Academic recruitment of career/retirement changers into the field of education : a psychographic analysis for marketing strategy

In its search for excellence, the American education system is emphasizing academic recruitment (Pipho, 1984). Recruitment and retention of talented educators is identified as a problem (Weaver, 1934). The current education reform movement is utilizing academic marketing to solve the problem. One source of talented prospective teachers for the field of education is career changers and retirees from business, industry, and professional services (Hutchinson, 1984). This reservoir of degreed persons is one of the target markets for academic recruitment. Academic marketers use psychographic information. Psychographics covers a wide range of descriptors including activities, interests, opinions, valuse, attitudes, and personality traits (Robertson, 1984). Psychographic information improves the academic marketer's ability to know the target market, to communicate effectively with the best candidates, and to recruit them (Wells, 1975). Currently, there is a dearth of information on individuals who have redirected their careers or retired into the field of education. This study is the first in a series that would be needed to provide descriptive information about these educators. With this these studies, the educators in conjunction with business, industry, and the professional services would be able to include these individuals when planning, developing, and implementing academic recruitment programs. The construction of the psychographic profile was guided by adult development theory, career change process, concepts and strategies of retirement, and the principles and application of psychographic analysis. The population for this study was educators who have redirected their careers or retirement into the field of education from business, industry, and professional fields other than education and are currently employed in a k-12 school in Texas. The sample was small (n=37) due to the number of participants who could be found in the schools who met the criteria during the three month selection period. [...]