A Case Study of Automotive Technology Instructors' Experiences and Perceptions of Curriculum Change in the Louisiana Technical College

The landscape of postsecondary education is changing in a variety of ways that present challenges and opportunities to educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders of higher education. One of the most significant areas of postsecondary educational change is in the community and technical college setting. The missions of both these institutional settings have changed to meet new technological demands, global economic competition, and societal issues. A consequence of mission change has been significant changes in the manner that instruction of technical education is conducted at these institutions. This case study explores automotive technology instructors' experiences and perceptions of changes in their curriculum in the newly created Louisiana Community and Technical College System. The study uses a case study qualitative methodology with individual interviews of a purposive sample population of automotive instructors at Louisiana Technical College. The study revealed three significant issues impacting the instructors' experiences and perceptions of curriculum change in their automotive technology program. One issue was the manner in which instructional delivery had changed by structure, course length and scheduling, and lab work. A second issue was the availability of appropriate instructional resources that included educational technology and training equipment. The third issue was the impact of industry standards and expectations on curriculum change in the instructors' programs. Recommendations are offered for policymakers, educators, and further research.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Year

2004

Author dc:creator

• Martin, John Robert

Contributors dc:contributor

• Killacky, Jim
• Wells, Amy
• Gifford, Charles

• NATEF

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/213

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1217