Record Details

Developing an adult homemaking course : textiles for homemakers

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Developing an adult homemaking course : textiles for homemakers
Names Milbrath, Margaret Lucille (creator)
McQuesten, Isabella (advisor)
Date Issued 1965-05-05 (iso8601)
Note Graduation date: 1965
Abstract Since World War II developments have taken place in the field
of textiles at such a rapid pace that the average homemaker is completely
confused by the choices she must make. A review of literature
revealed that through adult education classes an effort has been
made to help women with a variety of homemaking classes, including
many in the area of clothing construction. These classes have been
concerned primarily with construction of the article or the subject
matter of the course and little or nothing has been done about the
textiles used in these classes. Further literature reviews stated
that only five percent of the fabric for wearing apparel is used in
home sewing and that there is a need to help homemakers to be better
consumers of textiles of all kinds. Adult education classes were
one of the ways suggested to reach these women.
This study was made to find out what help women felt they
needed in the area of textiles; to find out if they would attend a textile
class if one was offered and to evaluate the class.
An Interest Finder was developed to determine what women
wanted included in a textile class. Before its use, the Interest Finder was checked by eleven home economists and one adult education
supervisor and a group of seven homemakers. The Interest Finder was
then distributed to women enrolled in adult homemaking classes in
Corvallis and Portland. One hundred and seventy-one Interest Finders
from Portland and 75 from Corvallis were returned in useable
form. The section concerning Course Preferences was tabulated for
the Corvallis respondents only because the class was to be taught in
Corvallis. This section indicated the course preferences of the women
according to their age, education and employment. The results
from the Interest Finder were used as a guide in planning the course,
Textiles for Homemakers .
The textile class was taught as a part of the Corvallis High
School Adult Education program and was held for four sessions.
Only seven people enrolled but their attendance at all meetings was
100 percent. At the end of the series of lessons the class members
were asked to evaluate the textile class and give suggestions for
future classes. An evaluation was also obtained from a student
assistant, The Director of Adult Education and the instructor.
The results of the class evaluations, the information from the
Interest Finder and the recommendations found in a review of literature,
all showed a need for such a textile course. Textiles for
Homemakers appeared to be an important area of adult homemaking
education which has been neglected. Emphasis on methods of teaching
textiles should be included in teacher-education programs. From this study the following recommendations were made:
1. Textiles for Homemakers should be given as a part of the adult
education program; 2. the Home Economics section of the Oregon
State Department of Education could help further the development of
this aspect of adult homemaking by offering in-service education
which would include technical background and methods of teaching
textiles for adults; and 3. adult homemaking classes in textiles
might be encouraged if kits of teaching materials and lists of audiovisual
aids were made available to adult homemaking teachers.
Genre Thesis/Dissertation
Topic Textile fabrics -- Study and teaching
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/1957/48111

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