How well acquainted are junior and senior high school counselors with electronic data processing?

Date

1966

Authors

Porter, Catherine M.

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Abstract

How many of us actually know what automation is? Automation, in our minds, has something to do with computers, IBM machines, and electronic brains. No wonder we dread the age of automation most people do not accept readily new ideas they do not understand. Many schools today are developing new curriculums in teaching data processing to high school students. Data processing is becoming an important facet of our civilization and in our personal lives. Thus, it is important for students to learn about data processing and how it affects them as individuals. What about the counselors? They, too, must realize the importance and potential of data processing and automation. The counselor must be familiar with every aspect of data processing so that he may effectively counsel the students under his guidance. The counselor holds in his hands the future of tomorrow's America. Automation will provide the backbone of our industrial nation, and it is imperative that automation be understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of automation and data processing held by secondary school counselors in a large Southern school district. Answers were sought to such question as: Do counselors realize how useful computers can be in scoring, evaluating, and analyzing the data with which every counselor must deal? Are counselors familiar with the various occupations in data processing? Does the counselor know enough about automation to tell a student what the basic skills or requirements are for obtaining employment in the data processing area? How aware is the counselor of changes in the work world? How effectively can the counselor guide a student without the counselor's having a formidable knowledge of the labor market and the creation or obsolescence of jobs? This study was designed to analyze the counselor's knowledge of automation and data processing with the hope of taking remedial measures to insure the counselor's effectiveness in the guidance of students with respect to automation and its allied fields. The 'Questionnaire Test' sent to the counselors consisted of twenty-five items which required a true or false response. The twenty-five questions were assigned to four categories. The relationships observed were those between the total scores and items of the 'Questionnaire Test' and the actual correct answers. These data were analyzed according to subgroups of junior high, senior high, male, and female. In general, it was found that every item on the, 'Questionnaire Test' was statistically significant at the .01 level of confidence. Ten items had accuracy percentages of 6? percent or less. These items belonged to categories II, III, and IV. Category II contained some of the lowest percentages. Counselors did not seem to be familiar with the duties or qualifications of various data processing occupations. Category III dealt with counselor awareness of a changing work world. Most counselors did not seem to realize how automation affected job stability or job classifications. Counselors did not seem to realize how computers had affected the labor market, employment rates, or job obsolescence. This information is vital in the guidance of a student choosing a vocation. The item with the lowest percentage of correct answers was item twenty-five. The school system used in this study teaches the operation of Unit Record equipment in a two-year vocational data processing program. Only 32.8 percent of the counselors knew that Unit Record equipment was not a large scale computer system! In general, it was found that counselor knowledge was weakest in the area of data processing occupations. It was recommended that counselors, guidance instructors, or administrative personnel set up local norms for their particular school population. The results obtained in this study are of use only in the specific school system in which the analysis was conducted. It was stressed that counselors acquaint themselves with data processing occupations. Major computer companies have been quite cooperative with educational administrators in setting up programs to help counselors and interested teachers learn about automation and data processing. Counselors are urged to make contacts in industry, as these furnish a good first hand report of what is expected in certain occupations. The author also discussed additional items which might be included in a revision of the present 'Questionnaire Test.' These are questions regarding the counselor personally. Finally, it was suggested that administrators arrange for seminars, lectures, and other educational programs to help their counselors attain a better understanding of automation and electronic data processing. Such methods are extremely important to effective counseling.

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Keywords

Electronic data processing, Vocational guidance, Student counselors

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