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Work Ethic Instruction using the World Wide Web in a Career Pathways

Program

Roger B. Hill, Ph.D.The University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Mary WincapawLynn Mrotek

John Marshall High SchoolMilwaukee, Wisconsin

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Overview of the session Basis for work ethic instruction Development of the work ethic web site Collaborative work with John Marshall High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Career Pathways Program What we have learned

student perceptions teacher impressions evidence of effectiveness

Conclusions and recommendations

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Why work ethic? Implementation of technology is having a significant impact on the workplace

Greater mobility, less direct supervision, and high-discretion work environments

More important than ever to have work ethic and good work attitudes

Called for by SCANS and other studies

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Work ethic is a cultural norm that advocates being personally accountable and responsible for the work that one does and is based on a belief that work has intrinsic value

Operationally defined using factor analytical procedures and a large sample of working adults

Is related to character development and employability skills

Has distinct elements

Work ethic defined

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Key constructs

InterpersonalSkills

Initiative BeingDependable

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Goal to develop materials that could facilitate development of work ethic

Recognition of limitations Developed printed materials first

10-day unit case studies, class discussion,

learning activities Web materials to enhanceor supplement printed materials

Research to practice

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Met Lynn Mrotek at AVA Guidance Division presentation in 1994

Lynn and her colleagues developed Career Pathways program at John Marshall High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

10-day work ethic unit written and pilot tested at John Marshall High

Web site materials added to supplement written materials

Other schools also using materials

Beginnings of this project

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Comprehensive 9-12th grade career discovery curriculum

Funded project by Carl Perkins Grant supplemented by district STW funds

All students participate Project-based assessments enhanced by technology

Integrates academic and vocational skills

The Career Pathways Program

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Arts / Communication Careers Business / Management Careers Health / Human Service Careers Technology / Engineering Science Careers Assessment / employability skills / workplace ethics

9th grade: Discover career pathways

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Research one career Create a career display and brochure Begin a Career Portfolio

9th Grade Projects

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Introduction to Arts/Communication Integrated with English and Speech

Introduction to Business Management Integrated with English and Geography

Introduction to Health and Human Services Integrated with English and Biology

Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science

Integrated with English and Geometry

10th grade: Further exploration and integration with English

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Mock interview, resume, and application Job shadow Work issues research paper Work ethic unit

10th Grade Projects

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Broadcasting integrated with CNN News Office Technology integrated with Business Communications

Health Occupations integrated with Medical Terminology

Advanced Graphics Technology integrated with English

11th-12th Grades: Focus on a cluster

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Post-secondary option paper Job shadowing Passport Document Wallet Wisdom & Making it on Your Own

11th-12th Grade Projects

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Work ethic unit, web materials, and other lessons Assessments

9th grade students develop work wanted ad identifying their positive work habits

10th grade students complete research paper on work ethic history and its components

11th & 12th grade students apply work ethic and employability skills in a work-based learning experience

Career Pathways work ethic instruction

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OWEI & ESA self-scoring on-line instruments Information about printed work ethic instructional materials

Section on the history of work ethic Some references for work ethic research Links to Character Counts and Thought, Word, and Deed

On-line lessons for use with a class Address of web site:

http://www.coe.uga.edu/~rhill/workethic

Design of the work ethic web site

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Some web materials set up on local network and used with 10th grade students in 1996 and 1997

Data gathered in fall of 1998 to evaluate performance of web site

Five teachers and approximately 120 students were involved in this study

School computer lab was used for accessing the web materials

Pilot test of work ethic web materials

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Combination of approaches to reflect varied applications of materials

focus group -- teacher and 6 students survey completed by cooperative education class summary responses from three Career Pathways

Arts/Communication teachers Data analyzed for patterns and themes

Research to evaluate unit

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Six students plus teacher 2 boys; 4 girls; 10-12th grade Comments on lessons 1-6

Lesson 1 -- students understood this fine Lesson 2 -- good intro for materials to follow; careerlink

helpful and thought-provoking Lesson 3 -- pictures realistic and represented careers;

need more on how to improve interpersonal skills Lesson 4 -- need more material to help improve initiative

Focus group

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Lesson 5 -- activity worked well with partners Lesson 6 -- tips for other employability skills helpful;

students were well prepared for interview process after this lesson

Additional materials used Lesson 2 -- employment section activity Self-assessment for lessons 3-5 Work ethic definition assignment Guest speaker to discuss interviewing; students used work

ethic components in response to questions

Focus group (cont.)

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Open-ended questionnaire completed by students was it helpful what liked most what liked least was the site well organized amount of material on the web site appropriate

Usable questionnaires from 18 students Data reduction, interpretation, and pattern analysis

Cooperative education class survey

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76% rated unit helpful and 24% rated not helpful Parts of web materials liked the best

using the timeline and historical information lesson on initiative (short and to the point) learning about the culture in the workplace

Parts of web materials liked the least the history section was too long problems using the World Wide Web

Survey results

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Suggestions for improvement on organization of web materials

everyone that got in rated organization favorably include more graphics and examples more emphasis on key material (colored text, etc.)

39% rated length about right, 61% rated it too long, and none rated it too short

comments indicated more time was needed to get through the materials

Survey results (cont.)

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What worked well self pacing of internet format

What did not work well problems with computer lab, computer operation, and getting

to web materials reading of history unit

Revisions and additions to materials timeline project for history section history paper integrated into English class suggestion to put materials on CD-ROM

Teacher perspective of unit

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Work with lab technician to get everyone connected to site

Have a “plan B” for students who are unable to reach site (use partners, have printed materials available, etc.)

Use projector to show the web site from one computer for all students to see

Continue teacher in-service activities using the work ethic web site and materials

Future plans

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Include the affective area in instruction Keep teaching work ethic regardless of method used

World Wide Web CD-ROM printed materials & handouts

When specifically addressing work ethic, focus on interpersonal skills, initiative, and being dependable

Conclusions