R. Kirby Barrick

Stages of Concern Profiles for Active Learning Strategies of Agricultural Technical School Teachers in Egypt.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess Egyptian Agricultural Technical School (ATS) teachers’ implementation of active learning strategies in their classrooms. Methods: The Stages of Concern Questionnaire was administered to 230 participants in active learning workshops. After eliminating headmasters, supervisors and people no longer teaching, the population became 160 teachers with usable responses from all. Findings: ATS instructors who had participated in an active learning workshop indicated some concern in adopting the innovation and in being well prepared to utilize the strategies. Implications: Adoption of innovations is dependent upon instructor motivation to change and support from the school. Future workshops must address those concerns, as well as provide additional information regarding how to implement innovative strategies. Value: ATS teachers in Egypt have participated in various workshops to assist them in learning about, practicing and incorporating into their teaching the innovation of active learning strategies. Agriculture teachers do not complete formal preparation to become teachers in Egypt, so the development of teaching strategies is often neglected. ATS instructors may be reluctant to adopt new innovations such as active learning, since there are few incentives to make changes and few opportunities to learn new strategies. If workshops on active learning are to be continued, the concerns of teachers regarding the adoption of the innovation can be valuable. Further investigation is also warranted regarding the implementation of and concerns with each of the active learning strategies.

Competence-based Education in the United States

Competence-based education in the United States has evolved over time. Rooted in philosophy of education and the need for practical education, competence-based education expanded throughout the last 100 years, appearing in various forms until the term and concept became a reality in the 1960s. In the United States, the original term of “competence-based education” has evolved into “competency-based education.” While the wording is slightly different, the meaning and concept are the same. As the education system in the United States evolved in the late nineteenth century, high schools took on the challenge of preparing students for the world of work as well as society through helping them achieve competence through developing prescribed competencies. This chapter will use the current US term of competency-based education.