High School Students’ Perceptions of Family and Consumer Sciences Education as a Career in the Jackson Purchase District of Kentucky

Abstract

This study investigated possible reasons high school junior and senior students in the Jackson Purchase District of Kentucky choose to pursue a career in teaching Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and examined future demand for FCS teachers in the district. Results of the study indicate the number of students enrolled in FCS courses has remained steady, the majority of students who take FCS classes (90.7%) have not considered FCS education as a career, and that most students feel FCS should continue to be offered in high school. In addition, 28.5% of teachers in the study will retire within 2 years, adding to the teacher shortage problem in a state where demand for FCS teachers already exceeds supply.