Integrating academic and vocational education is central to the core principles of current school reforms in vocational education. However, ideas of what integration means, how academic and vocational teachers can work together, and what processes and materials facilitate integration are still not quite clear.
Recognizing this need for clarification, federal funding strategies and requirements suggest that curriculum and teaching efforts need to be directly aligned with a number of academic fields including mathematics, science, and communications The role of mathematics is of vital importance, given the wide range of applications in the workplace characterized by the use of complex technologies.
The combined fields of mathematics and vocational education offer rich opportunities for teacher collaboration, as well as integrated learning opportunities for all students both at the secondary and post-secondary level. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards have provided an excellent framework to link school-based mathematics and school-to-work initiatives. The question remains--how can we bring mathematics and vocational teachers together to work effectively on integration reflecting authentic teaching and learning for all students?
To answer this question, staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are conducting a two-year project to identify and study the characteristics of integrated mathematics-vocational education initiatives in secondary and post-secondary institutions which have adopted the NCTM Standards. The objectives of the project are to: (a) produce new insights regarding the links between vocational education and mathematics integrated learning and teaching experiences occurring in both school-and work-based settings based on NCTM standards, (b) develop an understanding of how can teachers work together to develop quality curriculum materials, (c) assess different curriculum materials being used at both the secondary and post-secondary level, and (d) produce a set of guidelines for effective application of integration models and integrated curriculum materials.
Selected national officers of teacher organizations, directors of mathematics and vocational-technical education, and State education department consultants were contacted in Spring 1995 to identify/nominate schools and two-year post-secondary institutions using the NCTM standards in vocational-technical education programs. To date, 86 programs have been nominated (80 high schools, 6 two-year college programs). To determine the general nature and extent of integration efforts, a survey instrument was sent to all nominated sites early this Fall asking them to describe: (a) integration arrangements, (b) extent to which NCTM Standards are being implemented, and (d) demographic information describing the institutional profile. The survey instruments were based on the work conducted by the National Center for Research in Mathematical Sciences Education (NCRMSE) designed to examine how schools are implementing efforts to reform and improve mathematics instruction.
Based on this study's survey information, a set of 8-10 sites showing the strongest efforts in grounding mathematics teaching and learning in occupational contexts will be identified and contrasted in a interim descriptive report. Further, we will select three to four representative sites from this pool of eight to ten sites to conduct in-depth on-site reviews to develop case studies describing the various aspects of the program. That is, to ensure geographic dispersion (rural, urban, suburban), representation of diverse student populations being served, and differences in integration approaches. Relevant information will be collected from key stakeholders who have been directly involved in the development and implementation of integration efforts. Students will be interviewed to ascertain their perspectives on the program, including how it has affected their overall view of work and career progression, mathematical proficiency, and post-secondary plans. To the extent possible, data will be collected and analyzed in direct collaboration with a local team of instructors. A detailed case study report will be prepared for each site, and reviewed for accuracy by key informants from the site prior to publication.
In the Summer of 1996, an Invited Working Conference will be held to summarize results and to identify a set of action recommendations for federal and state policy initiatives. The latter will include recommendations for demonstrations, evaluations, and teacher development projects. Among those attending will be instructor and administrative teams from the case study sites. The conference participants will produce an "agenda" document on integrated mathematics-vocational education. As part of the Invited Working Conference, project participants will identify a set of guidelines and materials for effective integration of vocational and academic education with a focus on mathematics. The guidelines will outline "practices that work" for teaching and curriculum integration purposes.
Throughout the development of case studies including review and characterization of sites, analysis of key events and experiences, interpretation and reporting of results, and identification of action recommendations, project staff will work in partnership with research participants. This partnership will foster the importance of a common purpose, share multiple perspectives, and capture the individual expertise of all participants. Thus, we anticipate that the information generated by this project will be valuable for both mathematics and vocational teachers interested in improving authentic teaching and learning through the integration of mathematics and vocational-technical education.
For further information about this project or program nominations, please contact:
Victor Hernandez
University of Wisconsin-Madison
964 Educational Sciences Building
1025 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53706-3063
(608) 265-4578 or Fax: (608) 262-3063
E-mail: vhernandez@soemadison.wisc.edu