A Review of Secondary Technology Education Teacher Needs in Virginia

Technology education teachers can have varied pre-service training experiences, thus their needs for classroom support may vary greatly. Perkins V requires evidence-based research to justify the use of funding for professional development. This researcher sought to support Virginia’s secondary technology education teachers, professional organizations, and the Virginia Department of Education’s Technology Education Specialist by providing research to determine professional development needs. This three-phase qualitative study used a survey, documents review, and focus groups to triangulate data to provide information about the research questions. The research questions focused on teachers’ educational background, technology program goals, and issues specific to secondary technology education teachers. The study found that support on classroom management and pedagogy was the greatest need. Additionally, technology education course offerings need to be simplified and information from the state on career clusters needs to be coordinated and concisely organized. Teacher concerns also included student safety, overcrowding, students with individualized education programs (IEPs) with no aides, and the epistemology of technology education.