A Preliminary Study of Faculty and Graduates Perceptions of Vocational Evaluation Competencies in the Educational Curriculum

Abstract

This study investigated faculty and graduates' perceptions of vocational evaluation competencies in the curriculum. The study surveyed 55 faculty and practitioners in regards to 51 competencies found credible by the Newman and Waechter (1997) study entitled Commissioned Assessment of Competencies Prepared for the Commission on Certification of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists. The top ranked competencies were reported for faculty and vocational evaluation practitioners. Differences in means were compared between the following groups: vocational evaluation faculty, vocational evaluation graduates, rehabilitation counseling graduates with a specialty in vocational evaluation, rehabilitation counseling graduates, and other unspecified graduates. Twenty-four top ranked competencies listed by faculty as most emphasized in their curriculums were compared to rankings of all graduates. Vocational evaluation graduates and rehabilitation counseling graduates with a specialty in vocational evaluation had the most similar ratings with faculty. Rehabilitation counseling graduates with no specialty differed most from faculty members in terms of ratings. These findings suggest that a difference exists between curricula in terms of obtaining vocational evaluation competencies at the university level, and between the two professions of rehabilitation counseling and vocational evaluation. Significant differences were found between the faculty members and other unspecified graduates for the competencies of job analysis and vocational interviewing skills. In addition, the competency of awareness/inclusion of cultural diversity received a lower rating by vocational evaluation graduates as compared to the ratings of rehabilitation counseling graduates and faculty.