The objectives of this study were to determine what perceived changes to VTE have the potential to improve development of the economy in the next 3 to 5 years and which of these identified changes will have the greatest impact. To achieve this objective, a selected group of experts representing international development, business, economies, labor, manufacturing, service industries, and education were asked to participate in the study. First, the experts were requested to list five to eight statements, based on their experience and perceptions, about what changes to VTE have the potential to improve the development of Trinidad and Tobago economy in the next 3 to 5 years. Next, they were asked to rank-order their identified 60 statements on a continuum that approximated a normal distribution from "most important" to "least important." Rank-ordered statements were analyzed using Q-factor analysis (PQMethod). From the rank-ordered statements, eight factors were identified as having the potential to improve the development of Trinidad and Tobago's economy. These factors were (a) access to and quality of VTE, (b) VTE higher education programs, (c) VTE program quality, (d) VTE program comprehensiveness, (e) fundamental aspects of VTE, (f) preparation for and advancement in VTE careers, (g) meeting VTE student and program needs, and (h) understanding VTE's purpose. Statements associated with each factor serve to clarify the focus of VTE related activities that may be initiated to improve development of the economy. The most important of the identified factors was Factor 1(access to and quality of VTE) which accounted for 15% of the explained variance in the factor matrix. The second most important factors were Factor 3 (VTE program quality) and 5(fundamental aspects of VTE) with each accounting for 13% of the explained variance. All three of these factors (Factors 1, 3, and 5) had an average reliability coefficient of .800, a composite reliability of .889 at a significant value of p<.05. / Ph. D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Grand Rapids, 1940.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Grand Rapids, 1940.

Thèse--Fribourg. / Bibliography: p. [143]-152.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Vita. Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin-Madison. / Vita. Photocopy of typescript. Ann Arbor, Mich. : University Microfilms International, 1980. -- 22 cm. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 266-275).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-90).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 95-104). Also available in print.

‘Quality’ and ‘quality assurance’ in education have become global issues in the last decade. Educational institutions around the world are focusing on designing and implementing quality assurance systems to ensure students a high quality of education. In many countries, including Brunei Darussalam, the development of a national system of quality assurance in education has sometimes brought confusion and controversy. The main reason for this stems from the conflicting perspectives of different interest groups: mainly governments, administrators and academic staff, but students, employers and the general public also have significant voices. All, of course, are committed to quality but each regards quality in a slightly different way. This study set out to explore the perceptions of two groups of stakeholders, administrators and teachers, about the quality assurance system and in particular, the quality assurance of the assessment process in vocational and technical education (VTE) in Brunei Darussalam. The study examined the stakeholders’ understanding of the term quality and the significance of quality assurance measures. It assessed the extent to which these measures have been utilised by the Department of Technical Education (DTE) and its Vocational and Technical Education Institutions (VTEIs) and it also examined the challenges facing DTE and its VTEIs in ensuring quality VTE. A mixed-method research approach was used in this investigation, including document analysis, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The results provide insights into stakeholders’ perceptions of quality and a range of purposes for quality assurance system implementation. The effectiveness of the current system based on an external moderation system generated mixed views. The study identified the lack of a structured comprehensive quality assurance system for the assessment process in the DTE and VTEIs and highlighted ways in which quality assurance of the assessment process measures are currently formulated. Both groups of stakeholders agreed that there are challenges confronting the DTE and its VTEIs. Several recommendations were made to improve the current quality assurance measures. The study was timely in light of the increased interest in shaping quality assurance mechanisms in VTE in Brunei Darussalam. Overall this study carries implications for a better understanding of quality in VTE and issues related to the implementation of a quality assurance system.