The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine whether a set of specialized competencies necessary to perform effectively in the correctional education field could be identified and validated. If so, would such competencies be perceived as having the same degree of importance by academic and vocational instructors and by correctional administrators? The study also sought to determine the training method preferred by correctional education staff in the acquisition of the accepted competencies. / Competencies were identified from a review of the literature and input from correctional educators and validated by a panel of experts. Through this process, 61 competency statements, using a taxonomy of the following six categories: ability to be empathetic and humanistic, awareness of inmate culture, awareness of cultural setting, personal and professional self-awareness, professional education and experience, and security, were identified. / The 61 competencies were then incorporated into a survey instrument which was distributed to the entire population of 172 correctional educators employed in the nine Florida Department of Corrections youthful offender institutions. Ninty-nine (57%) of those surveyed responded. Fifty-nine percent (58) of the respondents were males and 31% (32) females; 10% (10) did not indicate their sex. Forty-seven (47%) were academic teachers, 27 (27%) vocational instructors; 21 (21%) administrators. Four respondents did not indicate their positions. The average number of years of experience in correctional education for the respondents was in the 10-20 range. The subjects averaged over 3 years of college training. Although administrators and instructors in academic fields had college degrees, the average formal educational level reflected Florida's certification requirements for vocational instructors, who need not have a degree. / Each survey competency statement was rated by respondents on a Likert-type scale as essential (5), important (4), useful (3), not important (2), and useless (1). In order to meet the criteria for a validated competency, the statement had to receive a mean score of 3.0 or higher by 55% of the respondents. Survey respondents were also asked to indicate the preferred method of training: formal schooling, internship, on-the-job training, or in-service training. / Findings of the study were that all 61 competencies were accepted as useful or higher. Preferred methods of learning the competencies were formal schooling or some form of formal or informal on-the-job training. Schooling was favored for skill and theory training while in-service and on-the-job were preferred for learning institution and inmate functions such as awareness of security procedures and inmate motivation factors. Internship was totally rejected by the respondents as a means of acquiring the identified competencies. The staff of the youthful offender institutions were found to be better educated and younger than the national average for correctional educators. Academic staff were primarily interested in teaching strategies; administrators were found to value their authority and mediation skills the most; and vocational instructors favored skills and knowledge which helped inmates to get and keep a job and become functional members of society after release from prison. / Suggestions for further research included means of utilizing the 61 validated statements in developing training programs and materials and evaluation instruments for correctional educators. In addition, differences in perceptions of the importance of certain categories of competencies by administration, academic, and vocational personnel raised questions regarding the effects of background and training on the values and emphasis reflected by these groups. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1105. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74441 |
| Contributors | DUNCAN, CARL JOAQUIN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 179 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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