The document is the final report of a project to develop a suitable method for studying the task content of accredited dental auxiliary education programs and the relationship between the tasks taught in such programs and the tasks involved in a professional situation. The set of instruments developed and pilot tested in 63 programs was used to collect data concerning: (1) characteristics of educational institutions and their accredited programs, (2) characteristics of faculty and preceptors responsible for teaching dental and dental-related tasks, (3) dental tasks taught in accredited auxiliary education programs, and (4) the level of responsibility with which graduating auxiliary students are expected to perform dental tasks. Chapters include: Introduction, providing background material; Review of Literature, presenting historical and current perspectives, task analysis, and educational curriculum and the world of work; Methods and Procedures, discussing the basic design of the study; Analysis and Findings, examining sample characteristics, survey instruments, biographical profiles, and dental task information; and Summary, Discussion, and Conclusions. Tables supplement the discussion and appendixes include the program questionnaire, interview, and letter forms; task inventories; reference notes to tables; and a hierarchical clustering scheme for 52 dental auxiliary education programs. (LH)