THE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF TRADE AND TECHNICAL TEACHERS IN CALIFORNIA ARE REPORTED AND ANALYZED. THE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERISTICS IS BASED ON 1,587 RESPONSES DRAWN FROM THE TOTAL POPULATION OF TRADE AND TECHNICAL TEACHERS CREDENTIALED TO TEACH FULL TIME IN CALIFORNIA IN SEPTEMBER 1966. THE PERCEPTIONS ARE BASED ON THE RESPONSES OF 185 TEACHERS IN 14 GROUP INTERVIEWS, THE RESPONSES OF THESE SAME TEACHERS ON A SELF-PERCEPTION QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE RESPONSES OF ANOTHER SAMPLE OF 408 TEACHERS ON TWO FORMS OF A PRESCRIPTION-DESCRIPTION QUESTIONNAIRE. DATA ARE PRESENTED FOR TEACHERS IN JUNIOR COLLEGES, HIGH SCHOOLS, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS. BOTH JUNIOR COLLEGE TEACHERS WHO COMPRISE 65.7 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO COMPRISE 14.2 PERCENT TEACH PREDOMINATELY IN METROPOLITAN AREAS. THE JUNIOR COLLEGE TEACHERS COMPARED WITH OTHER GROUPS HAVE MORE FORMAL EDUCATION, HAVE LESS WORK EXPERIENCE, AND EARN THE HIGHEST SALARIES. THE CORRECTIONAL TEACHERS COMPRISE 10.5 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, HAVE MUCH MORE WORK EXPERIENCE, START TEACHING WITH THE LEAST EDUCATION, AND EARN THE SMALLEST SALARIES ON A 9-MONTH BASIS. MOST OF THE TRADE AND TECHNICAL TEACHERS ARE IN THEIR SECOND CAREERS HAVING DEVELOPED A TRADE OR TECHNICAL COMPETENCY AT THE JOURNEYMAN LEVEL BEFORE BEING CREDENTIALED TO TEACH. THIS TRANSITION PRESENTS PECULIAR PROBLEMS IN THAT THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM HAS NOT ADAPTED COMPLETELY TO NEW VOCATIONAL GOALS AND THE ASSIMILATION OF A DIFFERENT STAFF. THE APPENDIXES PRESENT ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION. A SUMMARY REPORT IS AVAILABLE AS VT 004 274. (HC)