The Development of a Competency Based Teacher Education Curriculum Model. Final Report.

Overview & Synopsis

This study had three objectives: (1) design a competency based teacher education curriculum model for vocational-technical education (agriculture, home economics, and vocational-industrial); (2) validate the competencies by field testing them with regular vocational teachers, vocational directors, and state personnel; and (3) field test the competencies in three sub-models with prospective teachers in the regular undergraduate vocational teacher education programs at Purdue University. An existing list of competencies developed by the Center for Vocational and Technical Education at Ohio State University was reviewed and supplemented through a review of the literature and other competency based teacher education programs. From the list those competencies considered part of the undergraduate program were clustered into ten sub-models which list new or existing courses offered at Purdue University. Three sub-models were selected for field testing, one in each of the three program areas. Performance objectives for each competency statement in the sub-models were written and then used as a pre- and post-test self measure. In conjunction with the field test, the complete list of competency statements was validated with vocational administrators through the use of an opinionnaire. From the findings it was concluded that vocational administrators have a tendency to rate nearly all professional competencies as having greater importance than the teachers, both teachers and administrators rate instructional methods and management the highest, and the competencies can be achieved in an undergraduate teacher education program. (Questionnaires and the competency lists are appended.) (JH)