Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify the issues that would confront photography education by the year 2,000, and (2) determine if there were differences between photography experts in the private sector and photography experts at California state university campuses in their perceptions of the importance of these issues. Methodology. Issues were generated and rated using the Delphi method with a panel of fifty-one experts in photography. Ninety percent of the respondents returned data following rounds two and three. The T-test, two-way ANOVA, and a Scheffe post-test were used to analyze the data. Findings. Eleven (6 percent) of the 178 issues were rated as extremely important by both photography experts in the private sector and photography experts in California state university programs. There was only one issue on which the private sector experts differed (.05) in the ratings from the California state university experts. However, when ratings were compared by career field (professional, journalist, and artist), there were five issues on which the experts differed (.05). Of the seven categories, issues related to health and safety received relatively higher ratings than the other six categories. Conclusions. Even though the expert panel generated 178 issues, no unity currently exists among experts regarding the future direction of photography education programs. However, health and safety issues will be at the forefront of future program development in photography education. Recommendations. The eleven issues on which the experts agreed and the five issues on which they differed should become the agenda for future discussions among leaders in photography education.