A comparative study of the Health Occupations Student Association and the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America to determine the educational opportunities for health occupation students in Tennessee

The purpose of this study was to make a comparative study of the Health Occupation Student Association and the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America to determine the educational opportunities for health occupation students in Tennessee.

More specifically, this study attempted to determine the secondary health occupation instructor's opinion toward affiliation in the Health Occupation Student Association or remaining in the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America in Tennessee.

Background information concerning both the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and Health Occupations Student Association and origin of study was included. This and other pieces of literature were reviewed to obtain general information, ideas for procedures, and items for the survey instrument.

There were 86 instructors of secondary health occupation programs throughout Tennessee involved in this study. Data were collected by questionnaire. The instrument contained 26 items, and a return of 82.6 percent of the questionnaires was obtained.

A survey of the data indicated that l8.3 percent of the instructors had no knowledge or understanding about youth leadership programs. Seventeen to 20 percent indicated that they had very limited knowledge about youth organizations. Forty to 50 percent indicated they had some knowledge, while less than 10 percent indicated that they were very knowledgeable.

Sixty and six tenths percent of the health occupation instructors have had entries in leadership and skill activities at the regional or district level in the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. Thirty-eight percent indicated that they had never entered the competitive leadership and skill activities.

At the VICA state level, only 38.0 percent have had entries in leadership and skill activities. And 57.8 percent indicated they had never had entries.

The number and percentage of instructors currently active in youth leadership and skill activities at national level are low. Only ll, or 15.5 percent, of the instructors have had student entries in the national level of competition for VICA; while 78.9 percent have never had entries at national level. (Leadership and skill activities have not been mentioned for HOSA because at this time they do not have any to offer except the poster contest and the spelling bee.) Health occupations instructors feel that it is their responsibility to integrate youth leadership organizations into the vocational curriculum. The majority of instructors felt that student leadership organizations should have a program of leadership and skill competitive activities at both state and national levels.

Health occupations instructors felt that they should have been invited to give a professional opinion on the need to establish a second student leadership organization for health occupation students in Tennessee. They also indicated that representatives from the national and state offices of the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and

representatives from the national and state Health Occupations Student Assocation should have met with the instructors to explain and discuss the total program. Then, teachers could decide which student organization they preferred.

Health occupations instructors felt that the instructors and students should be given an option to choose which youth club they prefer. If the majority of states remained with the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, Tennessee should respect the wishes of the majority.

The majority of the instructors felt that the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America project educational advantages over the Health Occupation Student Association. The majority of the instructors, 57.7 percent, felt if the majority of the states remained with the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, that Tennessee should remain. Only 28.2 percent were opposed to this.