A comparison of self-perceived occupational work ethics of General Education and Tech Prep students

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in the self-perceived work ethics of General Education and Tech Prep students, by gender, by grade level, and by work status. Data were collected from the randomly selected participants using the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OWEI). A MANOVA statistical analysis was done to determine how the two groups differed in the four subscales represented in the OWEI: dependable, ambitious, considerate, and cooperative. The population for this study was students enrolled in a high school in northeast Tennessee. One hundred students from each secondary curriculum. General or Tech Prep, were randomly selected. The researcher personally delivered the instruments to the selected participants in group meetings. After completing the instruments, students returned them to the school office to be collected by the researcher. A total of 200 instruments were delivered and 107 completed instruments were returned for a response rate of 53.5%. No significant differences were found to exist between General Education and Tech Prep students, between males and females, among students of differing grade levels, and among students who are employed and those who are not employed. Data collected from these students should be interpreted with caution. Other variables such as teacher expectations, parental expectations, and community or societal influences, which were not addressed in this study, influence students' attitudes, values, and habits.