High school guidance counselor's perceptions of secondary home economics programs : directions for the future

Home economics is at a crossroads between what it is, what it has been, and where it is going. At present, home economics is examining how it is being perceived by those who have an impact upon its image. High schools are perhaps the primary location where students first have contact with home economics education, and guidance counselors have an impact upon the opportunity students have to interact with home economics curricula. This study examined how guidance counselors in one state perceive home economics in secondary programs and its contribution to the overall school curriculum. The study revealed a heavy reliance on the teacher's success to market a program, the need for more specific visibility for both teacher and curriculum in their involvement in the community and the school, and a disparity between what is actually taught and what home economics curriculum requires. Interestingly, the study also revealed a significant relationship between a low image consumer and homemaking program and the existence of an occupational home economics program.