Professional development for the position of industrial teacher education department leader

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prepare a professional development plan for industrial teacher educators who aspire to the position of department leader. Ninety-eight (70% of a sample of 140) industrial teacher education department leaders responded to the survey instrument on professional development. Respondents rated the two most appropriate activities and time frames in one's career for professional development in preparation for fulfilling 36 identified areas of responsibility from Marshall's (1984) study. Respondents were asked to choose at least one of the three time frames (pre-service, orientation, or in-service) and the two most appropriate development activities from the list of seven (internship, mentoring, graduate courses, university seminars, management institutes, professional seminars, and on-the-job training) for each of the 36 areas of responsibility. Chi-square tests revealed few significant differences between responses from leaders of large departments and responses from leaders of small departments. Also, few significant differences were found between responses from leaders of departments with doctoral programs and responses from leaders of departments with no doctoral program. Frequency tabulations identified on-the-job training as the development activity having the highest frequency of first choice response for 30 of the 36 areas of responsibility. Graduate courses and professional seminars each received the highest frequency rating for three areas of responsibility. Two conclusions were drawn from the data: (a) on-the-job training is the most appropriate professional development activity, and (b) the position of department leader is a job for which one cannot adequately prepare before assuming the leadership role. The professional development plan was prepared using the highest frequencies and second highest frequencies of first choice responses. Pre-service development activities should include graduate study, professional seminars, university seminars, and mentoring. Development activities during orientation should include professional seminars, university seminars, and mentoring. In-service professional development activities should include on-the-job training, professional seminars, university seminars, mentoring, and management institutes. Specific areas of competency development were suggested for each activity.