DOES SCHOOL -TO-WORK MATTER? TEACHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED AND WORK-BASED ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Although the success of School reforms such as the School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) hinges on classroom teachers’ implementation of career-related activities, few quantitative studies have examined teachers’ implementation practices in STW programs. In this study, classroom teachers involved in a STW partnership in a Southwestern Pennsylvania school district were surveyed to determine the extent that they integrated school-based and work-based activities into their curriculum. The attitudes of teachers in the district were also examined in terms of their perceptions of the value of school-to-work and the benefits of the STW program for students. Analysis of the data indicated that teachers had favorable attitudes toward STW and the reform goals of the STW initiative. However, teachers’ implementation of career-related activities on average was low. Teachers were more likely to implement school-based activities than work-based activities. Significant differences were found among the STW implementation practices of teachers of various grade levels.