Preparation and Practices of Secondary Family Life Education Teachers in Home Economics and Other Disciplines

Abstract

This study investigated the academic background and instructional practices of California family life education (FLE) teachers from home economics and other disciplines. A total of 661 principals and 415 teachers in schools with a ninth and/or tenth grade completed surveys examining teacher and course characteristics. Principals reported that approximately half of the FLE teachers in the state held credentials in home economics. Teacher reports concerning academic prepara tion indicated that home economics teachers were significantly more likely than teachers in all other areas except nursing to have obtained preservice training in family life, and to have attended continuing education courses and conferences on the subject. However, home economics teachers were significantly less likely than their colleagues in health, physical education, and nursing to have acquired preservice training in health. Teachers from all disciplines provided coverage of numerous FLE topics in their curricula, with home economics teachers handling significantly longer courses and being more likely to address communication, decisionmaking, marriage, and family issues than teachers from the other areas. FLE programs tended not to be broadly evaluated, but home economics teachers differed significantly from their colleagues in their greater use of measures of student satisfaction. Implications of the findings for preservice and inservice preparation of secondary home economics teachers are discussed.