Technical Education Curriculum Assessment
- Published:
- Briefs, Case Studies, Papers, Reports
- Author(s) and Contributors:
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Author(s): Jonathan Keiser Frances Lawrenz James Appleton
- Source(s) and Collection(s):
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Sources(s): Community
- ParentTopics:
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe and determine the efficacy of a Technical Education Curriculum Assessment (TECA). The TECA was designed to guide the judgment of the quality of technical education curricular materials. Three research strands were combined into a theoretical framework which underlies the education of effective technicians. The TECA consists of sets of rubrics which focus on workplace competencies, technical accuracy, and pedagogical soundness. The rubrics were constructed using a deductive-inductive approach. This was an iterative process that ensured validity by moving back and forth from the theoretical framework uncovered in the literature review (deductive) to the application of the rubrics to actual curricular materials (inductive). We describe the process of rubrics development and provide data which support their validity and reliability. This psychometrically sound instrument should assist industry and education professionals to make more informed decisions when designing, implementing, and evaluating technical education curriculum.