The Development of Training Program for Specialists Using Jigsaw Technique to Train the Trainers of Career- Based Short Course

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to develop and evaluate a model for the development of short-term vocational and career-based courses and a specialist training course using the jigsaw technique for training courses’ lecturers. This research was carried out using data from the investigation of needs and present situation. The samples covered 377 vocational school administrators and vocational course teachers and were obtained using the stratified sampling technique. The sample size was set according to Casey and Morgan’s model. The research result was subsequently used in the development of a course to train heads of curriculum departments and staff appointed by the Board of Vocational Education Commission. The number of target participants was 30. The research results indicated that the model for the development of short-term vocational and career-based courses consisted of five related steps: (1) analysis of the need for developing a curriculum, (2) curriculum design, (3) curriculum pilot study, (4) curriculum implementation, and (5) curriculum assessment. The evaluation by experts revealed that the model was highly appropriate. On the other hand, the specialist training course consisted of 12 topics covering both theory and practice and conformed to a five-day workshop-training model. The efficiency assessment of the specialist training course using the CIPP model showed that (1) the assessment conditions were highly appropriate and (2) the topics and objectives of the specialist training course are consistent; the initial assessment results were consistent with the behavioral objectives of every item of the curriculum. The evaluation result showed that the average percentage scores for the aforementioned theory and practice parts were higher than the set criteria at 80/80% and 75%, respectively. The participants reported high satisfaction. Moreover, the implementation assessment of the specialist training course showed that the school administrators and participants were highly satisfied.