DACUM Research Chart on the Work-Based Learning Teacher Coordinator. Post Research Report
Author: Wichowski, Chester P.
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Instructor Coordinators,Cooperative Education,Vocational Education,Occupational Information,Role,Charts,Validity,Surveys

A research and development effort was undertaken to provide definition and validate the emerging role of the Work-Based Learning Teacher Coordinator through the use of a DACUM process in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Cooperative Education Association with funding support provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Career and Technical Education. The DACUM process employs a group interactive activity to produce a sequenced chart of major duty categories and associated task elements of an occupation.  A complete DACUM chart provides an occupational skill profile which can be used for instructional program planning, curriculum development, training materials development, career counseling, public relations, employer information, job description, and competency test development. Developed in Canada, the DACUM process has been used extensively throughout all of North American and in more than 40 countries worldwide. A panel of nine experienced certified cooperative education teacher coordinators from across Pennsylvania was assembled for a three day residential activity guided by an experienced DACUM facilitator and an assistant facilitator. The DACUM chart developed by this panel provided a definition of the role of the work-based learning teacher coordinator, identified ten duty categories with a total of 125 associated task areas, and an assortment of work related information. This chart later served as the content core for the development of a validation survey instrument to measure the level of importance, difficulty to achieve, and relative frequency of application of each of the 125 task elements identified through the DACUM activity. All survey ratings were provided through the use of a Likert type scale with a high of 5 and a low of 1. The survey instrument was distributed to a sample of 24 experienced certified cooperative education teacher coordinators, including the individuals involved in the initial DACUM Chart developmental activity, identified by the Pennsylvania Cooperative Education Association. After one follow-up mailing, the validation survey yielded a return rate of 64%, (n=16). The ratings in the level of importance category ranged between a high of 5.0 and a low of 3.31. Several of the highest validation ratings in the level of importance category ranged between 5.00 and 4.94. These were associated with the task areas of: (a) complying with state and federal labor laws/child labor laws, (b) monitoring the safety of the workplace environment, (c) communicating program expectations and benefits with work- based partners, (d) evaluating the achievement of the student in the workplace, and (e) developing program operation policies and procedures. Ratings in the level of difficulty to achieve and level relative frequency of application categories were at lower levels than the ratings in the level of importance category. Knowledge gained from the development and validation of this DACUM chart were used to: (a) provide a standard for the functions of the work-based learning teacher coordinator, (b) revise the PA Cooperative Education Certification Program delivered by the Temple University College of Education, and (c) serve as a reference blueprint for the revision of the Educational Testing Services PRAXIS II Cooperative Education Cooperative Education Specialty Area Test 0810. The following are appended: (1) DACUM Research Chart on the Work-Based Learning Teacher Coordinator; (2) Transmittal Letter &amp; Survey Instrument; and (3) Survey Ratings.