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Author: Shipley, David
Title: Trade Students Perception of Applied Human Relations Class at Wisconsin
Indianhead Technical College
The accompanying research report is submitted to the University of Wisconsin-Stout,
Graduate School in partial completion of the requirements for the
Graduate Degree/ Major: M.S. Career and Technical Education
Research Adviser: Carol Mooney, Ph.D.
Submission Term/Year: Spring, 2013
Number of Pages: 39
Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th edition
I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the Graduate School and that an electronic copy of the approved version will be made available through the University Library website
I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S. Copyright Office.
My research adviser has approved the content and quality of this paper.
STUDENT:
NAME David Shipley DATE: February 9, 2013
ADVISER:
NAME Carol Mooney DATE: February 25, 2013
This section to be completed by the Graduate School
This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School.
Director, Office of Graduate Studies: DATE:
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Shipley, David. Trade Students perception of Applied Human Relations Class at Wisconsin
Indianhead Technical College
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand the value that incoming students in the Trade
programs at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College placed on the core content of Applied
Human Relations. This study includes data that was collected from Trade program students that
were enrolled in Applied Human Relations. This study took into account the opinions and
knowledge of employers and educators concerning Applied Human Relations.
Research-based evidence from this study will be used to encourage General Education
instructors to develop strategies to deal with the values incoming students have and to enhance
their educational experience.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you Dr. Carol Mooney for your encouragement, guidance, optimism, and patience
it was very much appreciated. And thank you to Jennifer Kunselman from WITC for the help
and support with the statistics.
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Table of Contents
.................................................................................................................................................... Page
Chapter I: Introduction .....................................................................................................................7
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................8
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................9
Research Questions ..............................................................................................................9
Assumptions of the Study ....................................................................................................9
Importance of the Study .....................................................................................................10
Limitations of the Study.....................................................................................................10
Methodology ......................................................................................................................10
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................11
Chapter II: Review of Literature ....................................................................................................12
Introduction ........................................................................................................................12
Employer Input ..................................................................................................................12
Educators Input ..................................................................................................................14
Chapter III: Methodology ..............................................................................................................17
Research Question .............................................................................................................17
Research Design.................................................................................................................17
Population and Sample ......................................................................................................18
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................................18
Data Collection ..................................................................................................................19
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................19
Limitations .........................................................................................................................19
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Chapter IV: Results ........................................................................................................................20
Response ............................................................................................................................20
Survey Responses ..............................................................................................................20
Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations............................................................................30
Summary ............................................................................................................................30
Discussion ..........................................................................................................................32
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................32
Recommendations ..............................................................................................................34
References ......................................................................................................................................35
Appendix A: Survey ......................................................................................................................37
Appendix B: Survey Results ..........................................................................................................38
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List of Tables
.................................................................................................................................................... Page
Table 1: Respondents Gender ........................................................................................................21
Table 2: Respondents Age .............................................................................................................21
Table 3: Respondents Program of Study .......................................................................................22
Table 4: Respondent’s Family Members Attended College ..........................................................22
Table 5: Importance of Interpersonal Skills ...................................................................................23
Table 6: Importance of Critical Thinking Skills ............................................................................24
Table 7: Importance of Self-Awareness ........................................................................................24
Table 8: Recognizing and Understanding Cultural Diversity ........................................................25
Table 9: Importance of Stress Relief .............................................................................................25
Table 10: Importance of Personal Growth .....................................................................................26
Table 11: Importance of Self-Esteem ............................................................................................26
Table 12: Importance of Communication ......................................................................................27
Table 13: Importance of Social Skills ............................................................................................28
Table 14: Importance of Working in Groups .................................................................................28
Table 15: Importance of Time Management .................................................................................29
Table 16: Importance of Attitude ...................................................................................................29
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Chapter I: Introduction
For students to be successful in attaining and keeping a job they must be able to relate to
co-workers and supervisors. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College’s Mission Statement
states: “WITC is a public post-secondary educational institution which serves the communities of
the college district and the residents by providing comprehensive educational programming and
personal effectiveness” (Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, n. d., p.1). Part of the
colleges plan to “provide comprehensive” education is accomplished by inserting General
Education courses in Trade programs. Without a certainty of acquiring a job and remaining in
that job throughout their life, students must be prepared to adjust to the job market. Daniel Bell
in The Coming of Post Industrial Society stated: “Today, not only does a child face a radical
rupture with the past, but he must also be trained for an unknown future. And this task confronts
the entire society as well” (Bell, 1999, p. 171).
Students preparing for life in the real world of work need “soft skills”, such as
communication and human relationships. In her Blog “Soft Skills: More important than you
might think!” Denise Philpot (2010) states,
We all know about teaching technical skills, whether it is computer skills welding
techniques, or how to use a piece of equipment. These are the “easy” things we teach
because we can design rubric to assess knowledge learned, competencies acquired, and
skills demonstrated. However, anyone that has ever hired or managed employees can tell
you that it takes far more to be successful in the workplace. What does it take, in
addition to those easily quantifiable, task-oriented skills to become successful? The
answer is soft skills. (p. 1)
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Employers agree; as stated in a joint study by the Society for Human Resource
Management, The Conference Board, Partnership for the 21st Century Skills, and Corporate
Voices for Working Families “Over 40 percent (42.4%) employer respondents rate the Overall
Preparation of high school graduates for entry-level jobs they fill as “deficient.” And the
significant lack of workforce readiness reported in our survey is experienced nation-wide”
(Lotto, 2006, p. 20).
Annually, WITC’s office of institutional effectiveness conducts research including
graduate follow up and employer satisfaction surveys. Over the years, the results from these
surveys guide the development and revision of programs and courses. With support from
employer surveys and Advisory Committees input, most Trade programs at WITC have an
Applied Human Relations course as a requirement in their curriculum. This course is designed
to give students insight into how their own personality and abilities affect their own relationships
with others at work, in family, and in society. Topics covered in the class include presenting a
professional image in seeking employment, developing a positive work attitude, and an
awareness of personal adjustments needed to succeed on any new job. This course teaches
students “soft skills” and how to communicate and relate to others, not only in their professional
life, but also in their personal life.
Statement of the Problem
Trade students, coming directly from High School to WITC with little or no work
experience, are looking for “hands-on” training and see little or no value in “soft skill”. Applied
Human Relations is required in most Trade programs at WITC and is not always received well
by Trade students. This study will look at the value of this course from the perspective of the
students enrolled in these professional programs.
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Purpose of the Study
By analyzing the perception of student’s value of Applied Human Relations, using course
evaluations, graduate surveys, and conversations with instructors, who teach the course, the
researcher will address the following:
1) Identify opportunities to increase the relevancy of Applied Human Relations classes in
professional programs and the perceived value to program students
2) Determine the issues Trade/Program instructors have with the course.
3) Supply General Education instructors with a "Tool Box” to deal with and increase the
relevance of General Education coursework to Trade students.
4) To increase the relevant value of Applied Human Relations in Trade Programs.
Research Questions
This study will attempt to answer the following questions:
1) What value do students put on the core content of Applied Human Relations?
2) What are the strengths of Applied Human Relations?
3) What are the weaknesses of Applied Human Relations courses?
4) What opportunities exist to increase or improve student’s perceived value of Applied
Human Relations?
Assumptions of the Study
The study will assume the following points:
1) There is a problem with relevancy of Applied Human Relations in Trade Programs.
2) Applied Human Relations is not valued as necessary to some Trade students and
Instructors.
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3) General Education Instructors do not have the background and/or skills to deal with
Trade students.
4) Respondents will respond truthfully.
5) Faculty needs an understanding of Trade students to improve the relevancy of Applied
Human Relations in Trade programs.
6) Employers value the soft skills taught in Applied Human Relations.
Importance of the Study
1) The study may identify the negative issues with Applied Human Relations in
professional programs.
2) The study may increase the knowledge of Applied Human Relations.
3) The study may improve the acceptance of Applied Human Relations and increase its
value.
4) The study may serve to demonstrate a need for more research in a given area
Limitations of the Study
1) The study is restricted to WITC Trade students.
2) The data collected will analyze only Trade student perceptions.
3) The data will be collected, partially, from a survey prepared by the researcher and the
survey may not account for misinterpretations.
4) The study relies on a limited faculty input.
Methodology
The author will research the assumptions using post graduate surveys, other like studies,
informal conversations with Trade and General Education instructors, and conduct a survey to
determine the value of the core content of Applied Human Relations by trade students. The
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survey was administered to students of WITC in Trade programs that have Applied Human
Relations as a required course in their program. This methodology was selected due to low cost
and ease of distribution.
Definition of Terms
Terms related to education within the technical college may be misunderstood. The
following list of terms may be helpful to the reader.
Core abilities. Skills that are transferable and go beyond the context of a specific course.
Corporate Voices for Working Families. a nonpartisan non-profit corporate
membership organization created to bring the private sector voice into the public dialogue on
issues affecting corking families.
Hands-on. Training that is skill driven and requires the student to physically accomplish
a task.
Soft skills. skills that deal with communication, feelings, relationships and emotions.
Soft-skills. Skills that deal with communication, feelings, relationships and emotions.
The Conference Board. a non-profit organization that conducts research, convenes
conferences, makes forecasts, assesses trends, publishes information and analysis, and brings
executives together to learn from one and another.
Trade students. Students enroll in Trade programs at WITC.
WITC. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.
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Chapter II: Review of Literature
The literature review will show the importance of young people having the
necessary skills to get a job, keep a job, and prosper in the ever changing job market.
The literature will also examine the barriers that exist for students to achieve these skills
and what skills are needed.
Young people need a range of skills, both basic academic skills as well as the
ability to apply these skills and knowledge in the workplace. When writing about the
conclusions of a survey that The Conference Board, Partnership for 21st Century Skills,
Cooperate Voices for Working Families, and the Society for Human Resource
Management Richard Cavanagh, President and CEO of The Conference Board, stated:
The survey results indicate that far too many young people are inadequately
prepared to be successful in the workplace. At the high school level, well over
one-half of new entrants are deficiently prepared in the most important skills ---
Oral and Written Communications/Work Ethic, and Critical Thinking/Problem
Solving. College graduates are better prepared, with lower levels of deficiency on
the most important skills, but few are excelling. Only about one-quarter of four-
year college graduates are perceived to be excellent in many important skills, and
more than one-quarter of four year college graduates are perceived to be
deficiently prepared in Written Communication. (Cavanagh, 2006, p. 7)
Employer Input
The four participating organizations, listed above, jointly surveyed over 400
employers across the United States. These employers articulated the skill sets that new
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entrants----recently hired graduates from high school, and four-year colleges----need to
succeed in the workplace. Among the most important skills cited by employers:
Professionalism/Work Ethic
Oral and written Communication
Teamwork/Collaboration and
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving. Lotto (p. 9)
There are plenty of MBAs and even PhDs in economics, chemistry, or computer
science, in the corporate ranks. Intellectual wattage is not lacking. It’s the right wattage
that’s hard to find (Smith, 2011, p. 1). Amos Shaperia (2011), the CEO of Cellcom, the
leading cell phone provider in Israel, put it: “The knowledge I use as CEO can be
acquired in two weeks…The main thing a student needs to be taught is how to study and
analyze things (including) history and philosophy” (p. 1).
Employers are looking for entrants that can think for themselves, get along with
others and solve problems quickly and creatively. Steve Jobs (2010) openly
acknowledges how studying the beautiful art of calligraphy led him to design the
Macintosh interface. Employers are looking for new hires to be team players and need
them to be able to articulate their ideas in a way others can understand. They want
workers that can creatively solve customer issues and keep the customer satisfied so they
continue to do business with the organization. The ability to “get under the skin” of
customers and employees to discover their real needs and concerns demands something
other than surveys, which may yield superficial information. Instead, you need keen
powers of observation and psychology-----the stuff of poets and novelists. Smith (2011,
p. 1)
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Employers continue to relate to WITC program instructors, through Advisory
Board Committee meetings and other seminars, the need for “soft skills”. They believe
that soft skills are as important, or more important, than the technical skills that taught.
Soft skills and other desired personal attributes include:
Interpersonal skills
Communication Skills
Time management skills
Leadership skills
Problem solving skills
Social skills
Teamwork skills
Organizational skills
Personal work ethics and integrity
Attitude and demeanor
Willingness to learn (Philpot, 2010 p. 2)
Educators Input
Expanding student’s general education, education from a high school setting, to a two-
year college setting, to a job setting presents many challenges. Technology or “hands on”
training is usually the driving force to get students to continue their education. At the Academic
Advising and Learning Center at Western Oregon University Professors came up with a very
complete list of expectations they have of their students.
These professors expect their students to behave and be adults and note it was their chose
to attend college and sign up for a specific course. They believe students have free-will and can
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choose the path the desire. Some paths may not improve their chances to be successful in a class
or an entire program but it’s still their responsibility. The professors are available for help and
support, but the day to day rigor is the student’s responsibility.
The professors expect students to participate in their education. The students are
expected to ask questions and participate in class as well as asking for help from the professor
when needed to understand the subject matter. Again the professor is there to help but the
initiation must come from the student.
The rigor of college is far more intense than what students are used to in high school.
Students should be prepared for this increase in rigor and should be prepared to increase their
study time and intensity. This means taking notes in class, doing research and course work
outside of class time. They should also be prepared to challenge the professor and the subject
and be timely on handing in assignments when they are due.
General Education Teachers at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College often find
students reluctant, at best, in soft skills classes such as Applied Human Relations. The number
one question that is asked the first day of class is: “why do I have to take this class?” During
informal discussions with colleagues at WITC, there is an ongoing discussion on how much
general education and social education students need. However, most instructors the researcher
had conversations with, find students’ need the most work in areas of:
1. Conflict management and resolution.
2. Employment law; such as, sexual harassment, affirmative action and other issues that
will keep them from losing their employment.
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3. Teamwork skills and working with others outside of their comfort zone. Instructors
do their best to instill the importance of these skills in the workplace, but until they
are in the workforce students do not see these skills as of valuable.
Formal operations signify the ability to think abstractly, to form hypotheses, to
theorize, to imagine many possibilities and combinations, to generate multiple solutions
to problems, to comprehend subtle and symbolic meanings, and to perform operations in
the mind by mentally manipulating objects without the objects being present (Roberts,
1986 p. 207). Roberts goes on to explain that the research suggest that most of our
students in general education courses are not yet formal operational. Yet formal
operational thinking is essential to sociology (Roberts, 1986, p. 208).
Trends in hiring for manufacturing jobs have favored skilled workers with post-
secondary credentials in recent years, and that will not change. The days when someone
could get a well-paying job in manufacturing with relatively few skills upon entry are
long gone----and they aren’t coming back (Carnevale/Smith, 2011). Skills new entrants
into the job-force need and how to instill the relevancy of these skills in incoming
students is a challenge. The purpose of this study is to look into these challenges and to
come up with some suggestions. This study will attempt to answer the following
questions:
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Chapter III: Methodology
This chapter will present an overview of the research methodology that was used
to answer the studies research questions and will provide a context for the study.
Research Questions
The three research questions identified for the study in research included:
1) What value do students put on the core content of Applied Human Relations?
2) What are the strengths of Applied Human Relations?
3) What are the weaknesses of Applied Human Relations courses?
4) What opportunities exist to increase or improve student’s perceived value of Applied
Human Relations?
Research Design
The research design for this study was quantitative-descriptive. This
methodology was used to gather a variety of information directly from the subjects being
studied. Informal discussions with colleagues, course evaluations, post-graduation
surveys, along with the incoming student surveys were used to gather information. The
conversation with colleagues at WITC gave an insight into the atmosphere students were
in as they went through the course and how the program instructor’s view of AHR
affected the attitude of the students towards the class. The course evaluations and the
post-graduate surveys gave a snapshot of the relevancy of AHR to the students after the
class was complete. The survey of incoming students captured the relevancy to the
students before they took the class.
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Population and Sample
The population for this study was considered a “convenience sample” since the
population was easy accessible to the researcher. The specific population was the second
semester students at WITC, who were enrolled in Applied Human Relations in the spring
semester of 2012-2013. The subjects were surveyed in one of their classes with the help
of their instructor.
Instrumentation
The survey was developed by the researcher and was based on the core content of
Applied Human Relations and was cross referenced with the first three research
questions. The survey was reviewed by communication instructors at WITC and Dr.
Carol Mooney. The survey was piloted on a class of Wood Technics students at WITC
by the researcher. After the review, no diffractions were made to the survey.
This survey had a total of 16 questions. The first 12 questions related to the core
content of Applied Human Relations. The subjects were allowed four responses each
item: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Agree, and Strongly Agree. The last four items were
demographic data that was collected as a component of the information gathering. This
survey was specifically designed for this study and a complete survey is located in the
Appendix.
Data Collection
Dates were selected to administer the survey for each participating class based on
the course schedule. Additional help and support from WITC instructors was utilized to
ensure accuracy and validity of the collection of data. The paper and pencil survey was
administered to all students in one day in their major classroom by the researcher with the
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assistance of the major instructor. The researcher explained to the students that their
name would in no way be related to the study and that they had complete anonymity. All
of the 57 surveys were completed and returned. Students were provided directions for
completion of the study. Additionally, they were providing assurance of anonymity in
completing the survey.
Data Analysis
Completed survey results were tabulated using SPSS and Excel by Jennifer
Kunselman, research specialist at WITC and she enlisted a research Technician from
WITC to validate the entries were done accurately. The researcher used quantitative-
descriptive analysis to draw conclusions. Frequency counts, percentages, and means
were used to present the findings.
Limitations
A limitation of this study and the survey instrument will be there is no measure of
validity or reliability outside the pilot test. The sample surveyed were incoming students
with limited encounter with general education classed and little buy-in to the survey.
Therefore a number of participants took little time doing the survey.
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Chapter IV: Results
This chapter will include the demographic information of those surveyed and an
itemized analysis of the data gathered. Data has been collected from a survey
administered to 57 Trade students that will be taking Applied Human Relations in the
spring semester at WITC. The survey was composed of sixteen questions that were
designed to address four research questions.
1) What value do students put on the core content of Applied Human Relations?
2) What are the strengths of Applied Human Relations?
3) What are the weaknesses of Applied Human Relations courses?
4) What opportunities exist to increase or improve student’s perceived value of Applied
Human Relations?
Response
The survey sample was comprised of students from four different majors: Wood
Technics, Machine Tool Technics, Ag Power and Equipment, and Motorcycle, Marine
and Outdoor Equipment. The paper and pencil survey was administered to all of the
students in one day in their major classroom by the researcher with the assistance of the
major instructor. The researcher explained to the students that their name would in no
way be related to the study and that they had complete anonymity. All of the 57 surveys
were completed and returned.
Survey Responses
Gender. Of the 57 participants in the study, all 57 indicated a gender on their
survey form. Males comprised 93% (n=53), while females comprised the remaining 7%
(n=4).
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Table 1
Respondents Gender
Item Response
Respondents
Percent
Male
53
93%
Female
4
7%
Total
57
100%
Age. Of the 57 participants in the study, all 57 indicated an age on their survey
form. Eighteen to 20 year olds comprised 61.4% (n=35), 20 to 30 year olds comprised
15.7% (n=9) and over 30 year olds comprised the remaining 22.8% (n=13).
Table 2
Respondents Age
Item Response
Respondents
Percent
18 – 20
35
61.4%
20 – 30
9
15.7%
Over 30
13
22.8%
Total
57
100%
Program. Of the 57 participants in the study, all 57 indicated a major program
on their survey form. Participants in Wood Technics comprised 17.5% (n=10),
participants in Machine Tool Technics comprised 28.1% (n=16), participants in Ag
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Power and Equipment comprised 31.6% (n=18) and participants in Motorcycle, Marine
and Outdoor Equipment comprised the remaining 22.8% (n=13).
Table 3
Respondents Program of Study
Item Response
Respondents
Percent
Wood Technics
10
17.5%
Machine Tool Technics
16
28.1%
Ag Power and Equipment
18
31.6%
Motorcycle, Marine and Outdoor Equipment
13
22.8%
Total
57
100%
Has anyone in your family attended college? (2 year or 4 year). Of the 57
participants in the study, all 57 indicated if family members had attended college on their
survey form. Seventy one percent (n=41) answered yes and the remaining 28% (n=16)
answered no.
Table 4
Respondents Family Members Attended College
Item Response
Respondents
Percent
Yes
41
71.9%
No
16
28%
Total
57
100%
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Interpersonal skills are important. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57
indicated a number (1-4), with 4 being highest and 1 being lowest, representing the level
in which they feel interpersonal skills are important. The question was asked to find out
where students place value on interpersonal skills. The results of this question were:
5.3% (3) strongly disagreed, 7% (4) disagreed, 35.1% (20) agreed, and 52.6% (30)
strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.35 which indicate most students in the study place a
high importance on interpersonal skills.
Table 5
Importance of Interpersonal Skills
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
5.3%
7%
35.1%
52.6%
3.35
Critical thinking skills are important to problem solving. Of the 57
participants in the study, 57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the levels in which
they feel critical thinking skills are important. The question was asked to find out where
students place value on critical thinking skills. The results of this question were: 1% (1)
strongly disagreed, 7% (4) disagreed, 26.5% (15) agreed, and 64.9% (37) strongly agreed.
The mean score is 3.54 which indicate most students in the study place a high importance
on critical thinking skills in problem solving.
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Table 6
Importance of Critical Thinking Skills
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
1%
7%
26.5%
64.9%
3.54
Being self-aware is important. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57 indicated
a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel being self-aware is important.
The question was asked to find out where students place value on being self-aware. The
results of this question were: 5.3% (3) strongly disagreed, 7% (4) disagreed, 35.1% (20)
agreed, and 52.6% (30) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.35 which indicate most
students in the study place a high importance on being self-ware.
Table 7
Importance of Self-Awareness
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
5.3%
7%
35.1%
52.6%
3.35
Recognizing and understanding cultural diversity is important. Of the 57
participants in the study, 57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they
feel recognizing and understanding diversity is important. The question was asked to
find out where students place value on diversity. The results of this question were: 14%
(8) strongly disagreed, 19.3% (11) disagreed, 42.1% (24) agreed, and 24.6% (14) strongly
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agreed. The mean score is 2.77 which indicate most students in the study place a lower
importance on recognizing and understanding diversity.
Table 8
Recognizing and Understanding Cultural Diversity
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
14%
19.3%
42.1%
24.6%
2.77
Learning stress relief practices are important. Of the 57 participants in the
study, 57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel learning
stress relief practices is important. The question was asked to find out where students
place value on stress relief. The results of this question were: 8.8% (5) strongly
disagreed, 15.8% (9) disagreed, 41.4% (27) agreed, and 28.1% (16) strongly agreed. The
mean score is 2.95 which indicate most students in the study place a lower importance on
stress relief practices.
Table 9
Importance of Stress Relief
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
8.8%
15.8%
47.4%
28%
2.95
Continuing my personal growth is important. Of the 57 participants in the
study, 57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel continuing
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their personal growth is important. The question was asked to find out where students
place value on personal growth. The results of this question were: 5.3% (3) strongly
disagreed, 19.3% (11) disagreed, 33.3% (19) agreed, and 42.1% (24) strongly agreed.
The mean score is 3.12 which indicate most students in the study place a high importance
on continued personal growth.
Table 10
Importance of Personal Growth
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
5.3%
19.3%
33.3%
42.1%
3.12
Dealing with self-esteem issues is important. Of the 57 participants in the
study, 57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the levels in which they feel self-esteem
issues are important. The question was asked to find out where students place value on
self-esteem issues. The results of this question were: 5.3% (3) strongly disagreed, 19.3%
(11) disagreed, 45.6% (26) agreed, and 29.81% (17) strongly agreed. The mean score is
3.00 which indicate most students in the study place importance on dealing with self-
esteem issues.
Table 11
Importance of Self-Esteem
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
5.3%
19.3%
45.6%
29.81%
3.00
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Communicating with others is important. Of the 57 participants in the study,
57 indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel communication with
others is important. The question was asked to find out where students place value on
communication. The results of this question were: 1.8% (1) strongly disagreed, 5.3% (3)
disagreed, 38.8% (22) agreed, and 54.4% (31) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.46
which indicate most students in the study place high importance on communication with
others.
Table 12
Importance of Communication
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean 1.8%
5.3%
38.8%
54.4%
3.46
Social skills are important. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57 indicated a
number (1-4) representing the levels in which they feel social skills are important. The
question was asked to find out where students place value on social skills. The results of
this question were: 5.3% (3) strongly disagreed, 10.5% (6) disagreed, 42% (24) agreed,
and 42.1% (24) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.21 which indicate most students in
the study place high importance on social skills.
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Table 13
Importance of Social Skills
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean 1.8%
5.3%
38.8%
54.4%
3.21
I need to be able to work in groups. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57
indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel working in groups is
important. The question was asked to find out where students place value on working in
groups. The results of this question were: 3.5% (2) strongly disagreed, 14% (8)
disagreed, 45% (26) agreed, and 36.8% (21) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.16
which indicate most students in the study place high importance on working in groups.
Table 14
Importance of Working in Groups
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
3.5%
14%
42%
36.8.4%
3.16
Time management is important. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57
indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they feel time management is
important. The question was asked to find out where students place value on time
management. The results of this question were: 0% (0) strongly disagreed, 7% (4)
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disagreed, 35.1% (20) agreed, and 57.9% (33) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.51
which indicate most students in the study place high importance on time management.
Table 15
Importance of Time Management
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
0%
7%
35.1%
57.9%
3.51
My attitude towards life is important. Of the 57 participants in the study, 57
indicated a number (1-4) representing the level in which they attitude towards life is
important. The question was asked to find out where students place value on attitude.
The results of this question were: 3.5% (2) strongly disagreed, 10.5% (6) disagreed,
33.3% (19) agreed, and 52.6% (30) strongly agreed. The mean score is 3.35 which
indicate most students in the study place high importance on attitude towards life.
Table 16
Importance of Attitude
Strongly disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Agree
(3)
Strongly agree (4)
Mean
3.5%
10.5%
33.3%
52.6%
3.35
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Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary
One purpose of this study was to begin to understand the value incoming students
at WITC place on the content of Applied Human Relations. Specifically it was desired to
understand if the issues in the classroom were related to the value of the course or were
they related to the delivery of the curriculum. And if they are related to preconceived
ideas, or related to delivery; what can be done to help the classroom atmosphere and
enhance learning? There were four research questions identified for this study:
1) What value do students put on the core content of Applied Human Relations?
2) What are the strengths of Applied Human Relations?
3) What are the weaknesses of Applied Human Relations courses?
4) What opportunities exist to increase or improve student’s perceived value of Applied
Human Relations?
Trade students registered for Applied Human Relations were the subjects of this study. Fifty-
seven students responded to a survey distributed in the fall of 2012. The survey included sixteen
questions to respond to.
Employers that serve on WITC, s trade advisory boards emphatically agree that
the graduates of these trade programs need the soft skills that are within the course
content of Applied Human Relations. They see these core outcomes as essential for
student to get a job, to keep that job and to prosper at that job. The second main purpose
of this study is to find a way to accomplish this goal.
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Discussion
Survey statements that had a mean score of 3.35 or higher suggested that the
participants in the survey agreed on the importance of these statements. Statements with
a mean score less than 3.35, meaning a lower level of agreement on the value of the
content, will be discussed here.
Survey statement four states: Recognizing and understanding cultural diversity is
important. This was the lowest rated statement in the survey with a mean score of: 2.77.
Students from the rural areas have little and sometimes no interaction with diverse groups
until they are in a college setting and this lack of knowledge could somewhat explain the
lower average response to is statement. In conversations with instructors, who teach
Applied Human Relations or similar classes this is an issue in the classroom. Not
necessarily intolerance, but a lack of knowledge may be causing this gap between where
the students are and where they need to be.
Survey statement five states: Learning stress relief practice is important and has a
mean score of 2.95. There is much and ongoing discussion amongst instructors and
employers on advisory boards on how to help students/workers deal with the stress of day
to day life and still be successful in the classroom or the workplace. The stress can be
financial, family, health or many other aspects of an individual’s life and learning how to
deal with it can make huge differences in their success.
Survey statement six states: Continuing personal growth is important and has a
mean score of 3.12. Personal growth is measured many ways and is difficult to qualify
and difficult to categorize. Each person has to evaluate their personal growth from where
they are to where they want to be.
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Survey statement seven states: Dealing with self-esteem issues is important and
had a mean score of 3.00. Self-esteem issues are difficult, especially for young
individuals, to understand, accept, and to deal with. Employers, however, no first-hand
the situations self-esteem issues can cause on the job. Low self-esteem can keep an
individual from attaining goals they could reach with proper education.
Survey statement nine states: Social skills are important and have a mean score of
3.21. Many students and young, inexperienced workers do not see the value of social
skills and how they affect the work environment. Again employers know that employees
that can’t get along with others are not going to be the asset that others are to their bottom
line.
Survey statement eleven states: I need to be able to work in groups and had a
mean score of 3.16. This is another area where many students have their first experiences
with group dynamics in the college classroom. In the classroom or on the job group
settings and group projects are impossible to evade.
Conclusions
The following conclusions have been drawn from the research. The subjects of
this study were interested and enrolled in four programs of study. Their ages ranged from
18, just out of high school to over 30, with a large group being non-traditional (students
over 20 years old (38.6%)). The group also had a high percent of members who had
family members that have attended a 2 or 4 year college. These statistics suggest that a
large number of the group would have had contact, or at least been familiar with, the
goals of higher education. We could hypothesize that this could influence their
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acceptance of soft skills. More study will be needed to learn if this hypothesis has
validity.
Research question one: What value do students put on the core content of
Applied Human Relations? Upon completing the research survey and analyzing the
findings, the researcher was able to conclude that overall the participants agree to the
value of the content in the survey statements. Even the statements that were discussed
above had numbers that were in a range that was more positive than negative. According
to the survey results the students do value the core content. When discussing the
acceptance of the class with instructors who teach the class regularly, the researcher
listened to many incidents of students not valuing Applied Human Relations. The
question becomes; why they do not value the class if they value the core content?
Research question two: What are the strengths of Applied Human relations?
The researcher suggests that the core content of Applied Human Relations is its main
strength. Specifically students, educators, and employers seem to agree that the soft
skills are important to students graduating from the programs and successfully moving
into the work force. The competencies appear to be more than is needed to meet the
requirements for students to get and keep a job.
Research question three: What are the weaknesses of Applied Human
Relations? With the survey a result indicating a positive attitude towards the core
content of Applied Human Relations, the researcher believes more study needs to be done
to understand why these statistics do not translate into acceptance of the class. The new
questions is: Is it the delivery and/or rigor that are causing the discrepancies in the
findings?
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Research question four: What opportunities exist to increase or improve
student’s perceived value of Applied Human Relations? In analyzing the research it
appears that the participants of the survey have an average to high value of the core
content of Applied Human Relations. This level of acceptance is not being the norm in
the classroom. Therefore opportunity to increase the value of Applied Human Relations
to students seems to be in the classroom.
Recommendations
1. Applied Human Relations is an applied class, which places the expected rigor
to less intense than an associate/bachelorette level class. Trade students come
to WITC for the core program content and are typically less prepared for
general education classes, especially if they are held to an associate degree
level rigor. Measures should be taken to investigate the rigor of applied
classes so students can be more successful without changing the core-content.
2. Various methods of delivery need to be integrated into the curriculum to
increase student discussion and involvement. Writing assignments should be
geared to the ability of the students
3. A course website should be used for Applied Human Relations for students to
share concerns and information during the semester they enrolled in the class.
4. Additional research and study should be performed in regard to student views
on classroom delivery and learning styles and abilities.
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References
Academic Advising and Learning Center Western Oregon University. (n. d.). What do
professors expect from students? Retrieved from:
www.wou.edu/provost/aalcl/pdf/WhatdoProfessorsExpect.pdf
Austin, M. (2011). Psychology today. Retrieved from:
http://psychologytoday.com/blog/ethics-everyone//2011/04thevalue-general-
education
Bell, D. (1999). The coming of post-industrial society: A venture in social forecasting.
New York, NY: Basic Books.
Carnevale/Smith, The Midwest Challenge: Matching Jobs with Education in the Post-
recession Economy. Georgetown University Center on Education and
Workforce.(2011).
Cavanagh-Casner-Lotto, J. (2006). Are they really ready to work?
ISBN No 0-8237- 0888-8 USA. The Conference Board Inc., The Partnership for 21st
Century Skills, Cooperative Voices for Families, and The Society for Human Resource
Management.
Golsby-Smith, T. (2011). Want innovative thinking? Hire from the humanities. Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved from HBR Blog Network:
http://blogshbr.org/cs/2011/03/want_innovative_thinking_hire.html
Jobs, S. (2010). On death success. Retrieved (October 24, 2012), from:
http://thejailbreak.com/2010/10/05steve-jobs-on-death-success-calligraphy/
Philpot, D. (2010). Soft skills: more important than you think! Retrieved (October 22,
2012) from: www.cte.unt.edu.http://forum.cte.unt.edu.
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Roberts, K. (1986). Sociology in general education curriculum: A cognitive structuralist’s
perspective. Teaching Sociology, 14(4), 207-216. Retrieved from:
http:www.jstor.org/stable/1318377
Shaperia, A. (2011). What Students Need. Retrieved on (October 22, 2012), from:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php? note_id+127203830675294
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. (2012). Retrieved from:
http:www.witc.edu//librarycontent/pdfs/LRCpoliciesProduction.pdf
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Appendix A: Survey
SURVEY
For each statement identified below, circle the number that best describes your level of agreement or disagreement with each statement
1-strongly disagree, 2-disagree, 3-agree, and 4-strongly agree.
Survey Statement Scale
SD
D A SA
Interpersonal skills are important. 1 2 3 4
Critical thinking skills are important to problem solving. 1 2 3 4
Being self-aware is important. 1 2 3 4
Recognizing and understanding cultural diversity is important. 1 2 3 4
Learning stress relief practices is important. 1 2 3 4
Continuing my personal growth is important. 1 2 3 4
Dealing with self-esteem issues is important. 1 2 3 4
Communication with others is important. 1 2 3 4
Social skills are important. 1 2 3 4
I need to be able to work in groups. 1 2 3 4
Time Management is important. 1 2 3 4
My attitude towards life is important. 1 2 3 4 WITC Program _______________________________
Age ______
Gender ______F _____M Has anyone in your family attended college (2- year or 4- year)? ______Yes ______No
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Please put the survey in the envelope provided and return it to the instructor.
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Appendix B: Survey Results
SURVEY
For each statement identified below, circle the number that best describes your level of agreement or disagreement with each statement
1-strongly disagree, 2-disagree, 3-agree, and 4-strongly agree.
Survey Statement
Scale
SD 1
D A SA 2 3 4
Mean Score (N=57)
Interpersonal skills are important. 3 5.3%
4 7.0%
20 35.1%
30 52.6%
3.35
Critical thinking skills are important to problem solving. 1 1.8%
4 7.0%
15 26.3%
37 64.9%
3.54
Being self-aware is important. 3 5.3%
4 7.0%
20 35.1%
30 52.6%
3.35
Recognizing and understanding cultural diversity is important.
8 14.0%
11 19.3%
24 42.1%
14 24.6%
2.77
Learning stress relief practices is important. 5 8.8%
9 15.8%
27 47.4%
16 28.1%
2.95
Continuing my personal growth is important. 3 5.3%
11 19.3%
19 33.3%
24 42.1%
3.12
Dealing with self-esteem issues is important. 3 5.3%
11 19.3%
26 45.6%
17 29.8%
3.00
Communication with others is important. 1 1.8%
3 5.3%
22 38.6%
31 54.4%
3.46
Social skills are important. 3 5.3%
6 10.5%
24 42.1%
24 42.1%
3.21
I need to be able to work in groups. 2 3.5%
8 14.0%
26 45.6%
21 36.8%
3.16
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SURVEY
Time Management is important. - 4 7.0%
20 35.1%
33 57.9%
3.51
My attitude towards life is important. 2 3.5%
6 10.5%
19 33.3%
30 52.6%
3.35
WITC Program Wood Technics – 10 (17.54%) Machine Tool Technics – 16 (28.1%) Agricultural Power and Equipment Technician – 18 (31.6%) Motorcycle, Marine, and Outdoor Power Products Technician – 13 (22.8%) Age 18-20 – 35 (61.4%) 20-30 – 9 (15.8%) Over 30 – 13 (22.8%) Gender _4 (7.0%)_F _53 (93.0%)_M Has anyone in your family attended college (2- year or 4- year)? _41(71.9%)_Yes _16 (28.1%)_No
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Please put the survey in the envelope provided and return it to the instructor.
