Needed Research in Business Education. Sixth Edition.

Areas of business education that need to be researched were identified through a two-round study. First, 2 groups of more than 40 Delta Pi Epsilon members generated ideas for research topics at regional and national conferences. The resulting list of topics was edited and rated by a Delphi panel consisting of 15 educators from postsecondary and secondary institutions and state and county departments of education across the United States. In round 2, the Delphi panel members were given summaries of the results of the first Delphi round and asked to re-evaluate their original responses based on the round 1 results. Both Delphi rounds elicited 100% response rates. The top 10 overall topics identified were as follows: (1) the basic workplace skills needed by industry; (2) communication skills for the millennium; (3) how soft skills should be taught and measured; (4) computer literacy components desired by industry; (5) whether computer courses should teach skills or concepts; (6) the best way to measure and evaluate competencies in spreadsheets, presentation graphics, and databases; (7) differences in achievement with distance learning and classroom teaching; (8) whether problem-solving skills are being taught in software instruction; (9) development of instruments for measuring business competencies; and (10) preparing students for employers multi-skills expectations. (Contains 12 tables.) (MN)