Curriculum Movement of Clothing and Textiles Programs from Four-Year to Two-Year Colleges

Abstract

Two-year clothing and textiles programs have increased dramatically in recent years and show many similarities to their counterparts in four-year colleges and universities. Through a survey of two-year institutions, the authors sought to (1) determine the extent to which clothing and textiles programs exist in these institutions, (2) trace and illustrate the four-year college's influence on the curriculum o f the two-year programs in clothing and textiles, and (3) determine if programs developed similarly in the different types of two-year schools.

A summary o f results from 176 participating institutions (66.4 % o f those identified as having clothing and textiles programs) indicated that two-year programs are numerous and are serving large numbers of students. The strong in fluence o f the four-year model for home economics was evidenced in organizational patterns, courses of study, some o f the program goals and employment patterns o f graduates, use of the typical academic year format, inclusion o f general education requirements, and concern for academic credentials o f faculty. Certain aspects of curriculum movement varied within the different types of two-year institutions but, in general, the heritage of four-year programs was evident throughout.

Results have implications for educators in both four-year and two-year programs to initiate cooperative strategies to make the two types o f programs complementary rather than duplicative and/or competitive.