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Critical Issues and Problems in Technology Education
Critical Issues and Problems in Technology Education
DigitalCommons@USU
Publications Research
2004
Recommended Citation
Wicklein, R. C. (2004). Critical issues and problems in technology education. The Technology Teacher,
64(4), 6-9.
Survey Construction
Df the 534 survey questionnaires that
were mailed, 301 were completed in
some fasbion and returned. Eive (5)
surveys were incompletely or
inaccurately filled out and were
following two (2) questions; Tbe survey was divided into four (4) deemed unusable, therefore, 296
sections. Section 1 - Demographics - surveys, or 55%, were analyzed for
• What are the critical Issues that sought to collect data on tbe evaluation. Table 1 presents tbe results
are currently impacting tbe appropriate demographic categories, of the demographic data collected in
technology education field of including instructional position, (e.g., this study.
study? middle school teacber, bigh school
teacher, etc.), years of experience, Participants were asked to identify
• What are the critical problems that tbeir level of agreement or
are currently impacting the gender, and age. Section 2 -
Directions - explained tbe procedures disagreement on eacb survey item. A
technology education field of likert-type scale was utilized to
study? for completing tbe survey and defined
the terms used in tbe survey (e.g.. ascertain participant perspectives with
1
In order to obtain standardized Critical - bigh degree of importance for 4=Strongly Agree, 3 = Agree,
information from the most knowl- tbe field; Issue - a concern tbat may 2 = Disagree, and 1 = Strongly
edgeable subjects integral to this topic. affect progress or development for tbe Disagree. Table 2 represents tbe
analyses of tbe overall group mean
4 Enhancing business and industry connection with The matching of rating scores with
technology education 3.32 0.68 rank order for the critical problems met
with much more consistency. Four {4}
Integration of technology education with other of tbe top rated critical problems were
school subjects 3.30 0.70 also categorized within the top five in
rank order. The critical problem items,
Table 3 Insufficient quantities of qualified
Overall Mean Scores/Standard Deviations - Top Five Critical Prohtems for technology education teachers.
Inadequate understanding by
Technology Education
administrators and counselors
Critical Problem Mean SD concerning technology education, and
Inadequate understanding by general
Insufficient quantities of qualified technology populace concerning technology
education teachers 3.60 0.61 education, were rated and ranked
identically (position 1, 2, 3) on both
Inadequate understanding by administrators and
measurements. In addition, Inadequate
counselors concerning technology education 3.52 0.69 financial support for technology
Inadequate understanding by general populace education programs was rated as the
concerning technology education 3.41 0.68 5"' most important critical problem and
ranked 4"^ most significant critical
Increased high school graduation requirements problem.
i
impacting on technology education programs 3.29 0.73
Rank Order
Table 5
Rank Order of Critical Problems in Technology Education
Rank Order
Conclusions rightful place within the school future health of the technology
curriculum.
education profession. Without a
Each of the critical issues and
The most obvious conclusion from this serious and immediate effort to
problems identified in this study bears
research is the concern and crisis over address these needs, the field of
further investigation and possible
the insufficient quantities of qualified technology education, as we know it,
action to correct the crisis. Clearly,
new technology educators entering the will cease to exist in the short-range
some of the issues and problems are
instructional ranks. As the strongest future.
more critical to specialized groups, at
certain times, and in particular indicator in this research, the dilemma
Inadequacies seem to also plague the
locations. However, other issues and over recruitment and preparation of
field of technology education,
problems are serious and systemic to new technology teachers coming from
Inadequate understanding by
the entire profession of technology university programs dwarfs all of the
administrators and counselors
education. Some actions will require other concerns. Identified as the
concerning technology education and
the efforts of literally every person highest priority in both the critical
Inadequate understanding by general
involved in the profession, while others issues and problems sections of the
populace concerning technology
will need to be addressed by a select study. Recruitment of students/
education speak to the issue and
teachers into teacher education
1
group of educators. The crux of the problem of confusion and mis-
matter is that strategic actions by programs and Insufficient quantities of
understanding of what technology
technology educators at all ranks are qualified technology education
education is about. Technology
needed if the profession is to take its teachers are vital to the current and
Recommendations
The majority of the issues and
problems that were identified in this
T
study were also evaluated as
significant in similar studies conducted
in 1993 and 1996 (Wicklein, 1993;
Wicklein & Hill, 1996). The unique-
nesses of the issues and problems
facing technology education at this
time in its history may very well be at
a point of no retum, where solutions
must be found if the field is to sun/ive.