A RESEARCH MODEL FOR IDENTIFICATION OF TASK AND KNOWLEDGE CLUSTERS ASSOCIATED WITH PERFORMANCE OF MAJOR TYPES OF OFFICE EMPLOYEES' WORK. FINAL REPORT NUMBER 5.

AN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH MODEL WAS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY AND CORRELATE MAJOR TASKS OF OFFICE WORKERS AND MAJOR REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES FOR PERFORMANCE OF THOSE TASKS. THE PURPOSE WAS TO SHOW ESSENTIAL COMBINATIONS OF TASK-KNOWLEDGE CLUSTERS FOR USE BY CURRICULUM PLANNERS IN DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS FOR OFFICE EDUCATION. THE TOTAL OFFICE LABOR FORCE IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON WAS IDENTIFIED, USING CENSUS DATA AND OTHER DATA PROVIDED BY STATE AGENCIES. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF UNIVERSITY STATISTICIANS AND ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS, A SAMPLE WAS SELECTED IN PROPORTION TO THE NUMBER OF OFFICE WORKERS IN FIVE OFFICE-SIZE CATEGORIES WITHIN 15 MAJOR STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION GROUPINGS, INCLUDING AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION, SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND GOVERNMENT. USING THE SELECTED SAMPLE (286 OFFICE WORKERS AND SUPERVISORS) AND ALSO A JURY OF EXPERTS, A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPOSED OF 600 OFFICE TASKS WAS VALIDATED. IN ADDITION TO PILOT TESTING THE QUESTIONNAIRE, A STRUCTURED PROCEDURE WAS DEVELOPED FOR ITS USE IN OTHER PROJECTS TO IDENTIFY MAJOR TASKS AND KNOWLEDGES OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF OFFICE WORKERS WITHIN ANY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. A PARADIGM CONSTRUCTED FOR SUCH TASK-KNOWLEDGE INVESTIGATIONS WAS PRESENTED IN THE FORM OF FIVE FLOW CHARTS. THIS VOLUME REPRESENTS PART 5 OF A 13-PART FINAL REPORT ON THE VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. RELATED VOLUMES ARE ED 010 652 THROUGH ED 010 664. (JH)