Approaches to Technological Update of Vocational/Technical Teachers

• Main Authors: Hamilton, James B, McElroy, Jack
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01-12-1983
• Subjects: Case Studies; Conferences; Cooperative Programs; Educational Needs; Educational Practices; Educational Strategies; Exchange Programs; Industrial Training; Inservice Teacher Education; Institutional Cooperation; Internship Programs; Kentucky Vocational Staff Industry Exchange Prog; Needs Assessment; Observational Learning; Part Time Employment; Postsecondary Education; Professional Continuing Education; Professional Development; Program Descriptions; School Business Relationship; School Districts; Secondary Education; Teacher Improvement; Teacher Workshops; Technical Education; Technological Advancement; Vocational Education; Vocational Education Teachers; Work Experience Programs

As part of an effort to address the problem of the technological update of vocational and technical teachers, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education conducted a status study to determine the nature and extent of the problem with respect to institutional level and occupational area. A second aspect of the study dealt with currently used approaches to the technological update of teachers. This phase of the study resulted in descriptions of the following nine promising approaches to the task of providing teacher technological update: work experience internships; university and college course work; workshops, conferences, and seminars; industry observation; education and industry staff exchange; part-time employment; local programs; nonlocal programs; and industry training and updating programs. Of these, workshops, conferences, and seminars were the most widely used approach to teacher update. This was true for both secondary and postsecondary instructors, with all but one of the 18 consultants providing data in the study citing this approach. Another approach that was identified as having a high potential for success was that of organizing collaborative activities and programs among schools, business, and industry for teacher occupational experiences and curriculum content revision. Singled out as a particularly noteworthy example of this type of program was the Kentucky Vocational Staff and Industry Exchange Program. (MN)