A STUDY OF VALUES AS DETERMINANTS OF EDUCATIONAL-VOCATIONAL CHOICES IN HAWAII.

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE ROLE OF VALUES IN THE SELECTION OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BY PUBLIC SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO A SAMPLE OF 25 PERCENT OF ALL SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS, 75 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS IN GRADES 9 AND 12, AND 75 PERCENT OF THOSE ENROLLED IN ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ALSO, FRESHMEN AND SENIORS AT LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE SAMPLE. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON EACH STUDENT'S BACKGROUND, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND RESPONSES TO THREE CHECKLIST QUESTIONS CONCERNING VALUES, EXTERNAL INFLUENCES, AND INTERESTS WHICH HELPED TO DETERMINE EDUCATIONAL AND POST-EDUCATIONAL CHOICES. THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE UNCERTAIN STUDENT AT ALL LEVELS IN DESIGNING CURRICULUMS, PROGRAMS, AND COLLEGES. PERHAPS SO-CALLED EXPLORATORY PROGRAMS ARE THE ANSWER, PROVIDING FOR RELATIVELY EASY TRANSITION TO PROGRAMS WITH NECESSARILY RIGID SEQUENCES. ARRANGEMENTS FOR RAPID RETREADING MIGHT BE DESIRABLE FOR THE SOPHOMORE WHO WANTS TO TRANSFER FROM ENGLISH TO CIVIL ENGINEERING OR FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WHO SHIFTS HIS OBJECTIVES FROM APPRENTICESHIP TO COLLEGE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE APPARENT DESIRABILITY OF EDUCATIONAL REVERSIBILITY SEEMS TO BE COUNTERBALANCED BY AN INCREASING RIGIDITY IN ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT A MORE TIGHTLY CONSTRUCTED THEORY WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE IN CONTROLLING AND UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL CHOICE AND IN CONTRIBUTING TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DECISION MAKING. (JL)