| This study describes the perceived technical and teaching in-service education needs of secondary education automobile technician teachers in Ohio. Global competition, technological innovations, rapid generation of knowledge, and Ohio's 1998 licensure standards require regular teacher in-service education. Vocational teacher educators are responsible not only for preparing the teachers, but also making available in-service education. In-service education increases and updates knowledge and skill levels of the teachers. The success of an in-service education program depends on identifying the needs of the teachers. This study reviewed the major teacher in-service education theories and models as well as synthesized an approach to in-service education of the vocational education teachers. A survey instrument was designed by the researcher. The test-retest reliability coefficient (rxx) of the instrument varied between .65 and .95 for items in Part I of the instrument. Cronbach alpha, which is an internal-consistency measure, was .88, .83, and .91 for section one and two of Part I of the instrument. From 188 teachers, 127 were randomly sampled. The final response rate was 87 (69%). The following data tables described the teachers': (a) technical and teaching in-service education needs; (b) sources of technical and teaching in-service education; (c) barriers to acquiring in-service education; (d) demographic characteristics; and (e) differences between the perceptions of technical in-service education needs on domestic and non-domestic automobiles.;The findings of the study showed that the teachers' technical in-service education needs varied from 3 (average need) to 4 ( great need) in nine competence areas of domestic and non-domestic automobiles. There were no significant differences between the perceptions of technical in-service education needs of the teachers in nine areas of domestic and non-domestic automobiles. The teachers, teaching in-service education needs varied from 3 (average need) to 4 (great need ) in ten areas of teaching. Eighty percent of the teachers maintained their technical competence through "Automotive industry sponsored short courses" while 47 percent maintained their teaching competence through "University course(s)" and "Seminars (one day or less)". The biggest barriers to acquiring in-service education reported by the teachers were "Lack of money to pay tuition", "Time conflicts", and "Difficult to get substitute teachers". The greatest enhancers of acquiring in-service education were "Increased ability to teach in the classroom", "Incorporation of new ideas into teaching", and "Satisfies licensure requirements". The mean age of the teachers was 48 years. A majority of the teachers (57%) had a high school diploma, 29 percent had an associate degree, and only 13 percent had a bachelor's degree. |
