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ERIC Number: ED223290
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982-Oct-27
Pages: 27
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A National Curricular Needs Assessment for a Unique Community College Program.
Jay, Thomas S.; Gose, Frank J.
In 1981, a nationwide survey of gunsmithing professionals was conducted to provide information for the revision of Yavapai College's gunsmithing program. The survey was motivated by serious problems with the existing program, including high costs, low enrollment and completion rates, little instructional continuity, and disagreement within the college about curriculum design and program outcomes. A total of 224 professional gunsmiths were surveyed and asked to rate the importance of basic gunsmithing skills; indicate how much training should be lab and how much lecture; indicate how many hours a 2-year program should consist of and how many of these hours should be devoted to on-the-job training; provide salary information; and rate the importance of courses currently required in Yavapai's program and suggest additional courses. Results, based on a 42% response rate, indicated that: (1) lathe work, finishing, chamber and barrel work, and buffing were the most important basic skills; (2) 47.6% of the respondents felt that the proportion of class to lab time should be 20% to 80%; (3) 26.2% felt a 2-year program should consist of 2,000-2,999 hours of course work; and (4) the most important courses offered by the college were seen to be machine shop and gunsmithing practices. Based upon the findings a number of curriculum revisions were implemented and additional recruitment activities initiated. These efforts resulted in increases in enrollments and inquiries about the program. The questionnaire and detailed responses are appended. (HB)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A