Credentialing examination developers rely on task (job) analyses for establishing inventories of task and knowledge areas in which competency is required for safe and successful practice in target occupations. There are many ways in which task-related information may be gathered from practitioner ratings, each with its own advantage and…

Mechanical Engineering Trade Skills Assessment Instrument (METSAI) is aimed at determining the extent to which students have acquired practical skills before graduation that will enable them get employment for sustainable job security in Yobe state. The study employed instrumentation research design. The populations of the study were 23 mechanical…

In recent years, U.S. schools have seen a growth in the number of special education paraprofessionals employed to serve special education students as well as a growth in the roles these individuals are expected to play in schools. In addition, with passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities…

A functional analysis was made of the verbal domain as it is defined by the test development process at the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The thesis of the study was that the verbal domain consists of semantic relations that examinees must interpret. Test developers used a system of rules to sample stimulus materials from among infinite…

Content validity is concerned with three components: (1) the job content; (2) the test content, and (3) the strength of the relationship between the two. A content validation study, to be considered adequate and defensible should include at least the following four procedures: (1) A thorough and accurate job analysis (to define the job content);…

This article reports new research supporting the two bipolar work task dimensions that underlie the World-of-Work Map (WWM) and Holland's hexagon--working with data versus ideas (D/I) and working with things versus people (T/P). Three databases provided diverse perspectives on basic work tasks: (a) general nature of work (expert ratings for 1,122…

Because of the Goals 200 Quality Improvement program of the federal government, Head Start agencies are being held more accountable for their employees and the overall operation of their program. To evaluate these more effectively, agencies need an effective employee evaluation instrument. Strategies were implemented in an agency that provides…

Clear descriptions of job expertise are required to support applications and improvements in personnel training and job performance. This report describes a practical approach to task analysis that integrates the issues, content, and methods of cognitive science and personnel psychology. Cognitively oriented task analysis employs a breadth, then…

This Procedure Manual provides detailed instructions to school personnel on how to construct and administer a successful feedback questionnaire, and how to use the resultant data to identify and correct training problems. Specific information is provided about the number of questionnaires to mail, the particular persons to receive them, the time…

The purpose of this project was to develop valid evaluation procedures for the selection of Container Equipment Operators (CEOs) in the shipping industry. A job analysis was conducted to identify the essential tasks of the CEO job. Site visits, a task inventory, and the determination of essential tasks were used in the job analysis. The skills and…

This paper focuses on teacher testing issues related to job analysis, test specification development, reliability, and validity. It emphasizes the conceptualization and operational definition of appropriate validity evidence to assess the quality of licensure testing decisions. It is suggested that the process of job, or practice, analysis would…

Three papers describe the three stages of developing the National Teacher Examination (NTE) School Psychologist Specialty Area Test. The first stage is described in the paper entitled "Knowledge Areas Important to School Psychology." A survey of the membership of the National Association of School Psychologists helped determine knowledge…

A Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Respiratory Therapist was developed by the U.S. Employment Service (USES). The technical adequacy of research, fairness to minorities, and usefulness of the battery to Employment Service staff and employers in selecting individuals for training in respiratory therapist positions were examined. Research…

This paper describes some results of a collaborative effort between the University of Pittsburgh and the Air Force to develop advanced troubleshooting training for F-15 maintenance technicians. The focus is on the cognitive task methodology used in the development of three intelligent tutoring systems to inform their instructional content and…

The author relates rules of program development to skills development courses, emphasizes the importance of familiarization with the job for which the training is intended, discusses the types of instruction available for program presentation, and discusses some specific uses of audiovisual materials and tests. (AG)