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An Examination of Outcome-Based Education Practices, Standards, and Factors That Enhance Implementation of OBE Timothy Gene Hoffman Iowa State University

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An Examination of Outcome-Based Education Practices, Standards, and Factors That Enhance Implementation of OBE Timothy Gene Hoffman Iowa State University Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1996 An examination of outcome-based education practices, standards, and factors that enhance implementation of OBE Timothy Gene Hoffman Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons Recommended Citation Hoffman, Timothy Gene, "An examination of outcome-based education practices, standards, and factors that enhance implementation of OBE " (1996). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 11113. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/11113 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly fi-om the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be fi-om aity type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the ori^nal, be^nning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing fi-om left to right in equal sections i^th small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. lEgher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional chaige. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A BeU & Howell Infonnation Company 300 Noith Zed) Road, Ann Aibor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 An examination of outcome-based education practices, standards, and factors that enhance implementation of OBE by Timothy Gene Hoffinan A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Professional Studies in Education Major: Education (Educational Administration) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. For Ae M£w6r bepartment Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Gradu^ College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1996 UHI Nxxmber: 9620972 UMI Microform 9620972 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against miauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION 1 Need for the Study 6 Statement of the Problem 8 Purposes of the Study 9 Research Questions 9 Definition of Terms 10 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 12 Evolution of OBE 13 Essentials of OBE 15 Criticism of OBE 18 Research on OBE Results 21 OBE Promises and Potential 24 The Change Process 26 Factors that Influence Implementation and Continuation 28 Effects of OBE Implementation 29 Summary of Research 30 CHAPTER III. METHODS 33 Iowa Success Network 33 Description of the Study 34 Current Practices Survey 35 iii Page Determining the Participating Schools 39 Securing Participation in the Study 41 Measures 41 Procedures for Collecting the Instrument Data 42 Analyzing the Instrument Data 43 Reporting Results 44 Human Subjects Release 45 CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS 46 Introduction 46 Descriptive Analysis of all Remms 47 Questionnaire Analysis 49 Determination of High Implementation Schools 58 Analysis of Implementation Factors 85 Analysis of Positive Effects 89 Data Related to Teacher Demographics 92 CHAPTER V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 94 Summary 94 Analysis of Data 95 Conclusions 98 Limitations 99 Discussion 100 Recommendations for Practice 103 Recommendations for Further Research 105 iv Page BIBLIOGRAPHY 106 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 112 APPENDIX A. NETWORK FOR OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOLS STANDARDS OF OBE 113 APPENDIX B. IOWA SUCCESS NETWORK MEMBER DISTRICTS 115 APPENDIX C. SCHOOL SELECTION CRITERIA 117 APPENDIX D. FINAL SCHOOL SELECTION 119 APPENDIX E. SURVEY INSTRUMENT 121 APPENDIX F. PERMISSION FORMS 127 APPENDIX G. QUESTION AND STANDARD ALIGNMENT 132 APPENDIX H. RELATED TABLES 136 V LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Related research 31 Table 2. Demographics of respondents 48 Table 3. Scoring guidelines to determine success 49 Table 4. Survey response on OBE practices and standards 50 Table 5. Survey response on OBE standards 56 Table 6. School rank based on weighted mean scores 59 Table 7. Survey response from building ranked first 61 Table 8. Survey response firom building ranked second 65 Table 9. Survey response from building ranked third 69 Table 10. Survey response from building ranked nineteenth 73 Table 11. Survey response from building ranked twentieth 77 Table 12. Survey response from building ranked twenty-first 81 Table 13. Summary and comparison of three highest and three lowest ranked buildings on OBE standards 85 Table 14. Factors which enhance the implementation of OBE 86 Table 15. Summary and comparison of implementation factors between three highest and three lowest ranked buildings 88 Table 16. Positive effects of implementing OBE 90 Table 17. Summary and comparison of positive effects between three highest and three lowest ranked buildings 91 Table H.l. Implementation factor response from building ranked first 137 vi Table H.2. Implementation factor response from building ranked second 138 Table H.3. Implementation factor response from building ranked third 139 Table H.4. Implementation factor response from building ranked nineteenth 140 Table H.5. Implementation factor response from building ranked twentieth 141 Table H.6. Implementation factor response from building ranked twenty-first 142 Table H.7. Positive effects response from building ranked first 143 Table H.8. Positive effects response from building ranked second 144 Table H.9. Positive effects response from building ranked third 145 Table H. 10. Positive effects response from building ranked nineteenth 146 Table H.l 1. Positive effects response from building ranked twentieth 147 Table H.12. Positive effects response from building ranked twenty-first 148 Table H.13. Response for OBE mission standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 149 Table H.14. Response for OBE outcome standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 150 Table H.15. Response for OBE curriculum standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 151 Table H. 16. Response for OBE decision standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 152 Table H.17. Response for OBE assessment standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 153 Table H.18. Response for OBE organization standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 154 Table H.19. Response for OBE culture standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 155 Vll Pas Table H.20. Response for OBE improvement standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 156 Table H.21. Response for OBE data base standard disaggregated by role, experience, and assignment 157 1 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION School reform efforts over the last 50 years have produced little change (Cuban, 1988; Fullan & Miles, 1992). Educators have tried effective schools, whole language, site-based management, and continue to attempt to implement innovation after innovation. As educators continue their efforts to enhance the quality of America's schools, they discover a variety of tools and methods for school improvement, each with its own merits and challenges (Wise, 1979, 1988). There is no shortage of innovations. The shortage that exists is a lack of understanding of how to implement innovations, and keep them going long enough to become institutionalized. Outcome-based education (OBE) is perhaps the most exciting and potentially successfiil curricular innovation for schools, because it requires that a future-driven curriculum focus be developed, and it demands performance assessment (Spady, 1987a). Outcome-based education is a systemic reform effort which focuses on predetermined outcomes, or curriculum goals. This results-oriented approach uses those outcomes to drive instructional and curricular decisions and actions. All decisions including those related to curriculum, delivery of instruction, assessment, and promotion are based on the best way to achieve the predetermined outcomes. Not everyone, however, views OBE as a positive school restrucmring strategy. Mainline educators have been surprised as OBE has come under a nationwide attack (Manatt, 1993). The compelling logic attributed to OBE by its supporters doesn't impress critics, who consider the OBE philosophy a recipe for disaster (O'Neil, 1994). 2 Even if some of the charges made about OBE are
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