A study examined postsecondary occupational education delivery from two standpoints: (1) the workings of and main participants in instructional decision-making processes and (2) student motivation in selecting occupational programs and institutions. Site visits were conducted at 48 institutions, and another 384 institutions participated through a mail survey. Over 6,000 administrators, placement officials, departmental chairpersons, faculty, and students responded. It was found that competency-based education has improved occupational instruction in several important ways, including increased emphasis on job placement after graduation and better accommodation of special needs students. Although employers were involved in many aspects of curriculum and instruction, their degree of involvement was not as great as vocational-technical educators would like to see. Data from all three types of institutions studied indicated a need for more-formalized and better-structured professional development activities. (Appendixes include 142 statistical tables, data on the universe of public and independent institutions offering postsecondary occupational education, the mail survey questionnaire, item nonresponse tables, and the site visit interview and classroom observation forms. (Twelve pages of references are provided.) (MN)