Going, Going, Gone? Recent Trends in Technology Teacher Education Programs

Several years ago, I examined the enrollment trends in industrial arts/technology teacher education programs from 1970 to 1990 (Volk, 1993). The analysis indicated university programs and student enrollment numbers suffered a precipitous decline from the 1970 levels. For instance, by 1990 the number of students graduating with industrial arts/technology education teaching degrees were less than one-third the number graduating twenty years earlier. An examination was also made as to the detrimental effects non-teaching options such as industrial technology had on teacher preparation program numbers.