Selected Roles/Functions of Technical/Vocational Education Administrators in Barbados and the Need for Further Preparation and Continuing Professional Development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the roles/functions of technical/vocational education (TVE) administrators in Barbados and to ascertain their personal needs for further preparation and continuing professional development. The population for the study consisted of 115 TVE administrators from the Ministry of Education, tertiary institutions, vocational centers, Grammar schools, and Newer secondary schools. The survey method was used to gather the data. All respondents were asked to complete a 87-item questionnaire which described various roles/functions associated with the administration of TVE programs under eight major categories. For each role descriptor, respondents were asked to indicate how important it was to their success as a TVE administrator and their need for continuing professional development. The data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The major findings in the study were: (1) TVE administrators perceived six of eight categories to be very important to their position. School/Community Relations and Business and Financial Management were not considered as being important to their job. (2) While the highest expressed need was in the category of Staff Relations, TVE administrators expressed little need for further preparation in any other category. (3) There were no differences among TVE administrators in the perception of the importance of their roles/functions based on educational background, but those who were permanently employed and appointed in their job attached a higher level of importance to certain roles/functions than those who were of other status. (4) TVE administrators who worked in other institutions and Newer secondary schools attached a higher level of importance to certain roles/functions than those in Grammar schools. (5) There were no differences among TVE administrators with regard to their perception of their need for further preparation within the eight categories based on tenure in position or educational setting although TVE administrators with less than B.A. degrees expressed a greater need for further preparation than TVEadministrators with B.A. degrees or graduate degrees