Critique of Conventional Approaches to Vocational Teacher Education Evaluation.

Overview & Synopsis

This critique addresses conventional approaches to evaluation of vocational teacher education through a review of research that has components of evaluation, with specific emphasis on vocational teacher education progams. A review in the 1986 handbook by Lanier and Little, "Handbook of Research on Teaching," was used as the framework, citing teacher education generally and then vocational education specifically. The four topical areas were teacher education, students of teacher education, curriculum, and milieu. The review indicates that, if there is a single overriding criticism of evaluation of vocational teacher education, it is failure to develop and use a programmatic approach. Too many studies have looked at unimportant topics or trivial aspects of important topics. Little attention has been given to competency based teacher education or competencies needed by teachers. Had evaluators used different techniques in a coordinated effort, there might have been more of substance to report. A suggestion is made for regional or national evaluation projects, with experiment stations or national committees with cooperative projects, to conduct effective evaluation of vocational teacher education. (CB)