Educational Connoisseurship and Criticism: Evaluation of a Cooperation Model between University and the Sector on Vocational Education

Abstract

Vocational schools which were opened to raise intermediate staff for the sector must update their functions to fulfill the intermediate staff need emerging as a result of the developments and changes in the sector through the time. Considering the needs of the sector, updating content of the courses and opening new lessons or programs will fulfill the need. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the flight simulators lesson aiming to fulfil the intermediate staff need in the field of flight simulators according to educational criticism model. Qualitative techniques were employed to obtain data within the scope of this study.  The study was designed according to case study method. In-depth and focus group interviews were conducted with the participants by using semi-structured interview forms and the findings were obtained through content analysis. The study group consisted of students, instructors and the head of the program. As a result of the study, it is found that participants were satisfied with the course, the staff need of the sector was fulfilled, the learners had sector knowledge, and the aim of the teaching process included practice opportunity in the sector. Besides, highlighting the co-operation between the sector and the university and keeping educational programs up-to-date was another expectation.

Keywords: Educational connoisseurship and criticism, Program evaluation, Vocational education, Vocational schools, Cooperation model