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Item Personal and professional needs of teachers in Montana's Class C schools(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Business, 1991) Young, Nancy Kay; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Norman L. MillikinThe major purpose of this paper was to determine the personal and professional needs of teachers in Class C schools in Montana, and how college and universities could better prepare them to teach in these school systems. To collect the data for the study, questionnaire packets were sent to each of Montana's 102 Class C schools. Each packet was addressed to the school secretary. A letter to the secretary asked him or her to randomly select three teachers from the school to complete the enclosed questionnaires. It was also specified that the secretary select one teacher from elementary, middle and high school if possible. Of the 306 questionnaires sent, 185 were returned for a 60 % response rate. The findings of the study showed that 72.4 percent of the teachers surveyed were adequately prepared to teach in the Class C school. Growing up in a small community and attending a Class C school helped 33 percent of the respondents be prepared to teach a Class C school. College and university training helped 30 percent of the responding teachers. There are adjustments for teachers who chose to live and teach in a small community. Some of these adjustments include: driving for everything, living in a fishbowl, friends sometimes limited to other staff members, school activities take up a majority of the teachers time both in and out of school, and professional development is limited due to isolation. In regard to the teaching itself, teachers found that the number of preparations involved for lessons and activities require good time management skills. Also they must learn to be creative in order to deal with limited resources. Teachers in Montana's Class C schools said they could have been better prepared to handle extra-curricular responsibilities, small town living and curriculum development. Based on the findings of the study, the writer recommends that college and universities better prepare future teachers by giving them realistic exposure to a teacher's role in the Class C school, addressing curriculum development in the teacher training programs, creating an awareness of small town living in their programs, giving some instruction on how to manage a multi-grade classroom and presenting education students with real exposure to schools of all sizes.Item A survey of graduates of Manhattan Christian School to determine the relevancy of its business education curriculum(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Business, 1988) Doorn, Douglas A.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Norman L. MillikinThe purpose of this study was to determine the relevance of the business education curriculum at Manhattan Christian School to the needs of its graduates. The population sample included the 96 graduates of Manhattan Christian School from 1984 through 1988. The method of data collection was a survey. A cover letter and survey were sent to each of the graduates asking them about their employment. education, and opinions concerning the business education program. The data obtained was analyzed by comparing the answers of the different graduating classes and business respondents as compared to all respondents. Total answers and percentages were used in the analysis. Fourteen tables were used to graphically illustrate the results. Based on the results the following conclusions were made: (1) business courses are useful, (2) graduates received adequate education for business occupations, advanced education in business, and personal business needs, (3) the curriculum would be improved by adding elementary keyboarding, economics, ganeral business, and an additional computer course. (4) equipment used was adequate but IBM or IBM compatible computers would be better, and (5) the business department needs to be concerned about some relatively low ratings. Recommendations made in this study were as follows: (1) all students should take Elementary Keyboarding, Keyboarding/Word Processing, General Business, and Economics, (2) Accounting I and II, Microcomputer Applications, Office Practice, and Typing II and III should be offered as electives, (3) the school should purchase IBM or IBM compatible computers, (4) students should be advised of opportunities in business and the advantages of taking business courses, and (5) the business department should monitor the quality of education it is providing.Item A study to determine the need and use of business mathematics in vocational education in small Montana high schools(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of School of Business, 1982) Fisher, Gerald George; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Daniel G. HertzThe purpose of this study was to determine the use and need of business mathematics in vocational education in small Montana high schools. The population included all 96 small high schools in Montana. A questionnaire was used as a survey of the principals and vocational education teachers to determine the use and need of business mathematics; The data was analyzed on a percentage basis of those responses returned. The percentage was determined by the number of respondents to each question, since every question was not answered by every school. The conclusions of the study were: (I) Business mathematics is available in most small Montana high schools with class size being small thus aiding in the learning process. (2) Students in all grade levels are allowed to enroll in business mathematics making it easily accessible for all students to take the course at some time in their high school education. (3) The vocational instructors have a reasonable amount of teaching experience thus aiding in the well-rounded and complete education of the student. (4) The following areas of study in business mathematics all received a total average emphasis ranking above 3.95, thus indicating a strong need and use of these areas in vocational education: basic operations, fractions, decimals, percents, personal money records, borrowing, saving and investing money, taxes, buying problems, and home expenses. (5) The following areas of study in business mathematics all received a total average emphasis ranking below 3.85, thus indicating less time and emphasis should be placed on these areas in preparing students for vocational education: the metric system, wages and commissions, business problems, selling problems and transportation problems. The recommendations of the researcher were: (1) Business mathematics should be taught by the business education teacher in order to provide a vocational background to the areas of study, (2) Class size should be kept small, preferably under 20, so as to promote more open discussions involving various areas of business mathematics and applications of them to the student 's vocational interests. (3) The business mathematics course should be taken by all juniors and seniors so as to provide a sound foundation for their careers in the business world. (4) The business mathematics instructor should place an extremely strong emphasis on the basic operations. for these are the basis" on "all other areas of study involving mathematics and business. (5) The business mathematics instructor should place a strong amount of emphasis on the areas of fractions. decimals and percents. These concepts are used in all aspects of the business world and therefore should be thoroughly understood by all students entering into a career. (6) The areas of personal money records, borrowing, saving and investing money. taxes, buying problems and home expenses should receive a reasonable amount of emphasis in the business mathematics course. These areas are used by the consumers, which is everyone, and therefore a knowledge of them is vital for the success of our economy. (7) Receiving emphasis of a lesser degree should be the areas of the metric system. wages and commission, business problems, selling problems, and transportation problems. Even though these are as are of importance, they are not as crucial to one's success and survival as the above-mentioned areas receiving more emphasis. (8) There is definitely a need and use for business mathematics in vocation education and its content should be promoted and used to the utmost.