A Study on The Actual Condition of NCS Teacher Training
National Competence Standards(NCS) has been introduced under the incumbent government to put an end to the industries' distrust of the education in a vocational high school, which was actuall...
A Study on The Actual Condition of NCS Teacher Training
National Competence Standards(NCS) has been introduced under the incumbent government to put an end to the industries' distrust of the education in a vocational high school, which was actually nowhere near their job requirements, and to build up a competence-oriented society, where industry, education, training, and qualification will be all linked together as one system. Its successful settlement in a vocational high school entirely depends on the teachers' clear understanding and various efforts on their own. Against this backdrop, this study objectively surveyed NCS understanding level of teachers in vocational high schools, analyzed NCS-related training problems, which would definitely lead to the stable settlement of NCS, and provided base-line data for proposing NCS training improvements to level up teachers' understanding significantly.
The methods of this study are as follows. As for the subjects, 310 teachers of randomly chosen vocational high schools located at Bucheon, Kwangmyung, Ansan, Ilsan, Suwon, Osan, and Pyungtaek in Kyunggi province were asked to fill out a questionnaire, of which 304 responded, with 98.1% collect rate attained. With 9 questionnaires excluded due to their insincere or incomplete responses, 295 teachers were the final analysis of this study.
And as for the statistics, the survey was analyzed with the use of SPSS(Statistical Package for Social Science, ver.21.0). Specifically, descriptive statistics were applied question by question to add up teachers' backgrounds and overall responses to the entire questionnaire. Also, T-test and F-test via one-way ANOVA were used to assess variables of NCS awareness and understanding level among the teachers, with Scheffe-test applied for ex-post analysis. Finally, Chis Square test was used to verify teachers' background variables of training improvement proposals as well as actual conditions of NCS.
The results analyzed from the survey are as follows. As for NCS awareness, teachers' awareness and understanding level turned out average. The awareness level was as high as 3.40 on Rikert scale but awareness level of NCS learning module and NCS-oriented curriculum were 2.94 and 3.03 respectively. Despite their general level, however, the effect on teachers in vocational high schools of NCS was 3.83; on the contents and curriculum was 3.87; on evaluation was 3.72; and on teaching method was 3.67. Overall, NCS was regarded as a significant influence on entire aspects of vocational high school education.
As for the actual conditions and problems of NCS, Not only the expectations that NCS will have a great impact and that vocational high schools will eventually turn NCS-based but also the eagerness to enhance professionalism contributed to high response to the necessity and participation of NCS-related training in the near future. On the other hand, of the problems on the actual conditions, the unilateral trainee designation by educational office was considered the worst with 40.9% response, followed by another forced trainee designation by principals and heads of sections with 38.6%. Of the NCS content and curriculum problems, cramming theory without practice was regarded the worst with 35.1%. Of the training instructor problems, the lack of sympathetic instructors was ranked the worst with 36.2%. Of the training period problems, the repetition of the same or similar training was marked the worst with 45.2%. Of the teaching method problems, the instructor-led teaching was considered the worst with 55.8%. And of the training place problems, the concentration in the specific areas without regional distribution was ranked the worst with 39.5%.
And as for NCS teacher training improvements, the most urgent part to patch up is the contents and curriculums applicable to classroom, followed by the extension of trainee designation through sufficient guide information and opportunity. To improve the problems presented through the survey, it was proposed that accessibility to training information should be increased to boost voluntary participation based on teachers’ high awareness. A variety of accredited training centers including city or provincial office of education should extend NCS training programs whose information can be easily accessed by a variety of means such as e-mail, SNS, application software as well as official documents. In addition, it was offered that contents fitting classroom should be embedded in the NCS training. Because NCS targets what to do rather than what to know, practical curriculum is considered as a big help greatly to stabilize NCS itself. Moreover, It was advised that trainee designation should go the way a training can induce teachers who need it to participate it on their own and it can focus on more learning or doing than evaluating. Furthermore, Instructors were demanded who teachers can feel bonding with. Teachers should be appointed who have ever joined in or reviewed NCS developments or who has been applying competence to his field classroom or , if impossible, at least his case should be shared. Also, it was suggested that training period should be suitably sufficient. It should be long enough for teachers to practice over and over what they learn so that they can eventually reorganize or create their methods fitting their own school situations. Plus, it was advised that NCS training class style should correspond to the purpose of NCS. Teachers, who usually don't get the feel of industrial field, should be provided some opportunities to feel and share the sense of industrial field through investigation trips, and some methodologies to utilize NCS efficiently through case study, group discussion and project assignment. And finally, it was proposed that an optimal training place should be selected to maximize the efficiency of NCS training. An elite instructor team should pay visit to each vocational high school around Kyunggi province for intensive training, or specific high schools or places scattered around should be designated as training centers which serve as networks to share and figure out NCS-related problems and solutions.
In short, like every other teacher training, NCS training needs continuous development and improvement which focus on a teacher's competence because the key to its settlement in a unit school is no other than a teacher himself or herself.