioral terms or with the use of a verb indicating the de­

gree of measurement to take place at the conclusion of the learn­

ing experience.

Several authors (3, 5, 18, 28) have pointed out the rela­

tionship of educational objectives and competencies to one another.

According to Hall and Jones (28), competencies fall in the middle

of a continuum of educational statements ranging from goals, to

competencies, to subcompetencies, to objectives. Hall and Jones

(28) have further noted that this continuum of educational state­

ments begins with a few, general, and broad statements and ends

with many, very specific, and formal statements indicating expect­

ed learning outcomes. According to Ehrenberg (19), it can be

assumed that competencies are broad, general statements compared

to objectives, which are more specific in terms of expected learn­

ing to take place in the educational setting. Hall and Jones (28)

further clarified this by stating the following:

There will obviously be ranges in the degree of specificity that any particular goal state­ment has and also ranges of the breadth that is covered by the learning behaviors being speci­fied in a competency and subcompetency. However, the general idea is that competencies should be more specific than goals, subcompetencies more specific than competencies, and objectives more specific than subcompetencies. For any program there will probably be more competencies than goals, more subcompetencies than competencies, and more objectives than subcompetencies. (28:28)

32

According the Hall and Jones (28) and Bell (5), the differ­

ences in levels of objectives and competencies can be denoted by

the choice of verbs used in the statement of each. Dodl (18) has

revealed that verbs used in one competency to indicate expected

learning usually encompasses the expected learning outcomes men­

tioned by the verbs of several objectives.

Hall and Jones (28) and Murphy (43) have emphasized that

learning of skills and knowledge is of little value unless these

skills can be combined and interrelated. Bell (5), Dodl (18), and

Hall and Jones (28) have mentioned that a well written competency

statement is a description of those performances that are based on

acquisition, integration, composite building, and application of

a set of related skills and knowledge.

Use of Learning Experiences in Curriculum Development

In a study with high school educators. Murphy (43) found that

teachers most often got sidetracked in the area of selecting learn­

ing experiences. Murphy (43), Williams (60), and McCutcheon (45)

have strongly suggested that for a learning experience to have a

purpose or reason, it must relate to the objectives of the course

or unit. Murphy stated, " . . . the purpose of a learning activity

is for students to develop and practice the behaviors they are to

learn and to discover relationships" (43:235). Several authors,

(34, 43, 45, 60) have noted that a variety of ways of learning need

to be included in learning activities. These involve reading.

33

writing, researching, analyzing, discussing, observing, listening,

tabulating, constructing, computing, and dramatizing. Such a variety

allows for meeting the needs of different individuals as well as

achieving different kinds of objectives.

On the other hand, Larken (38) has indicated that learning

experiences should provide much reading instruction because it is

her belief that high school students of today can not read what is

assigned to them. Therefore, the more reading students must engage

in, the more likely it is that their reading will improve.

Use of Content in Curriculum Development

Heideman (30) recently surveyed a group of college graduates

at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His findings revealed

that although students have acquired a formal education, many are

not prepared for survival outside of the school setting. Heideman

(30) has advocated that educators in public schools begin training

students during the early years of adolescence for skills of sur­

vival in an ever changing society. According to Heideman (30), the

following skills should be integrated into every curriculum:

(1) communication, (2) persuasion, (3) evaluation, (4) planning,

(5) decision making, and (6) foreign language development. As our

society rapidly changes, knowledge becomes obsolete at a tremendous

rate. The integration of these skills would enable individuals to

cope with adverse changes and prepare them for dealing with the psy­

chological and sociological pressures brought about by society as well,

34

Development of Clothing and Textiles Curricula

for Secondary Schools

Curriculum Development in Secondary

Schools

Alexander and Saylor (2) have remarked that curriculum de­

velopment in seconday schools is no longer a meager task. Home

economics educators of today encounter many tasks, authorities,

and decisions in planning a curriculum for their students. Alex­

ander and Saylor supported this contention in their writings when

they stated the following:

As the secondary schools have moved throughout 300 years from the required classical curriculum to today's comprehensive curriculum with its many subjects and complex elective system, the relation of the curriculum to the purpose of general and specialized education has been variously interpret­ed but increasingly fundamental in curriculum planning... The high school is a public institution for all youth of high school age, and so must several many kinds of youth and their special interests as well as their common needs be weighed and assessed. (2:263-264)

Martin (40) has conceded that high schools have for too long

been dependent on the philosophy that the high school should be

responsible for every aspect of life. At the close of World War I

in 1913, members of the National Education Association (NEA) (40)

published the Seven Cardinal Principles of Education. These prin­

ciples set forth the seven main purposes of the high school. These

purposes dealt with the following concepts: (1) health; (2) command

35

of fundamental process; (3) worthy home membership; (4) vocational

education; (5) citizenship; (6) worthy use of leisure; and

(7) ethical character.

According to Martin (40), these Seven Cardinal Principles were

no more than an extension of the common school or any other place

where all persons could be controlled. It seems that the origina­

tors of these Seven Cardinal Principles had only the elite in mind

and little consideration for the poor. Honeycutt (32) has noted that

since the principles were established, secondary school educators

have been influenced by proponents of the Seven Cardinal Principles

to support the concept that education should revolve around all

human activity. Martin (40) pointed out the obstacles associated

with developing adequate curriculum for adolescents in the 1970's

as follows:

It is a truism to say that motion pictures, radio, and television are powerful educators and that families, religious bodies, museums, private and public agencies, and the streets educate and that the press, magazines, unions, armed forces, businesses, and all the pro­fessions educate. To expect schools to shape attitudes and behaviors while all the other "educators" teach other values is to be at best naive about the extraordinary tenacity of a culture or at worst to exhibit an ego­centric ignorance about the effectiveness of our work with children. (40:280)

Martin (40) has further ascertained that the American school serves

ninety-five percent of the entire adolescent population. This

36

indicates that the secondary school should gear its course of study

toward the needs and future goals of these adolescents.

Consumer Practices of Adolescents

Results of a nationwide survey conducted in 1976 by Nickols

and Powell (46) revealed that American teenagers spent $26.1 billion

dollars. This evidence supports the idea that adolescents are

major consumers in our society. According to Nichols and Powell:

Today's teenage consumers have more money available to them, exercise more influence on their families' purchase decisions, and acquire their own purchasing habits and product preferences at an earlier age. (46:14)

In Nickols and Powell's (46) study, 440 youth ranging from age 13

to 19 were asked to rank from a list of ten kinds of purchases the

five purchases they most frequently made. Girls ranked clothing and

personal grooming articles first and third respectively. Boys in­

dicated clothing was their third most frequently purchased item.

In research conducted in Colorado by Brown and Haas (8), ninety high

school seniors rated 118 consumer tasks from most essential to

least essential, ninety-five percent of the respondents gave prior­

ities to shopping practices.

Langrehr (37) has pointed out that since the mid 1960's some

states have been requiring that secondary schools offer consumer

education. Langrehr further explained, "The rationale for these

37

programs was that the consumer would be better prepared to meet

the demands of the marketplace" (37:41). Nickols and Powell noted

the following:

...educated consumers are an essential ingredient in a modern economy. Without being informed of market alternatives or being aware of one's goals and preferences, the adolescent consumer will probably be dissatisfied with purchases. (46:16)

According to Scitovsky (51), it is assumed that the consumer is rational

and aims to maximize his or her satisfaction. Nichols and Powell

have supported this only under the assumption of the following:

...understanding the economic system, becoming aware of sources of consumer information, and how to use them, developing skills in decision­making, and accepting consumers' rights and responsibilities are all aspects of consumer education. (46:16)

Recent studies were conducted by Langrehr (37) using high

school subjects in the state of Alabama, where consumer education

is not required for graduation, and in the state of Illinois, where

a course in consumer education is mandatory for high school gradua­

tion. The subjects were tested to determine the amount of consumer

knowledge learned by each group. Scores of the subjects of the

study required to take a consumer education course were significantly

higher than the scores of students not having this requirement.

This showed that persons having consumer education were more knowl­

edgeable in regard to purchasing selections. This further supported

38

the trend for more and more states to require concepts in consumer

education be taught at the secondary level. Lengrehr concluded,

"It appears that consumer education programs may offer potential

for increasing society's satisfaction with the present economic

system" (37:50).

Carman (23) has supported Lengrehr in that he has assumed

that consumer education may be able to assist persons in learning

how to use the marketplace to satisfy their needs. As a result,

negative feelings toward the marketplace may be reduced if not

eliminated. Nickols and Powell (46) have revealed that many

secondary programs in secondary education have access to curriculum

materials dealing with consumer education concepts. Nickols and

Powell (46) believed that these materials can and should be in­

corporated in clothing and textiles curriculum.

Consumer Buying and Consumption Trends

Langrehr (37) had noted that citizens in the United States

have for some time been concerned about the rising cost of living.

Due to this fact, American consumers feel dissatisfied because they

find it difficult to maintain the standard of living they enjoy and

prefer. Scitovsky (51) blamed this feeling on the level of arousal

Americans are forced into assuming. He has explained that con­

sumers purchase for one of the two following reasons: (1) to save

time and effort and (2) for comfort and pleasure. The level of

arousal determines the amount of motivation prevailing, which in

39

turn affects buying behavior, needs, and deprivations. According

to Scitovsky (51) motivation increases arousal and in turn moti­

vates behavior that, by satisfying the need, lowers the arousal.

A lowered arousal and motivation in buying and consumption of

consumer items have forced consumers to consider goods and their

pros and cons before actually purchasing. Ellis, a Wall Street

retailing analyst, has remarked, ". . .a growing number of con­

sumers really are aware that shoddy merchandise is no bargain"

(10:82).

Time Magazine (10) reported of findings from a 1979 national

survey which revealed new trends in American buying behavior.

Time Magazine (10) further indicated that the results showed that

American consumers are buying less, or fewer items, as compared to

a decade ago. However, American consumers are paying more for the

goods they purchase and are seeking better quality in their pur­

chases. The author of the article in Time Magazine (10) perceived

that the assumption behind this trend was that higher prices will

yield savings in the long-run. In the apparel and accessories area,

Americans are avoiding fads and ultra-stylish merchandise, and in­

stead are dressing more conservatively so that garments can be worn

for years as opposed to months. The findings of the survey showed

that the fastest selling items included the following: 14 karat

gold jewelry instead of costume jewelry; timeless women's suits

instead of one-season dresses; silks instead of polyesters, cashmere

40

and Shetland wools instead of cheap synthetics and mink instead of

fox, coyote, and lynx (10). Moreover, more consumers are choosing

brand names over other less advertised brands. In fact, many dis­

count outlets are now carrying a high quality line of merchandise

(10). Retail merchants who were interviewed by a correspondent of

Time Magazine believed that an eleven dollar item will sell before

a two dollar item. Frankfurt (10) attributed these changes in

consumption to two factors. One of which is the fact that more

women have entered the work force. These persons have less time

for shopping and errands and, therefore, buy quality to save time.

The second factor contributing to this change in buying behavior is

what Frankfurt (10) called the "maturity market." Thirty-four per­

cent of the American households are headed by persons between the

ages of forty-five and sixty-four. Besides the fact that these

persons are hard workers and do not want to waste their earnings

on inferior merchandise, this group of persons also has the highest

family income in the nation and, therefore, can afford to buy

quality.

CHAPTER III

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

The problem of the study was to identify clothing and textiles

competencies perceived to be important to adolescents enrolled in

useful homemaking courses. This was done in order to aid in deter­

mining the importance of specific competencies to be included in

the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide under revision by the

Home Economics Instructional Materials Center at Texas Tech Univer­

sity in Lubbock, Texas. Those competencies perceived to be very

important to include in the home economics curriculum as determined

by full-time university clothing and textile faculty, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers were rank-ordered in rela­

tion to each other, as well as within each of the specified cate­

gories of clothing selection, clothing care, clothing construction,

and textiles. In addition, the study was designed to determine if

significant differences existed among each of the mean importance

ratings assigned by the three groups of respondents to the clothing

and textiles competencies. Procedures of the study are discussed

in this chapter.

Design and Development of the Instrument

Based on a review of the literature and a study of methods for

preparing rating instruments, an evaluation device was developed by

the researcher entitled, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important

41

42

to High School Adolescents." The instrument was a four-part,

thirty-seven item rating instrument, designed to obtain the level

of importance respondents placed on specified clothing and tex­

tiles competencies for inclusion in useful homemaking courses.

The competencies were divided into the following four areas:

clothing selection, clothing care, clothing construction, and tex­

tiles. A sample of the finalized instrument appears in Appendix

A.

At the beginning of the instrument respondents were requested

to check their present status. Categories for selection included

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty member, useful

homemaking teacher, and consumer. No attempt was made to obtain

the respondents' names or places of employment.

Based on an investigation of resources pertaining to clothing

and textiles subject matter for adolescents, the areas of clothing

selection, clothing care, clothing construction, and textiles were

chosen as the four major categories of competencies to be included

in the rating instrument. These categories were determined to be

most frequently utilized in clothing and textiles content for ado­

lescent students. Under these four categories, a total of thirty-

seven competencies were listed. The first thirteen competencies

were associated with clothing selection, the following seven com­

petencies dealt with clothing care, while the next ten competencies

related to clothing construction, and the remaining seven competen­

cies involved textiles related information.

43

Written directions for completing the rating instrument were

provided. Five columns appeared to the right of the competencies.

Respondents were directed to check one of the five columns for each

competency. Five levels of importance were given for each compet­

ency. These included very important, moderately important, some­

what important, slightly important, and not important. Possible

scores for each competency ranged from five to one, with a score of

five being assigned to very important and a score of one being

assigned to not important. Therefore, the highest and lowest possi­

ble total scores for the four categories were as follows: clothing

selection, sixty-five and thirteen; clothing care, thirty-five and

seven; clothing construction, fifty and ten; and textiles, thirty-

five and seven. The range of scores for the total list of compet­

encies was 185 and thirty-seven. Following each category of the

rating instrument, spaces were provided for respondents to write

any additional competencies they believed should be included in the

instrument.

To establish validity and to obtain suggestions for strengthen­

ing the instrument, it was submitted twice to a panel of judges

consisting of three faculty members in the Department of Home Eco­

nomics Education at Texas Tech University. The judges were asked

to critique the instrument and offer suggestions for revision. In

particular, they were asked to assess the competencies listed in

each of the four competency categories of the rating instrument to

44

determine if all important aspects of the clothing and textiles

areas were being included. On the basis of the judges' sugges­

tions, necessary revisions were made to refine the instrument and

to improve content validity. Revisions were made in the wording

of some competencies and the number of competencies included in

the finalized instrument was increased from thirty-five to thirty-

seven. The instrument was then submitted to the Director of the

Home Economics Instructional Materials Center at Texas Tech Uni­

versity. The director suggested that the competencies be compared

to the tentative conceptual outline for the Clothing and Textiles

curriculum guide under revision by the Home Economics Instructional

Materials Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. As a

result of the comparison, no additional revisions were made.

The instrument was also preassessed by twelve home economics

education graduate students. They completed the instrument as the

final sample of educators and consumers would be asked to do. As

a result of this preassessment, no additional refinements were

made to the instrument.

The reliability of the instrument was computed through the use

of the split-half correlation between odd and even items using the

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The Spearman-Brown

''Prophecy Formula" was used to step up the half length correlation

to expected full-length value. A coefficient of reliability of .95

45

was obtained for the rating instrument. The coefficient indicated

that the instrument was sufficiently reliable to justify its use

for the purposes intended.

Selection and Description of the Sample

The sample for the study consisted of 226 respondents. Three

separate groups of individuals comprised the sample. These groups

were full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members

associated with institutions of higher learning in Texas offering

accredited Vocational Home Economics Teacher Education programs, a

randomly selected group of useful homemaking teachers in Texas, and

two groups of selected consumers living in Lubbock, Texas. Each

group is discussed in the following sections.

Full-time University Clothing and Textiles Faculty Members

One group of the sample consisted of all full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members associated with the nineteen

institutions of higher learning in Texas offering accredited Voca­

tional Home Economics Education Programs. A list of these univer­

sities appears in Appendix J. The nineteen deans or department

heads of these colleges or departments of home economics were sent

letters asking for their assistance in sending the researcher the

names and professional titles of the full-time clothing and tex­

tiles faculty members within their college or department. Postage-

paid return envelopes and response sheets were included for the

46

deans' and department heads' replies. These materials were mailed

on March 3, 1980. Copies of the initial letter and response sheet

mailed to these persons are included in Appendices B and C.

Fifteen of the deans and department heads returned the re­

sponse sheets by the requested deadline date of March 10, 1980.

Telephone calls were necessary to request replies from the remain­

ing four deans and chairpersons who had not responded. One chair­

person responded to the follow-up telephone reminder for a total

return rate of 84.2 percent. The potential group of full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members whose names were

submitted by deans and department heads consisted of fifty-seven

members from sixteen universities in Texas offering accredited

Vocational Home Economics Teacher Education programs. The final

sample of full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members

was comprised of thirty-two educators for a return rate of 59.6

percent.

Useful Homemaking Teachers

A second group comprising the sample included a randomly se­

lected group of useful homemaking teachers in Texas. Area con­

sultants for each of the ten areas of consumer and homemaking edu­

cation programs in Texas, as designated by Texas Education Agency,

were sent letters asking for their assistance in sending the re­

searcher a current listing of the names and mailing addresses of all

useful homemaking teachers within their respective areas. A

47

postage-paid envelope was included for consultants' convenience in

returning replies. This correspondence was mailed on March 3, 1980.

A copy of the initial letter mailed to the ten area consultants of

consumer and homemaking education in Texas has been included in

Appendix F.

Seven of the ten area consultants mailed listings of the names

and addresses of useful homemaking teachers within their respect­

ive areas by the requested deadline date of March 10, 1980. Because

the remaining three areas had no consultants employed at the time,

it was necessary to telephone the Director of the State Department

of Consumer and Homemaking Education in Austin, Texas, to procure a

list of useful homemaking teachers in the three remaining areas.

The population of useful homemaking teachers included those from all

ten areas of consumer and homemaking education programs in Texas.

In the ten areas of consumer and homemaking education in Texas,

2494 teachers were associated with useful homemaking programs. A

table of random numbers was utilized to acquire a sample of ten per­

cent of this total population. The sample comprised of 250 useful

homemaking teachers in Texas. The final sample of useful home-

making teachers totaled 166 respondents for a return rate of 67.2

percent.

Selected Consumers

The third group comprising the sample for the study consisted

of two groups of consumers living in Lubbock, Texas. The researcher

48

asked the manager of Oron Fitness Center in Lubbock, Texas, to en­

courage members of the club to volunteer to complete the instru­

ment, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to High School

Adolescents." These respondents appeared to be middle class males

and females. Thirty copies of the rating instrument were delivered

to Oron Fitness Center on May 5, 1980, and collected on May 12, 1980.

A total of eight instruments were completed for a response rate of

26.7 percent.

A second group of consumers living in Lubbock, Texas, who re­

sponded to the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies

Important to High School Adolescents," were members of Preceptor

Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Signa Phi, a women's social sorority. The

researcher requested permission from a member of the organization to

attend a monthly meeting and distribute the rating instruments. The

respondents were all female and seemed to be middle class. Members

of the Preceptor Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Signa Phi responded to

the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important to

High School Adolescents," on May 12, 1980. A total of twenty instru­

ments were completed for a response rate of 100 percent. The final

sample of selected consumers living in Lubbock, Texas, consisted of

twenty-eight respondents.

Collection of the Data

Copies of the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies

Important to High School Adolescents" which was developed by the

49

researcher were sent to full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members associated with sixteen of the institutions of

higher learning in Texas offering accredited Vocational Home Eco­

nomics Teacher Education programs. One copy of the instrument

along with an explanatory cover letter was mailed to fifty-seven

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members on March

25, 1980. The accompanying cover letter explained the purposes of

the study, the importance of the group's input, and directions for

returning the completed instrument. A copy of the cover letter

which accompanied the instrument has been included in Appendix D.

Faculty members were asked to return the completed instrument to the

Home Economics Instructional Materials Center by April 18, 1980.

Postage-paid envelopes were enclosed for convenience in returning

the instruments.

Of the total fifty-seven instruments mailed out to full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, thirty were re­

turned by the requested deadline date of April 18, 1980, for a re­

turn rate of 52.6 percent. Since no attempt was made to obtain the

respondents' names and places of employment, a follow-up was sent

to all fifty-seven full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members on April 28, 1980. The follow-up, in the form of a postcard,

mentioned the purposes of the study, the importance of the group's

input, and a reminder to complete and return the instrument if not

already done. A copy of the follow-up postcard has been included in

Appendix E.

50

Two additional instruments were returned by the requested dead­

line date of May 8, 1980. Two other instruments were returned as a

result of the follow-up, but were received after the deadline date

when the other thirty-two instruments had already been compiled and

analyzed. Thus, a return rate of .07 percent resulted from the

follow-up postcard for a total 59.7 percent return rate by full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members. Of the thirty-two

instruments returned by the requested deadline, all were completed

and usable in analyzing the data. Thus, a total of thirty-two full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members associated with

institutions of higher learning in Texas offering Vocational Home

Economics Teacher Education programs participated in the study from

March to May of 1980.

A copy of the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies

Important to High School Adolescents," which was developed by the

researcher was also sent to 250 randomly selected useful homemaking

teachers in Texas on March 25, 1980. One copy of the instrument along

with an explanatory cover letter was mailed to each individual ran­

domly selected useful homemaking teacher. The accompanying cover

letter explained the purposes of the study, the importance of the

group's input, and directions for returning the completed instrument.

A copy of the cover letter which accompanied the instrument has been

included in Appendix G. The useful homemaking teachers were asked

to return the completed instrument to the Home Economics Instruc­

tional Materials Center by April 18, 1980. Postage-paid envelopes

were enclosed for convenience in returning the instruments.

51

Of the total 250 instruments mailed out, 118 were returned

by the requested deadline date of April 18, 1980, for a return rate

of 47.2 percent. Since no attempt was made to obtain the respond­

ents' names and places of employment, a follow-up was sent to all

250 randomly selected useful homemaking teachers on April 28, 1980.

The follow-up, in form of a postcard, mentioned the purposes of the

study, the importance of the group's input, and a reminder to com­

plete and return the instrument if not already done. A copy of

the follow-up postcard has been included in Appendix H.

Forty-eight additional instruments were returned by the re­

quested deadline date of May 8, 1980. Two other instruments were

returned, but were received after the deadline date when the other

168 instruments had already been compiled and analyzed. Thus, a

return rate of 20 percent resulted from the follow-up for a total

67.2 percent return rate by useful homemaking teachers. Of the 168

instruments returned by the requested deadline date, 166 of the

instruments had complete data and were returned in time to be used

in analyzing the data. Two of the respondents had incorrectly

completed the instruments making the data unusable. Thus, a total

of 166 useful homemaking teachers participated in the study from

March to May Of 1980.

Copies of the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies

Important to High School Adolescents," were distributed to two

groups of consumers living in Lubbock, Texas. Thirty copies of the

52

instrument along with explanatory cover letters were delivered by

the researcher, to Oron Fitness Center in Lubbock, Texas. The accom­

panying cover letter explained the purposes of the study and the im­

portance of the group's input. A copy of the cover letter which

accompanied the instrument has been included in Appendix I. The

owner of the fitness center encouraged members to complete the

instrument. Volunteers at Oron Fitness Center responded to the

instrument from May 5, 1980, to May 12, 1980, on which date the re­

searcher returned to the Fitness Center to collect the completed

instruments.

Of the total thirty instruments delivered to Oron Fitness

Center, eight were completed for a response rate of 26.7 percent.

All eight instruments were usable for analyzing the data.

Copies of the instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies

Important to High School Adolescents," were also distributed to mem­

bers of the Preceptor Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Signa Phi, a women's

social sorority, in Lubbock, Texas. The researcher attended the

May meeting and explained to the members the purposes of the study

and the importance of the group's input. Members of the Preceptor

Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Signa Phi responded to the instrument on

May 12, 1980.

Of the total twenty members attending the May meeting of the

Preceptor Gamma Nu Chapter of Beta Signa Phi, all twenty members

completed the instrument for a response rate of 100 percent. All

53

twenty instruments were usable for analyzing the data. Thus, a total

of twenty-eight selected consumers living in Lubbock, Texas, parti­

cipated in the study from 14arch to May of 1980.

Treatment of the Data

Data obtained from the responses of the thirty-two full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, 166 randomly

selected useful homemaking teachers, and twenty-eight selected con­

sumers living in Lubbock, Texas, were key punched on cards, verified,

and processed on a computer located at the Texas Tech University

Computer Center in Lubbock, Texas. The data processed were treated

by the following methods:

1. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the rank-

order of clothing and textiles competencies rated by respondents as

being very important to adolescents.

2. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the rank-

order of clothing and textiles competencies rated by respondents as

being very important to adolescents in the following categories:

a. clothing selection

b. clothing care

c. clothing construction

d. textiles

3. The analysis of variance test was utilized to determine if

any significant differences existed among the mean importance ratings

assigned to all clothing and textiles competencies and each of the

54

four competency categories of clothing selection, clothing care,

clothing construction, and textiles by full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and

selected consumers.

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Data for the study were used to identify clothing and textiles

competencies important to adolescents enrolled in useful high school

homemaking courses. Data were also analyzed to determine if there

were significant differences among the mean importance ratings of

three groups of respondents. Data were collected from a sample con­

sisting of thirty-two full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members associated with the institutions of higher learning

in Texas offering accredited Vocational Home Economics Teacher Edu­

cation programs, 166 randomly selected useful homemaking teachers

in Texas, and twenty-eight consumers living in Lubbock, Texas. The

total sample was comprised of 226 respondents. The project was

undertaken to assist the Home Economics Instructional Materials

Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in revising the

Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide which was published in 1973.

Data from the Rating Instrument

Data were obtained from a rating instrument used in the study.

The rating instrument, "Clothing and Textiles Competencies Important

to High School Adolescents," was designed to solicit the importance

of thirty-seven clothing and textiles competencies associated with

useful homemaking programs as perceived by the following persons:

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

55

56

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers living in Lubbock,

Texas.

The data collected from the rating instrument used in the

study consisted of the sum of the respondents' ratings given to

thirty-seven competencies listed. The first thirteen competencies

were associated with clothing selection, the following seven com­

petencies dealt with clothing care, while the next ten competencies

were related to clothing construction, and the remaining seven

competencies involved textiles related information. The rating in­

strument scores obtained represented the level of importance re­

spondents placed on specific clothing and textiles competencies

which are taught in useful homemaking programs in Texas. Five

levels of importance were given for each competency. These included

very important, moderately important, somewhat important, slightly

important, and not important. Possible scores for each competency

ranged from five to one, with a score of five being assigned to

very important and a score of one being assigned to not important.

The highest and lowest possible total scores for the four cate­

gories of competencies were as follows: clothing selection, sixty-

five and thirteen; clothing care, thirty-five and seven; clothing

construction, fifty and ten; and textiles, thirty-five and seven.

The range of scores for the total of all competencies listed on

the rating instrument was 185 and thirty-seven.

Responses from full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and a selected group

57

of consumers were each tallied separately as well as collectively.

Space was provided at the end of each competency category for re­

spondents to list additional competencies not included in the rating

instrument, but which they believed should be included. A list of

these additional competencies appears in Appendix K. Some respon­

dents used these spaces to make personal comments concerning the

competencies listed in the rating scale as well as remarks per­

taining to the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide published in

1973 by the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center at Texas

Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

A series of five analysis of variance tests were performed

to determine if significant differences existed among the mean

importance ratings assigned by the three groups of respondents to

all clothing and textiles competencies and to each of the four com­

petency categories. When differences were found, the data were

subjected to Duncan's Multiple Range test to determine where the

differences existed.

Analysis of Descriptive Data

Two questions were examined in the study: To answer the ques­

tions, data obtained from the rating instrument were rank ordered

to determine those competencies considered to be very important

to adolescents. Results of the answers to questions are presented

in this section.

58

Question 1

Data were examined for Question 1 which asked:

What is the rank order of clothing and textiles competencies considered very important for adolescents to study in useful homemaking courses as rated by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers?

To identify the clothing and textiles competencies considered

very important to adolescents, the data were examined to determine

which competencies respondents rated as being very important. A

rank order listing of the clothing and textiles competencies rated

by respondents as being very important to adolescents appears in

Table 1.

The five top ranked clothing and textiles competencies full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers rated as being very import­

ant for adolescents were as follows: interpret pattern information,

construct garments following guidelines which will produce quality

garments, follow clothing care instructions on garment labels, use

the most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a

garment, and analyze factors to consider in making clothing pur­

chases. Three of these competencies were associated with clothing

construction, one with clothing care, and one with clothing selec­

tion. None of the top five competencies rated as being very im­

portant to adolescents dealt with textiles.

59

TABLE 1

RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING AND TEXTILES COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY

IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

Competencies

Interpret pattern information

Construct garments following guide­lines which will produce quality garments

Follow clothing care instructions on garment labels

Use the most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a garment

Analyze factors to consider in making clothing purchases

Coordinate appropriate fabrics and notions suitable for a clothing project

Follow the correct procedures for preparing clothing con­struction materials

Use the most suitable alteration techniques to insure correct garment fit

Develop a strategy for planning and managing a wardrobe

Demonstrate the correct use of pressing equipment for differ­ent construction techniques and fabrics

Observe safety precautions when using clothing construction equipment

Competency Categories*

Co

Co

Ca

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Co

Number Rating Competency as Very Important

181

176

171

157

146

145

144

138

134

130

126

TABLE 1—Continued

60

Competencies Competency Categories*

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Analyze the effects the elements and principles of design have on different body types

Determine correct laundry and cleaning techniques and pro­cedures in given situations

Devise wardrobe plans appropriate for specific clothing budgets

Assess the benefits of comparison shopping for clothing

Evaluate the level of construc­tion difficulty of garment designs

Utilize sources of consumer in­formation in purchasing clothing

Observe safety precautions when using equipment and supplies necessary for clothing care

Select appropriate equipment for clothing care

Determine appropriate clothing selections for specific activities

Determine clothing needs and wants for given situations

Point out ways clothing is associated with personal ad­justment and group acceptance

Demonstrate appropriate methods of altering and mending apparel for given situations

Ca

Co

Ca

Ca

125

123

121

118

116

112

104

98

96

85

83

Ca 74

61

TABLE 1—Continued

Competencies Competency Categories*

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Relate characteristics of natural and synthetic fibers to their uses 73

Determine ways clothing is related to communication 65

Evaluate textile products for features which influence consumer satisfaction 62

Determine ways the consumer of clothing can use protective agencies

Analyze how advertising affects clothing selection

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in fashion related areas

61

53

52

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing construction related areas

Determine procedures for storing various types of clothing

Determine the appropriateness of various properties and pro­cesses for different textile products

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in textile related areas

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing maintenance related areas

Co

Ca

50

48

42

41

Ca 33

62

TABLE 1—Continued

Competencies Competency Categories*

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Analyze reasons for changes in trends in consumption of textile nroducts 19

Outline the processes involved in manufacturing various raw materials into different types of fabrics 13

Relate historical and societal changes in clothing to fashion

* S Ca Co T

clothing selection clothing care clothing construction textiles

63

The five competencies respondents rated as being least import­

ant were as follows: relate historical and societal changes in

clothing to fashion, outline the processes involved in manufacturing

various raw materials into different types of fabrics, analyze

reasons for changes in trends in consumption of textiles products,

determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing

maintenance related areas, and determine career opportunities

appropriate for oneself in textile related areas. Three of these

competencies were associated with textiles, one with clothing care,

and one with clothing selection. None of the five competencies

ranked as least important dealt with clothing construction.

Question 2

Data were examined for Question 2 which asked:

-̂ifhat is the rank order of clothing and textiles competencies considered very important for adole­scents to study in useful homemaking courses as rated by full-time university clothing and tex­tiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers in each of the following four categories:

a. clothing selection b. clothing care c. clothing construction d. textiles

Question 2, Part a

In order to identify clothing and textiles competencies in the

area of clothing selection considered very important to adolescents,

the data pertaining to items 1 through 13 of the rating instrument

64

were examined to determine which competencies respondents rated as

being very important. A rank order listing of the clothing selec­

tion competencies rated by respondents as being very important to

adolescents appears in Table 2.

Five clothing selection competencies were rated by the majority

of full-time clothing and textiles faculty members useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers as being very important.

Clothing selection competencies rated by the majority of respond­

ents in the study as being very important to adolescents were as

follows: analyze factors to consider in making clothing purchases,

develop a strategy for planning and managing a wardrobe, analyze

the effects the elements and principles of design have on different

body types, devise wardrobe plans appropriate for specific clothing

budgets, and assess the benefits of comparison shopping for clothing.

Respondents to the study rated one clothing selection compe­

tency much lower than all other clothing selection competencies.

Very few respondents rated the competency, relate historical and

societal changes in clothing to fashion, as being important for

adolescents to know.

Question 2, Part b

To identify clothing and textiles competencies in the area of

clothing care considered very important to adolescents, the data

in items 14 through 20 of the rating instrument were examined to

determine which competencies respondents rated as being very

65

TABLE 2

RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING SELECTION COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY

IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

Competencies

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Analyze factors to consider in making clothing purchases

Develop a strategy for planning and managing a wardrobe

146

134

Analyze the effects the elements and principles of design have on different body types

Devise wardrobe plans appropriate for specific clothing budgets

Assess the benefits of comparison shopping for clothing

Utilize sources of consumer information in purchasing clothing

Determine appropriate clothing selections for specific activities

Determine clothing needs and wants for given situations

Point out ways clothing is associated with personal adjustment and group acceptance

Determine ways clothing is related to communication

Analyze how advertising affects clothing selection

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in fashion related areas

Relate historical and societal changes in cloth­ing to fashion

125

121

118

112

96

85

83

65

53

52

66

important. The rank order of clothing care competencies rated by

respondents as being very important to adolescents appears in

Table 3.

TABLE 3

RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING CARE COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY

IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

Competencies

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Follow clothing care instructions on garment labels 171

Determine correct laundry and cleaning techniques and procedures in given situations

Observe safety precautions when using equip­ment and supplies necessary for clothing care

Select appropriate equipment for clothing care

Demonstrate appropriate methods of altering and mending apparel for given situations

Determine procedures for storing various types of clothing

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing maintenance related areas

123

104

98

74

48

33

Two clothing care competencies were rated by the majority of

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers as being very important

67

Clothing care competencies rated by the majority of respondents in

the study as being very important to adolescents were as follows:

follow clothing care instructions on garment labels and determine

correct laundry and cleaning techniques and procedures in given

situations.

Question 2, Part c

To identify clothing and textiles competencies in the area of

clothing construction considered very important to adolescents, the

data related to items 21 through 30 of the rating instrument were

examined to determine which competencies respondents rated as being

very important. A rank order listing of clothing construction com­

petencies rated by respondents as being very important to adolescents

appears in Table 4.

Nine clothing construction competencies were rated by the

majority of full-time university clothing and textiles faculty mem­

bers, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers as being

very important. Clothing construction competencies rated by the

majority of respondents in the study as being very important to

adolescents were as follows: interpret pattern information, con­

struct garments following guidelines which will produce quality

garments, use the most appropriate methods for constructing various

units of a garment, coordinate appropriate fabrics and notions

suitable for a clothing project, follow the correct procedures for

preparing clothing construction materials, use the most suitable

68

TABLE 4

RANK ORDER OF CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY

IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

Competencies

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Interpret pattern information

Construct garments following guidelines which will produce quality garments

Use the most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a garment

Coordinate appropriate fabrics and notions suitable for a clothing project

Follow the correct procedures for preparing clothing construction materials

Use the most suitable alteration techniques to insure correct garment fit

Demonstrate the correct use of pressing equip­ment for different construction techniques and fabrics

Observe safety precautions when using clothing construction equipment

Evaluate the level of construction difficulty of garment designs

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing construction related areas

181

176

157

145

144

138

130

126

116

50

alteration techniques to insure correct garment fit, demonstrate the

correct use of pressing equipment for different construction techni­

ques and fabrics, observe safety precautions when using clothing

69

construction equipment, and evaluate the level of construction

difficulty of garment designs.

Respondents to the study rated one clothing construction

competency much lower than all other clothing construction com­

petencies. Fewer respondents rated the competency, determine

career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing con­

struction related areas, as important for adolescents to know.

Question 2, Part d

To identify clothing and textiles competencies in the area

of textiles considered very important to adolescents, the data con­

tained in items 31 through 37 of the rating instrument were examined

to see which competencies respondents rated as being very important.

A rank order listing of the textiles competencies rated by respond­

ents as being very important to adolescents appears in Table 5.

None of the textiles competencies were rated by the majority

of full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, use­

ful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers as being very im­

portant. Only four textiles competencies were rated very important

by less than one-fourth of the respondents in the study. They were:

outline the processes involved in manufacturing various raw mate­

rials into different types of fabrics, analyze reasons for changes

in trends in consumption of textile products, determine career oppor­

tunities appropriate for oneself in textile related areas, and

70

TABLE 5

RANK ORDER OF TEXTILES COMPETENCIES RATED BY 226 RESPONDENTS AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT TO ADOLESCENTS

Competencies

Number Rating Competency as

Very Important

Relate characteristics of natural and synthetic fibers to their use

Evaluate textile products for features which influence consumer satisfaction

Determine ways the consumer of clothing can use protective agencies

Determine the appropriateness of various proper­ties and processes for different textile products

Determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in textile related areas

Analyze reasons for changes in trends in con­sumption of textile products

Outline the processes involved in manufacturing various raw materials into different types of fabrics

73

62

61

42

41

19

13

determine the appropriateness of various properties and processes

for different textile products.

Hypotheses Examined and Discussed

Four null hypotheses were tested in the study. Results of the

statistical testing of the hypotheses are presented in this section,

71

Hypothesis 1

The mean importance ratings assigned to clothing selection com­

petencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers were

analyzed in terms of the first hypothesis which stated:

There are no significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned to clothing selection competencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty mem­bers, useful homemaking teachers, and se­lected consumers.

Hypothesis 1 was analyzed through the use of the analysis of

variance test. The statistics resulting from the analysis of

Hypothesis 1 appear in Table 6.

TABLE 6

COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING SELECTION COMPETENCIES BY

THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS

Groups of Mean Level of Respondents N* Scores F-ratio Significance

Full-time University Clothing and Textile Faculty Members 31 54.77

Useful Homemaking Teachers 155 52.15 4.55 .05

Selected Consumers 27 55.30

*Total number does not tally 226 due to incomplete data.

72

The F-ratio obtained was significant at the .05 level. There

were significant differences among the mean importance ratings

assigned to clothing selection competencies by full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers,

and selected consumers. Thus, Hypothesis 1 was rejected. The

data were subjected to Duncan's multiple range test to determine

where the differences existed. The useful homemaking teachers'

mean importance rating for clothing selection competencies was

significantly lower than those of full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members and selected consumers. The mean im­

portance ratings of full-time university clothing and textile faculty

members and selected consumers were not significantly different from

each other. The highest mean importance rating given to clothing

selection competencies was that assigned by the group of selected

consumers. It appeared that the group of selected consumers and

the full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members per­

ceived it as somewhat more important that adolescents learn about

clothing selection competencies than did useful homemaking teachers.

Hypothesis 2

The mean importance ratings assigned to clothing care com­

petencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers were

analyzed in terms of the second hypothesis which stated:

73

There are no significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned to clothing care competencies as rated by full-time univer­sity clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected con­sumers.

Hypothesis 2 was analyzed through the use of the analysis of

variance test. The statistics resulting from the analysis of

Hypothesis 2 appear in Table 7.

TABLE 7

COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING CARE COMPETENCIES BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS

Groups of Mean Level of Respondents N* Scores F-ratio Significance

Full-time University Clothing and Textiles Faculty Members 33 29.76

Useful Homemaking Teachers 159 28.50 4.42 .05

Selected Consumers 27 30.65

*Total number does not tally 226 due to incomplete data.

The F-ratio obtained was significant at the .05 level. There

were significant differences among the mean importance ratings

assigned to clothing care competencies by full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected

consumers. Thus, Hypothesis 2 was rejected. The data were subjected

74

to Duncan's multiple range test to determine where the differences

existed. The useful homemaking teachers' mean importance rating was

significantly different than the mean importance rating of the

selected consumers. However, the mean importance rating of the

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members was not

significantly different from the mean importance ratings of either

of the other two groups of respondents. The highest mean importance

rating given to clothing care competencies was that assigned by the

group of selected consumers. It appeared that the group of selected

consumers believed it was more important that adolescents learn

about clothing care competencies than did useful homemaking teachers.

Hypothesis 3

The mean importance ratings assigned to clothing construction

competencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers were

analyzed in terms of the third hypothesis which stated:

There are no significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned to clothing construction competencies as rated by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

Hypothesis 3 was analyzed through the use of the analysis of

variance test. The statistics resulting from the analysis of

Hypothesis 3 appear in Table 8.

75

TABLE 8

COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION COMPETENCIES

BY THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS

Groups of Mean Level of Respondents N* Scores F-ratio Significance

Full-time University Clothing and Textiles Faculty Members 29 45.79

Useful Homemaking Teachers 157 44.99 3.11 .05

Selected Consumers 25 42.84

*Total number does not tally 226 due to incomplete data.

The F-ratio obtained was significant at the .05 level. There

were significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned

to clothing construction competencies by full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected

consumers. Thus, Hypothesis 3 was rejected. The data were subjected

to Duncan's multiple range test to determine where the differences

existed. The group of selected consumers' mean importance rating

was significantly lower than the mean importance ratings of the full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members and useful home-

making teachers. However, the mean importance ratings of the full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members and the useful

homemaking teachers were not significantly different from each other.

The mean importance rating of the group of selected consumers was

76

lower than the mean importance ratings of the other two groups of

respondents. It appeared that full-time university clothing and

textiles faculty members and useful homemaking teachers believed

it more important that adolescents learn about clothing construc­

tion competencies than did the group of selected consumers.

Hypothesis 4

The mean importance ratings assigned to textiles competencies

by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers were analyzed in terms of

the fourth hypothesis which stated:

There are no significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned to textiles competencies as rated by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

Hypothesis 4 was analyzed through the use of the analysis of

variance test. The statistics resulting from the analysis of

Hypothesis 4 appear in Table 9.

The F-ratio obtained was significant at the .05 level. There

were significant differences in the mean importance ratings

assigned to textiles competencies by full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and

selected consumers. Thus, Hypothesis 4 was rejected. The data were

subjected to Duncan's multiple range test to determine where the

differences existed. The mean importance ratings of full-time

77

TABLE 9

COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO TEXTILE COMPETENCIES BY

THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS

Groups of Mean Level of Respondents N* Scores F-ratio Significance

Full-time University Clothing and Textiles Faculty Members 32 26.72

Useful Homemaking Teachers 162 24.40 3.63 .05

Selected Consumers 28 25.96

*Total number does not tally 226 due to incomplete data.

university clothing and textiles faculty members and useful home-

making teachers were significantly different from each other. How­

ever the mean importance rating of the group of selected consumers

was not significantly different from the mean importance ratings of

the other two groups of respondents. The highest mean importance

rating given to textiles competencies was that assigned by full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members. It appeared that

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members believed

it was more important that adolescents learn of textiles than did

useful homemaking teachers.

Hypothesis 5

The mean importance ratings assigned to all clothing and tex­

tiles competencies by full-time university clothing and textiles

78

faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers

were analyzed in terms of the fifth hypothesis which stated:

There are no significant differences among the mean importance ratings assigned to all clothing and textiles competencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers.

Hypothesis 5 was analyzed through the use of the analysis of

variance test. The statistics resulting from the analysis of

Hypothesis 5 appear in Table 10.

TABLE 10

COMPARISON OF MEAN IMPORTANCE RATINGS ASSIGNED TO ALL CLOTHING AND TEXTILES COMPETENCIES BY

THREE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS

Groups of Mean Level of Respondents N* Scores F-ratio Significance

Full-time University Clothing and Textiles Faculty Members 26 158.23

Useful Homemaking Teachers 144 150.08 3.80 -05

Selected Consumers 23 155.22

*Total number does not tally 226 due to incomplete data.

The F-ratio obtained was significant at the .05 level. There

were significant differences in the mean importance ratings assigned

to all clothing and textiles competencies by full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers.

79

and selected consumers. Thus, Hypothesis 5 was rejected. The data

were subjected to Duncan's multiple range test to determine where

the differences existed. The mean importance ratings of the full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members and useful

homemaking teachers were significantly different from each other.

However, the mean importance rating of the group of selected con­

sumers was not significantly different from the mean importance

ratings of the other two groups of respondents. The highest mean

importance rating given to all clothing and textiles competencies

was that assigned by the full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members. The lowest mean importance rating given to all

clothing and textiles competencies was that assigned by the useful

homemaking teachers. It appeared that the full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members believed it was more important

that adolescents learn of clothing and textiles related information

than did useful homemaking teachers.

Summary

In summary, the following were the major findings as a result

of the interpretation of the descriptive data and the analyses of

the hypotheses in the study:

1. The five top ranked clothing and textiles competencies

rated by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members,

useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers as being very

important to adolescents were as follows: interpret pattern

80

information, construct garments following guidelines which will

produce quality garments, follow clothing care instructions on

garment labels, use the most appropriate methods for constructing

various units of a garment, and analyze factors to consider in

making clothing purchases.

The five competencies rated by respondents to the study as

being least important to adolescents were as follows: relate his­

torical and societal changes in clothing to fashion, outline the

process involved in manufacturing various raw materials into differ­

ent types of fabrics, analyze reasons for changes in trends in con­

sumption of textile products, determine career opportunities for

oneself in clothing maintenance related areas, and determine career

opportunities appropriate for oneself in textiles related areas.

Three of the five top rank ordered competencies considered as

being very important for adolescents to know as judged by full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking

teachers, and selected consumers were associated with clothing con­

struction. None of the five most frequently rated competencies con­

sidered as being very important to adolescents by the three groups

of respondents dealt with textiles. On the other hand, three of the

five lowest ranked competencies rated as being very important for

adolescents to attain as evaluated by full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected

consumers were associated with textiles. None of the five lowest

rated competencies dealt with clothing construction.

81

2. The five clothing selection competencies rated as being

very important to adolescents by the majority of study respondents

were as follows: analyze factors to consider in making clothing

purchases, develop a strategy for planning and managing a wardrobe,

analyze the effects the elements and principles of design have on

different body types, devise wardrobe plans appropriate for speci­

fic clothing budgets, and assess the benefits of comparison shopping

for clothing. The clothing selection competency, related historical

and societal changes in clothing to fashion, was rated much lower

than all other clothing selection competencies by study respondents.

3. The two clothing care competencies rated as being very

important to adolescents by the majority of study participants were

as follows: follow clothing care instructions on garment labels

and determine correct laundry and clearning techniques and procedures

in given situations.

4. The nine clothing construction competencies rated as being

very important to adolescents by the majority of study participants

were as follows: interpret pattern information, construct garments

following guidelines which will produce quality garments, use the

most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a garment,

coordinate appropriate fabrics and notions suitable for a clothing

project, follow the correct procedures for preparing clothing con­

struction materials, use the most suitable alteration techniques

to insure correct garment fit, demonstrate the correct use of

82

pressing equipment for different construction techniques and

fabrics, observe safety precautions when using clothing construc­

tion equipment, and evaluate the level of construction difficulty

of garment designs. The clothing construction competency, deter­

mine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing

construction related areas, was rated much lower than all other

clothing construction competencies by study participants.

5. None of the textiles competencies were rated as being

very important to adolescents by the majority of study participants.

The four textiles competencies rated as being very important to

adolescents by less than one-fourth of the study respondents were

as follows: outline the processes involved in manufacturing various

raw materials into different types of fabrics, analyze reasons for

changes in trends in consumption of textile products, determine

career opportunities appropriate for oneself in textile related

areas, and determine the appropriateness of various properties and

processes for different textile products.

6. Significant differences were found among the mean import­

ance ratings for clothing selection competencies assigned by full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers. Useful homemaking teachers

rated the clothing selection competencies as significantly less

important than the other two groups of respondents. No signifi­

cant differences were found between the mean importance ratings

83

of full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members and

selected consumers. Useful homemaking teachers gave the lowest

mean importance rating to clothing selection competencies, and

the group of selected consumers gave this category of clothing and

textiles competencies the highest mean importance rating.

7. Significant differences were found among the mean import­

ance ratings for clothing care competencies as assigned by full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful home-

making teachers, and selected consumers. Useful homemaking teachers

rated the competencies dealing with clothing care as significantly

less important than did the selected consumers. No significant

differences were found between the mean importance rating of clothing

care competencies assigned by full-time university clothing and

textiles faculty members and the mean importance ratings of the

other two groups of respondents. Useful homemaking teachers gave

the lowest mean importance rating to clothing care competencies,

while the group of selected consumers gave this category of clothing

and textiles competencies the highest mean importance rating.

8. Significant differences were found among the mean import­

ance ratings for clothing construction competencies assigned by

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers. The mean importance

rating of the selected consumers was significantly lower than the

mean importance rating scores of the respondents of the other two

84

groups. No significant differences were found between the mean

important ratings of clothing construction competencies assigned

by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members and

useful homemaking teachers. Selected consumers gave the lowest

mean importance rating to clothing construction competencies, while

the full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members gave

this category of clothing and textiles competencies the highest

mean importance rating.

9. Significant differences were found among the mean import­

ance ratings for textile competencies as assigned by full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful homemaking

teachers, and selected consumers. The useful homemaking teachers

mean importance rating was significantly lower than the mean import­

ance rating of the full-time university clothing and textiles

faculty members. No significant differences were found between the

mean importance rating for textiles competencies assigned by the

group of selected consumers and the mean importance ratings of the

other two groups of respondents. Useful homemaking teachers gave

the lowest mean importance rating to textiles competencies, while

the full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members gave

this category of clothing and textiles competencies the highest

mean rating scores.

10. Significant differences were found among the mean import­

ance ratings for all clothing and textiles competencies as assigned

85

by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members,

useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers. The useful

homemaking teachers' mean importance rating was significantly

lower than the mean importance rating score of the full-time uni­

versity clothing and textiles faculty members. No significant

differences were found between the mean importance ratings of all

clothing and textiles competencies assigned by the group of

selected consumers and the other two groups of respondents. The

useful homemaking teachers gave the lowest mean importance rating

to all clothing and textiles competencies, while the full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members gave the compe­

tencies the highest mean importance rating.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS,

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A summary of the study and conclusions which seem to be warranted

based on the interpretation and analysis of data are provided in this

chapter. Based upon findings of the study, recommendations are made

for further research in the area of developing instructional materials

for useful homemaking programs in Texas.

Summary of the Study

Two primary goals provided direction for the study. The major

purpose of the study was to identify clothing and textiles competen­

cies most frequently rated as being very important to adolescents

to attain as perceived by the following three groups of respondents:

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers. The secondary purpose

of the study was to compare and analyze mean importance ratings

assigned to the clothing and textiles competencies by the three

groups of respondents using the rating instrument developed by the

researcher. The project was undertaken to assist the Home Economics

Instructional Materials Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock,

Texas, in revising the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide pub­

lished in 1973.

86

87

The sample for the study consisted of the following three

groups of people: thirty-two full-time university clothing and

textiles faculty members associated with institutions of higher

learning in Texas offering accredited Vocational Home Economics

Teacher Education programs, 166 randomly selected useful homemak­

ing teachers in Texas, and twenty-eight selected consumers living

in Lubbock, Texas. All three groups completed a rating instrument

designed by the researcher titled, "Clothing and Textiles Compe­

tencies Important to High School Adolescents." Respondents rated

thirty-seven competencies, which were grouped into four categories,

pertaining to clothing and textiles on a five-point scale according

to the level of importance they believed each competency had for

adolescent students. The rating instruments were filled out and

returned to the researcher at the Home Economics Instructional

Materials Center between March and May of 1980.

Data obtained from the rating instrument were tallied on tally

sheets, key punched, and verified on cards at the Texas Tech Univer­

sity Computer Center located in Lubbock, Texas. From these totals,

frequency counts were made to determine the rank order of competencies

rated as being very important for adolescents to attain. Analysis

of variance tests were also utilized to determine if significant

differences existed among the mean importance ratings assigned by

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members, useful

homemaking teachers, and selected consumers to all clothing and

88

textiles competencies and each of the following four categories

of competencies: clothing selection, clothing care, clothing con­

struction, and textiles.

Findings of the Study

Findings resulting from interpretations and analyses of the

data in the study were as follows:

1. The five top ranked clothing and textiles competencies

rated by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members,

useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers as being very import­

ant to adolescents were as follows: interpret pattern information,

construct garments following guidelines which will produce quality

garments, follow clothing care instructions on garment labels, use

the most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a

garment, and analyze factors to consider in making clothing purchases.

The five competencies rated by respondents to the study as

being least important to adolescents were as follows: relate his­

torical and societal changes in clothing to fashion, outline the

process involved in manufacturing various raw materials into differ­

ent types of fabrics, analyze reasons for changes in trends in

consumption of textile products, determine career opportunities for

oneself in clothing maintenance related areas, and determine career

opportunities appropriate for oneself in textiles related areas.

Three of the five top ranked competencies considered to be very

important for adolescents to learn as perceived by the respondents

89

were associated with clothing construction while none of the five

top ranked competencies dealt with textiles. On the other hand,

three of the five lowest ranked competencies dealt with textiles,

while none of the five lowest ranked competencies dealt with cloth­

ing construction.

2. The five clothing selection competencies rated as being

very important to adolescents by the majority of study respondents

were as follows: analyze factors to consider in making clothing

purchases, develop a strategy for planning and managing a wardrobe,

analyze the effects the elements and principles of design have on

different body types, devise wardrobe plans appropriate for speci­

fic clothing budgets, and assess the benefits of comparison shopping

for clothing. The clothing selection competency, relate historical

and societal changes in clothing to fashion, was rated much lower

than all other clothing selection competencies by study respondents.

3. The two clothing care competencies rated as being very im­

portant to adolescents by the majority of study participants were

as follows: follow clothing care instructions on garment labels and

determine correct laundry and cleaning techniques and procedures

in given situations.

4. The nine clothing construction competencies rated as being

very important to adolescents by the majority of study participants

were as follows: interpret pattern information, construct garments

following guidelines which will produce quality garments, use the

90

most appropriate methods for constructing various units of a gar­

ment, coordinate appropriate fabrics and notions suitable for a

clothing project, follow the correct procedures for preparing

clothing construction materials, use the most suitable alteration

techniques to insure correct garment fit, demonstrate the correct

use of pressing equipment for different construction techniques

and fabrics, observe safety precautions when using clothing con­

struction equipment, and evaluate the level of construction diffi­

culty of garment designs. The clothing construction competency,

determine career opportunities appropriate for oneself in clothing

construction related areas, was rated much lower than all other

clothing construction competencies by study participants.

5. None of the textiles competencies were rated as being very

important to adolescents by the majority of study participants.

The four textiles competencies rated as being very important to

adolescents less than one-fourth of the study respondents were as

follows: outline the processes involved in manufacturing various

raw materials into different types of fabrics, analyze reasons for

changes in trends in consumption of textile products, determine

career opportunities appropriate for oneself in textile related

areas, and determine the appropriateness of various properties and

process for different textile products.

6. There were significant differences found among the mean

importance ratings assigned to clothing selection competencies by

91

the three groups of respondents. The F-value was significant at

the .05 level. Duncan's multiple range test was used to deter­

mine where the differences existed. Significant differences were

found to exist between the mean importance rating of useful home-

making teachers and the mean importance ratings of the other two

groups of respondents. Useful homemaking teachers assigned sig­

nificantly lower scores to clothing selection competencies than

persons in the other two groups. No significant differences existed

between the mean importance rating assigned to clothing selection

competencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members and the group of selected consumers.

7. There were significant differences found among the mean

importance ratings assigned to clothing care competencies by the

three groups of respondents. The F-value was significant at the

.05 level. Duncan's multiple range test was used to determine where

the differences existed. Significant differences were found to

exist between the mean importance ratings of useful homemaking

teachers and those of the group of selected consumers. The lowest

scores assignd to clothing care competencies were those of the

useful homemaking teachers, while the highest scores given to

this competency category were those of the group of selected con­

sumers. No significant differences existed between the mean im­

portance rating assigned to clothing care competencies by full-

time university clothing and textiles faculty members and the mean

importance ratings of the other two groups of respondents.

92

8. There were significant differences found among the mean

importance ratings assigned to clothing construction competencies

by the three groups of respondents. The F-value was significant

at the .05 level. Duncan's multiple range test was used to deter­

mine where the differences existed. Significant differences were

found to exist between the mean importance rating of the group of

selected consumers and the mean importance ratings of the other

groups of respondents. The group of selected consumers assigned

the lowest rating to clothing construction competencies, while the

highest mean importance rating scores assigned to this category

of competencies were those of the full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members. No significant differences existed

between the mean ratings assigned to clothing construction compe­

tencies by full-time university clothing and textiles faculty mem­

bers and useful homemaking teachers.

9. There were significant differences found among the mean

importance ratings assigned to textile competencies by the three

groups of respondents. The F-value was significant at the .05 level.

Duncan's multiple range test was used to determine where the sig­

nificant differences existed. Significant differences were found

to exist between the mean importance rating of full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members and the mean importance rating

of useful homemaking teachers. The highest scores given to tex­

tiles competencies were those of full-time university clothing and

93

textiles faculty members, while the lowest scores assigned to this

category of competencies were those of the useful homemaking

teachers.

10. There were significant differences found among the mean

importance ratings assigned to all clothing and textiles competen­

cies by the three groups of respondents. The F-value was signifi­

cant at the .05 level. Duncan's multiple range test was used to

determine where the significant differences existed. Significant

differences were found to exist between the mean importance ratings

of full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members and

those of the useful homemaking teachers. The highest scores given

to all clothing and textiles competencies were those of full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, while the lowest

scores assigned to the competencies were those of the useful home-

making teachers.

Conclusions

Data acquired were limited to the sample consisting of 226

respondents who completed the rating instrument for identifying

clothing and textiles competencies useful to adolescents between

March and May of 1980. Based upon interpretations and analyses

of findings, these tentative conclusions have been drawn:

1. In the rank ordering of all thirty-seven clothing and

textiles competencies by study participants, competencies related

to clothing construction were considered more important for

94

adolescents to attain than competencies related to textiles, which

were rated the lowest of all competency areas. These findings

indicate the full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members, useful homemaking teachers, and selected consumers con­

sider it more important that adolescents learn clothing construc­

tion skills as opposed to learning about skills and information

regarding textiles. These results may be due to the fact that

many teachers tend to spend more time in the area of clothing con­

struction than in the study of textiles because it is easier to

plan clothing construction labs than to prepare relevant lessons

dealing with textile information. This may also suggest that fewer

relevant resources are available for teaching textiles information

in secondary programs. Consumers may have expressed an interest in

the importance of clothing construction competencies as a result of

the current inflationary period which affects the cost of purchas­

ing wearing apparel.

2. In the rank ordering of all thirty-seven clothing and

textile competencies by study participants, clothing selection

competencies were rated as being the second area of importance for

adolescents while competencies related to clothing care were gen­

erally ranked as the third area of importance. This suggests that

the respondents may enjoy selecting clothing and wearing apparel

more than they like caring for and maintaining clothing. There­

fore, they think it is more important for adolescents to learn

effective ways for selecting clothing rather than being exposed

95

to methods and procedures for caring for clothing. A lack of

facilities in the homemaking departments of some schools for planning

relevant learning experiences in units of study associated with the

care of clothing may also be a factor in the lower rankings assigned

to clothing care competencies.

3. In examining each of the four categories of competencies

covered on the rating instrument, respondents seemed to rate com­

petencies associated with careers in clothing and textiles related

areas as being the least useful to adolescents. These findings

indicate respondents placed a low priority on studying careers in

clothing and textiles related areas. This suggests that some edu­

cators tend to allot more time in the clothing unit to the other

aspects of clothing and textiles with little, if any, time devoted

to identifying career opportunities existing in the areas of cloth­

ing and textiles. There may also be a lack of updated, relevant

materials in this particular area of study.

4. When the mean importance ratings assigned to clothing

selection competencies by the three groups of respondents were com­

pared, findings revealed that there were significant differences

among the mean importance rating assigned by the useful homemaking

teachers and the ratings of the other two groups, with the useful

homemaking teachers having a significantly lower mean importance

rating for clothing selection competencies than the full-time uni­

versity clothing and textiles faculty members and the group of

selected consumers. Useful homemaking teachers, as compared to

96

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members and the

group of selected consumers, placed a lower priority on clothing

selection related competencies as being important for high school

adolescents. This may reflect the fact that useful homemaking

teachers tend to spend less time teaching clothing selection sub­

ject matter as compared to some other areas of clothing. This

may hamper adolescents' abilities to use clothing selection in­

formation in future years due to a lack of sufficient background

experiences and exposure in this area for allowing them to form

adequate generalizations pertaining to clothing selection related

concepts.

5. When the three groups of respondents' mean importance

ratings for clothing care competencies were compared, findings

revealed that there was a significant difference in the rating

assigned by useful homemaking teachers as compared to the rating

of the group of selected consumers, with the useful homemaking

teachers having a significantly lower mean rating score than the

group of selected consumers who had the highest mean ratings for

clothing care competencies. Useful homemaking teachers placed a

lower priority on clothing care related competencies as compared

to the group of selected consumers, who placed a higher priority

on clothing care related competencies. This suggests that useful

homemaking teachers tend to allot more time to teaching subject

matter in other areas of clothing, because many homemaking depart­

ments have limited funds and facilities for providing practical

97

learning experiences in the area of clothing care. These findings

may further suggest that the group of selected consumers may en­

counter problems in the area of clothing care and maintenance.

They may consider a homemaking course including a unit on clothing

care as a logical and practical place for obtaining information per­

taining to clothing care practices and gaining skills required for

successfully handling clothing care problems.

6. When the mean importance ratings assigned to clothing con­

struction competencies by the three groups of respondents were com­

pared, findings revealed that there were significant differences

between the rating assigned by the group of selected consumers and

the other two groups of persons in the study. The group of selected

consumers assigned a significantly lower mean importance rating to

clothing construction competencies than did the other two groups

of respondents. It seemed that the group of selected consumers,

as compared to full-time university clothing and textiles faculty

members and useful homemaking teachers, placed a lower priority on

clothing construction related competencies. This may suggest that

the group of selected consumers have encountered problems in attempt­

ing to construct quality-made clothing and are limited in time,

facilities, and equipment necessary to create satisfactory garments.

Consumers may perceive a lack of variety in available clothing

patterns and may think that ready-to-wear apparel is of better

quality than individually constructed garments.

98

7. \^en the mean importance ratings assigned to textile com­

petencies by the three groups of respondents were compared, find­

ings revealed that there was a significant difference in the mean

importance rating assigned by full-time university clothing and

textiles faculty members when they were compared to useful home-

making teachers. The useful homemaking teachers assigned a sig­

nificantly lower mean importance rating to textile competencies

than full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members,

who had the highest mean importance rating score for textiles com­

petencies. It seemed that useful homemaking teachers placed a lower

priority on textile related competencies compared to full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, who placed a

higher priority on textiles related competencies. This suggests

that full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members

may currently be involved in research associated with textiles,

thus devoting much of their time and interest to this area. This

may also indicate that useful homemaking teachers are likely to

allot the majority of time spent in clothing units to other areas

of clothing.

8. When the mean importance ratings assigned to all clothing

and textiles competencies by the three groups of respondents were

compared, findings revealed that there was a significant difference

in the mean importance rating assigned by full-time university

clothing and textiles faculty members when it was compared with the

99

mean importance rating of useful homemaking teachers. The useful

homemaking teachers assigned a significantly lower mean importance

rating to all clothing and textiles competencies than full-time

university clothing and textiles faculty members, who had the

highest mean importance rating for all clothing and textiles com­

petencies. It seemed that useful homemaking teachers placed a

lower priority on clothing and textiles related competencies com­

pared to full-time university clothing and textiles faculty mem­

bers, who placed a higher priority on clothing and textiles related

competencies. This suggests that full-time university clothing

and textiles faculty members may be more knowledgeable in the area

of clothing and textiles and, therefore, emphasize more clothing

and textiles content be taught in the high school classroom. This

also indicated that useful homemaking teachers must also provide

units in other areas of home economics and must not emphasize one

area more than the others.

Recommendations for Further Study

The study pertaining to identification of clothing and tex­

tiles competencies important to adolescents enrolled in useful

homemaking courses has revealed the need for further research in

the area. Recommendations for further research include:

1. Conducting a study to compare consumers' ratings of cloth­

ing and textiles competencies to determine if their responses are

influenced by having or not having had a clothing and textiles

unit of study in a useful homemaking course.

100

2. Replicating the study with a larger group of consumers

of varying ages, cultural backgrounds, economic levels, and

geographical locations.

3. Refining the rating instrument to determine the specific

levels of competencies to be included in various sequence courses

of useful homemaking (Homemaking I, Homemaking II, Homemaking III).

4. Designing a similar rating instrument including competen­

cies in other subject matter areas associated with useful home-

making and conducting the study in a similar manner. For instance,

the same procedures could be carried out to identify competencies im­

portant to adolescents in the areas of food and nutrition, child

development, home management, family living, and consumer education,

and so on.

5. Conducting further research to examine the ratings assigned

to clothing and textiles competencies by male and female respond­

ents.

6. Using the instrument developed for the study to obtain

adolescent students' ratings of clothing and textiles competencies

they consider as being most important^to. attain.

7. Conducting a similar study and including a questionnaire

to obtain background data pertaining to teaching experience of

full-time university clothing and textiles faculty members and

useful homemaking teachers and analyzing the data for significant

differences on selected variables such as amount of education,

number of years of teaching experience, highest educational level

attained, and familiarity with the curriculum guide.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1. Alexander, William M., and Saylor, J. Galen. Secondary Educa­tion Basic Principles and Practices. New York: Rinehart and Co., Inc., 1950.

2. Alexander, William M.; Saylor, J. Galen; and Williams, Emmett L. The High School Today and Tomorrow. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., 1971.

3. American Home Economics Association. Concepts and Generaliza­tions: Their Place in High School Home Economics Curriculum Development. Washington, D.C.: The Association, 1967.

4. Baker, Gwendolyn C. "The Role of the School in Transmitting the Culture of all Learners in a Free and Democratic Society." Educational Leadership 36 (November 1978): 134-136, 138.

5. Bell, Camille G. Basic Competencies for Beginning Teachers in Vocational Education. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech Univer­sity Home Economics Instructional Materials Center, 1976.

6. Bloom, Benjamin. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classi-fication of Educational Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1956.

7. Briggs, Linda K. "Factors Influencing Current Fashion Awareness of Young Unmarried Women with Different Levels of Education in Denton, Texas." Master's thesis, Texas Women's Univer­sity, 1976.

8. Brown, Peggy S., and Haas, Mary Helen. "High School Home Eiconomics Courses Can Improve Consumer Competencies." Illinois Teacher of Home Economics 21 (May-June 1978): 243-246.

9. Burns, Richard W., and Brooks, Gary D. Curriculum Design in a Changing Society. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Educational Technology Publications, 1970.

10. "Buyers Swing to Quality." Time, December 3, 1979, pp. 82-84.

11. Camplese, Donald A., and O'Bruba, William. "The Relationship Between Teaching Experience and Attitude Toward Behavior-ially Stated Objectives." College Student's Journal 13 (Fall 1979): 221-223.

101

102

12. Chamberlain, Valerie M., and Kelly, Joan. Creative Home Economics Instruction. New York: Webster Division, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1975.

13. Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship. "How State Mandates Affect Curriculum." Educational Leadership 37 (January 1980): 334-336.

1^' Competencies for Home Economics Teachers. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1978.

15. Darst, Paul W. "A Direction for Teacher Education." Physical Education 36 (March 1979): 3-8.

16. Devereux, Hilary. "How Valuable is Home Economics?" Special Education: Forward Trends 6 (June 1979): 16-19.

17. DeLong, Marilyn R., and Larntz, Kinley. "Measuring Visual Response to Clothing." Home Economics Research Journal 8 (March 1980): 281-293.

18. Dodl, Norman R. Catolog Competencies. Tallahassee, FL.: Florida Department of Education, 1973.

19. Ehrenberg, Sydell. A Taxonomy of Education Competencies for Classroom Instruction, for Instructional Leadership. Miami, FL.: Institution for Staff Development, 1974.

20. Entwistle, N. M. "Knowledge Structure and Styles of Learning: A Summary of Pask's Recent Research." British Journal of Educational Psychology 48 (November 1978): 255-265.

21. "Fashion Fundamentals." Tips and Topics XX (Spring 1980): 5.

22. Eraser, Edie. "Consumerism in 1978." Business and Society Review (Winter 1978): 81.

23. Carman, Thomas E. "The Cognitive Consumer Education Knowledge of Prospective Teachers: A National Assessment." Journal of Consumer Affairs 13 (Summer 1979): 54-63.

24. Giroux, Henry A. "Toward a New Sociology of Curriculum." Educational Leadership 37 (December 1979): 248-253.

25. Goldstein, Herbert. Social Learning Curriculum and Evaluation.

Yeshiva University, New York: ERIC Document Reproduction Services, ED 040 902, 1969.

103

26. Graef, Judy L., and Strom, Joan B. Concepts in Clothing. New York: Webster Division, McGraw Hill Book Co., 1976.

27. Gurel, Lois M., and Gurel, Lee. "Clothing Interest: Con­ceptualization and Measurement." Home Economics Research Journal 7 (May 1979): 274-282. """"

28. Hall, Gene E., and Jones, Howard L. Competency-Based Educa­tion: A Process for the Improvement of Education. Englewood, N. J.: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1976.

29. Havinghurst, Robert J. "Common Experience Versus Diversity in the Curriculum." Educational Leadership 36 (November 1978): 118-121.

30. Heidman, Robert C. "Patterns in Educational Change." Journal of Teacher Education XXIX (July-August 1978): 31-35.

31. Hogg, James H., and Giusti, James H. "Direct Involvement in Planning: A Means of Attaining Adult Competency." Education 100 (Winter 1979): 146-148.

32. Honeycutt, Sandra S. "Development and Evaluation of Curricu­lum Materials for Home Economics Coordinated Vocational Academic Education Programs." Master's thesis, Texas Tech University, 1976.

33. Hoyt, Cyril J., and Stunkard, Clayton L. "Estimation of Test Reliability for Unrestricted Item Scoring Methods." Educational and Psychological Measurement 12 (1972): 756-759.

34. Hughes, Andrew S. "Curricular Knowledge Organization and Variations in Instructional Emphases." Alberta Journal of Educational Research 25 (March 1979): 4-19.

35. Krawthwohl, David R. "Stating Objectives Appropriately for Programs, for Curricula, and for Instructional Materials Development," in Behavioral Objectives in Curriculum Development, edited by Miriam B. Kapfer. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Educational Technology Publications, 1971.

36. Krawthwohl, David B.; Bloom, Benjamin S.; and Masis, Bertran B. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classifica­tion Educational Goals. Handbook II: Affective Domain. New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1964.

104

37. Langrehr, Frederick W. "Consumer Education: Does it Change Students' Competencies and Attitudes?" Journal of Consumer Affairs 13 (Summer 1979) : 41-53"!

38. Larken, Martha M. "Curriculum Revision in a Big City - Money versus Sense." Clearing House 52 (October 1978): 89-93,

Lehrer, Barry E.; Melnick, Gerald I.; and Greenbery, Sandra. Teacher Evaluations of Curriculum in Curriculum Develop­

ment Programs." Educational Technology 13 (May 1973): 31-36.

Martin, John Henry. "Reconsidering the Goals of High School Education." Educational Leadership 37 (January 1980)-278-285. ' ^

39

40,

41. Miller, Mark J. "Structuring: An Answer to Student Consumerism in the Schools." Personnel and Guidance Journal 58 (September 1979): 76-77. ~

42. Morris, M. A., and Prato, H. H. "Performance of Garments Re­lated to Initial Cost and Care." Home Economics Research Journal 7 (November 1978): 76-84.

43. Murphy, Patricia D. "Curriculum Development in Consumer Edu­cation." Illinois Teacher of Home Economics 21 (May-June 1978): 232-236.

44. McAdams, LeBland. "Masculine Self Concepts as Related to Factors of Body Adornment." Ph.D. dissertation, Texas Women's University, 1976.

45. McCutcheon, Gail. "The Curriculum: Patchwork or Crazy Quilt." Educational Leadership 36 (November 1978): 114-116.

46. Nickols, Sharon Y. and Powell, Claire L. "Consumer Education for Today's Youth." Journal of Extension 17 (January-February 1979): 14-17.

47. Pace, Allena B. Clothing and Textiles Basic Competencies for Beginning Teachers of Vocational Home Economics. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Materials Center, 1976.

48. Ringel, Lance. "Sewing, Not for Women Only." Fabric News to the Trade 1 (March 10, 1980): 1, 38.

49. Samalonis, Bernice L. Methods and Materials for Today's High Schools. New York: Van Rostrand Reinhold Co., 1970.

105

50. Rosencranz, Mary Lou. Clothing Concepts - A Social-Psychologi­cal Approach. New York: Macmillan Co., 1972.

51. Scitovsky, Tibor. "A New Approach to the Theory of Consumer Behavior." American Economist 17 (Fall 1973): 29-32.

52. Sexauer, Benjamin. "A Monthly Analysis of Consumer Demand in the United States." The Quarterly Review of Economics and Business 17 (Winter 1977): 27-41.

53. Simpson, Elizabeth J. The Classification of Objectives, Psychomotor Domain. Urbana, II.: University of Illinois, 1966.

54. Swanson, John L. "Counseling Directory and Consumer's Guide: Implementing Professional Disclosure and Consumer Pro­tection." The Personnel and Guidance Journal 58: (November 1979): 190-193.

55. Taba, Hilda. Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 1962.

56. Tanner, Daniel, and Tanner, Laurel. Curriculum Development: Theory into Practice. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1975.

57. Tyler, Ralph W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruc­tion. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1949.

58. Wall, Margorie; Dickey, Lois E.; and Talarzyk, W. Wayne. "Profiling Consumer Communication of Compalints About Clothing Preference." Home Economics Research Journal 7 (July 1979): 368-378.

59. Westbury, Ian. "Curriculum Evaluation." Review of Educational Research 40 (April 1970): 239-260.

60. Williams, Herma B. "Consumer Knowledge Needs Assessment: A Technique to Motivate Secondary Students." Illinois Teacher of Home Economics 21 (May-June 1978): 246-248.

61. Wood, Merle W. "Curriculum Development Checklist." Business Education 32 (May 1978): 40-43.

62. Wragg, Marilyn H. "Development and Use of an Instrument to Evaluate Curriculum Materials in Consumer Education." Master's thesis, Texas Tech University, 1976.

Vff^

APPENDIX A

RATING INSTRUMENT

^

CO

H Z W

u C/3

W

o

o o u C/3

o X

o H H Z < H P< O

O H

CO

W l-H

u z w H w o u w I—H

H X w H Q O Z l-H K H O U

V3

1/5

G (U C/3 <D

o >> e n

-*->

o • 1—1

:«

.a -t-> c o

• »-< +->

a •a o D

T3 ^ -•-> O f t

.2 o

o

o

o C3

0)

s (/3 c o U

o

H

s o

a

O o o

CO

s

-4->

o tin

(D

3

2̂ §

•S a cd

CA

<o <D

.S X T3

00 g> «? fi ^ S 2 | S ^ o

V.% Vi O 'SH

<u

c/3 o '73 <u J - (-! « l

^ o -

^ .aa ia O O (U

-»->

y "S | -Z CL,

S l - H

+->

^ g -»-> +-> •as^ a 0^ ^ s

1—H

"S -*-' ^ u | i -g a 0 s

CO HH

cd -•-» S VH - ^ <D 0

T 3 SH.

0 S

-(-•

> > -4-> 7 ! *-< * 0 o i 0

> O H

B >—{

z 0

SEL

EC

TI

TH

ING

0

0 • I—(

• 1—t

:3

6 0 0

0

T 3

i2

00

2 -t->

0^ 13

Vi

0

Q

- - '

-4.J

<D

c« :3

^ cd

13

0 23 0)

•^

T 3

0 1/3 Vi

c«

0 0

-4->

0

Vi

ed

0 ••->

C • 1—t

0 P H

CN

0

cd

3 0

T 3 C cd

d 0

2 Vi

0

bJQ

• 1 - H

-4-»

13 c « 3

0

13 • l - H

0 0 Vi

7 3

Id 0

•c 0 +-> Vi

2 • M

Cd

13

ro

CO

• 1—1

0 Cd

0

•I—1 u 0 OH CA

(-1

0 (4 - (

CA

• T - H

0

13 t A

00

13 D

-4-> cd

•c 0 -0

C i OH Cd

C

CD • • - '

Q

' ^

CA

'•4-> Cd 13

-4->

CA

c > •5b

a Vi

cd

cd CA

^3 0 <1>

c 00

c 2 13

.S

Q

IT)

0) X) 0

T 3

Cd

^

Cd

00

•£3) cd

cd

T 3

§ 00

c c c cd

0 «i;

cd

CA

Cd

O

13 > Q

VO

CA

1) 00

X 5

00

•S -4->

13 0

•I—I a 1)

CA

t.1 0

Cd

a 2

cd

^

"o

l - i

T 3

Q

r-

0 0

^ X

CA

CH- I

0 CA

" O H

0

O H

0 cd CA

-•->

c

13 (L>

- ^ CA CA ( U

t3 0-0 •>»

w 0 J 3 0

-4->

> , 1-1

Cd <^» C ^ < "O

0 0 (

107

-»-> c cd

-4-> +->

o g ^ Z CIH

S 1—1

•4->

l -H Cd -•-» •*-» -as^ ;:3 OH

CO g ) -H

"13 -t-" 2 fi

• ^ cd

S OH

o B CO HH

^ -4—>

13 S -4.J Cd cd -t-* l i ; JH T : t <u O

73 OH

4->

fl

(D o > OH

B l -H

o

ig S

elec

tion

(C

• H

O

u

urch

ases

.

o. 00

• -H

ing

clot

h

^ cd B

ider

i

cons

o

naly

ze f

acto

rs

<

o\

othi

ng.

chas

ing

cl

pur

nat

ion

in

o

inf

ium

er

cons

<H-I

o

tili

ze

sour

ces

D

CJ

loth

ing.

CJ fH O

«+-i

ihop

ping

Vi

c

riso

om

pa

o CH-I

o CA

••-> : i — '

sses

s th

e be

nef

<

• "—I

c

ctio

(U

loth

ing

sel

CJ CA

gaf

fe

tisi

n

<D

>

naly

ze h

ow a

d

<

r j —H

fash

ion

for

ones

elf

in

ppro

pria

te

cd Vi

•1—1

rtun

it

:odd

o I H

eter

min

e ca

ree

late

d a

reas

.

Q 2i

rn

Vi

I H

J3

o

TH

ING

CA

RE

O

u

re.

cd

loth

ing

c

o I H

tfo

pmen

eq

ui

elec

t ap

prop

ria

CO

^*

uppl

ies

ent

and

s ip

m

3

usin

g eq

w

hen

:ions

;a

re.

3

bser

ve s

afet

y pr

e ec

essa

ry f

or c

loth

O c

i n

els.

la

b n

garm

ent

o CA

ion

stru

ct

Cd o

ollo

w c

loth

ing

PLH

vd

lend

ing

g an

d m

er

in

-*->

ds

of

a]

o X

ate

met

pp

ropr

i •e

mon

stra

te

a

Q

t^

ions

. tu

at]

ppar

el f

or g

iven

si

cd

proc

e-iq

ues

and

chni

(D

lean

ing

t

o 73 C cd

ndry

la

u

o

•ete

rmin

e co

rr

u

00

CA'

tion

cu 3

-•H

ures

in

give

n si

73

othi

ng.

type

s of

cl

Vi

g va

riou

_H "C o CA

for

ures

73

Det

erm

ine

pro(

ON"

108

109

no

APPENDIX B

LETTER TO DEANS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS

112

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Matenais Center

College of Home Economics

March 3, 1980

Dear Chairperson:

The Clothing and Textiles Curriculum Guide develooed by the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center in 1973 is currently under revision. This guide is presently used by vocational homemaking teachers who teach in secondary useful homemaking programs through­out Texas. Because your university offers an accredited Vocational Home Economics Education program, we need the help of your clothing and textiles staff in this project.

Input from university professionals such as those in your college is vital in revising the curriculum guide in order to adequately aeet the needs of present homemaking teachers, their students, and your future students. Because of the expertise of ihe professionals in your clothing and textiles department, chey are in a strategic posi­tion to determine competencies co be acquired by adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking programs.

We would appreciate your completing the enclosed form. It requests information pertaining to each of your full-time clothing and textile faculty members. Once we have obtained these names, we will contact each person to solicit their assistance in completing a questionnaire indicating the importance of teaching selected subject matter.

A return postage-paid envelope has been enclosed for /our conveni­ence in returning the form. Please return the completed form to cne Home Economics Instructional Materials Center by March 10, 1980.

We appreciate your time and assistance. Your participation will help to improve the quality of instructional materials for homemaking programs in Texas.

Sincerely.

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Di rec to r

LRG/jab

Enclosure

Box 4067 / Lubbock. Texas 79409 /'806) '42-3028

APPENDIX C

RESPONSE SHEET

114

FULL-TIME UNIVERSITY CLOTHING AND TEXTILE FACULTY

University

DIRECTIONS: Please supply the needed information in the space pro­vided. Submit only the names of full-time clothing and textiles faculty members at your institution.

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

NAME

POSITION

w-

APPENDIX D

COVER LETTER TO FULL-TIME

UNIVERSITY CLOTHING & TEXTILES

FACULTY MEMBERS

116

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instruaionai Materials Center

College oi Home Economics

March 25, 1980

Dear University Professor:

The enclosed rating scale has been developed in cooperation with the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center as part of a project to revise the Go thing and Textiles curriculum guide published by the Center in 1973. This guide is used by high school vocational homemaking teachers who teach in useful homemaking programs throughout the state of Texas. Since you are an expen in the area of clothing and textiles, we need your assistance in this project.

The rating scale enclosed provides you an opportunity to indicate the level of importance that you believe should be placed on specific clothing and textiles competencies taught to high school adolescents. For purposes of this project, a competency lias oeen detined as a terminal performance objective. Space is provided for you to add any additional compe­tencies you believe to be imponant for high school adolescents.

Feedback from university professionals such as yourself is vital in revismg the curriculum guide in order to adequately meet the needs of present homemaking teachers, their students, and your tuture students. Because you have expertise in this subject matter area, you are in an excellent position to determine competencies to be acquired by adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking courses.

Please complete the enclosed rating scale. It has been designed to obtam necessar/ infor­mation while taking a minimum of your time. Your reactions will provide valuable information to us in revising the materials. The information obtained through this rating scale will be used only in developing statistical composites of teachers' reactions co rhe given clothing and textiles competencies. Responses will not be tdentiiled with you or your program.

A return postage-paid envelope has been enclosed for your convenience m returning the rating scale. Please return the completed instrument to the Home Economics Instruc­tional Materials Center by .April 18, 1980.

Box 4067 / Lubbock. Texas 79409 / '8061 '42-3028

117

Page

We appreciate your time and assistance. Your participation will help to improve the quality of instructional materials for your program.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

LRG/jab

Enclosure

APPENDIX E

FOLLOW-UP POSTCARD TO FULL-TIME

UNIVERSITY CLOTHING AND

TEXTILES FACULTY MEMBERS

••r^ms

119

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Matenais Center

College or Home Economics

April 28, 1980

Dear University Professor:

The week of March 25, 1980, the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center sent to you a rating scale requesting your input in indicating clothing and textile competencies to be taught to high school adolescents. Because you are an expert in the area of clothing and textiles, your feedback is vital in order to adequately revise the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide pubhslied by the Center in 1973.

If you have not already returned the rating scale, please complete and return it by May 7, 1980, in the return postage-paid envelope which was provided m the initial correspondence. If you have already mailed your response, please dis­regard this reminder.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

Box 4067 / Lubbock, Texas r9409 / (806) 742-3028

APPENDIX F

LETTER TO AREA CONSULTANTS

^'^"^''^^mm

121

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Matenais Center

College of Home Economics

March 3, 1980

Dear Area Consultant:

The Clothing and Textiles Curriculum Guide developed by che acme Economics Instructional Materials Canter in 1973 is currently under revision. Since usetul homemaking teachers in your area use these materials, we need their help in this project.

Input from useful homemaking teachers such as those in your area is vital in revising the curriculum guide in order to adequately aeet their needs and those of their students. Because teachers are in direct contact with high school adolescents, they are in the best position to determine competencies to be acquired by adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking programs.

Please supply us with an updated list of all useful homemaking teachers in your area. The school names and addresses of these teachers are also needed so chat we may contact them individually for the purposes previously mentioned.

.A. return postage-paid envelope has been enclosed for your conveni­ence in supplying us with che names of teachers in your area. Please return the list to the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center by March 10, 1980.

We appreciate your time and assistance. Your participation will help to improve the quality of instructional materials for home-making programs in Texas.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

LRG/jab

3ox 4067 / Lubbock. Texas /-9409 / (806) ;42-3028

APPENDIX G

COVER LETTER TO USEFUL

HOMEMAKING TEACHERS

123

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Materials Center

College of Home Economics

March 25, 1980

Dear Useful Homemaking Teacher:

The enclosed rating scale has been developed in cooperation with the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center as part of a project to revise the Go thing and Textiles curriculum guide published by the Center in 1973. Since you have used the materials to teach clothing and textiles concepts, we need your help in this project.

The rating scale enclosed provides you an opportunity to indicate the levels of impor­tance you believe should be placed on specific clothing and textiles competencies taught to high school adolescents. For purposes of this project, a competency has been detined as a terminal performance objective. Space is provided for you to add any additional competencies you believe to be important for high school adolescents.

Feedback from useful homemaking teachers such as yourself is vital in revismg the curriculum guide in order to adequately meet your needs and those of your students. Because you are in direct contact with high school adolescents, you are in the best position to determine competencies to be acquired by adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking courses.

Please complete the enclosed rating scale. It has been designed to obtain necessary infor­mation while taking a minimum of your time. Your reactions will provide valuable information to us in revising the matenais. The information obtained through this rating scale will be used only in developing statistical composites of teachers' reactions to the given clothing and textiles competencies. Responses will not be identiiled with you or your program.

A return postage-paid envelope has been enclosed for your convenience in retummg the rating scale. Please return the completed instrument to the Home Economics Instruc­tional Materials Center by April 18, 1980.

Box 4067 / Lubbock, Texas 79409 / (806) '42-3028

124

Page 1

We appreciate your time and assistance. Your participation wUl help to improve the quality of instructional materials for homemaking programs m Texas.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

LRG/jab

Enclosure

fm'

APPENDIX H

FOLLOW-UP POSTCARD TO USEFUL

HOMEMAKING TEACHERS

126

Texas Tech University Home Economics Instructional Materials Center

College or Home Economics

April 28, 1980

Dear Useful Homemaking Teacher:

The week of March 25, 1980, the Home Economics Instructional Materials Center sent to you a rating scale requesting your input in indicating clothing and textile competencies to be taught to high school adolescents. Since you are involved in teaching clothing and textiles concepts, your feedback is vital in order to adequately revise the Go thing and Textiles curriculum guide published by the Center in 1973.

If you have not already returned the rating scale, please complete and return it by May 7, 1980, in the return postage-paid envelope which was provided in the initial correspondence. If you have already mailed your response, please dis­regard this reminder.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

Box 4067 / Lubbock. Texas 79409 I (806) '42-3028

APPENDIX I

COVER LETTER TO SELECTED CONSUMERS

128

TexcisTech University Home Economics Instructional Materials Center

College or Home Economics

May 5, 1980

Dear Consumer:

The rating scale has been developed in cooperation with the Home Economics Instructional Materials Canter as part of a project to re­vise the Clothing and Textiles curriculum guide published by the Center in 1973. This guide is used by high school vocational home-making teachers who teach useful homemaking programs throughout the state of Texas. Since you purchase and make use of clothing and textiles, we need your assistance in this project.

The rating scale provides you an opportunity to indicate the level of importance that you believe should be placed on specific clothing and textiles competencies taught to high school adolescents. For purposes of this project, a competency has been defined as a terminal performance objective. Space is provided for you to add any addi­tional competencies you believe to be important for high school adolescents.

Feedback from consumers such as yourself is vital in revising the curriculum guide in order to adequately meet the needs of present homemaking teachers and their students, as well as your own needs. Because you actually utilize concepts dealt with in clothing and textiles subject matter, you are in an excellent position to deter­mine competencies to be acquired by adolescents enrolled in useful homemaking courses.

Please complete the rating scale. It has been designed to obtain necessary information while caking a minimum of your time. Your reactions will orovide valuable information to us in revising che materials. The information obtained through this rating scale will be used only in developing statistical composites of consumers' reactions to the given clothing and textiles competencies. Responses will not be identified with you in any way.

Sox 4067 / Lubbock, Texas 79409 / (806) 742-3028

129

Page 2

We appreciate your time and assistance. Your participation will help to improve the quality of instructional materials for home-making programs in Texas.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Glosson, Ph.D. Director

LG/jb

Enclosure

APPENDIX J

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS OFFERING ACCREDITED

VOCATIONAL HOME ECONOMICS TEACHER

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

131

Abilene Christian University

Baylor University

East Texas State University

Incarnate Word College

Lamar University

Mary-Hardin Baylor University

North Texas State University

Prairie View A&M University

Sam Houston State University

Southwest Texas State University

Stephen F. Austin University

Texas A&I University

Texas Christian University

Texas College

Texas Southern University

Texas Tech University

Texas Women's University

University of Texas

University of Houston

APPENDIX K

RESPONDENTS' COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

133

ADDITIONAL COMPETENCIES AND COMMENTS PERTAINING TO SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES AS INDICATED

BY RESPONDENTS TO THE STUDY

Clothing Selection

- In large classes, it is impossible to study clothing - if you only spend 6-8 weeks on clothing - the entire time must be spent in the lab.

- Importance of clothing selection will be determined by amount of time and area covered in consumer unit.

- 11, 12, 13 could be incorporated into 8, 9, 10. Time is always a budget factor.

- Analyze the effects of color on the individual as to make-up, dress, and body size.

- Identifying fashion versus fads. - Selection of accessories that help in utilizing outdated clothing.

Clothing Care

- Items 17, 18, 19 need facilities that are not available in all homemaking departments, i.e., washing machines.

- Some of the above such as laundry and ironing could be part of a management unit. Storage might also be included in a management unit. Less repetition gives a better use of limited time.

- Feel "Clothing Care" as such is important, with more working people, less time for home sewing.

- If students understood the basics of sewing (selecting patterns, and notions, threading a machine and bobbin, and generally how to sew) my job would be so much easier. I could develop these basics. However, the majority do not have the basics.

- Determining meaning or definition of terms used in order to do no. 16 above.

- Felt #14 is most important since we are moving toward increased apartment living - and fewer home laundries - consumers must demand improved options in commercial equipment and know how to use it.

Clothing Construction

- Being able to make simple changes or additions as desired, using

a similar pattern.

Textiles

- Construction of fabric and factors to consider when selecting. - Determine whether certain styles are classics or fads.

134

Select clothing that is durable and appropriate for future use. Utilize consumer information for fabrics. Need to be taught use of textiles - from a qualatative stand­point - too much "automatic" use of polyester, acrylic, etc. by our students.

General

- My response to some items on the checklist is somewhat question­able due to the academic level of the pupils with whom I work in useful homemaking. I teach the EMR students in a special voca­tional-occupational program. Some competencies are far from beneficial to our students unless concrete teaching methods can be applied. An example: The section on "textiles" would rarely be meaningful to our students unless they could see the natural source of the fiber in its original form (raw cotton) and then take a field trip to a factory where these raw materials are being processed into fibers. Time limitation of teaching units seldom allow this via semesters.

- About all you have time for in high school is the basic clothing construction techniques the students need to improve on them from year to year.

- Many competencies are useless and not necessary for high school level homemaking I and II students, because of the time factor involved.

- By the time we get a garment constructed in class there isn't time to get this other in unless it would be in a quarter or semester course in itself and not too many students take the higher levels of clothing.

- These answers are based on a Homemaking I outline. The curriculum guide covers too much information for the period of time that we have. Please start at the basics and work to more advanced.

- Everything listed seems very important to me. Using my locale as a basis, I checked some as "moderately important" not because of a feeling of lesser importance or value, but rather because of a time element in teaching and a view of comprehensive abilities of the students with whom I work.

- Curriculum guide would be more helpful if they included more than objectives on a list of learning activities. Oklahoma's guide has memo handouts, teaching materials, pre and post tests, etc. In homemaking, our texts are so limited that we have to add so many supplemental materials to teach with. If we are to use guides, we need something that we can use today - not something else to prepare. Usually the films suggested (etc.) are not available to a smaller school.