Browsing by Author "Dixon, Raymond A."

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    STEM and TVET in the Caribbean: A framework for integration at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels
    (School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, 2016) Dixon, Raymond A.; Hutton, Disraeli M.
    Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by its nature offers an ideal platform for the integration of STEM. High-quality TVET or advanced technology programmes can provide a strong foundation for, and serve as a delivery system of, STEM competencies and skills for a broader range of students. But it can also be argued that integrative STEM is an ideal vehicle to facilitate TVET because of its focus on innovation and problem solving. Combining both paradigms in education and training seems to offer a breakthrough in how to prepare the workforce to be much more effective and productive in the present knowledge-based economy. So far, however, while there has been an increased focus on the importance of STEM in curricula and for a globally competitive workforce, the idea of teaching integrated STEM has been explored in a limited manner, particularly in the Caribbean. This paper examines the goals of integrated STEM education, and describes a framework for integration that is built on goal orientation, constructivism, systems thinking, and situated learning. Issues relating to STEM pedagogy and research are addressed to offer a pragmatic lens to the context, nature, and scope of integration that is attainable at the primary, secondary, and post- secondary levels.
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    Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and its integration into general education at the university level
    (School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, 2016) Hutton, Disraeli M.; Dixon, Raymond A.
    This paper seeks to demonstrate the progress that technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has made in cementing its place in general education (at the tertiary level) as a legitimate component of the education process for economic development and prosperity. It explores the reasons for the separation of liberal arts education from professional education in an earlier period, and the continued attempt to maintain the separation between general education and TVET in the 21st century. With the inevitable move towards a knowledge-based economy in developed and developing countries, the role of both general education and technical education is being heralded as vital to the performance of this modern approach to economic development. The paper also examines the factors that are driving these changes and the potential benefits to be derived from the integration of general education and TVET. Finally, the paper concludes that based on the growing symbiotic relationship between general education and TVET, it can be safely predicted that, increasingly, the distinction between general education and acquisition of skills for work will gradually disappear and will cease to be an issue for the education system in the long run.
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    The epistemological dilemma: Student teachers shared experiences of Jamaica’s National Standards Curriculum (NSC)
    (SCIEDU Press, 2021-11-12) Mayne, Hope; Dixon, Raymond A.
    In this paper, we examined the epistemological dilemma embedded in Jamaica’s new National Standards Curriculum (NSC), as seen through student teachers' experience. A basic qualitative research design was used with a purposive sample of ten student teachers, eight females and two males. They were all in the final semester of their four-year teacher education program for a Bachelor of Education in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Findings indicated student teachers perceived the 5 E-Design process in the new National Standards Curriculum allows knowledge to be constructed through facilitation, conducting research in class, problem-solving, exploration, questioning, real-life experiences, and using active learning strategies. They also reported that resources were lacking in classrooms, some cooperating teachers were resistant to the 5E Methodology, readiness of students were lacking but over time students adopted to strategies used in the 5E approach and began to participate actively in class.
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    Trends and issues in technology education in the USA: Lessons for the Caribbean
    (School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2013) Dixon, Raymond A.
    This paper traces various developments in technology education at the turn of the 21st century in the USA. It begins by highlighting issues that were being discussed in the 1990s among the technology education community, and the efforts by the science and engineering communities to help shape the content of technology education. The efforts of the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) to create standards for technological literacy in 2000 and supporting standards for assessment and professional development in 2003 are discussed. The recommendations from the report Technically Speaking and the impact it had in defining how a technologically literate person is characterized are also presented. This paper also examines the work of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) from 2005-2012 in spearheading an understanding of how engineering design can be infused in schools, and also how students learn engineering design. The role of pre-engineering curricula in STEM education is examined, and the various curricula that are being used in technology education classrooms since the publication of the Standards for Technological Literacy are also traced. Finally, lessons that the Caribbean can learn from the recent evolution of technology education in the USA are discussed
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    Why 'yuh' talking to 'yuhself'? Exploring role identity through conversation analysis: Implications for curriculum and teaching
    (2016-05-10) Dixon, Raymond A.; Mayne, Hope
    This qualitative study used a modified form of conversation analysis to explore role identity construction of two primary school-aged children (male and female) in the Jamaican context. The participants were engaged in an informal conversation on imaginary play with an adult. Data were collected via the video conference medium, Skype. An analysis of question-answer, lexical choice and category, and perspective-display sequence of the conversation revealed that the adult and the male child expressed concerns about the female child's engagement in imaginary play. The analysis of the conversation also revealed that both children displayed different stages of role construction during the conversation. Implications for curriculum and teaching are discussed