A correlative attitude study of community education and municipal recreation professionals

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of municipal recreators toward community education and the attitudes of community educators toward public recreation. The sample populations consisted of a random sampling of the membership of N.C.E.A. and the following N.R.P.A. branches: A.P.R.S., S.P.R.E., and to a small extent, N.S.R.P.S. The sample population was surveyed during the spring of 1976. The three-fold objective of this study were to: a) analyze the attitudes of professionals within the field of municipal recreation toward community education, b) analyze the attitudes of professionals within the field of community education toward municipal recreation, and c) to compare the attitudes of municipal recreators and community educators toward the other field. In order to accomplish these objectives, two attitude scales (municipal recreation attitude scale and community education scale) were developed. Both scales relied upon the Likert type of scaling to provide a single index of attitude. This dependent variable was then tested to determine whether a relationship existed with the independent variables (such as age, education, area of residence, etc.). The results of this study demonstrated that community educators have a more positive attitude toward public recreation than municipal recreators have toward community education. The N.C.E.A. population seemed to be fairly consistent in their attitude toward public recreation. However, the N.R.P.A. showed a great deal of divergence, with practitioners having the least positive attitude and students the most positive attitude..