Perceptions of students, faculty, and administrators at the Cabot Institute of Applied Arts and Technology toward competency based vocational education

• Main Author: Reynolds, B. John (Bernard John)
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1990
• Subjects: Cabot; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/5208/; https://research.library.mun.ca/5208/1/Reynolds_BJohn.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/5208/2/Reynolds_BJohn.pdf

The purpose for undertaking this study was to identify the benefits and problem areas of competency based vocational education (CBVE) as perceived by students, faculty, and administrators at the Cabot Institute of Applied Arts and Technology in the Province of Newfoundland. It was anticipated that this report would identify areas of agreement and disagreement among, between, and within the three groups. -- The study also compared perceptions toward CBVE of faculty who taught academic courses with those who taught courses which were technical or trade specific. The perceptions of students enrolled in business education programs were also compared with those of students enrolled in other pre-employment trade or technical programs at the Institute. -- A review of the literature indicated that many of the problems and benefits associated with CBVE either dealt with its implementation or one of five operational aspects concerning learning activity packages, evaluation and testing, performance objectives, managerial aspects, and attitudes toward CBVE. Therefore, data were gathered by means of three questionnaires, which were developed specifically for this study based on the review of the literature: one for students; one for faculty; and one for administrators. In order to ensure that a valid investigation could be conducted, statements concerning these five operational aspects were developed and five content experts in the area of CBVE asked to judge the validity of each statement, and also to indicate in which of the five categories it should be placed. Only items on which four of the five content experts agreed were used in the questionnaires. -- On the basis of the study it was concluded that differences in the perceptions of academic faculty and technical faculty toward implementation and operational aspects of CBVE were statistically significant at the .1 level. Academic faculty indicated a more negative reaction toward CBVE than did any other group or sub-group. All other groups and subgroups reacted ...