In 1986, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education undertook a major data collection project, Understanding the Dynamics of Secondary Vocational Classrooms--A Prerequisite to Improvement. The study's primary purpose was to collect national data on the instructional content and processes of occupational education programs at the high school level. The resultant national database includes observations of 893 classrooms in 120 high schools that were selected by using a stratified random sampling procedure. It was concluded that although vocational classrooms offer frequent and varied opportunities for reinforcing and enhancing students' basic skills, far too many of these opportunities are lost. Generally, when basic skills are part of the instruction occurring in vocational classrooms, teachers use more traditional instructional methods. The use of competency-based strategies and procedures is quite prevalent in vocational classrooms nationally. No significant differences were found in vocational classrooms in comprehensive, area vocational, and vocational specialty schools. Neither were any significant differences found between the instructional materials and activities used by degreed and nondegreed vocational teachers. (Over half of this report consists of detailed discussions of responses to each of the study's 26 questions. The survey instruments and record layouts for the three project data files--schools, teachers, and classrooms--are appended.) (MN)